Nothing Like a Real Wizard

Christian Malleck
Aug 27, 2017 · 4 min read

The base stats in D&D represent who your character is from a functional standpoint, and often times players will like to make sure that their most important stat is as high as it can be. While this means that the character is certainly ready for in-game challenges that require rolls, there may be an issue with a player who personally is nothing like their character. However, you may not want to gloss over that with a “just make a roll and assume you did it right.” Here are some ways to help characters with super high stats that don’t match their player’s own.

Strength: Not really an issue to roleplay “strong”. I’ve literally never seen someone not understand how to play this stat, although I’ve seen it be a challenge when they also have another high stat. Typically if this stat is maxed, you’re getting a character who is either dumb (low Int or Cha) or cocky (high Int or Cha) and they can feel very archetypal. Try describing things that they see in terms of weight; “that door looks like it could withstand 200 pounds of pressure” or “The portcullis is likely 1000 pounds”. This gives them the opportunity to evaluate things in a way that very strong people might.

Dexterity: This one is also easy to roleplay even if you’re not dexterous in real life. You don’t need to know martial arts to imagine a bunch of roundhouse kicks. However, if they aren’t used to expert level mobility, and haven’t played it before, try to offer suggestions of things they can accomplish because of their skill. Mention how most people would be unable to climb that drainpipe, or would be unable to squeeze through that small hole. Point out the times that being able to get to hard to reach spots is possible, because they may not realize how much of the world becomes accessible when you can really move.

Constitution: I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone max this stat because no class depends on it. I have also never seen someone base their roleplaying around someone with high Con, aside from dwarves being “typical dwarvish” or someone with an iron stomach who eats a lot. Players with high Con should be encouraged to roleplay as people who play a bit faster and looser with their hp. If you have far more toughness than most people, you likely earned it by never running from a fight, and charging into dangerous situations. I have a friend who, when we play paintball, is the first to charge out into the open firing at anyone he sees. I imagine that guy has really high Con. Try to describe things to these players by including how dangerous or painful they think something might be. “The guy has a small knife, so you know he’s not going to be able to do much to you” or “The roof is a 10 ft jump, but even if you miss, you know you’d easily survive the fall”.

Intelligence: Here’s where it starts to really get difficult. Players who make high Int characters but either don’t know the setting really well or don’t actually come up with brilliant ideas is very common and can feel disappointing. I have found that high Int characters suit experienced players who aren’t metagaming when they know that trolls die to fire and acid because their character is smart enough to know. When presenting the party with puzzles or challenges, give the Int character a different description that makes certain things more obvious. While you might tell the party that there are three doors ahead, you could say that the wizard sees two doors that would likely fit the layout of this place based on the size of the building, and the third door must be false. When Sherlock looks at a crime scene, there are things that stand out to him that others don’t see.

Wisdom: I’m not sure how someone without common sense could properly play someone with common sense, but I don’t feel like it’s fun to just warn the players of danger because they’re so wise. Instead, for people who might not get what it’s like, you make things more obvious for them (sort of like how you did for Int characters). With wisdom however, focus on the senses, since Perception and Insight are based on it. Mention how the merchant says he’s closing, but you can see the tiny beads of sweat on his brow. Maybe mention that the market smells of fresh baked bread and cinnamon…but the ranger catches a whiff of fresh blood. The party comes to three doors, though the monk knows immediately that the room itself must be trapped because he can see from here that the doors are not.

Charisma: Arguably the hardest to roleplay if you’re not charismatic in real life. A high Cha means you are a strong personality, and that’s a rare trait in real life. I often find people with high Cha will say stupid things in character that you know is more likely to shut down a conversation than persuade someone. To help these players, try having people begin interactions with them in a more positive way. Maybe when they approach them, their tone softens and they seem more at ease. Perhaps when the bard walks in, the party senses the tone of the room changes and people are looking over and smiling. When the merchant says the price of something, as soon as they’re talking to the high Cha character, they indicate that they could probably do something about that price. Basically, start off their interactions easier and make the NPCs sound more accommodating to them right off the bat.

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