what would you be in the dungeons and Dragons world?

[Wystan]

Lets see:

Honest assesment

Str: 13 (I can carry quite a bit)
Dex: 10 (Don't trip much, used to do acrobatics as a kid, but now I got Heavy)
Con: 12 (Don't get sick, heal pretty quick. But I have Asthma)
Int: 17 (Based on IQ/10 thing)
Wis: 11 (Not too street smart, but a little better than the average Jerry Springer Guest)
Cha: 15 (Always get told that I am likeable, make friends quick, and not ugly as a doormat)

Race/Class: Human Scribe or Lay Pastor (non-cleric), alignment CG with LG leanings

 

[Bladesong]

There was a DM that I adventured with roughly 20 years ago that had us run characters just like this. He had found ways to measure most of the stats, and yes, it took us a couple of weeks to test for all of them.
Strength was easy, just see how much you can lift over your head and divide by 10 rounding down. Dexterity was based on an agility testing device that was at the Reuben S Fleet space museum in San Diego, California; it was a timed hand-eye-foot coordination test and the highest anyone ever scored was 20, so our dexterity became whatever score we got. Constitution was basically some chart he found measuring what ailments you had and how often you got sick mixed with a pain tolerance test we took at UC Irvine. Intelligence was based on an IQ test he found and had us take; we divided our score by 10 rounding down. Wisdom and Charisma were the two he mostly just assigned based on what he knew of each of us, several tests he found, and a secret survey of all of the players.
My stats fell as follows:
Str 10
Int 18
Wis 14
Dex 18
Con 16
Chr 16

Yes they sound high. Let me tell you though that I was the weakest in Strength (the highest was a 16, and he was a moose of a fellow), my IQ test came in at 179 he made it 18 just because I "had" to be the magic user (the next highest score is the only one I can kind of remember and it was in the 140 range). I was the highest in Dexterity, he had us tested 3 times each and he took the average score (the next highest was a 15). Constitution was "interesting". I am now in my forties and have not had a cold or flu since I was 9 years old, and at the time of this adventure I was in my early 20s. Let me also say that the pain tolerace test was brutal, but I have a fairly high tolerance to pain and scored the highest on that as well (I cannot recall the next highest score for this one). Wisdom he based on religious beliefs/knowledge, common sense, and the results of some tests he found (I tied with one player for this one, but the next highest was a 13). Charisma was determined by leadership skills, personality, the survey and a couple of tests he found (I was the only one that scored above a 10).
How accurate? I really do not know, but the campaign was great, he was a very good DM.

Based on the stats of "long ago" they are probably closer to this now:

Str 11 (yeah, I can actually lift a little more now)
Int 18 (yeah I know you could increase it with age, but I am married with teens now)
Wis 16/17 (hard to say, you tend to get wiser with age and I am still very zealous)
Dex 12 (yeah a bigger drop, but aside from volleyball and darts I'm out of practice)
Con 12 (I still don't get sick and have a high pain tolerance, but I'm older)
Chr 16-18 (I'm still the leader, even in real life. Married a model, although I'm average in looks myself and not rich, and can influence people I communicate with verbally).

Even though I rank well in martial arts and am fairly handy with bow and sword, I would probably be a retired paladin (magic or no). Fantasy-wise I should probably be a bard.

Sorry this was long, but this thread is interesting.

 

[Bardsandsages]

I ran a campaign like this. But I made everyone justify their stats first.

Strength is pretty straightforward. Look at carrying capacity chart. What can you carry and still move at a normal pace? OK, that's your strength.

I'm a piddly 10

Dexterity and constitution are also pretty simple to figure out, being overt physical qualities. Me, I'm not the most flexible or acrobatic, but I have quick reflexes. So I'd probably be an 11 dex, with the Lightning Reflexes feat.

I have a great immune system, and I never get sick. I'd put my Constitution at a 12 (higher than that I reserve for athletes and such).

I'd put my intelligence at a 14. If 18 is the human max (people like, say, Stephen Hawkins, then 15-16 is mensa level. I'm pretty damn smart, but I know I'm not mensa.

Wisdom 16. If wisdom is a combination of common sense, intuition, perception, and willpower, then that's my strong suit. I'm the person everyone comes to to solve their problems. And I'm the one everybody looks to when things go wrong.

Char 14. While I'm only average appearance, people tend to gravitate toward me, and I can be very persuasive. Hell, I spent several years selling $1500 vacuum cleaners door-to-door, and was successful at it. If that isn't charisma, then I don't know what is!

Actually, I probably would have a supernatural ability: gaze attack. People are just afraid of me for some reason. I can look at someone and they step away.

So if I was in a D&D world, I'd probably be exactly what I am already: a witch.

 

[lukelightning]

Since I've got the core books virtually memorized I'd set myself up as a sage and wow people with my knowledge of monsters, spells, etc.

 

[dougmander]

STR 9 (don't go to the gym or do much to build muscle mass)
DEX 9 (good manual dexterity and good aim, but terrible in any sport or activity requiring body awareness/balance/speed)
CON 10 (out of shape; can be as high as 13 when I've been exercising regularly)
INT 17 (come on, I had to give myself one high stat; hey, I've always been an A student)
WIS 9 (if I listened to my own instincts, this one would be much higher, but functional Wisdom is what counts)
CHA 14 (teacher; DM; always picked to be the moderator at meetings/discussion groups; maybe that last one is actually evidence of low Charisma)

I'd be a bard/loremaster who secretly longs to be a sorcerer.

 

[Allandaros]

STR: 8 or 9
DEX: 8
CON: 9
INT: 15
WIS: 12
CHA: 13

I got me some fireballs need hurling.

 

[Storm Raven]

Hmm, let's see.

Str 10 (I'm not overly strong, but I can lift some heavy objects).
Dex 11 (I'm not real fact, but my reflexes have been improved some by martial arts training).
Con 12 (I'm somewhat low on endurance, but rarely get sick).
Int 14 (I make my living by sitting at a desk and writing legal advice to people).
Wis 14 (once again, I make my living by writing legal advice).
Cha 11 (Most people like me well enough).

I'd probably be a low to mid-level expert (say 2nd to 4th level or so) and have lots of ranks in Profession: Lawyer, Knowledge: History, Knowledge: Law, and Knowledge: Economics. I probably have Skill Focus (Knowledge: Law), and maybe Improved Unarmed Strike (I practice two martial arts, Tae Kwon Do, and Taijutsu).

 

[Driddle]

Good-natured flame attack on no one in particular, because this sort of thread demands it sooner or later:

Anyone who believes you've got an 17 or 18 intelligence? -- YOU'RE FULL OF BALONEY! YOU'RE NOT THAT SMART! Even if the genetic material from your mom and dad rolled 10d6 and took the best three before you were born. Just not gonna happen.

Now go hide in a dark corner and cry over your puny 7 charisma rating.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Str: 8-9 (I always hated gym class!)
Dex: 14-15 (great reflexes and hand-eye coordination)
Con: 12-13 (but with multiple debilitating genetic condition Flaws)
Int: 14-15 (spent the last 18 years of my life working my way thru and up to a BA)
Wis: 14-15 (strong will, high pain threashhold, usually sees 'the big picture')
Cha: 10-11 (meh, sometimes I like talking but sometimes folks just irritate me)

Class: assuming that I could survive in a world without modern medicine, I'd be a Wizard 5/Cleric of Boccob 5/Mystic Theurge 30 (this is of course more of 'what I would want to be' as we would all be level 1 experts if this were 'what we would realistically by')

Race/Alignment: neutral human (I have good intentions but I only go out of my way for my friends and family; I believe humanity is by nature structured and social but don't believe in any higher order)

 

[SpiderMonkey]

Since I've got the core books virtually memorized I'd set myself up as a sage and wow people with my knowledge of monsters, spells, etc.

Nominated for best. Idea. Ever.

For myself? I dunno.

I'm a terminal student (finishing up my English/Education M.A., applying to schools for the PhD), and like many of the people on these boards, an incurable dilettante and jack-of-all-trades.

Stats? Well, over the past year of weightlifting and eating like a freak I went from about 140 lbs. to 170, with a commiserate increase in strength (I'm around 5'7"). I'd guess around 14 or so. I've always been a pretty agile little monkey, so somewhat above average dex. Constitution is a little tricky: when it comes to getting sick, I get it first and worst, yet I can run miles without much of a hassle, and in the more physical jobs I've had, I never had a problem with the work load (moving furniture, etc.). Intelligence? Well, you can't be a complete dummy to work on your PhD

My wisdom would definitely be below average. I'm pretty impulsive and to say that I'm not perceptive would be to engage in gross understatement. I dunno...around an 8 maybe?

I, like everyone else, would love to think they have an above average to high Charisma, but it's hard to say. It's kinda hard to say from the inside looking out, I guess.

If I had to pick a PC class (although I agree with prior posters that Expert seems the most logical), I'd probably have to go with Bard as I can play a few instruments passably and can hold a note when I sing. Combined with my non-specializing proclivities, this seems to make the most sense; this is ironic, because I can't stand the Bard as a class. The only alternatives (again, PC) that I can think of would be maybe Rogue or a multiclassed er...something.