PCs with an ability score of 5 or less

[Ogre Mage]

Have you ever played a PC, or alongside another PC, who had resonably good stats except for one score which was 5 or less? I am curious how this was roleplayed and if the character seemed playable or unplayable in general.

I am also curious if low scores in some abilities might create a more (un)playable character than others. For instance, I could imagine a barbarian with CHA 5 managing to get by if s/he had the right friends. But I would think that almost anyone with CON 5 would soon be rolling up a new character.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

But I would think that almost anyone with CON 5 would soon be rolling up a new character.

Ironically, the very month the 3.0 came out, I ran into some friends giving
3.0 a try, and one person was playing an elven rogue with a 5 Con, had 3
Hit Points at first level. I thought to myself "That's a death sentence"
but he was playing the character last I heard. *shrug*

 

[Numion]

A halfling sorcerer in our group had an STR of 4. It didn't have much effect in play though. He just never did anything that required strength (like picking up a .. um .. coin, I guess ).

But thats just optimizing the character. It's not hard to concieve that a sorc is not going to need STR.

 

[Maggan]

Dwarf with CHA 2

Have you ever played a PC, or alongside another PC, who had resonably good stats except for one score which was 5 or less? I am curious how this was roleplayed and if the character seemed playable or unplayable in general.

I am also curious if low scores in some abilities might create a more (un)playable character than others. For instance, I could imagine a barbarian with CHA 5 managing to get by if s/he had the right friends. But I would think that almost anyone with CON 5 would soon be rolling up a new character.

-----sulk mode on-----

I'm in a group going through the WotC Adventure Path series. I was handed a pregenerated dwarf with CHA 2 by my DM. I've been trying to kill the poor dwarf off, because I can't for my life play a character with CHA 2. I haven't got the faintest idea how to do it, I mean if CHA 3 is the worst a human can have, what is CHA 2? It doesn't help that the other players are inexperienced, and sort of look to me to handle the NPC interaction.

That dwarf is heading for trouble, I promise you that!

For me, the CHA 2 score ruins most of the fun of the character. If I had expericened co-players it might work, since then I wouldn't have to worry about handling the NPC interaction, but as it stands now, it's not much fun. I'm not looking for CHA 18 or anything, hell I would be happy with having CHA 7 or something. CHA 2 is not much fun, it's the charisma of a rhinoceros according to the PH.

-----sulk mode off-----

Cheers!

M.

(and no, my DM won't let me make a new character)

 

[clark411]

I say you puff your beard, and establish dominance in every social situation.

I thought the hard cap for creatures with stat penalties was 3, although perhaps it's changed or I made it up in my head.

Personally, the lowest I've ever played a stat was a 7 in Charisma, and the DM socked it to me good for it (which I enjoyed). There's nothing really like having every NPC in the world bar maybe your brother start off as unfriendly towards you. The last time I insulted someone was by bowing. Heh

Really, I couldn't see roleplaying a standard DND hero with a stat around 5 or below. Whether it's catatonia, mental deficiency, weakness, ill health, etc... Darwin tends to stomp on such creatures when they make their living out adventuring.

 

[Liolel]

I was the dm once for one of those monstrous half-orc barbarians with low int and cha. In this case int of 5 and cha of 4. It was well roleplayed and dumb as a log, basically doing what other characters asked, but I'm glad that I no longer have to run that character for thock as he was called was an absolute monster in combat, anything that would challenge the rest of the group he rolled over.

 

[Toras]

Done it with Charisma for a fighter.
Charisma of 4, he was hideously scarred and bitter as hell.
Its was absolutely fun being that surrly and horrificly scarred.

 

[Piratecat]

Back in 2e, one of my best friends was rolling up his new elf wizard using the "4d6 drop one" method. His stats were awfully impressive - 15s, 16s, a 17 for int - until he got to Constitution. For Con, he rolled 2, 1, 1, 1. A grand total of 4.

As it turned out, Corneilus was one of the most memorable characters in the game. He was incredibly paranoid about getting hurt, and used to stand FAR back in the group and just toss area effect spells as if his life depended on it (which it did.) When he did get injured, he'd crumple pretty quickly while coughing up blood, but he did everything he could to keep his sickly body safe.

Finally, one day he had enough. He stood out under the stars and screamed at the heavens that he had no God, and that he would worship any god - good or evil - that could cure him of his affliction. This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

The next morning, he woke up with an 18 con. He felt great! Lots of extra hit points, no sickness. . . and then he took one point of damage in combat from a misfired arrow. As soon as he took that one point, his con dropped back down even farther to 3. Turns out that his prayer was heard by the God of Chance, Gambling and Practical Jokes.

As you can imagine, this made the PC's paranoia even worse. He'd be perfectly healthy, then get nicked for 2 hp and lose more than 30 points from con loss. He'd end up vomiting weakly in the corner while everyone else finished off the monsters. One healing potion, and *poof* back to full health.

On a metagame level, it let me give him a better system shock (while healthy) and lended tremendously to the roleplaying. And on a rat bastard level, it was just fun.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

The next morning, he woke up with an 18 con. He felt great! Lots of extra hit points, no sickness. . . and then he took one point of damage in combat from a misfired arrow. As soon as he took that one point, his con dropped back down even farther to 3. Turns out that his prayer was heard by the God of Chance, Gambling and Practical Jokes.

Oh man oh man oh man....

 

[MEG Hal]

Back in 2e, one of my best friends was rolling up his new elf wizard using the "4d6 drop one" method. His stats were awfully impressive - 15s, 16s, a 17 for int - until he got to Constitution. For Con, he rolled 2, 1, 1, 1. A grand total of 4.

As it turned out, Corneilus was one of the most memorable characters in the game. He was incredibly paranoid about getting hurt, and used to stand FAR back in the group and just toss area effect spells as if his life depended on it (which it did.) When he did get injured, he'd crumple pretty quickly while coughing up blood, but he did everything he could to keep his sickly body safe.

Finally, one day he had enough. He stood out under the stars and screamed at the heavens that he had no God, and that he would worship any god - good or evil - that could cure him of his affliction. This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

The next morning, he woke up with an 18 con. He felt great! Lots of extra hit points, no sickness. . . and then he took one point of damage in combat from a misfired arrow. As soon as he took that one point, his con dropped back down even farther to 3. Turns out that his prayer was heard by the God of Chance, Gambling and Practical Jokes.

As you can imagine, this made the PC's paranoia even worse. He'd be perfectly healthy, then get nicked for 2 hp and lose more than 30 points from con loss. He'd end up vomiting weakly in the corner while everyone else finished off the monsters. One healing potion, and *poof* back to full health.

On a metagame level, it let me give him a better system shock (while healthy) and lended tremendously to the roleplaying. And on a rat bastard level, it was just fun.

I must add---Brilliant!
Now that would of been great to see.