Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JulesCARV 06-26-06, 04:12 AM	I was wondering about how various abilities might be discerned within the game. For example, let's say that a military force trains people for various classes in which they're suited. For instance, those with good intelligence are trained as duskblades, those with good wisdom are trained as psychic warriors, and those with good charisma are trained as hexblades. For some abilities, testing is fairly simple. Strength: how much can you bench-press? Dexterity: how far past your toes can you reach? Intelligence could be dubiously tested with various things like IQ tests. The three I'm having trouble seeing are constitution, wisdom, and charisma. Someone's spot or listen check could be tested fairly easily, but telling whether someone had a high wisdom score or just ranks in spot wouldn't be possible inside the game. Thoughts?
Gellion 06-26-06, 04:51 AM	How long they can hold their breath for constitution? :)
Haruspex 06-26-06, 05:03 AM	Personally I think it would be more likely on a volunteer basis. If they wash out of training, then their ability scores obviously weren't high enough. Wisdom: Test the person's awareness (Listen and Spot) for a couple of days, then try to Bluff the fella (hey, the instructor is actually a mind flayer!). Charisma: Get the aspiring candidate to disguise himself as another person, then play a range of musical instruments. I also think that each person would instinctively 'know' somehow if their scores were high enough and then rock up to the recruiting desk. That's how they take feats with ability score prerequisites. Just my opinion.
RedUncle 06-26-06, 05:37 AM	Charisma: Get the aspiring candidate to disguise himself as another person, then play a range of musical instruments. like Prince!
Haruspex 06-26-06, 05:47 AM	like Prince! Probably someone less famous, or else everyone will automatically know. Prince would make an awesome bard. :)
Limousine_Liberal 06-26-06, 06:02 AM	Personally, I doubt that any organization would have much of a concept of an "IQ test." Depends on your game world, but in most I'd assume that formal "logic" isn't being taught to any adventurers, though some nobles may be exposed to it, and modern IQ tests rely heavily on logic in a way that would have seemed alien to the medieval mind. Not trhat there is much of an alternative...hit you with multiple Rays of Stupidity so that you are reduced to a mindless husk and see how many days of bed rest it takes for the dain bramage to go away. For Wisdom, I'd tend to use a less "formal" approach. Wisdom is intuition, so have an experienced Psychic Warrior quiz potential students about how his powers work, the rudiments of how one channels and controls those powers and from their answer he (having a good wisdom himself) gets a "feel" for who has an intuitive grasp of the Psychic Warrior's world, and who has no feel for it at all. For charisma there's almost nothing you could so that could not be mimicked by skills, because Charisma is a damned near content-free stat, save for its effect on skills. My best advice, hold a persuasive writing competition or a series of debates (Resolved: Mialee is hotter than Lidda) followed by a singing competition. Another alternative would be to use a specially crafted wand or other magic item and make the prospects try the item out. The UMD skill doesn't "really" work untrained, but a specially sensitive wand might allow for some sort of abortive effect for those of particularly strong personalities, kicking out sparks or light or something. Perhaps the wand itself normally glows incidentally to (and just before) emitting a magic missile, and students with a particular aptitude (but no UMD training) can nonetheless still get it to glow though they cannot get the missile out of it. For that matter, you could always use a magic, talking hat, as in Harry Potter.
Ryusage 06-26-06, 07:27 AM	For that matter, you could always use a magic, talking hat, as in Harry Potter. *slaps limousine liberal* Don't mention such things! Rowling disgraces the fantasy genre! :D
Seeker95 06-26-06, 08:27 AM	Rowling opened the fantasy genre to a generation of kids that would have taken forever to enter it, or missed it entirely, as they would have been sucked into video games instead.
Seeker95 06-26-06, 08:29 AM	As for stat-based profession training... I do not think they would do this with ability stat tests, but rather with skill testing. If you are good at doing the things that are associated with a given stat, then you are likely to have the capacity for professions that also rely on that stat. The thing is, no mention of the stat would occur.
OravennasBrother 06-26-06, 10:49 AM	For example, let's say that a military force trains people for various classes in which they're suited. For instance, those with good intelligence are trained as duskblades, those with good Umm is this some elite royal troop? otherwise I can tell you militaries historically decided who went into skirmishers and who wen into heavy shock troops, and who wne into the line. Big Burly and agressive = Elite 'shock' soldier (grenadier or Guard in the Napoleonic Era, Huskarl in Saxon Briton, etc) Fleet of foot, nimble etc and not big enough for the Shock arm = Skirmisher Everyone left = Line troops Really who would have the resources to "train" psychid warriors, "Duskblades" etc. when the majority of the populace (95%+) is NPC Classes? Just mnuster the Warriors for War and leave the Commoners and experts to continue paying taxes.
rogue_lettuce 06-26-06, 11:48 AM	Probably someone less famous, or else everyone will automatically know. Prince would make an awesome bard. :) I think you missed the joke. Though to be honest, it would perhaps be more applicable to Michael Jackson. :P