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<blockquote data-quote="nothing to see here" data-source="post: 2235479" data-attributes="member: 16432">That's the problem with the mental stats -- lacking any physical manifestation of high-range scores, they lose relevance.&nbsp; It's easy to compare a dumb person to a smart one...however the comparison of a super-genius to a mega-genius...breaks down as we have no point of reference to compare the gap.&nbsp; Conversely -- with physical scores...players can always envision the difference.&nbsp; STR means you can lift more...DEX means you can move faster etc...It requires some really good DM'ing to make these super INT's hit home...as for players with really high INT's...I wouldn't know where to begin.I once started working on some simple little charts for super high INT BBEG...basically, as circumstances changed during an encounter or adventure, I made secret INT checks with increasingly difficult DC's...if the BBEG made the check, I would adjust the presumptions of the adventure to the BBEG's favour -- though never so much as to completely frustrate the players mind you(i.e. the secret map the characters discovered becomes an intentionally planted counterfeit...the ally working with the characters I suddenly switch to an evil imposter...etc etc.) ...I only tried the system once, for a high level Illiithid...and despite the free will of the players it helped capture the &quot;damn...he thought of everything, he's still one step ahead&quot; kind of feel that super INT creatures should&nbsp; engender.Being the oxymorinic type, I called it open-ended railroading.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="nothing to see here, post: 2235479, member: 16432"] That's the problem with the mental stats -- lacking any physical manifestation of high-range scores, they lose relevance. It's easy to compare a dumb person to a smart one...however the comparison of a super-genius to a mega-genius...breaks down as we have no point of reference to compare the gap. Conversely -- with physical scores...players can always envision the difference. STR means you can lift more...DEX means you can move faster etc... It requires some really good DM'ing to make these super INT's hit home...as for players with really high INT's...I wouldn't know where to begin. I once started working on some simple little charts for super high INT BBEG...basically, as circumstances changed during an encounter or adventure, I made secret INT checks with increasingly difficult DC's...if the BBEG made the check, I would adjust the presumptions of the adventure to the BBEG's favour -- though never so much as to completely frustrate the players mind you(i.e. the secret map the characters discovered becomes an intentionally planted counterfeit...the ally working with the characters I suddenly switch to an evil imposter...etc etc.) ... I only tried the system once, for a high level Illiithid...and despite the free will of the players it helped capture the "damn...he thought of everything, he's still one step ahead" kind of feel that super INT creatures should engender. Being the oxymorinic type, I called it open-ended railroading. [/QUOTE]

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