You roll a 3...

[JRRNeiklot]

True, but a 16% chance of surprise is low enough for me. Remember also, that while you are allowed double attacks each segment, the same doesn't apply to movement or spells. I never said having a 3 dex was trivial, but I'd take the dex hit over str, wis, or con every time.

 

[Reynard]

I find the distinct "sides" interesting: by that I mean those folks approaching it as a mechanical issue versus those approaching it as a role-playing issue. The reality, of course, is that it is both.

For my part, given those scores, I'd likely opt for a caster and dump Strength or Dex. A 3 in a physical stat is easier to play than one in a mental stat, I think, and the idea of using magic to overcome a disability is a more compelling one to me.

 

[howandwhy99]

The 3 goes in the stat it was rolled for, of course. But since I don't know the order.

1. Strength
2. Intelligence
3. Wisdom
4. Constitution
5. Dexterity
6. Charisma

 

[Bob the Destroyer]

I might put the 3 in Cha. People don't realize that even if you put a 3 in Cha, your character doesn't have to be a horrible person to interact with. You can take full ranks in Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate to offset your ability modifier and play a person who has a disability but who has worked hard to be able to interact with people.

That only is a really viable option if you have a reasonable number of skill points, but I find it a very compelling concept.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

when you are rolling up a character, along with: 14, 16, 17, 18, 18.
The GM says you have to play the character.

Where do you put the 3? Why? What character do you make?

(PS: Assume 3.x, PF or 4E)

Pathfinder:
Cornelius Gettering, Chaotic Good Human Male Rogue/Sorcerer
14 Str
16 Con
17 Dex
18 Int
3 Wis
18 Cha

A Rogue/sorcerer aiming at Arcane Trickster, a fast talker, not a pickpocket, talking himself in and out of trouble. Cornelius is an easy mark for even a half baked sob story. Leaps, then looks only after he is already in the air. Chaotic Good and does his best to be a HERO!

Pops his +2 into Wis bringing it to a five. May eventually take Iron Will.

The Auld Grump

 

[Celebrim]

I find the distinct "sides" interesting: by that I mean those folks approaching it as a mechanical issue versus those approaching it as a role-playing issue. The reality, of course, is that it is both.

For my part, given those scores, I'd likely opt for a caster and dump Strength or Dex. A 3 in a physical stat is easier to play than one in a mental stat, I think, and the idea of using magic to overcome a disability is a more compelling one to me.

This is a very important point. One of the reasons you don't dump stat charisma or intelligence below that of slightly below normal is that the resulting character can be very unfun to play. I'm not the sort of DM that let's a power gamer play his 3 Int character as a genious, nor am I the sort that plays with DMs that encourage that sort of thing. The comicly inept but incredibly lucky schtick can only be mined so far (where the dumb character solves the puzzle by leaning against the wall and accidently opening the secret door). Ultimately, characters with intelligences on par with smart dogs and charisma on par with a lizard with a skin disease just aren't that fun to play. Their character excludes them from a very large portion of the sort of games I'm interested in playing.

On of the more interesting cases of this I've observed was the power gamer in a WEG Star Wars game who picked a wookie for the 6D starting strength, only to realize after the game started that he could only communicate in grunts and growls to most of the party and virtually all NPCs. This excluded him from the sort of leadership position he would have normally taken in the group. A wookie was a potentially amusing RP oppurtunity, but it was far better suited to the wacky/cut up sort than it was to a power gamer. This is probably true of dump stating mental or social abilities generally. It doesn't in fact get the power gamer what most power gamers actually want from their character.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

But it can be a BLAST for a role-player who wants to bring a bit more to the combat than his fellow players expect.

I instantly envisioned the Wookie in question as being somewhat like the Gelfs from Red Dwarf.

"What do we do now?"

"Hrowgrlll!"

"What'd he say?"

"I don't know!

"You said you speak Wookie!"

"Yeah, but his accent is REALLY thick!"

"GRahhhh RAAHRR-arrr-harar! HROWGRLL!"

"Nope- still not getting it."


...and then leading the team by plowing a bloody path through the advancing force of mind-controlled Gungans.

 

[Terath Ninir]

I'd probably pick Wisdom. I rarely play divine spellcasters or monks, so it wouldn't hurt the character too much stat-wise. I'm rather flighty and impulsive, so it's easy enough to roleplay a low Wisdom score.

Charisma is fine if you're just looking at the stats, but it's really hard to roleplay. Even most gamers don't come close to a 3 Charisma.

 

[Dioltach]

I'd put it in WIS or INT, and roleplay it to make the DM regret being so strict.

 

[Jhaelen]

The 3 goes in the stat it was rolled for, of course. But since I don't know the order.

This is about what I would have posted (if a DM is serious about not allowing point-buy, he's probably so old-school, he will use a fixed order, too), except the OP mentioned:

(PS: Assume 3.x, PF or 4E)

Is there even any method in these games/editions that could result in rolling up such a character (particularly in 4e)?

From a gamist viewpoint this character's stats are quite excellent. Two very good scores is not something you could achieve using point-buy. Particularly in 4e there's almost no disadvantage in putting a (very) low score into a stat your class doesn't use.

However, I find it difficult to look at my character from a pure gamist viewpoint.

So, to be honest, unless this was a one-shot game I'd probably put the 3 into CON and look for a convenient way to get rid of the character, say, by tripping over an invisible turtle resulting in a broken neck.
The thing is: A DM cannot really force a player to (continue to) play a character, if the player doesn't want to.

If it was a one-shot game, I'd pick STR. Playing a spellcaster too weak to carry his own spell book might be fun - for a session.