Really, No PC Gnomes! Stop Asking!

[Merlin the Tuna]

Ah yes, the "I have an unreasonable emotional attachment to mediocre characters and can't get myself killed so I can reroll" defense.

Go cry in your beer someplace else.

Wait, so rolling bad stats means that the character has to be suicidal so that I can roll stats again and maybe get stats good enough to not make my character want to kill himself? I dunno, it seems like I could save a lot of time by just choosing stats that don't result in my character crying in a beer and jumping off a cliff.

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

As I recall, OD&D deemed that character "unplayable" too. Didn't it require at least a 9 in strength to qualify for the class?

... or am I getting my editions confused?



The irony is palpable.

According the DM that was the Prime Requisite, but the PR only gave bonuses for meeting it (+20% to XP?) but didn't set minimums for play.

I only have a copy of Labyrinth Lord so I don't know what the actual OD&D rules say.

 

[Boarstorm]

The prime requisite usually required like a 14 to get the xp bonus... again, as I recall.

It's been years and I don't have the books in front of me. Heck, I may even be off by an edition. Meh, oh well. I'm not curious enough to dig the books out of storage.

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

Wait, so rolling bad stats means that the character has to be suicidal so that I can roll stats again and maybe get stats good enough to not make my character want to kill himself? I dunno, it seems like I could save a lot of time by just choosing stats that don't result in my character crying in a beer and jumping off a cliff.

No. I'm saying you apparently don't have the imagination to do anything else than kill yourself since what you rolled is "unplayable".

 

[Kishin]

Oh, sorry. My bad.

With all the hype about how race mattered now, I was confused.

Turns out, it still doesn't much matter what your race is, especially now that we aren't rolling for ability scores.

You do realize you haven't at all explained why Gnomes are 'unplayable' in your what, 3-4 posts in this thread?

In fact, you've basically just made ludicrous statements the entire time.

I will admit, this did bring me a bit of nostalgia at the posting style of the WoW forums, but....not much else.

 

[Boarstorm]

I will admit, this did bring me a bit of nostalgia at the posting style of the WoW forums, but....not much else.

O Rly?

...

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Asmodeus made me do it.

 

[Merlin the Tuna]

No. I'm saying you apparently don't have the imagination to do anything else than kill yourself since what you rolled is "unplayable".

I played that character for... oh, a year and a half. Getting knocked out all the time was certainly not the idea, and he never did ultimately die. In no way did that aid my roleplay of the character.

I honestly have no idea what point you're trying to make anymore, though really I have no idea what point you've been trying to make at any point in this thread.

Why are gnomes unplayable? Why does choosing a race not matter? When rolling stats forces me to play a character I don't really want to play, should I try to kill him, or have I somehow already killed him by playing him and not getting him killed?

 

[FireLance]

No. I'm saying you apparently don't have the imagination to do anything else than kill yourself since what you rolled is "unplayable".

It has nothing to do with imagination and everything to do with the fact that different people want different things out of a game. If you enjoy the challenge of role-playing a character that is not very effective at his chosen role, good for you. However, that does not mean that those who enjoy playing more powerful characters are doing something wrong.

 

[MindWanderer]

As I recall, OD&D deemed that character "unplayable" too. Didn't it require at least a 9 in strength to qualify for the class?

... or am I getting my editions confused?



The irony is palpable.

It did, I think. And in fact, a character with a Str that low was restricted to being a member of only one class. I forget which one--an Int below 5 made you a Fighter, a Con below 5 made you an Illusionist, a Dex below 5 made you a Cleric... I think Wis and Str were Thief and Assassin (not sure which was which) and I can't think what Cha was.

 

[Ipissimus]

"-snip-" PHB 4e p18

Wow. That's a bit patronizing. Ok, I can understand not rolling for stats in an RPGA module or event. Keeps everything fair for everyone. But being that uptight about a game makes whoever wrote it sound like there's a stick where the sun don't shine.

Personally, neither I nor my group have ever groked mediocre heroes. I mean, if you don't have an edge you'd be better off farming. Or, you'd be dead. Of course, I'm sure the Archmages of the Forgotten Towers are combing the countryside for talentless hacks to pass down the secrets of the universe to. Yeah, right.

Methinks we'll be keeping 5d6 drop 2 lowest and play heroes who actually have the ability to do the job right.