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Message: <blockquote data-quote="replicant2" data-source="post: 3312399" data-attributes="member: 16498">Well Mallus, it seems you and I have reached loggerheads over certain ideas and concepts, so I'm not sure if continuing will really bear any fruit. But here's one last go-around...Can you cite any research, scientific or otherwise, that states that one's imagination is limited by experience? I don't agree with that sentiment at all, and pride myself on imagining and playing characters with traits far different than my own.First of all, that game sounds cool. Second of all, because you are none of those things in real life, it doesn't preclude you from playing said chubby Latino kid. Why couldn't you also choose to play him as a charismatic wrestler-turned-movie star, a-la The Rock, even though you, the player, might not possess sufficient charisma? I'd argue you can, you seem to think that is not an option. Playing a character with high charisma and social skills does not equal "adolescent power-fantasizing." On the contrary, I enjoy playing characters with low intelligence and charisma, and I roleplay accordingly.For example, I don't expect my barely literate half-orc to have the same chance as the eloquent, high charisma bard of swaying the town guard to let he and the rest of his band of adventurers through the city gates.The role of player skill should be accurately portraying his or her character, not merely projecting himself or herself through the character. My stats aren't the character's stats, and my skill comes in accurately portraying my character in-game.You don't need a simulation to help you determine your chances of swindling a hardened merchant out of 100 gold? To help two rulers whose kingdoms have been warring for centuries reach a diplomatic solution? To convince a hungry ogre that you would make a lousy meal?Again, I'm not condoning breaking out the dice to resolve the vast majority of social interactions. These are best left to role play and DM judgement calls. But in opposed matters of life or death, or in a matter of extreme difficulty (as I described above), I believe a social skill check should be made.I'm glad to hear this.Agreed, and if everyone in your group is having fun, don't change a thing. As long as players know up front that sinking points into social skills isn't the optimal choice, and that their role-play will determine the result of social encounters, that's cool.I actually would have no problem playing in a diceless social resolution system, with one huge caveat: That players who insist on using charisma and intelligence as dump-stats role-play accordingly. You absolutely cannot have it both ways. The player of a 6 intelligence barbarian should be precluded from playing him as a social charmer.As others have stated, you're not being consistent here. If you want to open up combat and spell-casting results to pure narrative and remove the dice, that would level the field.</blockquote>

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