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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 6856207" data-attributes="member: 16814">Being a normal distribution.  It cannot be a normal distribution.  The data lacks the necessary properties to be able to do the math necessary for a normal distribution.  You can still do that math, but the result has no definable meaning.However, the by forcing the math and creating the false normal distribution model, certain things can be done that help evaluate the data using that false model.  This takes advantage of some of the analytical things you can do with that model.  But, even then, care must be take to remember that the model is false, and so the conclusions cannot be fully trusted, which is why they reconfirm these things through other means.3d6 rolls are rational data.  Abilities scores are not.  Ability scores are ordinal data, and, after 3.x, sometimes interval data.Then you shouldn't possibly make the mistake of thinking that a comparison between the distribution of 3d6 rolls and IQ has anything other than arbitrary relationships -- that your comparison is as valid as Maxperson's IQ = INT x 10.  They are both arbitrary devices with no foundation.Again, because that's as valid as comparing a rainbow-farting unicorn with the result of 3d6.  A made up something doesn't gain validity because you can match shapes to something else.The assigned rarity of an IQ score is arbitrary and without true meaning.  The result of a 3d6 roll does* have meaning.  Comparing the two is an exercise in mathturbation.  It's pleasing, and passes the time, but doesn't do anything.*This isn't fully correct in the sense that I'm stating, but I don't want to confuse the issue with a discussion about how the 3d6 normal distribution is also bull because that's much more acceptable bull and even more useful.  But, in short, a normal distribution is continuous, meaning that it accounts for rolls of 10.2 and 10.19999999999999 and other such things, which are clearly not going to happen in the real world.</blockquote>

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