Quote Originally Posted by Satinavian View Post
While again everyone is assuming D&D again, there is not actually any system specified by the OP and we are in the general roleplaying section.

Characters utterly useless/non-contributing in combat are fine at many tables and in systems. Whether a system does support that well depends on two things :

- How important are combats in the game ?

- Does the system allow to shift ressources from fighting ability to out of combat utility so that your character can be still a huge boon to the paty even if he doesn't fight at all ?

Now D&D, specifically 3 and above have long been belittled as tactical combat games and for some reason. They don't work well with people who don't participate in fights. But is is much easier to do so in GURPS or Shadowrun or WoD or ... well, most others, actually.



As for roleplaying coward and still fighting as normal, i personally wouldn't like it much. It is not special to have characters who yould want to avoid unnecessary bloodshed as best as they could. So it wold not be noticable to have a character trying nonviolent solutions first but using violence when those don't work. That is pretty much the baseline, not a distinguishing feature. So what is left of the cowardice ? Telling people you are afraid all the time but doing all the stuff anyway and without hesitation whenever it matters ?
Doesn't matter if it's D&D or not. You participate in the game. You don't do nothing while everyone else engages what's happening. You don't do nothing when there is a combat.