What would happen if your character or your PCs had an 18 in every stat?

[NiTessine]

Well, whatever character I created, I'd be heading towards Divine Disciple, Arcane Devotee, Divine Seeker, or Divine Champion. He'd be a herald of his deity, self-appointed or not. He'd probably end up being something between Doc Savage, the Terminator, and Captain America in his personality. I figure I'd most likely make him a cleric, or a cleric/rogue multiclass.

As a DM, I'd weave such a PC into the plot. He'd be superior in any way, so agents of evil would be trying to either destroy him or bend him to their will. Agents of neutrality and good would try to get him champion their causes, and in later levels, flock to his banner. The drawback of this would be that it steals the spotlight from the other PCs, who, in comparison to our übermensch, would be found wanting. The LA +1 sounds pretty good, actually. LA +2 even better.

 

[elbandit]

Hmmm

Now, I had an idea for a campaign sorta based on the short-lived "John Doe" TV series. The basic concept is that the characters wake up without any coherent memories and find themselves to be superior physical specimens.

Hmmm, intreasting except the TV series had nothing to do with John being the perfect human speciman. He did posses knowledge of literally everything in the world.

That knowledge was granted because he had died and when you're very close to death and seeing the white light, you are given all the information of life to carry on to the afterlife. For some reason Doe did not die, lived after being imparted with that knowledge. Naturally the organization that was after him knew what happened to him and were trying to keep him from discovering it himself.

In this case, I'm curious as to how my players, and the society around their characters, would react to the almost infinitely high probablility chance of not one, but three characters having perfect rolls.

I would think that socity would see them as Achillies was seen in the appauling Troy movie. They would be lusted after and people may look to them for help or guidance sorta like hero worship.

What sort of PC would you make?
What class/es would you choose? Remember, you have no dump stats, and no weak area.
How would you react to society?

Quite honestly I would not want to play. Having all 18's would be rather unintreasting and take a lot of the struggle out of the game. If I was forced to play I guess I would play a Paladin or Warrior Bard.

For DMs:
How would society react to these perfect speciemens of human(oid) possibility?
What troubles could face such characters?
What sort of challenges would you give them? Would you treat them as LA +1, for instance?

Heroes typically already stand out in my game, so it would be the normal thing of the townsfolk coming to them to solve most of thier problems. Though I would do it more often than normal.

I would probably treat them as 1 ECL higher since they have perfect stats. I would stop running at the point they had all stats at 29+.

Good luck with the game!

 

[random user]

Having run a fairly high stat game, I would say from the DM side:

- all players can do most things. Say you set something at a DC20 spot. Even untrained, each player will have a 25% chance of success. The more players you have, the higher you have to make DC's for them to mean anything.

- Multi-classing and prestige classes: the tradeoffs one usually has to decide between no longer apply. Some prestige classes take into account the fact that not all of your stats can be high, so there is usually more synergy with base classes which share some of the stats. If all your stats are 18, you can turn a wizard into a PrC fighting type class without any problems that you might otherwise have.

- in general it will be harder to kill your pc's with normal monsters, and you will have to walk a finer line to not kill them (without giving them a fighting chance). Wizards get d4+4 hp. This makes them a lot sturdier than most spellcasters.

From a player perspective:

- some people have said that they would get easily bored. If you say such in the same vein you would be if you were forced to play a Paladin of a specific god, then you'll have no argument from me.

If you are just saying this because you think that a character with no disadvantages is boring, well... I ask you, why? Do you feel it is necessary to have low stats to roleplay personality? IMO personality and failings come from within, not from some arbitrary number. You can play someone with straight 18's with a phobia, who is lazy, who is arrogant, who is nice, etc etc. If you think you won't be challenged, I submit to you that there are many DM's who think they can challenge you with any kind of character you make (at least, I have heard that implied many times on various threads on this board, and I'm inclined to believe it).

If you have a DM who is willing to give you straight 18's, and isn't inexperienced or just running a munchkin campaign, I urge you to give your DM the benefit of the doubt.

In terms of which class/race, I don't think it matters too much. The most min/max from a traditional standpoint would be a half-orc, since a 16 int and cha still are good but usually not too valuable, and a 20 str is nice. It strongly depends on the campaign though. Humans are good because if you want to take a couple classes here or there you can do so with no penalty for multiclassing.

As to how you react to society, I think you can react however you want. You can be haughty or humble, nice or vindictive, regardless of your stats. Society in general would probably revere you though, absent any other strong characteristics (perhaps they would fear you instead if they were your enemy).

 

[D+1]

They'd be tossed out and rerolled. Playing all-18's is as boring and "unrealistic" as playing all-12's or all=7's. The fact that is would be quite unbalanced and unfair in comparison to other PC's to have ALL stats at 18 is secondary. Important, but secondary.

 

[D+1]

For players:
What sort of PC would you make?
What class/es would you choose? Remember, you have no dump stats, and no weak area.
How would you react to society?

Okay, I'll actually bite. I'd take one of two positions, either the character would be a megalomaniacal "I-am-a-god" type bent on world domination or a misfit who's seeking or has found his place in the world and tries to be fairly humble about it. Say, like Superman or Gandalf. They're not from this world and their capabilities make them envied or despised as much as admired. So they take a fairly humble, self-sacrificing attitude of trying to help others who can't help themselves and to lead by example without actually flaunting what they are capable of.

That last suggests either Monk or Paladin. Perhaps both! Megalomaniacal would be Wizard. Hands down. Maybe with some Fighter levels.

For DMs:
How would society react to these perfect speciemens of human(oid) possibility?
What troubles could face such characters?
What sort of challenges would you give them? Would you treat them as LA +1, for instance?

Society would react to them depending on how they present themselves in society. They would otherwise face resentment, fear and discrimination depending perhaps on their ACTUAL known origins. I would probably treat them as +1 LA or even higher just for practical purposes, but the challenges I'd present to them would otherwise be much the same. Just geared higher more often for their greater capabilities.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

I'll go out on a limb here and say for the games I run, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Sure, they'd want to figure out why they're physically and mentally unusual, but I'm confident I'd still see some varied and interesting characters.

 

[med stud]

I would go for something like Roy Batty in Bladerunner; a troubled being aware of his extreme abilities. All 18 doesnt make you as strong and fast as him of course, but that's what levels in Fighter and Rogue are for

 

[Toras]

As a player, personality would entirely shape which way the character went. Fighters can be Warrior-Poets, or Leaders that draw upon their own appearance and seeming perfect to raise vast armies.
Rogues can be Dashing Swashbuckler or Thieves of Unparalled Skill
Clerics would likely be drawn to Gods of Achievement, Strength or Perfection. (Kord being one example)
Bards - Harpers, etc.
Wizards - can be battle magi or otherworldly as well.

A tendacy not to specialize would be likely, (Bards with fighting skills), (Clerics of War or Weapon Prof), even Magi could be archers as well.
I would not be suprised if other races are used to hype the inclinations. (Elven Thieves and Archers), (Dwarven Fighters or Clerics), or (Half-orc Barb or Fighters). Other races could be used as well, and optimised further.

However this would only work if everyone had the 18's starting out. If it was just one person, that really wouldn't have been fair.

As DM, I would give a +1 LA, just for CR calc and such. The backstory could be incredibly interesting. Perhaps a wizards was experimenting with creation, trying to fashion a perfect form for himself. You PC's are the first successes he had, and now you have escaped.

Perhaps they are beginning upon the path of Paragon Status, becoming that which embodies their race. Perhaps they are marked by destiny or have been touched by the Gods. Maybe there is not connection at all, but the fact that you are similar. It would draw the party together (the why do I hang out with these people question answered) and it can give them a common back history with many possible plot points.

 

[Raflar]

or barbariai/bard. can you sing while you rage?

It's called HEAVY METAL baby!!! Big Hair, Axe guitar weilding Barbarian, screaming out Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills"!!!!!

I love the imagery!
of course this just brings back memories of playing D&D in the early-mid 80's...

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

While this could be interesting, I would think it could be more interesting if YOU made the characters, and you give them character sheets with limited information on it. As they play the characters they start to discover what they can and cannot do well (i.e. what skills you gave them, feats, spellcasting ability etc.). Kind of like in the Borne Identity (the book, didn't see the movie). The main character picked up a gun and it just felt natural in his hand and he was an expert marksman, but before he picked it up he had no idea he would be good at it.