The methods you used or plan to use to calculate your stats

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...for the topic made by Aldeth and available here

This is quite an interesting subject and I've already noticed some controversies, so why don't we discuss it here, without hijacking Aldeth's topic?

The following is not exactly my view, but just some examples:

We have that encumberrance table from d&d core books. Light load, medium load, heavy load, maximum. Some people might know these. We also have bench press, military press and over-the-head tables that some people use, but they aren't official.

We could, however, establish that maximum ever possessed by a human being is 18/00 (technically the most you can get with a human in 2E) and some average is 10, as is considered average in d&d. Then we could calculate how much one point is and get the score quite easily. However, I have no idea what is the average human score in any activity that involves strength. I have no idea how much an average human could carry, how powerfully he could hit etc. That's the bad thing about this.

Dexterity in 2E is all about adjustments... that you get for 6- or 15+ scores. Hard to tell what the score is, if it falls within the range of 7-14, and this is EIGHT different possibilities. We only know that average human gets 10, average dwarf 8 and average elf 12. Average elf is not average elven ranger (or longbow grand master fighter) with 200 years of archery practice and average dwarf is not the clumsy old skull splitter with a huge axe and no subtlety . So we don't really get much further.

System shock, resurrection chance etc won't help you with Constitution. HP adjustment maybe, but in 2E only if you're 15+.

Intelligence. Probably the most controversial of them all. We have IQ that we can divide by 10. Most of people get 9-11, so that's not a problem. But higher on the ladder of smartassship , problems arise. People with IQ 130+ amount to 2% human population. IQ 138+ belongs to 1%. Some 0.3% are the real geniuses. What's more important? The difference in IQ points or the difference in percentiles? Some people have more than 18 and a 220 is confirmed to exist (a woman, hehe).

One test I've seen was quite simple here. Probably overly simplistic, but well... So, it assumed that INT 17 is capable of getting a PhD, 15 of master, 13 of associate etc. Maybe. But maybe not. There are doctors with IQ below 100 and people with stunning IQs who can't get past a certain level of schooling.

Wisdom now. Immunities to mind affecting spells can only help us with the biggest scores... that almost no one has. There's some EQ (emotional IQ), but it is as troublesome as IQ. And it doesn't include the strength of your will or your lore or common sense or judgemental capacity. Just people smarts.

Charisma. PQ? Like power quotient? Possibly, but only in part. It only describes the force of your personality. Perhaps the potential to get through, but this is not the same as leadership skills. Nothing about comeliness. No mystical stuff. Etc etc. SQ? (spiritual IQ, not so dumb a concept as it seems at first glance) Just mystical stuff and some attitude that could depend on wisdom as well. Then maybe some median of the three? I'm still not convinced.

So, what was your reasoning when you were evaluating your stats?

 

I don't need to calculate my stats because I'm well aware that I'm an average commoner, just like most of us.

Tens all across the board.

 

there are better things to do than calculate stats for yourself

that's why there are RPG games

 

yeah, but it does pass the time...and since they went and asked, might as well talk about it.

For me, I used the following method: Trust Your Gut

Method #2 was Copy Bel

Seriously, based on the strength charts, I calculated my 17.

Intelligence, I just ball-parked. I'm above average, but not a ton above.

Dexterity I gave as low as you can get and still be able to talk and walk at the same time.

Charisma ... kinda controversial for me. I'm not a bubbly extrovert/life of the party, but I am a powerful public speaker with leadership abilities. Plus I needed the 17 to qualify to be a paladin

Wisdom ... another gut feeling. *shrug*

 

When posting in Aldeth' thread I didnt do calcs. Just pondered the experiences I make every day with myself.

Str: I am capable of withering the vicious attack of, say, a little school girl, but would go down smoothly against a person who is trained in something. Anything. I stand by my 9.

Dex: Something falls, I catch it. Something is about to collied with my person, I evade it. Being a bid of a pacifist I never have, never will touch a weapon for entertainment, therefore cant determine just how good I truly am. Its probably valid to stand by my 14.

Con: Havent got to add anything to my original post here. Tough enough for a decadent member of a decadent society. If someone would hit me with a warhammer I wouldnt look too good though. Maybe I should lower it to 12.

Cha & Int: Both depend somewhat on my shape. If I am focused they will do just fine. Should I lack balance (happens time and again) you will get to know an introverted, timid and puzzled individual. That is if you can catch me for I will try to hide during that time.

And Chevalier, agreed: That IQ-test wasnt all that difficult. I doubt its accuracy. My Int is still 11. Cha around 13 or 14.

Wis: Difficult to determine. I am strong willed, but still confused by it all. Yet I am said to have good emotional intelligence. Alas, I lack faith and certainty sometimes. Wis 8.

 

I used the tables for STR (15) and INT (14), but for everything else I guessed.

For CON (a 12), I think it's a bit low in fact, but I have hardly any stamina. I can drink as much as I want, but I will never drop. I can be pistol whipped and never pass out.

For WIS (a 10), I had absolutely no clue, so I just went with the average.

For CHA (a 12) I didn't know what to do here either, but I'd say I have an above average ability to make friends. Just last week I walked into a gas station and ended up being there for 4 hours because I made a new bud.

For DEX (a 9) I put this here because I'd say I'm below average. I weigh about 260lbs, and I'm quite strong and stocky. I'm much more nimble than I appear, but I'm still not very smooth.