Great Role Player - How do you play your character through their stats in your Tabletop RPG game 

Precisely what I thought of as I started watching this video.

Little late to the party but; "I know three letters: A... F and... A"

"Also ale"

One of these days I need to make a fruit salad and include some tomato in it just to see if it's actually as bad as everyone thinks. ... Incidentally, this weekend I'll be playing a PHB Beastmaster Ranger.

@@kayvee256 a tomato based fruit salad would simply be salsa.

@@DanDoesDnD Not a tomato based fruit salad. A fruit salad that includes tomato. I'm not convinced it would be terrible. It might be good.

so I need to make a fruit salad, but I never had one. but I know what fruits are so... Tomatoes; Coconuts; not Bananas though, those are berries

@@DanDoesDnD found the bard

While your character might have had a 0 in persuasion, it seems that real-life you had a +3.

Prepare your interactions, take extensive notes and try adding thought in your interactions. To make it easy to play, go for a careful, patient and calm character. It will help in giving you time to think, and also avoid "dum" situations where all the characters just charge the dragon. It's not perfect, but is works. But i'm sure you are a great player, not a dumb one ;)

Good answer. There are players out there who feel they are 'dumb' or 'just don't think of cool stuff at the time'. A smart character may be so busy with other thoughts that they fail to see what is happening in front of them. So if you feel you're not up to the task, have a high intelligence character who is just distracted all the time. Then their number (int. value) is only useful for rolling purposes. It may make it feel like you're closer to your character.

I asked, a little jestingly perhaps, because my style of dungeon mastering is probably very hostile to players that get overwhelmed easy. I value the players over the characters (meaning i tend to stick more on the act rather than role side). As well as I don't let my players sit down for a strategy session in the midst of a fight. I know the problems that arise with doing that, but I value to feeling my players get in the moment more.

I hate players discussing stuff mid-combat. I usually add more monsters...

Bacon Battalion RPG well if people start to talk to much and won't act I just go to the next person in the turn order :p

Kartissa I kinda love that,

I know that in d&d, intimidation is considered a charisma skill as well

Some GMs allow Strength to be substituted for Charisma with intimidation checks.

Kartissa I am pretty sure that's a feat/trait in pathfinder as well

"In English I'm a stupid, but in Spanish I'm a genius!"

It's good to have you back! Glad there is stuff for you to enjoy and experience!

I agree! I hate it when players say "I'll make a perception check" rather than "I'll look for a (whatever)"

My pleasure! thank you for the compliment :)

I second bamfasaurusrex's comment. This video, as well as others, have recrafted how I play this game. How I tell this story.

That's great roleplaying!

Thank you for watching and commenting :)

Re-Flavouring. I like it!

We do flavoring all the time at my table! I’m playing a half-elf Shadow Sorceror who is obsessed with death, and therefore only used necrotic/cold spells. So we reflavored Fireball to Rime Vortex, and it deals cold damage instead of fire. “A brilliant white light flies from your finger, then blossoms into a vortex of snow and ice, flinging shards in all directions”

Yes! I didn't mention mention those as I feel that's a whole video on it's own, especially given how some people use that as maths rather than play guides.

Bacon Battalion RPG I'd be happy to watch this video, because I know quite a lot of players (and in some campaigns,admittedly, I was one), that use these tools as a point generator by picking the least "bothersome" disadvantages, not the most suitable for the character they want to play.

Consider it added to the list! :)

I'm glad it helped!

Gratitude. As long as it was useful that's all that I worry about :)

My gratitude, and my agreement! You are right about how far to take the narrative. I like your idea of rolls that fail resulting in a negative outcome but one that isn't necessarily negative to the action... I am going to mull over this idea as I think it could be a really powerful tool! Thank you!

The system "Open Legend RPG" that is there core idea that when you fail a dice roll you succeed with a twist or you fail but the story progresses. I have just gotten into the system and really love this idea of it.

You can also try out Cogent, really good system for impro and low rule settings. (also for somewhat deadly ones). But really it's something you can apply in any situation, you don't need a rule to use this option. (In fact, anything that helps your story is a good thing)

That sounds cool!

I typically equate wisdom with common sense. If your plans rely on your charming personality more than anything else, you're probably playing it right.

Another way of looking at it is the "Int-Wis-dichotomy": Int is education, grasping concepts quickly and learning. WIsdom is about common sense and awareness of your surroundings. So if your WIS is low, you might be somewhat oblivious to peoples reactions. Overconfidence in your CHA works well, also a feeling of "Damn, I look hot today. No way I can't sh@t-talk my way into that guarded place! I got this." and totally missing the annoyance of the guard or mistaking it for awe (which is what you expect).

I don't know if this is still relevant, but I agree with Monkey Business for the most part. To me, wisdom is awareness, instincts and focus while intelligence if thoughts, calculations and tactics. As I currently play a half-orc monk with int on 7 and wis on 16, it is really relevant. But I'd go about your character having tendency to become unfocused (and due to high charisma just roll with it even if he miss important info, calling Stuart the NPC for Steve moments after being introduced) and being less aware of possibly obvious surrounding clues. Also, in action situations, not being able to formulate a good plan during surprise in combat before he has had a chance to think it over, which might be two-three rounds in.

Czardonyx I usually think of a low wisdom character to think like a newborn (no common sense, not observant, etc) and charisma is just how likable/trusting you seem.

@@littleblueclovers i Think of a low wisdom char always like Hermine granger from harry potter 1st book. Its annoying intelligent but dont realize that others dont like her "teaching" them to do it right...

In some systems there is no differentiation like that though. But yes your point is well made!

I think it gets more difficult to "re-interpret" stats the more of them there are, because by necessity each stat will be more specifically defined - in the example given, the only stats are Strength, Intelligence and Charisma. Arguably, Dexterity is folded into Strength more than anything if that's the case. You're still free to interpret stats, even within the bounds set in the game - for example, a low-Charisma character might not talk much, or they might run their mouth and insult people almost reflexively. A high-Strength character might be muscular, or might just have *really* good technique for lifting and using blunt/heavy weaponry. Et cetera, et cetera.

Not every stat needs to be re-interpreted. A player could re-interpret one or some and leave the rest as traditional. It only becomes more difficult if the player is re-interpreting more, not if there are more stats.

That's a great approach to stats. Thank you for sharing! Did you have fun with the character?

I'd say I did, considering it was a learning curve for both me and my character. Plus, playing what was basically a child made me a great infiltrator :P

Nice!

Oddly enough, I think there's a psychological component. You're not the first one to suggest something like this as a personal anomaly. I've met a few people that were very easily thwarted in searching by placing just any little item on top of whatever they were looking for... Example, One friend was looking for a hat, and I knew exactly which hat he'd be looking for. I even knew it was sitting on a table in the next room, so before he got there, I put a ring on the hat. Now, this hat was a full sized, wire-rim, natural leather hat (rather obvious in its surroundings) AND the ring was an ordinary sterling silver loop made to look like a miniature silver snake circling the finger... nothing special. BUT this guy looks directly at the table on his way past, and mere minutes later, he's in panic mode, because he can't find his bloody hat! The psychological component, as near as I can figure anyway (not a professional...so theory) is that we develop these mental images of the things we look for. Our visual cortex goes into a comparison mode, keeping that visual "template" at the ready while we search for something... Only when our eyes register some object that matches that "template" can we find the thing we want. SO if there's some irregularity(?) or perhaps, the "template image" is too well defined even, the slightest variation can "throw us off" our search, rendering even a most intellectually superior person, horribly disadvantaged for duties like standing a watch, searching for people, even finding his personal items in his own house... At any rate, I'm not sure how you're best to translate this to game mechanic, and some of THAT has to depend on what system you use... BUT it's a fairly frequent issue, so you can run with it. ;o)

My strength 18 Sorceress gained her might through being part dragon, so she looks as slender as any other elf on the outside. (Of course, she *does* have silver scales, representing her natural armour bonus, but other than that....) She also regularly uses magic to increase her strength in combat, since she prefers to fight up close and personal, using two swords. She's actually a pretty decent tank, thanks to her Dragon Disciple Prestige Class, with more HP and AC than my equal-level Paladin.

It's a great example! No need to apologize. You turned some numbers into this really cool story. Your GM must love you! Now he's got rogue gods and all kinds of cool stuff to worry about, a cult, and the dwarves. It's awesome, thank you for sharing!

nothingelsetodoZ What edition are you playing? I can't find anything that would cause a low charisma to affect a Clerics abilities. Certainly not in the case of Turn Undead or Divine Intervention.

Matthew Aubry 3.5, affects turning attempts per day, turning checks and turning damage.

nothingelsetodoZ Gross, 5e has no charisma affiliation for clerics.

Matthew Aubry yes... I know that...

Nice - thank you for sharing!

grymhild An efficient weight distribution allowing them to carry more?

It might be better posture or lifting form instead of just brute force.

Hahahahahaha! Love that. We sometimes use the "Cock-die" reroll method... where the dice isn't perfectly level because of you know... microscopic dust lol.

I'd say that the thing about playing a character with high mental stats is you can always still do stupid actions. A dumb character would more likely see one basic option and set their mind completely on it, without realizing there were any other options worth thinking about. A smart/wise character could do something stupid/careless/rash, but out of preference... they see the options, but they decide to do the most basic and dumb one instead. Intentional. And then you get to flesh out why certain action paths are intentional to them.

you could also play her as a very careful character that doesn't like to rely on herself/ isn't confident in her skills, which is also the reason why she always trained and tried to get better.. so you might end up not trying something you have a good chance on because 'eh, i can't jump that far anyways' or ask another character to help with something you might even be better at.

Elli Schak There are already some good suggestions here, but a different way to play this would be for her to a physiological mood disorder similar to mania. Mania is almost the opposite of depression, where some people report an increase in energy, the feeling of immortality, being the person who is always happy and has trouble getting to sleep. This could work for your character having unusually high perception as she is always looking around, and could possibly add flavor to her higher dexterity as someone who is always bouncing around. One way to spin the low wisdom concept could still be slight sleep deprivation, so she could be unaware that she is not making the best decisions. Or she can be on such a natural high that she is willing to take more risks to stay entertained.

Elli Schak Maybe focus on what your skills are. Like if you had a lot of wisdom and had the animal handling and survival skills, maybe you could be a bear grylls type character and didn't really use insight. Or how a graceful, high charisma elf probably wouldn't try to seem scary (despite the stats being high in intimidation as well)

I do not know of a long-term gamer who hasn't amassed at least a few such stories... I've seen things... horrible things that dice do to pretty decent characters... just awful! As you quest, just know... YOU are NOT alone! ;o)

Either way it's not a success. I'd do the math then state: "I can't seem to find the problem! How was 'insert name' injured?"

Bacon Battalion RPG it turns the person I was checking on was dead

Hahahaha... that's why you can't find the problem ;)

IMHO: Quick on the uptake, poor memory for facts/ figures. Though a 10 is merely an _average_ stat, so I'd focus on the higher in-the-moment perception/ intuition (WIS) and a more standard memory/ logic/ etc. (INT).

thanks

I played at the start a Half Orc Barbarian and ended up being killed, i enjoyed the character, but i got in over my head. I felt I was staying true to the nature of who he was. I have tried a couple of others since then and cannot find something that really makes me truely interested in my characters. Ive watched your other videos and done my best to follow the steps. I dont overly know what im asking I wanted to post and see if anyone saw a flaw in my playing or maybe something i can make know in my sessions to improve us all as a whole.

As the Storyteller, i use the option of "The Group Counsel".. your Character should have the idea, so let the others give you some inspiration. If you want it to be more.. ruleswise, let them roll their respective score and limit the number of suggestions the player gets. Otherwise, as a player (or the GM that is to play the deity), you should sit down and do your homework - according to what your expertise is, you should have an amount of solutions to default to at hand. Although, in some systems intelligence really just represents accumulated knowledge, or the knowledge where to find things and how to research them efficiently.

So it's a tricky space, and one that requires your DM to understand your immense intelligence. The DM should clue you in on stuff that your character knows, or allow you to roll your intelligence check and give you answers or suggestions based on that. It is difficult however because you don't want to reduce the game to dice rolling. Consult your DM and see if they're willing to let your character learn more from a situation than he or she might normally give out.

You're referencing the "pain memory". Maybe the character is experiencing burst of that old pain he felt at that very decisive moment - not an actual injury, but rather a sort of phantom pain. And because the element is not yet at the table: supernatural influence Either a geas/magical curse, that forces or permits a certain behavior. Maybe even an undetected parasite, secretly controlling the character for the upcoming alien invasion/zombie uprising. The option, that it is out of the control of the character, doesn't exclude TRYING to do it, which makes the possible struggle all the more entertaining

I love it Seth, and the response Vtm Halle. We miss you at the table dude!

Whinnie the Pooh wishes so ;)

Over the course of a few years, I've been growing in intelligence and, for the sake of it, been looking into acting dumb. I found out that my processes have levels of complexity. So if I want to act less intelligent than I am, I merely have to guess which levels should be disabled. Though I usually don't manage to disable them entirely, I do consistently prevent them from influencing my actual behavior. Maybe it works along those lines for you and if so, it would be worth the little effort to practice it. I would recommend to simplify your terms, that narrows it down to a couple main levels for me. (defined by complexity of terms, "intelligent" and "smart" being from different ones for example) At that point it's useful to count steps of thought, the more steps (equations and the like) you need, the more intelligence is needed. (exceptions obviously apply) And to top it off, I notice that when I'm tired or in a drunk-like state, I use at least a few levels of intelligence fewer so that may help to figure it out as well. However, I have never played tabletop RPGs so I can't guarantee anything for that, it just doesn't look like it would matter from what I can tell.

First of all, sorry for answering this late. Second of all, thanks for the tips! Yeah, trying to keep my actions based exclusively on the moment might actually help. The thing that I cannot control is the part linked with intuition, or pattern recognition. It seems to me like recognizing patterns in things is normally considered a sign of intelligence, but alas once you spot a pattern often it's hard to tall which one was easy and which one was not, at least for me. Maybe as you said I could also act a bit unfocused and with a tendency of letting my mind wander. Unless outside of D&D, where technically focus is not about intelligence but wisdom, as far as the manuals say (if I recall correctly).

An answer, even if late, is always better than no answer. Nor did I expect an answer but that's besides the point. For pattern recognition I've never had problems other than needing to know which levels I use. In order to get there, from what I can only guess, it's useful to focus on the length between points. If you need to add several factors and/or take several steps in order to find the pattern, it's one that requires higher intelligence. A little bit back, thanks to watching one of these videos, I had set up a small challenge. I took two items, a roses outside and a wallet on the dead body in this case, and needed to connect them. (I watched his video on making mysteries as a GM) One idea that I had was that maybe the ten bucks (only thing in the wallet) was meant for the gardener. Another idea I had was that he maybe just came back from buying the rose and had ten bucks left. Yet another was that someone threw the wallet in or around the roses in a desperate attempt at hiding it. As you can see, they all take different levels of stretching the points. The first simply needs a gardener to work for the victim. The second needs flowers to be bought and planted at the same time. (possibly including a gardener) And then the third needs someone on the run with a need to hide a wallet and the victim to look in the roses. I'm certain that there are better examples but this one was a recent one of mine. And when it comes down to applying it to your character, it's useful to know what he knows. Take the information your character has and no more. Now see what kinds of patterns you can come up with that don't require player knowledge. From there you can go on to level it according to his intelligence. I hope that helps as much as or even more than my previous comment. Just know that I can't help with applying it within certain systems. All I know about them is that there are different dices and checks, connected to stats.

You don't have to be that clever to be a good fighter. A lot of training and experience would cover that easily. You could combine her racism with a general hatred towards 'elitist' creatures, that is, everyone who is proving to be smarter than her or just outsmarts her. Basically the classe bible belt south american farmer. "You what, mate?" Don't read. Ever. Make her illiterate, in fact. Go for short sentences, don't think around more than one corner, go the easy way, even if it would be ridiculously difficult, and if you want to, mess up your own grammar. Don't lie. Lies are difficult for dumb people. If you do lie, make it obvious (a lot of details that contradict themselves, fast and with the verbal assurance that 'you are not lying'). Take your cues from Trump.

RiesenWuschel I can't aruge with the Trump comment but bible belt southern farmers can be quiet smart. I mean how smart do you have you be to fix just about anything under the sun with some basic tools and some duck tape? Also consider how smart one needs to be run a farm, well at least as smart as any business owner.

+Trent wilis- I don't debate that there may be exceptions, but I have been down there. Even though they might have the necessary facilities to, under certain circumstances, evolve into clever human beings, they are being dumbed down by society and the severely lacking education, the church and Fox News. They might still be wizards with duct tape, but even if they were able to impress with intelligence, they actively try to avoid it or use it, so their own family does not call them 'elitist libtards'.

I myself live in north carolina and I have had a quite different experience. Personally, I think education is a good thing but I can't fault the older generation for being less trusting. I have know a few people with college degrees who lack the very most basic reasoning skills and have very little common sense.

+Trent wilis - there is _no_ reason to not trust education and there is even less reason to look down on people who have it. That is a no brainer. Of course there are narrow minded people everywhere but the higher you go on the educational ladder, the less you will find. The distrust against educated people is an american thing and it is ridiculous for the rest of the world.

How is int important in combat if you're a) not a wizard and/or b)not fighting intellect devourers and similar things