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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 8997418" data-attributes="member: 2209">B/X was explicitly roll in order, with a limited option to drop two points from a non- dex, con, or cha stat (but not below a 9) to bump up your prime requisite by 1. Unlike AD&D it offered no RAW alternatives that can shape more to a predetermined priority of stats.For the most part though I think stats are fairly irrelevant and you can roleplay most any personality and approach with any stats or class so I big picture come out to the same point as you. You want a Sean Connery James Bond approach B/X elf? It will work fine. Whether it will get successful results will depend entirely on the player's specific approach in the situation and the DM's adjudication.Here I diverge. I think the lack of stuff in the older rules is not an indication that stats should be narrative guides to empower or limit stuff in games. I just took stats as things with a very few defined mechanical impacts.Generally I think there was a lot of variation on this sort of stuff between individuals and groups.I looked at B/X for instance and saw the intelligence score as describing prime requisite stuff and bonus languages known and that was it. I expected remembering stuff in actual play to be a player aspect and not something impacted by the stats for a DM gimme or a roll even with the B/X description of intelligence as the ability to remember knowledge.I see 4e as much more descriptor leveraging oriented. The skill system explicitly says to use trained skills to narratively empower cool cinematic thematic open ended moves. B/X has nothing explicitly similar. B/X says nothing one way or the other about whether your character can be an acrobatic anime ninja. 4e does.That is not a B/X description of a 15 intelligence.Here is the sum total of the B/X intelligence description:"Intelligence: "Intelligence" is the ability to learn and remember knowledge, and the ability to solve problems. Characters with an intelligence score of 13 or above should consider the classes of magic-user or elf. Intelligence is the prime requisite for magic-users, and one of the prime requisites for elves."Intelligence:Intelligence Score Use of Languages3 Has trouble with speaking, cannot read or write4-5 Cannot read or write Common6-8 Can write simple Common words9-12 Reads and writes native languages (usually 2*)13-15 Reads and writes native languages, + 1 added language16-17 Reads and writes native languages, + 2 added languages18 Reads and writes native languages, + 3 added languages* Humans know two native languages: the Common and Alignment languages (see Languages, page B13). Demi-humans know a number of native languages, as explained in the class descriptions (pages B9-10).I view the less rules/FKR style as more just play the role you want without mechanics, not to use poorly defined mechanics as hooks for ad hoc mechanics.More anybody can play most anything within whatever the assumed baseline is, not using stuff on the sheet to empower or limit actions.The old games do not make stats as descriptors a baseline, though it is not precluded as an option for how a DM will adjudicate a situation.Some used stats as descriptors. Others used the stats as their defined mechanics only.</blockquote>

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