pawsplay said:
We are not talking mastery. We are simply talking more dexterity than a gelatinous cube. In the movies, we see him:
- win initiative twice
- operate several hidden switches quickly
- deftly kill small creatures
- grapple Princess Leia (once successfully, once not)
- Hide and Move Silently (in the throne room)
So I'd say his Dex simply cannot be lower than 8, and it's probably 10 or 12.
Win initiative twice? When was he ever in combat in the movies? That's only time initiative is typically rolled.
The hidden switches was probably a standard action, and none of the switches he worked in the movies were very complex, so manual dexterity was not a requirement (and yes, he does have opposable thumbs).
He grabbed a squid thingy, shoved it in his mouth, and then swallowed. That's also assuming the squid thingy had any great agility of its own.
As far as Leia was concerned, the chain provided leverage as did Jabba's bulk (size modifier to the grapple check). The GM allowed her to turn the chain to her advantage in that last grapple.
For the throne room, it might be more of a case of Leia, likely not trained in Perception, didn't have a good roll on her skill check, or the GM rolled behind the screen and didn't tell her the result was abysmal. Or he simply used GM fiat to allow Jabba and his cronies to remain unheard (there was after all a large curtain blocking Leia's view).
I don't know if Jabba would have a Dex of 1 or 2, but he'd certainly have a sub-optimal Dex score, probably a 5 or 6. Hutts in the SW EU are not typically known for their agility and speed, instead relying on guile, cunning, and sheer force of personality to overcome their foes.
