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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 9257506" data-attributes="member: 29398">Where I see the outer ends of the stat ranges as being the achievable extremes for normal members of that species' population, absent odd magical effects, one-off divine blessings, and so forth.And the character creation system is in part what sets the parameters for characters in that setting.If the char-gen system specifies that strength for Hobbits has a range of 3-16 then that also sets the parameters for what Hobbit strength can be among the greater population; which means that if the GM then turns around and says that NPC Hobbits run on a 3-18 range there's something gone adrift, as the GM is (or should be!) constrained by the char-gen rules.To me those limits already include the population's outliers.If the bell curve runs from 3-18 then any 3 or 4 or 5 is already an outlier, as is any 16, 17 or 18.  Most stats for most people would be in the 8-13 range.  The char-gen methods for D&D have always* skewed the bell curve toward the higher end, making those 16s 17s and 18s far more commonly seen in play than they are in the general population, but to me that's no different than, say, the intelligence range of those at a high-end university skewing higher than the general populace,* - the one exception being straight 3d6 rolls, which IMO makes for an unrealistically flat bell curve that I'm willing to live with.And its those same reasons that tell me they shouldn't be available to NPCs either, because if an NPC can do it a PC should also be able to do it.</blockquote>

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