RP a Character's sheet?

[Manabi]

So - just went through a page on the general reference board and realize that I have just by luck been playing my sheet (as far as I can tell that is) I'm curious as how you RP certain stats. While STR, WIS, and INT, are understood easily, I am unsure of how Dex., Con. and Char fit into RP.

Another important question - my character turns into a complete goofball when the Tower is empty and there is absolutely nothing to do but goof around. Before, I thought it was ok to sort of goof off as long as it wasn't taken to far, but after reading viewtopic.php?f=14&t=17 I realized that I PROBABLY shouldn't have done some of the things I've done (EX: walking around disguised as a bard trying to sing about the person's deeds while failing miserably. Maybe that's low charisma and 0 bard levels?)

The character has a 14 wisdom, I think 10 Charisma, and 0 bard levels. Would the DMs have got onto me for this?

Anyway, trying to be as in character as I possibly can be from now on. While that's incredibly fun and I'm totally willing to lose what little reputation Manobi has left for some great laughs and RP, I REALLY don't want to upset anyone and get a level reduction, RPR reduction, etc.

So, how about examples of lows and highs of various stats?

It's a very open ended question, so it may end up being a bit wordy for some

[IndifferentPerson]

Con is health and stamina.

Cha can be anything ranging from physical beauty to force of personality and can be RPed many ways, you can be, for example, a 8 CHA character who actually has high self estheem, but is a complete jackass and doesn't gets along too well with people because he's a narcissist moron.

[Nitro]

A low dexterity character probably isn't very nimble, or clumsy while a high DEX char is probably acrobatic, graceful and flexible.

I've always looked at CON as stamina, endurance, pain tolerance and general healthiness. A high CON char could probably keep running for miles while the low con char gets winded quickly etc.
And I've always preferred to think of CHA as social aptitude, someone with high CHA isn't afraid to talk to people, knows what to say and can make the right jokes at the right times, they fit in with people.
Low CHA on the other hand may have problems interacting socially, maybe they're shy, maybe they just don't function well with people and keep making inappropriate jokes, maybe they never shower.

[Manabi]

A low dexterity character probably isn't very nimble, or clumsy while a high DEX char is probably acrobatic, graceful and flexible.

I've always looked at CON as stamina, endurance, pain tolerance and general healthiness. A high CON char could probably keep running for miles while the low con char gets winded quickly etc.
And I've always preferred to think of CHA as social aptitude, someone with high CHA isn't afraid to talk to people, knows what to say and can make the right jokes at the right times, they fit in with people.
Low CHA on the other hand may have problems interacting socially, maybe they're shy, maybe they just don't function well with people and keep making inappropriate jokes, maybe they never shower.

Oh! That makes sense - being socially stupid would be my excuse for the bard thing. . . .

So, being acrobatic. . . How could that fit into RP? Con for Stanima and health - how does that fit into RP? Should my character be bad a things with a low con without enchantments?

Indifferent - thanks for the input! not sure how to quote two posts in one. I'll figure it out soon!

[Winter83]

I always try to roleplay my sheet, its part of the fun for me.

Low constitution ideas:
- Sickly character, constantly ends up catching some illness.
- climbs the stars of the tower and runs out of breath. Also avoids running in general. Or doing menial work in general. Have 'em golems and familiars do that for him.
- Gets drunk from the smell of booze.
- A small injury can make a character whiny. Or he starts panicking foreseeing his death when he scratches his hand with a nail.
- He gets ill swiftly looking at gruesome things, cannot take vile stenches. (Remember, constitution is also fortitude), ends up puking when approaching a two days old corpse.
- Gets paranoid, in fear of being poisoned, so he forces his minions to taste food and drink before (fright of poisons in general)
- Washing hands fourty times a day, becomes neuretically keen on self higine, and thus avoiding places where he can catch an illness.

Low dex:
-clumsy. Things falling out of his hands.
-he'd hit himself with his own staff
-Easily slips and trips when walking in rough enivorments (woodlands)
-Terribly bad in all kind of task that requires hand-eye coordination.
-He'd watch a glass falling off the table, without even realizing what's going on, in general slow to react when it comes to bodily things, actions, since his reflexes are kinda low.
-Terrible handwriting


High dex are the opposite.

An example of action of a low constitution but high dex character:
- Walking around he spots a diseased animal getting close. So afraid, almost paranoidly of catching some illness, he suddenly finds himself atop the first lamp post, which he climbed to get some distance from the animal.

- He started archery at age 5 since from early of childhood he could not stand the pain, neither the sight of blood. Archery and magic however allowed him to keep distance from gruesome sights, picking down enemies from afar.
EDIT: Top his last one with low charisma and high intelligence:
- Whenever an enemy came into his range, he started a swift calculation of wind, possible risks of missing the target, weight of the projectile the ammount of time needed to speak the incantations. His face turns into a grimace as he keeps mumbling quickly grinding the words, only making sense to himself and only himself. This accompanied with a strong gesticulation, sometimes a sudden outburst of cheers or cusses. Those seeing the person, slowly shy away from him.

[Rattus_norvegicus99]

I always looked at INT and CHA as two stats with a vast number of variations.

WIS I take in different ways, and sometimes combine some with CHA as far as leadership goes.

CON, DEX, STR for me are very straight forward.

I really do think the Devs and DMs give us some leeway ... for instance, I have a dwarf with a crazy high CON, but I don't go around having him playing with vipers and drinking so much whiskey it would kill a giant ... you don't HAVE to go over board ... and I think a little variation and some goofing off is good, really.

[Winter83]

Overplaying is unnecessary indeed. Subtly incorporating the stat into the personality, background, motivation however.


Example

Low Dex, low Charisma Fighter
A Warrior with low dex may have been a cripple to a leg since his childhood. However him being lawful in alignment, has a keen sense to traditions, and wanted to pursue his father's profession. His bad lag been always in the way, he had to compensate for the weakness. Also he had a constant feeling he need to prove himself to his father. A constant looming mood of him not good not enough.
- A low dex score can define the character's backstory and motivations.


When I make a character concept I try to imagine the background first. Not to every detail but in general. What city he came from, what kind of people he was surrounded with, what's the environment.
Balthur Greystone for instance: The reason behind his listen score is higher than his spot is merely that he came from an underground background where one relied more on hearing than on seeing due to the dark.

Had a nother ranger, Owen Sykes: Background was he is a woodcutter. Oh right, that means I give him a huge axe. Definitly strength focus. Spot/search is his main detection as his profession demands him to find the suiable wood in the forest. Certainly this would get altered as the story goes on, but this is how he started out. Also he was a baillif of a village. Hmm, that'd require some good intelligence and lore to represent his traits. Mathematics for counting, knowing the land. Alllright here comes a cross-classing to appriase then.

This is how at least I design a character. And later on this starting point helps me to play the starts of the sheet. I dont care if noone other can see it, this is the greater part of the fun for me.

[Anime Sword Fighter]

t I PROBABLY shouldn't have done some of the things I've done (EX: walking around disguised as a bard trying to sing about the person's deeds while failing miserably. Maybe that's low charisma and 0 bard levels?)

This is not a bad thing. This is just fun.

The character has a 14 wisdom, I think 10 Charisma, and 0 bard levels. Would the DMs have got onto me for this?

Only if they are Literally Hitler.

Anyway, trying to be as in character as I possibly can be from now on. While that's incredibly fun and I'm totally willing to lose what little reputation Manobi has left for some great laughs and RP, I REALLY don't want to upset anyone and get a level reduction, RPR reduction, etc.

I'm fairly certain you won't get a level reduction or RPR reduction for just having fun like that, unless you are bringing OOC things IG (like just forcing terrible internet memes IG for the sake of doing it) or being especially snotty and ruining others' fun or just being super super weird.

As the DMs aren't Literally Hitler usually they would talk to you about something before any punishment took place if it was so minor as what it seems to you.

[Marsi]

What happens when you have low DEX but high reflex?

low CON but high fort?

vice versa, and etc.

Are saves to be interpreted more as 'luck', rather than absolutes of the character's ability?

anyway,
In my opinion, what is more important is how you roleplay your character's stats, I don't think it's a binary; 'do you or don't you', 'RP jesus or filthy minmaxer'. I've seen explorations of character deficiencies/proficiencies that come across as very forced, disruptive, and well...... RPR thirsty (we've all been there). Just have fun, pay attention to the character sheet, and work it into your roleplay in a manner that is not just enjoyable for you, but memorable to others. Flaws can be really cool. Don't neglect them.

All the horror stories you hear about DMs bringing down a hammer on characters who don't roleplay their stats? Those are your 8-int half orcs who are wax suave political philosophers when it suits them (its happened). Not roleplaying your 8-dex character as a bumbling oaf 24/7 isn't a crime. The bottom line is, if you've ever taken a moment to think about whether you're doing it right, it's likely you're already on the right path.

[RED GANOT]

I love playing low WIS.

Short attention span. The character often daydreams, or gets distracted by his surroundings.
Thinks spiritualism is a load of mumbo-jumbo. Very frank and straight-forward in the advice giving department. A lot more worldly. Thinks about the tangible.
Instinct would drive this character more than common sense. He may be reckless.
With an average INT score complementing the low WIS, the character can absorb knowledge, and know a lot of things, but be very poor at applying it.
It can be amusing to have rare moments of brilliance in the midst of the derp.

[The Rambling Midget]

Another important question - my character turns into a complete goofball when the Tower is empty and there is absolutely nothing to do but goof around. Before, I thought it was ok to sort of goof off as long as it wasn't taken to far, but after reading viewtopic.php?f=14&t=17 I realized that I PROBABLY shouldn't have done some of the things I've done (EX: walking around disguised as a bard trying to sing about the person's deeds while failing miserably. Maybe that's low charisma and 0 bard levels?)

You should've seen the old Arcane Tower, back in the 70s. Seriously, those guys would just sit around all day casting grease and web and stuff on each other. The common room was frequently transformed into a maelstrom of no damage area effect spells, and yet it was super fun for all involved, because there was good RP behind it. It's okay to goof around, as long as it fits your character.

Anyone can sing. Anyone can sing well. You're really only stepping over the line when you falsely emote that your singing voice is interwoven with magic and empowering listeners. Even then, you might still be able to swing it as a mage.

[Seven Sons of Sin]

This one time, a character with 8 CHA was thought to have very high CHA - like around 14.

[Yma23]

There's various ways to rp all the stats. One of the things I find helps me, is looking at your stats and working out what streanth, or weakness, fits that character.

For example -

Lets' say you have a woodelf with an 8 charisma. You could describe him as being ugly, basic physical looks can (CAN!) be a standing for charisma. But he's an elf, elves are, generally, quite pretty. He's a woodelf though and, say, a ranger. So let's say that you can rp his charisma as social ineptitude. He's alright looking (Nothing dashingly handsome but, y'know, alright) and he's reasonably self confident, but he's increadibly blunt in society, with no idea of social mores or acceptability.

Likewise, let's say you have a mage with a low dexterity, and a bulky fighter with a low dexerity.

You could rp that the mage has a low dex because he's simply spent most of his time sitting around reading books. His muscles have atrophied.

The Fighter, on the other hand, has an old war wound, that gives him a few painful limps, hindering his movements.

Some stuff to consider.

[The Rambling Midget]

Lets' say you have a woodelf with an 8 charisma. You could describe him as being ugly, basic physical looks can (CAN!) be a standing for charisma.

I personally prefer to keep physical appearances separate from Charisma, except in cases where the character has specifically gained a degree of self confidence due to the positive reactions that others have to their beauty. This is why I like RPGs which have Charisma and Comeliness.

It's kinda hard to explain why your Evocation DCs went up, just because you got a face lift and a boob job.

[Tathkar Eisgrim]

Just remember: any PC can have a 'eureka' moment every once in a while, where they act above and beyond and below their character sheet statistic. e.g A normally super DEX character can have a Beshaba day and be ridiculously clumsy; a dumb half orc can say something profound; a dwarf can can get drunk on their first pint, etc.

Just keep them rare so they are special.

[William Steele]

rping your stats is a good thing, but try not to get too out of hand. there's a line between role play and roll play.

and don't worry about cha and bard levels. people do things they're not good at all the time!

[Ecstatic]

Lets' say you have a woodelf with an 8 charisma. You could describe him as being ugly, basic physical looks can (CAN!) be a standing for charisma.

I personally prefer to keep physical appearances separate from Charisma, except in cases where the character has specifically gained a degree of self confidence due to the positive reactions that others have to their beauty. This is why I like RPGs which have Charisma and Comeliness.

It's kinda hard to explain why your Evocation DCs went up, just because you got a face lift and a boob job.

Reservoirs of Arcane Potency.

In a more serious vein, I have always preferred subtler cues as to mental stats, rather then being beaten over the head with "OMG 24 unbuffed charisma so hawt", and playing the mental stats off of each other can be a lot of fun to experiment with.

For example, a character with 8 charisma, 16 int, 16 wis might write very eloquently and clearly, but be quiet and grouchy around people, and sort of a jerk when talking to people.

Likewise, a character with 8 wis, 16 charisma and 16 int might be infectiously charming, witty, and clearly super smart, but prone to forgetting people's names, and other crucial details.

None of this requires at all touching on physical appearance.

[Rystefn]

Yeah, there's always lots of ways to RP pretty much any combination of stats (especially when you add in skills and other bits).

For example - Layla has a dead average Cha score, but is described as quite attractive physically. (She looks like her mother. FOIG if you can. So far, she hasn't.) This is pretty easily reconciled by other aspects of her personality that make her unlikable enough to overcome her appearance (not even counting her faith). She's uncomfortably blunt about things most people wouldn't talk about in public. She also puts of a pretty creepy vibe a lot of the time, smiling at things that other people are disturbed by, for example. It seems to work.

She also has a dead average Dex score, but I describe her as moving gracefully, and practically dancing while she fights. How does that make sense? In a word: Tumble. A high Dex is someone who is naturally graceful. Layla trained hard at it. Thousands of hours of training at fighting (some historical sword schools made you train footwork for ages before they even let you touch a sword) and dance (the most important ritual of Sharran worship is Nightfall, the dance to greet the coming darkness) have brought her to the point where the habitually moves with grace and balance at all times.

One of the more interesting things I decided on in the early parts of playing her was in the interplay of her Con and Wis scores (which most people think of as pretty much unconnected, and I did to until I hit on this). Con is your physical resilience, pretty obviously. Wis is your mental resilience. If you're physically exhausted, Con is what lets you run up that flight of stairs anyway. If you're mentally exhausted, Wis is what lets you retain your focus and keep studying. Having higher numbers in both manifests in Layla the Determinator. The woman who simply cannot be stopped as long as she's still breathing. Either separately can get you a good chunk of the way, but both together are what got Layla, broken and bleeding, with an arm half off, to scale the cliffs of Guldorand, because the battle isn't over until you've delivered your after-action report to the commander.

The main point I'm making here is the you can't look at any one number, or race or class or anything else, in isolation. A character is more than just the sum of its parts. Look at how the numbers might interact with one another. Look at the intangibles that aren't on the sheet anywhere. Trust that the DMs are doing the same thing.