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Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion / Re: Questing Beast - The real problem with "Rulings Not Rules" in DnD
« Last post by dungeonmonkey on Today at 12:12:04 AM »I think part of the reason why character INT isn't just the attribute score on the player's character sheet and sometimes instead maps to the player's intelligence is that INT is a relatively abstract concept. You can quantify STR in various concrete ways, max press, for example. But distinguishing between what types of puzzles or riddles someone with a 13 INT should be able to solve compared to someone with a 15 INT isn't as readily quantifiable. How would you really know whether you were accurately role-playing an INT score of 13 versus 15? Compare that with physical attributes like STR. You typically don't role-play STR. Your character either has the requisite strength to do something or doesn't.
And INT shows up in more places than puzzles and riddles. Problem-solving in combat is another area where player intelligence (and experience) matters. I don't think most DMs would disallow some clever tactic or strategy on the ground that the fighter in question lacked the requisite INT score to have that insight in combat (and players typically do not place one of their better attribute scores in INT when playing fighters). If so, then why get bent out of shape about a character with a mediocre INT score solving a difficult puzzle or riddle based on the player's ability?
Old-school D&D is a messy amalgam of character ability and knowledge and player ability and knowledge. I think it works fine, despite the inconsistencies, and that there is no problem to solve here. With a hard-to-quantify attribute like INT, it would strip player characters of a lot of their agency if the DM was routinely adjudicating whether they were intelligent enough to take "x" action or think "y" thought based on INT scores.
And INT shows up in more places than puzzles and riddles. Problem-solving in combat is another area where player intelligence (and experience) matters. I don't think most DMs would disallow some clever tactic or strategy on the ground that the fighter in question lacked the requisite INT score to have that insight in combat (and players typically do not place one of their better attribute scores in INT when playing fighters). If so, then why get bent out of shape about a character with a mediocre INT score solving a difficult puzzle or riddle based on the player's ability?
Old-school D&D is a messy amalgam of character ability and knowledge and player ability and knowledge. I think it works fine, despite the inconsistencies, and that there is no problem to solve here. With a hard-to-quantify attribute like INT, it would strip player characters of a lot of their agency if the DM was routinely adjudicating whether they were intelligent enough to take "x" action or think "y" thought based on INT scores.