How low can INT WIS & CHA go?

[karinrin55]

Last session our regular DM couldn't make it and someone else DMed and something popped to my mind during the main fight.
The DM used Touch of Idiocy on a 2 INT T-Rex and by that lowered it to 1 INT then claiming he is paralyzed and couldn't act.

My question is: is that what should happen when a mental Ability Score is reduced to 1?

I agree that when any physical AS is 1 you are paralyzed, either your not strong enough to hold yourself up (1 STR), not agile enough to move (1 DEX) or just too weak to even breath (1 CON).

But there are plenty of animals and monsters that have really low INT or WIS and even CHA and they act just as they should, is a creature necessarily paralyzed when the mental abilities are reduced that low?

Thanks in advanced :smallsmile:

[Necroticplague]

Last session our regular DM couldn't make it and someone else DMed and something popped to my mind during the main fight.
The DM used Touch of Idiocy on a 2 INT T-Rex and by that lowered it to 1 INT then claiming he is paralyzed and couldn't act.

My question is: is that what should happen when a mental Ability Score is reduced to 1?

I agree that when any physical AS is 1 you are paralyzed, either your not strong enough to hold yourself up (1 STR), not agile enough to move (1 DEX) or just too weak to even breath (1 CON).

But there are plenty of animals and monsters that have really low INT or WIS and even CHA and they act just as they should, is a creature necessarily paralyzed when the mental abilities are reduced that low?

Thanks in advanced :smallsmile:
Nothing. Bad stuff doesn't happen until the stats are zero, not one. Note that quite a few animals have an INT of 1 by default.

Anyway:Having any stat at zero means you're helpless, except for Constitution. Constitution zero means you're dead. It's on the SRD under the description of Ability Damage.


Strength 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He lies helpless on the ground.
Dexterity 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He stands motionless, rigid, and helpless.
Constitution 0 means that the character is dead.
Intelligence 0 means that the character cannot think and is unconscious in a coma-like stupor, helpless.
Wisdom 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a deep sleep filled with nightmares, helpless.
Charisma 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a catatonic, coma-like stupor, helpless.

And yes, using Ray of Stupidity to OHKO all animals (who, by definition, don't have an INT higher than two) is a pretty well-known trick.

[Belzyk]

Ints lowest for a pc is 3. After that the dm takes over and they become a feral npc. 1 for npcs.idk about Wis or cha

[KillianHawkeye]

Touch of Idiocy can't reduce ability scores below 1, so it's basically useless against animals. What it's really for is boning spellcasters or any other character that really relies on their mental ability scores with no Save. Basically just like how Ray of Enfeeblement can screw over the party Fighter but can't take anyone all the way to being helpless.

[karinrin55]

Thanks for the replays, this really helped me :smallbiggrin: