11-28-2005, 05:55 PM | #1 |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Aurora, SD
|
Mentally retarded characters
How would you handle various types of retarded characters? I was watching Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome the other night and it occurred to me I've never really seen much info on designing someone with Down's, or any other serious learning disabilities. It seems cheap to just assign a very low IQ and be done with it.
Granted, I realize very few people would play someone that messed up except as a really special roleplaying challenge, but think of the potential for "Master Blaster" types or Dependents. Blaster (the Down's Syndrome afflicted half of Blaster Master) was a very tragic foe, and kidnapping a retarded Dependent makes a bad guy come off as REALLY crusty. I'm sure someone out there would possibly want to have Bleh (Drawn Together) do a cameo in a campaign too. |
11-28-2005, 06:27 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Overton, TX USA
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Chello!
There's a girl who has Downs that goes to my church...she is one of the sweetest persons I've ever met. If one doesn't do a new disad, I'd go with some of the following: unattractive or ugly, absent-mindedness, bad grip, bad temper, confused, curious, delusions, disturbing voice, dyslexia, easy to read, gullibility, ham-fisted, hidebound, indecisive, klutz, oblivious, overweight, short attention span, shyness, stuttering. Any combination of the above could be used to simiulate some of the behaviors I've seen in Downs patirnts or the mentally challenged. Tony
__________________
Anthony N. Emmel Scholar & Catholic Gentleman Q: GM, are you using the d20 rules system? A: No. GURPS is fun. D20 games are not fun. The GM says so. Playing d20/3.5 makes Baby Jesus cry. Last edited by Paul; 11-29-2005 at 10:06 AM. |
11-28-2005, 06:46 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Montreal, Canada.
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
I agree with Lord_Kjeran but i would also add to his list social stigma (Andrew Hackard gave us a good example) and sterile (Not so long ago, mentaly challenged used to be sterilized when they reached puberty).
we can also add to the list all the disavantages (or advantages!) that mentally challenged can get in any given world. A huge drop of I.Q. is useless; 8 or 9 is taxing enough. |
11-28-2005, 07:22 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Overton, TX USA
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Chello!
Yeah, I'd say about 8 is about as low as you'd want (or need to go)...part. with disads like hidebound or guillibility. And I didn't list social stigma...you're right about that. Would Patron be appropriate if you had a legal guardian? There is also the real possibility of not having a say in your legal affairs....probably covered by social stigma. Tony
__________________
Anthony N. Emmel Scholar & Catholic Gentleman Q: GM, are you using the d20 rules system? A: No. GURPS is fun. D20 games are not fun. The GM says so. Playing d20/3.5 makes Baby Jesus cry. |
11-28-2005, 07:29 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Quote:
__________________
Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. -RAH |
|
11-28-2005, 08:03 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Overton, TX USA
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Chello!
Go any lower than 7 with the right disads and you will truly cripple the charcater though. Remeber IQ doesn't just model staright IQ...combined with some of those mental disads.... Tony
__________________
Anthony N. Emmel Scholar & Catholic Gentleman Q: GM, are you using the d20 rules system? A: No. GURPS is fun. D20 games are not fun. The GM says so. Playing d20/3.5 makes Baby Jesus cry. |
11-28-2005, 08:21 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Montreal, Canada.
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Quote:
Wealth is also a possible disavantage. Someone mentaly challenged would have a hard time getting a well-pay job. |
|
11-28-2005, 08:33 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Montreal, Canada.
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Quote:
|
|
11-28-2005, 08:38 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Quote:
I have a couple of threads regarding how stats interact... There's this: Charting 4e Attributes http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=5170 and for low point fun there's: Average People: Characters [0] to [-50] http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=5020 Then there's this snarky one I toned down: Defining Human Average, the new paradigm in 4e. & What's up with Talents? http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=4993 Edit: There aren't any disadvantages resisted by IQ.
__________________
Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. -RAH Last edited by Ze'Manel Cunha; 11-29-2005 at 12:08 AM. |
|
11-28-2005, 08:49 PM | #10 |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Aurora, SD
|
Re: Mentally retarded characters
Thanks for the help.
Next question: would you waive the normal limit on Disadvantage points, but give them less points to spend so it more or less balances? I don't really see a retarded character being worth much more than 50 points, and that assumes a Blaster. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|