People off the street did, in fact, roll 3D6 for their characteristics. Heroic adventurers typically rolled something like 5D6 and dropped the lowest two rolls, or some other even more beneficial method (the books offered a number of choices), and then got class levels on top of that, which is where all the good abilities actually came from.
I know the thread is just a geek wank fest about fantasy entertainment, but come on. If you’re going to make arguments based upon a game’s stats, get the rules right.
I guess I’d make a decent cleric. That would explain my ability to turn undead and my proclivity to bludgeoning people with blunt objects.
I wish strength were keyed on squat or deadlift. I’m relatively stronger at those than bench, I’d probably be good for another point or two. Wisdom seems a little high, too.
I agree completely, I have no doubt there are plenty of Amazon chieftains smarter than my undergraduate grad class.
Though I will say perhaps its not unfair to grade how far one achieved in a particular subject. Masters in Geology = undergrad in Physics for instance.
Galileo presumably has several levels in a non-adventuring class, so his “Math” and “Physics” rolls aren’t based on his raw stats but on his natural adds and a lot of skill points sunk into his favourite non-weapon proficiencies.
True up to a point, but when you compare like with like then the guy with the stats kicks sand in the schmoe’s face eleven times out of ten. Consider two first-level fighters, one with the stats and one without. Against, say, a foe about AC6 (1st Ed), a 1st-level fighter hits 25% of the time - but with a +3 for STR, 40% of the time; that is, he’s hitting three times to the schmoe’s two. It’s much worse against an AC0 foe when the schmoe is hitting 5% of the time and the beefcake 20% - four times as often. Now give each of 'em the standard-issue long sword, average damage 4.5 points. The +6 damage modifier more than doubles damage - it’s worth a 133% increase! So Charles Atlas here is handing out just over three times as much hurt as Wally Weed, and to add insult to injury, he’s lasting 40% longer in combat too, assuming a kindly DM gives maximum hit points at first level. (If he doesn’t, the +4 CON bonus almost doubles the average of 5.5 to 9.5).
At higher levels the advantage becomes less disproportionate, but you may as well figure that both characters are getting a fair share of any magic goodies - and by “fair” we mean “ignoring the fact that Muscleman is doing maybe four-fifths of the work”. Only when items like girdles of giant strength or gauntlets of ogre power come into play does the advantage of 18(00) strength finally dissipate.
Similarly for other stats. A mage with high INT is learning a much wider variety of spells - a low INT mage can’t even look forward to any high-levels spells at all, as well as an excellent chance of spending the entire campaign not knowing fireball or lightning bolt because he blew his “Chance to Know” roll. A cleric with high WIS has a number of extra spells - he could have three spells to Joe Ordinary’s one at first level, and at 7th level he could still have 67% more spells than Joe, including an extra spell of the highest level. I could go on, but I think I’ve more than made my point.
I’ll start a thread over in the Game Room and see if we get half a dozen takers.
Strength 14. In a room full of 200 or so people, I’m very likely to be the biggest. I have personally met maybe 10 people in my life taller than me, and maybe 30 or so stronger than me.
Dexterity 9. I regularly hit my head on lamp fixtures. I stub my toes against stair steps. But, I’m really flexible and am probably the biggest person in the world who can still fit through a medium size dog door.
Constitution 10. Average. I get sick, but usually get over it pretty quick.
Intelligence 10. Average. I can learn more quickly than most people, but I forget things easily, and it’s harder for me to remember multi-step instructions than it is for an average person.
Wisdom 6. I make bad decisions. I’m short sighted. I’m not at all disciplined. I have bad habits that I can’t break.
Charisma 11. People usually like me. I’m not uncomfortable around strangers. I can work through stage fright. I can talk to girls.
Not too bad, indeed. A sad lack of bonuses anywhere helpful, though in non-combat situations that general likeability would come in handy and you actually qualify as a 1st Ed druid, which might or might not be good news.
Strength: 13 - I can carry heavy objects and help friends move with the best of 'em, but I don’t make a point of doing any strength training when I work out.
Dexterity: 16 - I practice a few different martial arts, and used to dance quite a bit. I’m rotten at slight of hand, but I figure that’s because it isn’t as interesting as throwing people and being thrown around a mat.
Constitution: 12 - I don’t get sick often, and I can live at high altitude for extended periods without ill effect. But I think getting socked in the gut once or twice might be more than enough for me to reconsider a fight.
Intelligence: 17 - I’m pretty good at analytical stuff, and I managed to survive a massively mean-spirited PhD program. Also, after 7 years working in laboratories, when I get cut I freaking bleed statistics.
Wisdom: 9 - This is probably a bit low, but I tend to have a massively eccentric sense of humor, and I figure wisdom is the best place to couch that.
Charisma: 11 - I’m a good conversationalist and a decent public speaker, but I won’t be winning any beauty contests.
Yeah, people select Liberal Arts because they want to push the limits of the human understanding of Liberal Arts. Call me elitist if you want to but there were no Spicolis in my Differential Equations class.
I’m kinda surprised at the high cha and wis, and the dex is out of line (I have great manual dexterity and do legerdemain and type ~80 wpm, but I can’t throw a baseball straight to save my life). But maybe I gave myself unreasonably positive answers on the questions, which would indicate a low wisdom. Or does this self-reflection indicate high wis? Hmmm…
