Fighting machine with IQ=8 and Per=7?

[Anaraxes]

If he's roleplaying, an IQ that low would have likely trouble executing any sort of complex plan. He can kill things right in front of him, sure. But you best not send him alone to do a job, especially anything that requires multiple steps or timing. He won't be able to react well to unexpected circumstances. As a guard, he's easy to fool or evade.

And even explaining things to him should be done slow, patiently, and perhaps repeatedly. That probably won't be fun to actually play more than once or twice, so just assess the party penalty time when making plans (much less learning important lore that affects the plans). And, of course, make sure things are moving even when the players don't, so the time really does matter.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Beowulfenator

Let's say the group is partially surprised, and is attacked from an ambush with crossbow fire. To return fire one needs to see the attacker, so are you saying our perception-impaired fighter can't return fire until he successfully rolls against perception? What if his comrades see the attacker? How do they tell him where the enemy is?

If he fails his initial perception roll, he gets no defense.
If he's not hit, he may not realize that he's in combat for a couple of seconds until he makes a perception roll to realize what his comrades are saying.

Once he does realize what his comrades are saying, he'll have to make his own perception roll to figure out where the attackers are, with Per 7 he can go through many combats without ever figuring out what's going on.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by Beowulfenator

Let's say the group is partially surprised, and is attacked from an ambush with crossbow fire. To return fire one needs to see the attacker, so are you saying our perception-impaired fighter can't return fire until he successfully rolls against perception? What if his comrades see the attacker? How do they tell him where the enemy is?

Once his friend say where the attacks are coming from I would probably let him make a Per-based weapon roll (modified for range) to acquire the enemy. If things are loud (cannons, screaming) he'd have trouble hearing that advice from his friends as well.

[Mailanka]

"People say they can outsmart me. Maybe. Maybe. But I have yet to meet one who can outsmart bullet."

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

If he's roleplaying, an IQ that low would have likely trouble executing any sort of complex plan.

Even if he's not, he's denied many of the better combat skills that do, in fact, use IQ: Armoury (used for Immediate Actions), Tactics (useful in oh-so-many ways), many of the cinematic skills, Artillery (Guided Missiles), Forward Observer (Don't underestimate that one), Leadership, and Soldier. If you climb higher up the TL tree, the more important IQ gets, as you simply can't go without things like Electronic Ops (Comms) and Electronic Ops (Sensors). If you're guy is in a low tech game, skills like Armoury, Tactics, cinematic skills, Soldier and Leadership are still really handy, and those who lack these skills often suffer in battle (if someone uses Tactics against you, and you have no Tactics at all, you're pretty hosed). None of this accounts for things like non-combat skills we tend to associate with warriors, like Heraldry ("Whoops, I hit wrong guy, I sorry"), Savoir-Faire (Military) ("Uh, yes ma'am, er, sir, er, you.") and Teaching ("You hit with sharp end of sword. Hit. With sharp end. No! You do it wrong! Hit... differently with sharp end!")

He's also very vulnerable to attacks that he would resist with IQ. Dirty Tricks spring to mind, but I believe there are a few spells you resist with IQ (Suspend Time, with Foolishness and Mental Stun making use of IQ). What's his Will? Did he buy that up?

EDIT Oh, and how could I forget recovering from Mental Stun, which uses IQ. Yes, you get a +6 from Combat Reflexes, but at a total of 14, failure becomes an option.

[Anaraxes]

He's also very vulnerable to attacks that he would resist with IQ.

And Ruse (IQ-based Feint)

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

And Ruse (IQ-based Feint)

Not in the rules as written, no. You can always resist with DX-based skill, which means that deliberately targeting weaknesses of your foe is not possible.

Needless to say, I house-rule this in my campaigns.

[BlackLiger]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

"People say they can outsmart me. Maybe. Maybe. But I have yet to meet one who can outsmart bullet."

Amusingly, in the Russian translation of the video, the Heavy is eloquent and extremely bright, as well as seeming to be at least a little bit classically educated.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by BlackLiger

Amusingly, in the Russian translation of the video, the Heavy is eloquent and extremely bright, as well as seeming to be at least a little bit classically educated.

That is damn perfect.

[zylosan]

What video?

[lexington]

Originally Posted by zylosan

What video?

I'd like you to meet The Heavy (from Team Fortress 2).