What's your dump stat?

[Numion]

I'm a cleric and my dump stat is CHA. He's an archer cleric, so other stats were needed vs. CHA, and we use the point buy, so it's not possible to have all good stats. Undead turning isn't just my "thing". I'll just shoot em up with the bow. +14 to hit at level 7! (Cat's Grace, GMW, Point Blank Shot, Focus, eeh. . but enough of him! )

 

[Jeph]

I usually end up with Wis, then Con as low stats. Why? I'm obsessed with the fast, smart, and good-looking archetype. Han Solo in any genre (sp?), basically.

 

[Capellan]

My decision on which stat to "dump" is affected by the class of the character, the concept I had when designing them, and just how low the dump stat is.

STRENGTH
If my lowest stat is a 10 or an 11 (quite possible with 4d6 or with stat buy), and I am not creating a melee type, then I'll often "dump" here. I never put a stat with a penalty into Strength, however.

CONSTITUTION
This is never a dump stat. HPs are too important

DEXTERITY
When creating Fighters, Clerics and Paladins, Dexterity tends to be a dump stat due to the heavy armour those characters will ultimately wear.

INTELLIGENCE
Much like Strength, I'll put a 10 or an 11 here, but nothing lower: while skills are not a major focus of 3E, I find that it's still not a good idea to have a negative here.

WISDOM
A good choice for Rogues and Bards, as it often fits quite well with the concept behind such characters. Also surprisingly good as an option for Sorcerers and Wizards, since they have high WILL saves even with a Wisdom penalty. It also makes for good role-playing opportunities for those classes.

CHARISMA
If my lowest stat is a 10 or 11 then I have few qualms putting it into Charisma (unless, of course, it is an important class ability). I rarely create characters with a Charisma lower than that, unless playing a Dwarf or Half-Orc. However, Rangers and Monks tend to need this stat less than any other, so it's a good choice for them.

 

[Oni]

I don't use a "dump stat". If I have a low stat, I try to work with it. Rather than try to stick it out of the way where it won't bother me much, I try to find ways to make it an active and interesting part of the character.

Oh come on, just because it's a dump stat doesn't mean you can't make it an interesting part of your character. Dump stats actually make sense in my mind for a lot of characters simply because most people will choose careers they are suited to and avoid careers they aren't. Why are do most wizards have int as their hightest stat, and are you not making a well rounded character by usually putting Int as the highest stat. Conversely str is usually a low stat for wizards, and that is a contributing factor to why they are wizards and not some other class. Smart people choose careers to minimize their weaknesses and accentuate their strengths. You can only play against type so much and still have it mean something.

 

[GiantInThePlayground]

I must confess that currently my lowest stat is Charisma (9), which is odd since my character is a samurai and could use a good Cha for his iajutsu focus skill. However, we are not playing an Oriental Adventures campaign; I am the quintessential "fish out of water", so a low Cha seemed appropriate. My character is constantly irritating his friends and all NPCs by his strict devotion to social rules that are wildly inappropriate in a Western setting—I recoil from shaking hands with anyone wearing leather ("dead cow flesh" as I call it), for example, and I assume all commoners are mine to kill or command as I see fit. It's quite fun. My Constitution isn't far behind with a 10; my rationale is that my immune system isn't used to all these Western germs hanging around...

 

[wolff96]

I tend to move my dump stat around so I can try various types of characters.

My current character -- a dwarven druid -- has a 6 Charisma. He is gruff, doesn't deal well with other people, and he often smells like various types of animal $&#@. (It's a kind of scent camoflauge, similar to the way hunters often use deer urine to mask their own scent.)

Needless to say, the party tries to keep him away from important people -- and they typically stay upwind!

 

[Gunslinger]

Charisma is my dump stat for all characters aside from Paladins and clerics(I don't ever play sorcerors). At one point I had a dwarven fighter with a charisma of 4. That was...intersting to play.

I can't see anyone ever putting less than a 10 in dex or con, because you are literally killing yourself.

Intel is another common dump stat for any physical characters. I tend to have decent wisdom scores just for decent will saves.

Strenght is my dump for wizards.

 

[Umbran]

Oh come on, just because it's a dump stat doesn't mean you can't make it an interesting part of your character.

The phrase "dump stat" implies that the stat is garbage, to be thrown away, or is otherwise something you don't want to deal with. You "dump" it into something specifically to minimize it's effective impact on your character. I don't choose to minimize the impact, is all.

You can only play against type so much and still have it mean something.

Thanks for telling me how I can and cannot play meaningfully.

Why do you say this? You mean to say that, if I'm playing a wizard, and I put my stat of 6 someplace other than the archtypical Strength or Charisma, I'm not going to have a meaningful character? I don't buy it.

Honestly, I think you're perfectly wrong. I can play against type as much as I dang well feel like, and still have it be meaningful. One of the meanings may be that I don't have an effective character. On occasion, that can be refreshing - playing a clearly sub-optimal character. Someone who's got to work his butt off to get anything useful out of himself. Someone who dreams of being something he isn't...

 

[hammymchamham]

generally its been a toss between charisma and strength, depending on the type of charecter I have played. And its pretty much been 50/50

 

[Taloras]

I dont believe in dump stats....we use point buy, and everything is at least a 10 minimum...12 if possible.....however, cha is usually the lowest....unless im playing someone that needs it. I tend to like at least a 12 strength, so i can hit things if need be.....dex is always important, even for a fighter....as is int. a str, dex, and int of at least 13 are required for several feats, and im pretty sure that the dex and int are required to get the prerequisites for Whirlwind attack . Wisdom is not always a bad choice for a dump stat......unless you need to spot things often. charisma......is only really necessary for the leader of the party......the person whos gonna be doin the most talking.