Int, Wisdom and other stats affecting RP

[Ambroas]

Ok first I want to say I'm not trying to restrict or point out anyone.  Play your character how you want, I just want to ask some questions for my own RP.

I'm curious how INT and WIS should be reflected when roleplaying a character.  Can an Elf be dumb?  I'm wondering if these stats are the max that a person of that race can reflect or if it's standard across that race.  Also if someone could break down how each race normally act I'd appreciate it.  The only way I could think to properly describe them is how old they would act (wisdom) and how smart they would be grade wise (intellect).  I'd consider a smart giant being the same as someone roleplaying a faerie who can lift 300lbs.

Example: Would a Faerie be like a double PHD and a wise old man while an Ogre would be like a six year old and First grader?

[crackwilly21]

Have you ever met anyone with a college degree that was an idiot?  I know I sure have.  I don't see stats affecting the intelligence of my characters RP wise.  If my char is smart, he's smart whether he has 15 or 25 int.  Maybe you could chalk a low int races intelligence up to 'street smarts' if you really wanted to get down to it, but I say do whatever you feel is best.

[Kyzarius]

The example you fave though.  

 

Wouldn't int dictate if they were dumb or nor, and the ease of getting a degree be the certificates value?

 

[Ambroas]

The age was meant to describe the wisdom: their mentality, matureness, knowledge of the world etc..

The degrees or grades were meant to describe their intelligence: This isn't the grade they stopped at, more it's the best they could achieve.  (Don't want people making the argument about a genius quitting school in 8th grade).

My concern is about playing a giant too smart or playing an elf/drow/fae too dumb.  Sure they might not have knowledge but the smart races would learn new things quickly correct?

[Ambroas]

58 minutes ago, crackwilly21 said:

Have you ever met anyone with a college degree that was an idiot?  I know I sure have.  I don't see stats affecting the intelligence of my characters RP wise.  If my char is smart, he's smart whether he has 15 or 25 int.  Maybe you could chalk a low int races intelligence up to 'street smarts' if you really wanted to get down to it, but I say do whatever you feel is best.

I was thinking more about the high end degrees not liberal arts etc... Doctors, Specialists, Lawyers and things of this nature.

[Kyzarius]

But wouldn't that be a mix of int and wisdom.  High int and low wisdom would equate to that guy with a degree that makes poor choices. 

[Demiterracotta]

I've always thought of stats as a OOC measure of IG values. As far as I know you can't directly SEE someone's stats in game. So then it depends on how YOU as the player project your character. Especially since stats are so easy to manipulate.

For instance say you have 15 int on a Human Invoker. (I would think an Invoker would be fairly smart, reading scrolls and things to cast spells, this is something you CAN see.)

Then you put on a ring that has +2int. Now if you lose the ring are you going to RP yourself dumber? Are you going to RP yourself smarter ONLY when wearing the ring? What if you get a -5 int debuff in the middle of the fight? Will you stumble over casting the spells you need? Are you going to stop and RP it out with the person that you're a lot dumber so you don't even understand what is going on?

I think this becomes a personal question of your RP and how you as the player allow it to affect your character. If you WANT to RP like the example above. Have at it, sounds extremely interesting yet extremely tedious to me. And I would love every interaction with that character. I've seen Giant Scholars and Elves who claim the physical strength of Gods, and I have never stopped to go 'Hey wait, Giants don't get THAT much intelligence and wisdom, this person is violating RP!', I went with it, it's not my place to make a judgement on something my character has no direct knowledge of. Maybe their Gods granted them the intelligence and wisdom of the ages, who am I to say?

If you want to play a hulking maniac of doom even when you are wearing 2 demon talismans, then go for it and I'm not going to call you out on it, laugh at you if I'm fighting you maybe, and mention you weakening yourself, but I would not go 'Hey Arxtroc the Conqueror of Planets, your dexterity and strength were way below the maximum of your racial profiles, why are you sub optimally battling me?' most of my characters would say something along the lines of 'Arxtroc you may find it difficult conquering any planets larger than a pebble with those cursed things about your neck.'

Many of the things we do in game lie in the eyes of the person playing, some people are amazing at character growth and maturity throughout the lifespan of the character and those players are amazing. The mediocre ones like myself have a view of a character and try to stick to it yet struggle with allowing outside events to sway their RP.

Don't let the information you see as a player affect WHO your character is. Use it to do right by your character and let them tell you their legend.

Just my thoughts.

 

Edit: If want to mess with a Faerie who claims to be super strong, drop a really heavy sack and tell them to pick it up. Sounds like an awesome RP opportunity, you may have crushed all of their hopes and dreams or shattered a delusion. Isn't this game awesome in that aspect?

[Lloth]

I see mental stat bonuses on items as a very, very underutilized RP angle. 

For instance, what makes you smarter when you wear that +2 int ring? Is the ring itself sentient? Does it put thoughts you would not otherwise have in your mind?

And what is int? Is it how much you know? Or is it how quickly you learn?

As to the original question, giants are dumber than humans. Make worse choices too. I personally find it immersion breaking when I see a giant that rivals the reasoning power of an elf. But there aren't many people that play stupid well. It's usually used for humor only, instead of how it occurs naturally. 

Take from it you will, just my 2c.

[Demiterracotta]

4 minutes ago, Lloth said:

I see mental stat bonuses on items as a very, very underutilized RP angle. 

For instance, what makes you smarter when you wear that +2 int ring? Is the ring itself sentient? Does it put thoughts you would not otherwise have in your mind?

And what is int? Is it how much you know? Or is it how quickly you learn?

As to the original question, giants are dumber than humans. Make worse choices too. I personally find it immersion breaking when I see a giant that rivals the reasoning power of an elf. But there aren't many people that play stupid well. It's usually used for humor only, instead of how it occurs naturally. 

Take from it you will, just my 2c.

And does that +2 break the barrier on your races intelligence? Just because we can see it as players that your stat doesn't go up wouldn't you still rival an Elven Intelligence as a human? Would you sneer at the other humans who do not have your insight into how the world REALLY works? There's so much you can do....

 

Stahp. Please. You're making me want to do this. Evil temptress!

[Ambroas]

It's simple to me.  Someone casts weaken on your character = your character drops a weapon.  Do you RP you're the same strength or do you flee and tell someone you're too weak to carry a weapon?  This is RP.  SO when someone lowers your int sure act more stupid, do something you normally wouldn't.  The same way if someone busted in on you and casts some magic to lower your int you would act different.  Is it annoying and time consuming? Absolutely.  Do I expect everyone to RP this way?  Of course not, but I'm thinking I should.  This is mostly due to years of D&D with a GM who required us to RP this way, I'm still trying to get use to RP through a screen but hopefully I'll get better.

[Trick]

Ultimately? It doesn't matter. Thats the truest and best answer you will get. RP how YOU want to RP and damn everyone else. We've had the full range from dumb elves to genius giants.

Besides, at the end of the day you can't RP a character that is smarter than the player behind it effectively, can you?

[Lloth]

I did for a long while. Just takes a lot of preplanning and working out several different scenarios before ever getting to that point.