You should base your personality off of your natural attribute (i.e. the attributes you had at creation). So for example if you suddenly get a headband of intellect or something that magically increases one of your bottom 3 attributes, it does not change your character’s personality.
Intelligence
1 – 5 You are abysmally stupid, you can basically understand that you need to eat, drink, reproduce, and take shelter from bad weather (and your comprehension is in that order). I don’t care what the rules say, you’re illiterate.
6 – 9 You are slow to comprehend how things work in the world. You have a bad memory. Being asked to think or read is a chore.
10 – 14 You are not dumb, but not learned either. You comprehend how things work if you have worked with them before, but you must take time to study something before you can comprehend it. You have to look up the answers in a book, but you know where to look for the answers.
15 – 18 You’re smart, you should have ranks in a couple knowledge skills. You comprehend mechanics or complex issues quickly and you know the answer most of the time without having to look it up. You have studied a great deal, but studying was easy and you’ve never had to study something twice.
18+ You never had to study, you simply just knew the answer. You know how everything mundane works and have little trouble comprehending the supernatural.
Wisdom
1 –5 You are dumb as a post when it comes to noticing your surroundings or understanding that they might affect you. You also make bad decisions even if you are smart enough to know that the result will be bad. For example you might know what a meat grinder does, but you don’t hesitate to put your had in one if you, say, dropped a ring in there. You react to your emotions. Fear causes you to flee, lust causes you to be inappropriate in public.
6 – 9 On a whole you tend to be a little slow in getting that the world is bigger than the area immediately around you. You still make bad decisions if the situation is a bit complex. You prefer to act on emotion rather than logic.
10 – 14 You comprehend that you are an integral part of the world and that things near you can affect you. You are also somewhat aware that there is a world that exists outside your reason, but how it affects you is a serious challenge to your comfort zone. You don’t make bad decisions unless your clarity is skewed by something like love or hatred.
15 – 18 You are considered wise. Even as a child you had an unerring sense of what was right and what was wrong. The world and the supernatural are easy subjects for you to understand. You are sensitive to the fact that you are but a tiny grain of sand in a vast cosmic existence. You are also perceptive enough to realized that most others are not as wise as you. You have patience and tolerance. You know better even when strong emotions might cloud another’s judgment.
18+ Logic is all that dictates your decisions, you almost don’t have emotions. You get your place in the world and you have a level of patience that is nearly inexhaustible. You see all angles without having to be shown them.
Charisma
1 – 5 You are vulgar to the extreme. You eat like a dog, talk little, and have no sense of hygiene.
6 – 9 You are the perfect candidate for “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to do that.” Sure she did, but you don’t care about doing things that make others uncomfortable. You have a disposition that tends to make people dislike you right off the bat. You also probably don’t smell good and prefer not to waste effort on hygiene.
10 – 14 You begin to comprehend that you body is your most valuable possession. You take good care of yourself, you like to dress well, eat well, and bathe well. You have a personality that is instantly likeable. You are always friendly and courteous and try to be so even to those you don’t like. You also understand that your body has an inner energy that you can pull from to get you through tough situations.
15 – 18 Your body is a temple. Others immediately fall for you. The opposite sex finds you attractive no matter your physical beauty. You are always nice to other people and you are infuriatingly polite to your enemies. You can appear to be anything you want, people want to believe you. You master your body’s inner energy and exude your force of will through your skin.
the probability of an 18 int score rolling 3d6s is rolled is 1/6^3 = 1/216. So in your high school of 1000 people the 5 smartest people have an int score of 18.
So I would say
18 int- you are the smartest person you know, it seems that everything comes easy to you, you are consistently at the top of the class, more or less genius (top wizard at the academy, or those of frailer builds may become experts and end up being the inventors of the world)
16-17- this is the top few % who consistently do well, but aren't quite the best
14-15- this is the top 80th-95th percentile or so, naturally do well in a lot of areas but have shortcomings (most wizards, more talented rogues)
12-13- this is about the top 60th-80th percentile, by far not the best but can succeed with encouragement (in the D&D world this is the rogues bards warmages and experts who are more skilled than the average populace but aren't high level wizard quality)
10-11: average people who may not really fully understand the value of things like education and reading. Can succeed with a push in the right direction, maybe your jock/melee class type, may be successful at this level of intelligence but more often than not are simply your standard warriors and commoners
8-9: You don't get the point of things like investment, reading, education, but with encouragement you can make it through school. For adventurers this is typically a divine class, which gives them the direction they need. May forget important details or commit to irrational behavior in the heat of things.
7- Pretty much mentally retarded, strong half-orcs may become monks and barbarians, otherwise this is redneck peasant labor. Does not understand the value of refined activities, prone to irrational behavior and forgetfulness.
In short, your effort is appreciated but this post sounds way too sure of itself and misses tons of other roleplaying guidelines that might go even the opposite way. The best part about those scores is that they are subjective and there is no mention of it here. I don't imagine you wanted to write this as a basic how-to-RP guide though and I presume that you wanted to get something more insightful - I would recommend broadening the categories and adding more possibilities to each.
1 You are mentally retarded in every way. Your IQ score is around 10 and you can barely live. Your eat, sleep, and drink. That's really all there is to your life.
2-3 You are a common animal. You realize and react to the stimuli around you. Your IQ ranges from 15 to 45. You can barely talk and can only learn one language. House animals are a common example.
4-6 You are extremely close to mentally retarded among the human race. You can barely speak, if at all and cannot read. You usually need assistance in doing the most common activities (eating, drinking, sleeping). Your IQ ranges from 50-65.
7-8 Social activities are difficult to perform. You are able to communicate, eat, sleep, drink, and react to pain. You speak your thoughts in your own ways. You are considered "dumb" and are ridiculed in the human race. Your IQ ranges from 70-85.
9-11 You are a common person in the human race. In no way are you intellectually different from the standard man. You can perform all of life's activities, learn many languages, and do extras. You are the common man. Your IQ ranges from 90-115.
12-15 Your intelligence is above average and you are considered "gifted" among man. You are born into excellence. Your IQ ranges from 120-155.
16-17 You are in the .01 population of your kind. You are extremely gifted when it comes to your intelligence. You can learn things quickly and can easily memorize them. The common name for you is a "genius." Your IQ ranges form 160-175.
18+ You are a human prodigy. You are the smartest in your town, city, or maybe even country. You can recite things of ten years ahead of your age and are academically ingenious. Some consider you a gift from God. Your IQ is always above 180.
By and large, charisma should focus on personality and your strength thereof. A character with a charisma of 6 isn't necessarily ugly, smelly and disliked (although they certainly can be). They can just as easily be shy and timid, lacking in self-confidence and simply being unable to communicate well with people. This is not the sort of person you immediately dislike, and it's also not the sort of person that's averse to soap. A person that is beautiful to behold and smells like a floral breeze, yet mumbles and stutters when they speak and has a hard time convincing anyone of anything has a low charisma.
On the other end of the scale, having a high charisma doesn't mean "Being nice". It means you are good at influencing people, which isn't necessarily done through politeness. A paladin may be gruff and withdrawn and yet still display a superb talent for leadership when necessary. An evil tyrant cowing his subjects does so through charisma; he might be despised utterly, but ultimately, he's also getting people to behave how he wants them to.
Also, Charisma doesn't determine whether or not people like you, it determines whether or not people react to you. A high Charisma score means a great force of personality, and that could just as often mean that people hate you rather than love you. Niceties and politeness have nothing to do with it. Remember that Intimidate is a Charisma based skill. Leading villains are likely to have high Charisma.
Wisdom does not make you a logical maniac. Let us look, for example, at Demogorgon (FC I statistics). He has Wis 22. Do you think he is emotionless?
Next, your relation between Intelligence and Knowledge. Plenty intelligent people don't know about such things, but are good in tactical and strategical reasoning (see: Combat Expertise Int requirement), appraisal, translating languages, etcetera.
Back to Demogorgon: Charisma. Attractive? Hardly. Polite? I think not. Nice? Not even close. Yet his Charisma is 28.
Obviously you have made errors in your assumptions of the three statistics. They are far broader in scope than what you believe them to represent.
I prefer seeing them as "Intelligence", "Awareness" and "Force of Will". They reflect the same roles, but these terms are clearer.
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Intelligence
1 – 5 You are abysmally stupid, you can basically understand that you need to eat, drink, reproduce, and take shelter from bad weather (and your comprehension is in that order). I don’t care what the rules say, you’re illiterate.
6 – 9 You are slow to comprehend how things work in the world. You have a bad memory. Being asked to think or read is a chore.
10 – 14 You are not dumb, but not learned either. You comprehend how things work if you have worked with them before, but you must take time to study something before you can comprehend it. You have to look up the answers in a book, but you know where to look for the answers.
15 – 18 You’re smart, you should have ranks in a couple knowledge skills. You comprehend mechanics or complex issues quickly and you know the answer most of the time without having to look it up. You have studied a great deal, but studying was easy and you’ve never had to study something twice.
18+ You never had to study, you simply just knew the answer. You know how everything mundane works and have little trouble comprehending the supernatural.
I have to disagree with intelligence. Intelligence should represent that you're slow to pick things up as opposed to you not knowing anything. Take a Rogue with a 3 intelligence, he has 4 skills a level that he could spend on knowledge skills leaving him just as good as others in a narrow range of topics. at level 10 he could have 5 points in each skill making him more knowledgeable than average provided he took that feat that made knowledge skills class skills. As opposed to the rogue with 10 intelligence that was like that at level one and with out the feat
This comes easier to me that pounding a paragraph out strait.
Intelligence
- 3 – 6 : You are stupid. You can basically understand that you need to eat, drink, reproduce, and take shelter from bad weather (in that order). You may be "literate," but your vocabulary is extremely limited. You usually need someone to explain things to you repeatedly through simple analogies.
- 6 – 9 : You are slow to comprehend how things work, but once you have learned something you can teach it to others. You have a bad memory, and being asked to read critically is a chore. You consider yourself dumb.
- 9 – 12 : You are not dumb, but your not quick either. You understand how things work if you have worked with them before, but you prefer to take time to study something before you work with it. You may not always have the answer, but you know how to figure it out.
- 12 - 15 : You certainly think your smart. Always ready with pat answers and practiced replies. You can theorize quite well, but have a hard time understanding why things go wrong when they do. You have a strong vocabulary and know how to spell obscure words. You speak multiple languages, if not that well.
- 15 – 18 : You are smart. You comprehend mechanics, metaphysics, philosophy, and other complex subjects easily and you either know or can figure out the answer most of the time with minimal reference. You have learned a great deal, but you consider yourself to be always learning. You enjoy new information and rarely have to be told anything twice.
- 18+ : You see and understand. You hear and know the truth. Often you offer the answers to a question before anyone has a chance to ask.
Wisdom
- 3 – 6 : You react to your emotions first and last. Fear causes you to flee, lust causes you to act a fool. You will endanger your well being because your oblivious to obvious dangers. You could be brilliant, but you still wear mismatched socks. People are always telling you to pay attention and think before you act and talk.
- 6 – 9 : You prefer to act on emotion rather than logic. You will slow down and think ... when you remember to. Most of your choices are motivated by reasonable concerns of love or fear. You rely on others to keep you focused on the here and now. You are prone to daydreaming.
- 9 – 12 : You comprehend that you are an integral part of the world and that things near you affect you. You are also somewhat aware of what is going on in the minds of others. You prefer to pause and think before you act, and when you do so you rarely make bad decisions. You consider yourself normal.
- 12 - 15 : You think other people are stupid. Actually you know that most people are stupid. You are somewhat egotistical about it, but enough of your friends rely on you to get through a day that everyone agrees its justified. You don't pause to think before you act, but you think while you act, and usually manage to stop yourself before making a drastically stupid move. You are also reasonably confidant that you will be able to compensate if something goes wrong.
- 15 – 18 : You are considered wise. You have patience and tolerance. You know better than to let strong emotions cloud your judgment. You explain metaphors to people who care to ask. You know how to walk into a conversation and keep it going without introducing yourself. You analyze word choices to clarify your understanding of the person speaking out of habit. You are rarely surprised, but when you are surprised you get back on top of the situation immediately.
- 18+ : You don't have questions, you have answers. Your senses prepare you for the impossible constantly. You can hear one word and see a thousand.
Charisma
- 3 – 6 : You don't think much of yourself. You constantly attempt to compensate for a perceived failure. Perhaps you have a physical problem like a missing arm or a stutter. Maybe you smell funny and worry about it too much. You focus on your own failings to such an extreme that no one likes to spend time with you.
- 6 – 9 : Maybe you smell bad, maybe you stutter, maybe you're missing an arm. Something is wrong with you and you know it and sometimes you let it get you down. You are not good at intruding into a social group, and you need the help of a friend to get the attention of a room. You are a bad liar, and you most likely do so often in an attempt to compensate for whatever is wrong with you.
- 9 – 12 : You understand that your body has an inner energy that you can pull from to get you through trying situations. Maybe you smell funny, maybe you stutter, maybe you're missing an arm. Thats ok. You know that the outside is just a book cover, and if you make yourself a good read it won't matter. Of course sometimes you lose your cool, and its hard to get back.
- 12 -15 : You have problems, everybody does. The real problem is focusing on the negative when you need to stay positive. You don't usually loose your cool, but you don't hesitate to get it back. All your friends tell you your cool, but sometimes you think they are just boosting you because they prefer it when your smiling. If you're annoyed the whole room gets irritable.
- 15 – 18 : You master your body’s inner energy and exude your force of will through your skin. You smell funny. You're missing an arm, and you used to stutter when you were a kid. Now you sing. Everybody loves you, at least that what you think. You are likened to famous people. You love to tell the story of how you lost your arm, and everybody wants to know!
- 18 + : Love or hate, everybody notices you. Others are likened to you. You are your own master, and you think the word impossible is absurd.
I have a slightly different table since I base intelligence to be about your IQ divided by 10. Tell me what you think; I'd like to hear your opinion.
1 You are mentally retarded in every way. Your IQ score is around 10 and you can barely live. Your eat, sleep, and drink. That's really all there is to your life.
1-2=You are an animal.
2-3 You are a common animal. You realize and react to the stimuli around you. Your IQ ranges from 15 to 45. You can barely talk and can only learn one language. House animals are a common example.
.5% of people have intelligence 3!
4-6 You are extremely close to mentally retarded among the human race. You can barely speak, if at all and cannot read. You usually need assistance in doing the most common activities (eating, drinking, sleeping). Your IQ ranges from 50-65.
9% of people have intelligence 3-6!
7-8 Social activities are difficult to perform. You are able to communicate, eat, sleep, drink, and react to pain. You speak your thoughts in your own ways. You are considered "dumb" and are ridiculed in the human race. Your IQ ranges from 70-85.
Too lazy to calculate, but you have close to half of the human race in this category here. In general, low-intelligence people can very easily be socially competent. We're the high-intelligence nerds, remember?
9-11 You are a common person in the human race. In no way are you intellectually different from the standard man. You can perform all of life's activities, learn many languages, and do extras. You are the common man. Your IQ ranges from 90-115.
Agreed. Technically "average" is 10-11 or 9-12.
12-15 Your intelligence is above average and you are considered "gifted" among man. You are born into excellence. Your IQ ranges from 120-155.
You're a little smart. You can get a good job that requires intelligence.
16-17 You are in the .01 population of your kind. You are extremely gifted when it comes to your intelligence. You can learn things quickly and can easily memorize them. The common name for you is a "genius." Your IQ ranges form 160-175.
Try the .5 population?
18+ You are a human prodigy. You are the smartest in your town, city, or maybe even country. You can recite things of ten years ahead of your age and are academically ingenious. Some consider you a gift from God. Your IQ is always above 180.
Actually, just the smartest person in your hamlet.
Low charisma essentially means you're a wallflower. You stutter/stammer when you're nervous (and you're always nervous around people), you couldn't raise your voice to someone if your life depended on it, and you could easily get lost in a crowd of three people.
If you want to see an excellent example of someone with a high charisma (and a character flaw that makes people have an initial reaction of Unfriendly), look at Steve Urkel. Annoying as hell, but he ALWAYS talks people into doing pretty much whatever he wants, always manages to be the center of attention, and no matter how badly you want to strangle him, you can never quite bring yourself to do it. That kid has a Charisma of 18, easy.
Which comes up in the show every so often when he turns into Stephan. Same person, just without the nerdy tendencies and the flaw that makes people unfriendly by default. Smooth, suave, a lady killer.
Basically, it comes down to this. Picture a crowded room, and your character walks in through the door. Does everyone turn around and look? Doesn't matter why, just do they? If so, odds are it's a high charisma character. Low charisma characters don't even get noticed.
Here's how I do it: IQ = 100 + 10 * Int Modifier. Int 18 = IQ 140; research scientists, Ivy League professors, etc. Int 3 = IQ 60; Forrest Gump.
Using statistics, we know almost 5% of people have 5 or less Intelligence. Same statistic for Wisdom and Charisma. 13% have 5 or less in at least 1. Do 13% of the people you know meet satisfy one of those descriptions?
If that is your campaign style, then yes, 5% of people have INT less then or equal to 5. In games I DM if an NPC is important enough they get to have the glorious Elite Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). Everyone else is stuck with the non-elite array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8). So having less then 5 intelligence is extremely seldom seen, just occasionally among half-orcs. Rolling for stats, or even something as flexible as point-buy, is reserved only for PCs and BBEGs. All of these options are mentioned in the DMG as options, leaving the choice up to the DM and players. The source of many debates among these boards seems to stem from one’s assumption that everyone made the same choice he/she did, not just this topic but any. In my games these descriptions are rather accurate and a good reference point, maybe not for you.
I agree with Billthemaniac; saying Int 18 corresponds to IQ 180 is ridiculous. 1 in 20 Million people have IQs of 180 or higher. 1 in 200 have Int 18.
Here's how I do it: IQ = 100 + 10 * Int Modifier. Int 18 = IQ 140; research scientists, Ivy League professors, etc. Int 3 = IQ 60; Forrest Gump.
So, I would be beyond Int 18? IQ 156. (100+ (10*5,6=156). That'd bring my Int score up to 20-21... and I'm a high school student?
***
Also, I disagree with the tables represented for one reason; they confine.
Charisma is the easiest to find a flaw in; my immediate example comes from the Belgariad series. Beldin - who feels about soap the way a vampire does about the sun - is quite charismatic. He's smelly, loud-mouthed, curses constantly, yet you like him.
Wisdom, is mostly awareness. Instinctive knowledge falls into this category. Krishnamurti is an example of this.
Intelligence is about facts. If it is in a textbook, it falls into this category.
I'll use an example pitting wisdom and intelligence against one-another. I practice Wing Tsun regularly. My teachers have wisdom and intelligence in plenty amounts, being able to instinctively adapt to any attack I might make but also being able to explain it. (Okay, so skill ranks could do that, but forget that).
It's like I can see from a theoretical standpoint how to do the "Falling Leaves Step" when our Dai-Sifu performs it, but my awareness (wisdom) of the precise movements involved is insufficient, even though I grasp the concept on an intellectual level.
If that is your campaign style, then yes, 5% of people have INT less then or equal to 5. In games I DM if an NPC is important enough they get to have the glorious Elite Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). Everyone else is stuck with the non-elite array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8). So having less then 5 intelligence is extremely seldom seen, just occasionally among half-orcs. Rolling for stats, or even something as flexible as point-buy, is reserved only for PCs and BBEGs. All of these options are mentioned in the DMG as options, leaving the choice up to the DM and players. The source of many debates among these boards seems to stem from one’s assumption that everyone made the same choice he/she did, not just this topic but any. In my games these descriptions are rather accurate and a good reference point, maybe not for you.
The reason non-elite array exists is there is no point of rolling for NPC's stats when they're only in one encounter. The d20s will provide all the randomness they need. In theory, NPCs all do roll 3d6. That's how racial bonuses were designed: With the assumption of 3d6 rolling.
With this in mind:
Intelligence is a measure of your ability to learn. 5 year olds can be smart despite never seeing a college textbook, because anything you do put in front of them (including perhaps that) they'd learn incredibly fast. By contrast, the Int 8 person could learn all this stuff if they wanted to. It'd take a lot longer though.
Wisdom is a measure of your perceptiveness, innate learning, etc. Someone good at noticing minute details about surroundings, conversations, etc has a high wisdom. Someone frequently oblivious either has a low wisdom, or doesn't find anything worth paying attention to (which is why I, despite having a high wisdom can auto pilot through the less pleasant parts of my life that have become rote).
Charisma is your force of personality and ability to get people to do what you want. Whether this is from talking them into it, telling a convincing lie or just being incredibly intimidating doesn't matter. Being liked doesn't matter. The point is that they can convince you to do things. While some traits associated with high charisma are also associated with attractiveness, it's not based on looks. Looks =/= attractiveness.
Some pictures to illustrate:
Here is an example of a man who clearly has high charisma, despite being a half orc. Look at him, and see the embodiments of high charisma within.
Here is an example of a race with a +4 bonus to Charisma, not counting whatever's rolled. Persuasive? Kinda has to be given the role. Attractive? I doubt there's enough furries here to hear many yes answers. :P
If that is your campaign style, then yes, 5% of people have INT less then or equal to 5.
Yup. Gamers tend to be fairly bright (because gaming takes imagination and intelligence), and bright people tend to hang out with other bright people and hence to underestimate how many people out there are genuinely stupid. Truth is: the world is full of 'em. I'm middle-aged, now, but it still shocks me when I meet one.
First, breaking up the ability scores into bands that wide is a bad idea. The difference between a 1 and a 5 Intelligence, for example, is massive; 1 is purely instinctive, no language, no “higher” thought processes at all, while 5 is unmistakably human, capable of fairly complex symbol use, self-reflection, ability to make plans, solve problems, etc.
Second, 6-9 and 10-14 is an awkward way to break things up. 10-11 is average (10.5 being the precise average on a d20), so 6-9 is “below average” and 10-14 is “average or above average”. It would make more sense to have a 10-11 or 9-12 band which represents average ability, with perhaps a 6-8 for below average and a 13-15 for above average (all the other schemes presented in this thread use some variant of this).
Third, as magmer1 points out, high Intelligence does not imply that you have studied a lot, only that you would be good at it if you did. And as for “I don’t care what the rules say, you’re illiterate”, some chimpanzees can use sign language quite elaborately and use keypads to request things, and they only have an Int of 2 according to the MM. Characters with Int 3-5 cannot read and write well, but saying they can’t do it at all is clearly incorrect.
Fourth, a high-Wisdom character is not one who is totally logical and emotionless; it is someone who is totally in tune with their instincts and intuitions; someone who has great awareness of themselves, other people and their surroundings.
Fifth, descriptions of personal hygiene and table manners have no place in a definition of Charisma. Think of a barbarian hero capable of leading an army or nation; he ignores all the conventions of “civilized society” but is still dominant, attractive, and persuasive. Neither does it mean always being nice; as Wight Chocolate says, an evil tyrant controls people through his Charisma. Hitler was described as incredibly charismatic even by those who disliked him. Charisma is a slightly confused ability, since it lumps in physical attractiveness with force of personality, but these are still clearly outside its definition.
In summary, I’m afraid it seems you’ve misunderstood the mental ability scores quite badly. I think your tables would actually tend to mislead rather than help a new player. I’d suggest re-reading the definitions in the PHB before you go any further.
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To 6163:
Using the non-elite array for all minor NPCs is fair enough to save time, but assuming that everybody in the world is actually that way makes no sense. In effect, it means that a score of 8 becomes the human minimum, which is clearly not how the system is designed.
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On the debate about Intelligence scores and IQ:
Here’s an extract from an essay I wrote on the old Dicefreaks site which you may find interesting;
Actually, the 10 points of IQ per point of intelligence can work quite well, if you use the right IQ scores. For Int of 10 or less, use IQ based on mental age:
Int.......IQ.........Mental Age (Years)....Description
1........0-10.........0-1.6....................Profoundly retarded
2.......11-20........1.7-3.2..................Profoundly retarded
3.......21-30........3.3-4.8..................Severely retarded
4.......31-40........4.9-6.4..................Severely retarded
5.......41-50........6.5-8.0..................Moderately retarded
6.......51-60........8.1-9.6..................Moderately retarded
7.......61-70........9.7-11.2................Mildly retarded
8.......71-80.......11.3-12.8...............Below Average
9.......81-90.......12.9-14.4...............Below Average
10.....91-100......14.5-16.0...............Average
Mental age stops increasing for most purposes at about 16 (although in some ways it continues to increase into the early 20s). This classification works well with animal intelligence; for example, chimpanzees have roughly equal (and in some ways, superior) capabilities to human children up to the age of 3, but between 3 and 5 humans leave them far behind. This gives an average chimp an Int of 2, although a gifted one could have an Int of 3. (I think it’s reasonable to compare human intelligence with that of other apes, since their minds and bodies are reasonably similar to ours. For creatures like dolphins it’s much harder, although some attempts have been made to devise intelligence tests for cetaceans).
It also gives a rough idea of what to expect from each Int level;
Int.......Abilities
1.........Primarily instinctive; no language, minimal learning
2.........Some learning; may be able to use words, but not sentences
3-4......Can form basic sentences; struggles with abstract concepts
5-7......Can use language fully, but cannot handle complex subjects
8-9......Similar to average human, but a little less capable
10.......Average human
Above-average intelligence is defined statistically, using the normal distribution curve. The standard deviation (SD) varies; 15, 16, 23 and 24 have all been used. As others have noted above, using a SD of 15 produces ludicrously high results by Int 18, but using a SD of 24, it actually works fairly well;
Int......IQ........Probability(1).........Description
11...101-110........1/2..................Average
12...111-120........1/3..................Slightly above average
13...121-130........1/5..................Slightly above average
14...131-140........1/10................Above average
15...141-150........1/20................Above average
16...151-160........1/50................Significantly above average
17...161-170........1/160..............Significantly above average
18...171-180........1/550..............Gifted (2)
19...181-190........1/2300.............Highly gifted
20...191-200........1/11000...........Highly gifted
21...201-210........1/63000...........Extremely gifted
22...211-220........1/440000.........Genius
23...221-230........1/3.5M.............Exceptional genius
24...231-240........1/32M..............Profound genius
25...241-250........1/360M............Savant (world record level) (3)
26...251-260........1/4500M..........Probable highest ever (4)
27...261-270........1/72000M.........Possible highest ever (4)
28...271-280........1/1400000M.....Theoretically possible highest ever (4)
29...281+.............negligible.........Superhuman (5)
(1) That is, the fraction of the population at this level or above
(2) This gives 1/550 for Int 18 compared to 1/216 by dice roll, but it’s pretty close compared to other methods.
(3) The highest-ever score on this scale is 244, or approximately 1 in 1 billion
(4) The all-time world human population total is typically estimated at 90-110 billion. However, severe malnutrition tends to reduce intelligence, and was common for most of world history; therefore there is probably less than a 50% chance that any human has exceeded the 1 in 72 billion level.
(5) Since adult IQ is defined statistically on human populations, IQs higher than would be expected for any human ever are meaningless.
Intelligence tests are pretty reliable up to the 1/10000 level or so (Int 19 on this scale) but after that they get increasingly questionable, since generally the well-validated tests top out at or before that level. At even higher levels (1/1 million and above; Int 22+) another difficulty presents itself; so few people can score at this level, it becomes very difficult to establish reliable norms. The “world record” of 244 should therefore be regarded with considerable caution.
So, I would be beyond Int 18? IQ 156. (100+ (10*5,6=156). That'd bring my Int score up to 20-21... and I'm a high school student?
***
Also, I disagree with the tables represented for one reason; they confine.
Charisma is the easiest to find a flaw in; my immediate example comes from the Belgariad series. Beldin - who feels about soap the way a vampire does about the sun - is quite charismatic. He's smelly, loud-mouthed, curses constantly, yet you like him.
Wisdom, is mostly awareness. Instinctive knowledge falls into this category. Krishnamurti is an example of this.
Intelligence is about facts. If it is in a textbook, it falls into this category.
I'll use an example pitting wisdom and intelligence against one-another. I practice Wing Tsun regularly. My teachers have wisdom and intelligence in plenty amounts, being able to instinctively adapt to any attack I might make but also being able to explain it. (Okay, so skill ranks could do that, but forget that).
It's like I can see from a theoretical standpoint how to do the "Falling Leaves Step" when our Dai-Sifu performs it, but my awareness (wisdom) of the precise movements involved is insufficient, even though I grasp the concept on an intellectual level.
IQ stays with you your whole life. It doesn't go up or down past 5 (unless you have a poisoning of some type). So, a child could have more IQ than an adult. It's just fact.
So, I guess I'm trying to say that Wisdom scores is more of a common sense the logic. I'd put logical thinking more with Int. scores.
In the modern world we go out of our way to make sure that almost everyone lives to adulthood, no matter how mentally or physically challenged they may be. Now I am to imagine that in the times that are represented by the average D&D worlds that anyone with a mental of say less then seven is likely to perish at a young age.
Those with less then seven or six most likely do, to put it bluntly, something moronic to get them-selves killed, or works (or is forced to worked) in a job that is so fatal that no one else will do it.
Those of five or four in those stats rarely make it pass childhood as they are unable to avoid dangerous situations or cannot do the work that is need to keep them-selves alive and useful. At best they can hope to dig ditches, clean up waste, or be left at a religious order,
Those of three or less die as infants or toddlers, perhaps due to natural reason, or, as was sometimes the practice, drown or left to starve to death.
As for the higher stats I cannot say, having no personal experience with gifted or genius level intelligence, wisdom, or charisma. However I have enjoyed reading the discussion, as this is a subject I have been wondering about lately as I am about to start a game with an INT: 60, WIS: 38, and CHA: 51 character (Epic clearly) and am at a loss as how to act.
Here's how I do it: IQ = 100 + 10 * Int Modifier. Int 18 = IQ 140; research scientists, Ivy League professors, etc. Int 3 = IQ 60; Forrest Gump.
That is actually the most accurate method of calculating IQ I've ever seen using D&D mechanics. Props to you ThorGuy I'm actually going to utilize this in my campaigns (inasmuch as I can).
Now I don't claim to be an expert on IQ, but I like to think that I have some common sense, and it always burns me when people claim to have genius IQs. Seriously I assume most gamers are smart people, even nerds, but to claim we're all geniuses is ridiculous. I doubt even highly technical grad students like biochemistry or engineers have as a rule genius level IQs. To do so is just massaging your own ego.
There are a few different types of IQ tests out there. One of the first used the formula IQ = 100 X (mental age/ chronological age). So if you claim to have an IQ of 160 and you're, say, 20 years old then that means that you have amassed the experience an average 32 year old should have amassed. Actually though that test doesn't work since it's supposed to only show whether children are developing at a similar mental rate to their peers.
To get an adult IQ test (16+) the most widely used is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. The adult test doesn't measure you on age groups but on where you would fall on the Gaussian bell curve. Also the WAIS uses a standard deviation of 15 so that means that something like 70% of the population (my math is horrible so math guys help me out) is between 85-115 IQ. And then the next like 25% I believe is 15 after that so something like 95% of all people on earth fall between 70-130.
Thus I would be a bit skeptical of anyone who claims to have an IQ of over 130 just because some online test or something states as such. Since I personally have scored something like a 142 on one of those tests and I know for a fact that is not my IQ.
Also the American Mensa society considers anyone to have an IQ of 130 or above on the WAIS test to qualify for the society. A society that only accepts the TOP 2% of all people into it. Check it out here.
(Humorously enough until 1994 my SAT score of 1260 would qualify me for the Mensa group, but I doubt that's an accurate reflection of my IQ.)
Oh and finally to leave you people with a quote.
"People who boast about their IQ are losers," - Stephen Hawking
Reasoning Ability and General Knowledge
1-2
You have animal intelligence. You rely on instinct to survive. You cannot speak, read, or write in any language although you may be able to understand a handful of words (see Animal Handling skill description). So animals have instinctive cunning when dealing with situations their race have adapted to particularly well (example: pack hunting tactics for wolves).
3-7
You have the intelligence of a young child or a mentally handicapped adult. You are able to speak, read, and write in one language, although your vocabulary is very limited. You have a lot of trouble with abstract logic problems, such as math equations. You have a limited capability to remember facts from reference materials. Your general knowledge level is below the secondary school (8th grade) level.
8-9
You are slow, but not unable to reason through problems. You are able to speak, read, and write in one language, although you don't know many of the more obscure words. You have some trouble with abstract logic, but with enough time and paper and tutoring you can work through it. You probably know a little trivia about topics that directly interest you. Your general knowledge level is below the high school (12th grade) level.
10-11
You are average. You can speak, read, and write in one language and can use new words if properly explained their meaning. You can do basic abstract logic with no difficulty, but more advanced topics give you lots of trouble. You probably know a some amount of trivia about the topics that directly interest you. Your general knowledge level is of a high school graduate.
12-13
You are quick, but not extraordinary. You can speak, read, and write in one language and can learn some of a second language without much difficulty. You can do basic abstract logic easily and advanced logic with some help. You know a little bit about everything. Your general knowledge level is of a trade school graduate.
14-17
You are quick to reason through problems. You can grasp a couple of languages and can do some difficult math pretty well. You know a good bit about everything. Your general knowledge is of a college graduate.
18-19
You don't only solve the logic problems, you can create ones with ease. Languages are easy to master and you are knowledgeable about everything that is common knowledge. You have the general knowledge of a graduate school alumni.
20+
You could reason through almost any problem solvable through logic given enough time. You capacity to learn is great enough to the point where you may feel naturally pulled to a career of research, just to fill up all the room still left after you learn more than most people you know.
Wisdom
Perception and Willpower
1-7
You sometimes don't notice things at all. You mind is as clay before mystical forces. Because of your failings you often forget or don't find important information before it is too late to be consequential. You forget to think through a course of action before starting to act often.
8-9
You are unobservant, but not oblivious. Your mind resists magical forces but is ill prepared for them. You sometimes forget or don't find information or think through courses of action.
10-11
You are average. You notice obvious things easily, but miss things that are well hidden most of the time. Your mind resists but is not hardened against magical attacks. You will remember, find, and process through information when calm but make mistakes when under duress.
12-13
You have some natural intuition. You notice hidden things from time to time. You mind pushes back against magical intrusions, but cannot stop a determined assault without training. You will remember, find, and process information when calm and will maintain your composure under moderate duress.
14-17
You can intuitively understand some things. You notice many hidden things and your mind fights magical intrusions with vigor. You remember, find, and process information under all but the most extreme of duress.
18-19
You intuitively understand many things. You notice very well hidden things and you mind is a tough as iron to attack. You remain able to make good decisions in extreme duress.
20+
You intuitively understand almost everything. You notice things so easily that you may not even realize when something is intentionally hidden until you think about it. You can make good decisions in combat, on a ship in hurricane, when your love interest is being held hostage, while being assaulted mentally by mind flayers.
Charisma
Personality and Magnetism
1-9
You have a weak sense of self and you don't project much of what you do. You can't persuade, intimidate, or fool anyone easily. People are disinterested in the causes that you lead. Traits such as appearance, manners, and hygiene are not used to create a strong identifiable persona. You don't know or understand how to improve other people's reaction to you.
10-11
You know who you are and can project yourself to those who are receptive. You can persuade, intimidate, and fool those who are easily manipulated but can't for those who are not. People who believe in similar values may join causes you lead. Traits such as appearance, manners, and hygiene do not contribute or detract from your persona. You know how to, but cannot always put into practice methods to, improve other people's reaction to you.
12-17
You know who you are and can project yourself to anyone who isn't directly unreceptive of your methods. You persuade, intimidate, and fool the majority of people but still have a tough time those trained to resist such efforts. People will join your causes because they are persuaded by you. Traits are part of your persona and contribute to your success. You often can improve other people's reactions.
18+
You are a rare person who is instantly identifiable when you want to be. You can manipulate even some people who are trained to resist such attempts. Your traits are a distinct advantage to you and people follow you because they believe in you as an ideal leader. People often are in awe of your charisma.
Just some thoughts to put things into perspective.
Roger
When it comes to intelligence, I've always made the assumption that one's score is 1/10th of their IQ... making 10 an IQ of 100 being absolute average. An IQ of 70 is mentally retarded with 30 being a clinical idiot. Genius level IQ is 140+.
Just some thoughts to put things into perspective.
Roger
Except, that's not true, based on standard deviation.
1d6 has a mean of 3.5, the variance is (2.5^2+1.5^2+.5^2+.5^2+1.5^2+2.5^2)/6=(5^2+3^2+1^2)/12=35/12
3d6 has a variance of 35/4, std=2.96
Meanwhile IQ has a standard deviation of 15 so 1 intelligence=5 IQ. The average of intelligence is 10.5, so a good formula would be IQ=5*Intelligence+47.5, which is approximately the 10*int modifier system.
The only other check we have to "what intelligence means" is Knowledge skills. Two people, Int 18 and 3, are taking a test. The first one aces it (95%) correct, implying he succeeded on a 2, or the DC was 6. That means the first one needs a 10, getting 55%. Quite a large difference, but not genius-idiot.
In the modern world we go out of our way to make sure that almost everyone lives to adulthood, no matter how mentally or physically challenged they may be. Now I am to imagine that in the times that are represented by the average D&D worlds that anyone with a mental of say less then seven is likely to perish at a young age.
Those with less then seven or six most likely do, to put it bluntly, something moronic to get them-selves killed, or works (or is forced to worked) in a job that is so fatal that no one else will do it.
Those of five or four in those stats rarely make it pass childhood as they are unable to avoid dangerous situations or cannot do the work that is need to keep them-selves alive and useful. At best they can hope to dig ditches, clean up waste, or be left at a religious order,
Those of three or less die as infants or toddlers, perhaps due to natural reason, or, as was sometimes the practice, drown or left to starve to death.
uh...what kind of crazy idea is this? Most retarded children would grow up plowing fields just like their fathers do. It's not that complicated, and it definitely isn't ridiculously dangerous, either. Also...I'm not sure what medieval society left their infants or toddlers to death for suspected retardation. Most cultures tend to love and protect their children regardless of percieved weaknesses...even then, it would be hard for an uneducated person to tell whether their child was mentally handicapped until they were a bit more grown. I've seen my fair share of retarded people, though. The good majority of them are sane, and can do simple tasks. In a far simpler world(read: medieval), they'd probably just be thought of as 'slow', but capable enough to get by.