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Message: <blockquote data-quote="El Mahdi" data-source="post: 5583954" data-attributes="member: 59506">I have a chart I started due to a previous thread.  It's not random generation, but it has charts loosely based on BMI comparing maximum Strength to minimum height/weight for Humans, Half-Elfs, Half-Orcs, Warforged, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Elves, Drow, and Goliaths.  It helps provide some realistic weight ranges based on a comparison of Strength to Height and Weight.  It also has some real world analysis and examples. I wouldn't use Dex or Con to influence weight.  Strength is the one that increases body mass most significantly.  One could easily have increases or decreases in Dexterity or Constitution with absolutely no corresponding weight change.  With Strength, there would almost always be a corresponding weight change.  About D&D Ability scores and real world correlations: D&D Stength is mostly about the lifting capacity of muscles. In the real world, we accomplish this with Fast Twitch muscles. The "Strength" of a muscle is determined by it's cross-sectional density (Mass) and how efficient the muscle fibers "pull" together (like members of a team in a tug-of-war contest).  This "efficiency" is determined by the neural connection with the brain and metabolic processes (energy). Increasing Strength will usually have a related increase in mass (and by extension: weight), but not always. Fast twitch muscles are those used for power and speed. A powerlifter and a sprinter are both concentrating on increasing the strength of their fast twitch muscles, just in different ways and with different isolation exercises - but it's still the same type of muscle. Unlike D&D ability scores, in the real world an improvement in strength always provides at least some increase in dexterity and flexibility. The stereotype of the muscle bound weightlifter just isn't true.  Unlike D&D, running speed is more a product of Strength (and muscle coordination), and not Dexterity. D&D Dexterity is a combination of two things: Muscle Coordination and Manual Dexterity (two seperate things combined for ease of play).  Muscle Coordination is a combination of improved muscle strength in concert with increased neural pathways (or more dedicated processing in the brain) for improved brain-muscle coordination. Using a muscle in repetitive exercise both strengthens it and improves coordination with it.  Unlike D&D, Dexterity and Strength are intrinsically linked in the real world.  Manual dexterity (Hand-Eye coordination) is less linked with Strength - though repetitive hand exercises probably will improve the strength of hand muscles.  But what we are usually talking about with manual dexterity is the ability to do fine detail work with your hands, or quick actions (playing an instrument, typing, playing video games, etc.).  Manual Dexterity can be improved without a corresponding increase in overall body muscle coordination, and vice-versa. Constitution in D&D is a combination of endurance and ability to resist things like disease, poison, etc.  In the real world these are completely different things (though one may affect the other - but not always).  Endurance is completely about the strength and efficiency of your slow twitch muscles.  Someone with a naturally higher concentration of slow twitch muscle would naturally have more endurance.  (The heart is 100% slow twitch muscle.)  The ability to resist disease is completely different (your immune system), and resisting poison is also completely different (resistance depends upon weight, overall health, and the immune system a small amount).  An increase in "structural" strength (provided by Constitution in the form of bonus Hit Points), is actually more to do with Strength.  The Stronger you are, the harder your muscles can contract and the stronger your bones are.  But, also for game play, D&D combines all of this into Constitution.  In the real world, increasing your Strength and Dexterity would also impart an increase in overall health - meaning an increase in Constitution.  Someone who concentrates only on endurance training (long distance runners) would likely be lighter, but that's because they are improving their slow twitch muscle strength at the sacrifice of their fast twitch muscle strength/density (which has the most impact on overall body mass) and reducing their overall body fat percentage.</blockquote>

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