[3.5]Playing with no INT

[Thurbane]

Sooo, weird question - is it remotely possible (or even legal) to play a character with no INT score? I believe the PHB/SRD states that the minimum INT for a PC is 3.

However, there are a few creatures with INT "-" that have a listed LA: the Hairy Spider and Sword Spider (in the PgTF 3.5 update of Monsters of Faerun); and also the Dustform template (+2 LA) in Sandstorm. There may be others...

How exactly does one play a mindless being? Or is it best to assume that those are A). errors in the system, or B). only become playable if they gain an INT 3+ from a template or other source?

Cheers - T

[zlefin]

extremely nonstandard. It's always legal by rule 0, but otherwise, no rule i'd know of allows it.
I'm not aware of those splatbook materials; i'd assume that it's an error; as a character needs an int score to be allowed to get skill points and feats, and levelup and such.

Playing a mindless being is quite possible; and fairly easy, you just don't get to have ideas of your own. I could imagine a player being allowed to be a golem or some other mindless construct that only follows orders from some other source in the party. You could do enough fudging with rule 0 to make it all work. Still, you really can't roleplay without an int score; i'd only allow it either as a one session experiment; or for someone in a hack n slash heavy game where roleplay really doesn't matter. Or if you really wanna justify playing one of the stupid alignment (i.e. chaotic stupid) (and have a good comedian in the group who can pull off a stupid alignment without annoying everyone else)

Any golems/constructs/other that go past taking simple commands end up with an int score.

[Particle_Man]

At best, you could roleplay the intelligent being giving the orders to the mindless being, but that is not what you are going for.

Or you could just roleplay an Int 3 Wis 1 character. They are not technically mindless, but they are close. :)

[NOhara24]

Those enemies listed in the MMs that have no INT score are of animal intelligence. IIRC, less than 3 INT just equates a character to being as intelligent as however intelligent the average animal is. And yes, the PHB states that a minimum INT score for a player is three. Racial penalties just don't come into effect at that point.

[KillianHawkeye]

Those enemies listed in the MMs that have no INT score are of animal intelligence. IIRC, less than 3 INT just equates a character to being as intelligent as however intelligent the average animal is. And yes, the PHB states that a minimum INT score for a player is three. Racial penalties just don't come into effect at that point.

Animals have an Intelligence of 1 or 2. Int -- is not the same thing.

[Leon]

Being Mindless is a common trait for PCs so it should work fine, just play up the base instincts that the creature would have/use.

[Suddo]

You could play a character controlling a character with No Int. It would be like a golem wielding a magic weapon of the player. Could be fun.