Str and Sport!

[Storyteller01]

What was the competition like? What were their str and skill ranks? If he were going against professional athletes he shouldn't have had too much of an advantage.

 

[Nate Jones]

What was the competition like? What were their str and skill ranks? If he were going against professional athletes he shouldn't have had too much of an advantage.

See, the thing is, with 11 ranks in swim, he IS the professional athlete. If I had to bet on a sprint race (Which the OP's challenge undeniably was), I would surely go with the buff, muscular guy who swims for a living over the lithe, dexterous guy who also swims for a living. I'm glad the Half-orc won - it shouldn't even be a contest. Take a look at non-olympic level swimmers. Compare the body type of the sprinters to the distance swimmers. One looks like he plays football, the other, well often you'd think he's a couch potato.

 

[Storyteller01]

See, the thing is, with 11 ranks in swim, he IS the professional athlete. If I had to bet on a sprint race (Which the OP's challenge undeniably was), I would surely go with the buff, muscular guy who swims for a living over the lithe, dexterous guy who also swims for a living. I'm glad the Half-orc won - it shouldn't even be a contest. Take a look at non-olympic level swimmers. Compare the body type of the sprinters to the distance swimmers. One looks like he plays football, the other, well often you'd think he's a couch potato.

Given the same amount of ranks put into swim (assuming they were all the same level, especially if the contest had any worthwhile prize for the winner) he couldn't have had more than 2 or 3 points more than his best competitor, even with his strength bonus (figuring max ranks + strengths ranging from 12 to 18). I'd have to ask again: what was his competition like?