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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Argyle King" data-source="post: 5746390" data-attributes="member: 58416">If we're talking D&D?  Wis 10 is average; likewise for Int 10.Are you arguing that there's no way to discern the difference between someone with average brain power when compared to someone who is below average?  Honestly, I do not feel the difference between a 10 and say an 11 would be very noticeable; however, I would personally argue that someone with a 6 in their mental stats would be noticeable during a conversation or social interaction.  That being said, I personally feel that part of the problem with this issue is the way that stats interact with classes in D&D.  If you're playing a class which needs an ability, you are prompted to place a higher score in that ability.  So, in that regard, I think stats in D&D have less meaning than they would in some other games.  When I play D&D, I often don't place as much importance on the character sheet as I do when I play other games.In games which handle abilities differently, don't have class & level in the same way that D&D does, and promote more meaning being given to stats, I believe a player should be more mindful of their character.  I have no problem with a player having a spark of insight, and I really don't even have a problem with a mentally challenged (a character with Int 6, Wis 6, and Cha 6 would possibly be considered disabled) character having insight into a problem.  However, I would find it hard to believe that the guy functioning at far below average mental faculties would be constantly dreaming up masterful battlefield tactics and things of that nature on a regular basis.  ...Unless, he had skills or some other advantages which made that an exception.  Examples I'm familiar with would be two characters I'm playing.  While my GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Knight does not have the intelligence of the party Wizard, I have the Born War Leader talent which gives me a bonus to skills such as tactics, strategy, and etc.  In the case of an upcoming Heroes Unlimited game, my character is far below average mentally; however, I have a psionic ability which allows me to have an innate understanding of machines; as such, while my character has a 3rd Grade education, he's capable of building robots.  I don't buy that -as a society or a game group- it's impossible to have an idea (or at least some general consensus) about how someone with mental scores of 6 might function differently compared to Mr. Average.  The game rules don't tell me a lot of things, but I do not feel that should mean those things are somehow beyond definition and measurement.  Just like many other topics (alignment, 'is X evil?') I see no reason why a group cannot share an understanding through communication about what the numbers of the game mean to the group.</blockquote>

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