Playing a really stupid (7 int, 14 wis, 12 cha) NG barbarian half-orc

[Zhentarim]

How would I play neutral good without any philosophical appeals while still being a decent fighter? Can neutral good and barbarian intersect?

[exelsisxax]

"Gorog smash bad people."

That dumb enough?

[icefractal]

Those stats aren't that stupid. 14 Wis is more above average than 7 Int is below it, and while 7 Int is noticeable, it's not "unable to talk in sentences" level or anything.

So I would think -
Perceptive, has a decent instinct for what's a good idea, seems sharp enough most of the time, but slow learning new things and not good at intellectual tasks. Poorly informed about things he hasn't personally experienced (misses "common knowledge" checks more than most people). In a typical adventuring situation, it could take a while before people realized he wasn't smart - not until a situation he's not sure how to handle comes up and he freezes / makes a wild guess.

Also, with the above-average Cha, he could probably pull off a "philosophical ignorance" appearance, where he says he intentionally disdains theory in favor of direct experience (rather than because he tried to read the theory and it went way over his head). Although how well that works depends if he has any social skills backing that Cha up.

[lylsyly]

So, instead of ...


"Gorog smash bad people."

We have ... "Gorog (love the name BTW) smash bad people in smart way."

Priceless.

[Zhentarim]

Those stats aren't that stupid. 14 Wis is more above average than 7 Int is below it, and while 7 Int is noticeable, it's not "unable to talk in sentences" level or anything.

So I would think -
Perceptive, has a decent instinct for what's a good idea, seems sharp enough most of the time, but slow learning new things and not good at intellectual tasks. Poorly informed about things he hasn't personally experienced (misses "common knowledge" checks more than most people). In a typical adventuring situation, it could take a while before people realized he wasn't smart - not until a situation he's not sure how to handle comes up and he freezes / makes a wild guess.

Also, with the above-average Cha, he could probably pull off a "philosophical ignorance" appearance, where he says he intentionally disdains theory in favor of direct experience (rather than because he tried to read the theory and it went way over his head). Although how well that works depends if he has any social skills backing that Cha up.
I like that idea.

[GreyBlack]

Easy. Your character is completely ignorant to factual knowledge (e.g. nature of magic, technical knowhow, etc.) but aware of the world around you. You're simple, maybe a bit slow, but you know what's in front of you, and far more aware of your surroundings than the average person.

[AmericanCheese]

How would I play neutral good without any philosophical appeals while still being a decent fighter? Can neutral good and barbarian intersect?

If I'm remembering correctly (haven't read in a LONG time), Sherlock Holmes himself astounds Watson when they first meet because he has close to ZERO idea about some very basic facts, such as the Copernican theory, gravity, etc etc, because he's ignored and removed all info that isn't ABSOLUTELY essential to him and his work from his head. So you could pull one of those, with that decent Wis you got there. He's unable to tell you how many schools of magic there are, but he'll notice the smell of bat guano in the charred palace and figure out that nothing about the fire is as natural as the regent calls it.

[Zhentarim]

Easy. Your character is completely ignorant to factual knowledge (e.g. nature of magic, technical knowhow, etc.) but aware of the world around you. You're simple, maybe a bit slow, but you know what's in front of you, and far more aware of your surroundings than the average person.

I have the opposite problem. I'm super oblivious to the world around me, but I know lots and lots of facts. Also, provided you make no errors of logic when you speak, I can be a bit gullible. People say I'm a little off, but I am valued for my knowlege involving trivia and making various contraptions. I wouldn't be surprised if I was INT 16, WIS 5, CHA 8. Do you have any tips on playing characters that likely have higher wisdom than you do?

[Vaern]

I don't think it's necessary to not have philosophical reasons for being good. I generally associate intelligence with general knowledge and the capacity to learn and comprehend complex things, while wisdom covers not only physical perception (spot/listen), but also judgment of character (sense motive) and spiritual or personal enlightenment (divine spellpower).
It's possible for someone to not be particularly intelligent, and yet have profound insight and beliefs that drive them to their goals - and, since your character's wisdom is well above average, I'd say this may apply to Gorog.

[GreyBlack]

I have the opposite problem. I'm super oblivious to the world around me, but I know lots and lots of facts. Also, provided you make no errors of logic when you speak, I can be a bit gullible. People say I'm a little off, but I am valued for my knowlege involving trivia and making various contraptions. I wouldn't be surprised if I was INT 16, WIS 5, CHA 8. Do you have any tips on playing characters that likely have higher wisdom than you do?

Ask your DM for help. Ask if you'd maybe be allowed to make a wisdom check to see if this would be a good or bad idea. Just remember that even the wisest people misplace their trust. Arthur did trust Lancelot with Guinevere, after all.

Alternatively, focus on things you would already do in game. Just because you have a natural predisposition towards something in no way means you're good at it. Einstein might have been naturally brilliant, but it doesn't mean he knew how to interpret basic blood work in an ER. That takes training and skill. Focus your skills on non-interpersonal issues if you don't want to play a social-type character and focus on the game world around you.

[CharonsHelper]

A 7 INT isn't that low.

Going by a 3d6 bell curve of the general population, you're right about the the 15th percentile of races without an INT bonus/penalty. And your above average WIS makes up for it in a lot of circumstances.

So I wouldn't worry about it much unless people start having an intellectual discussion, and then you should (depending upon your personality) either get bored and wander away, fall asleep, or interject things which aren't really relevant.

[GreyBlack]

A 7 INT isn't that low.

Going by a 3d6 bell curve of the general population, you're right about the the 15th percentile of races without an INT bonus/penalty. And your above average WIS makes up for it in a lot of circumstances.

So I wouldn't worry about it much unless people start having an intellectual discussion, and then you should (depending upon your personality) either get bored and wander away, fall asleep, or interject things which aren't really relevant.

Ooh! Or make cryptic remarks that have nothing to do with the subject at hand, but sound wise!

Imagine, two characters, a LG cleric and a LN rogue, arguing about some mechanical problem with a trap, when your character interjects, "Even a bat gets lost in the winter." The less wise members of your team might look over and say, "Yeah, he's right!" while the rest of the team will look at you and say, ".... and that's relevant how?"

[CharonsHelper]

"Even a bat gets lost in the winter."

That's deep...

[Tohsaka Rin]

https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder290/500x/50510290.jpg

[Zhentarim]

A 7 INT isn't that low.

Going by a 3d6 bell curve of the general population, you're right about the the 15th percentile of races without an INT bonus/penalty. And your above average WIS makes up for it in a lot of circumstances.

So I wouldn't worry about it much unless people start having an intellectual discussion, and then you should (depending upon your personality) either get bored and wander away, fall asleep, or interject things which aren't really relevant.

Probably fall asleep

[Geddy2112]

Second that such a character is not really stupid. With 10 being the average for humanoids, 7 int is noticeably below average, and would be considered stupid. That said, 14 wis is noticeably above average, and such a person would have a lot of common sense. Such a character would be acutely aware of their surroundings, and understand things, but have great difficulty explaining them. They would speak very simply, but would be capable of expressing complicated ideas. With a 12 charisma, they would likely be confident in the practical knowledge and worldly experience they have.

Such a score reflects somebody who had no formal education but a lot of worldly experience. A pioneer, mountain man, frontier farmer, country bumpkin, etc. They can't explain how it works, but they know what does and what does not. A farmer who can't explain why the plants need water or how fertilizer works, but knows the plants grow better when they mix manure in the soil. The concept of barometric pressure is lost on them, but they can sense a change in the weather based on the effects of a rise/fall. They don't know the mechanics or scientific explanations behind things, but they know how things work.

Neutral good people can still fight, and if driven to do so, are usually dead certain violence is needed. They are likely to try and broker peace and prevent loss of life any chance they get, and the alignment is common for pacifists. If they have to use lethal force, they will ensure there is no undue suffering and therefore very skilled. A barbarian who is neutral good could be trying to repress the anger inside them, only to have it come out at the worst times. They might have had their idealistic worldview shattered by cold harsh reality, and it caused them to break and lash out angrily. Cynicism is the last refuge of the idealist, after all.

[Calthropstu]

low int high wis characters: think caramon from dragonlance.

For real life:These are the kind of people that can't grasp school concepts, but can figure out how to cause mischief without getting in trouble with the principle. Really struggles with grades, but can get contacts which will land him a decent job.

So a low int high wis barbarian, don't expect him to be figuring things out, but expect him to learn his lesson well. Won't really deviate much in his activities, will likely always be predictable. "I stick with what has always worked."

When a new situation comes up, he is likely to look to others for instructions. But when something regular comes up, he knows exactly what to do. "Door here with wordy things on it. Don't open it," or "Was told bandits be near here. We should avoid roads now," but would have difficulty with "Ok, when the alarm goes off, pull this lever, turn this knob and flip that switch. Then, count to ten and pull the lever again."

The first time, he'd prolly screw it up and break it. This is a guy that needs to practice many many times to be able to accomplish tasks, but once he has practiced it, he can do it in his sleep. But is unlikely to deviate from that.

[Calthropstu]

Second that such a character is not really stupid. With 10 being the average for humanoids, 7 int is noticeably below average, and would be considered stupid. That said, 14 wis is noticeably above average, and such a person would have a lot of common sense. Such a character would be acutely aware of their surroundings, and understand things, but have great difficulty explaining them. They would speak very simply, but would be capable of expressing complicated ideas. With a 12 charisma, they would likely be confident in the practical knowledge and worldly experience they have.

Such a score reflects somebody who had no formal education but a lot of worldly experience. A pioneer, mountain man, frontier farmer, country bumpkin, etc. They can't explain how it works, but they know what does and what does not. A farmer who can't explain why the plants need water or how fertilizer works, but knows the plants grow better when they mix manure in the soil. The concept of barometric pressure is lost on them, but they can sense a change in the weather based on the effects of a rise/fall. They don't know the mechanics or scientific explanations behind things, but they know how things work.

Neutral good people can still fight, and if driven to do so, are usually dead certain violence is needed. They are likely to try and broker peace and prevent loss of life any chance they get, and the alignment is common for pacifists. If they have to use lethal force, they will ensure there is no undue suffering and therefore very skilled. A barbarian who is neutral good could be trying to repress the anger inside them, only to have it come out at the worst times. They might have had their idealistic worldview shattered by cold harsh reality, and it caused them to break and lash out angrily. Cynicism is the last refuge of the idealist, after all.

Einstein had a 180 IQ. Forrest Gump had a 70 IQ.

He is playing a raging barbarian with the IQ of Forrest Gump.

[CharonsHelper]

Einstein had a 180 IQ. Forrest Gump had a 70 IQ.

He is playing a raging barbarian with the IQ of Forrest Gump.

That's if you go with INT x 10 = IQ. (And Gump was actually just under 70 - as 70 was the line which he was just below to get into normal school.)

I disagree with that, because per the 3d6 bell curve puts a 7 INT at about the 15th percentile, while someone with a 70 IQ is right around the 2nd or 3rd percentile. Per the IQ bell curve, a 7 INT would have an IQ in the low 80's. (Not to mention that there has been some rather obvious IQ inflation to make people feel better over the last few decades, so maybe even close to a 90 IQ.)

[lylsyly]

Einstein had a 180 IQ.

Einstein never took an IQ test. It was an 'estimated" to be 160.

Cox K., (1926). Early Mental Traits of Three Hundred Geniuses (Genetic Studies of Genius Series), Stanford University Press.