Handbooker Helper: Ability Scores

Six stats to rule them all! Join DM Matthew Mercer to learn all about D&D Ability Scores in the latest episode of our Player's Handbook tutorial series.

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[TheSfid]

Intelligence: "This is a one-way street"
Wisdom: "We should still look both ways before crossing."

[justinberling]

Matt: You've got your dice, and you've-

My brain: YOU'VE GOT YOUR PERFECT WARLOCK!!

[brianb.]

My favorite way to explain the difference between Intellegence and Wisdom:

Intellegence is knowing that Frankenstein was not the monster.

Wisdom is knowing that Frankenstein was, in fact, the monster.

[Wulfenfenris]

D&D Stats Explained With Tomatoes

Strength is being able to crush a tomato. Dexterity is being able to dodge a tomato. Constitution is being able to eat a bad tomato. Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad. Charisma is being able to sell a tomato based fruit salad.

[procrastinatinggamer]

My first thought when he mentioned not to worry about low scores, a certain line from an early episode of Campaign 1. "I 'ave an intelligence of six, I fink I know what I'm doin'."

[Scorpious]

"Weaknesses often make for memorable story points."

Matt: "Roll Deception"
Sam: "...Zero."
*Mercer snorts his drink up his nose*

[heinrichbestbier]

I've been playing 5th edition for years now but I still watch these

[jacobgelven]

Who else already knows everything about ability scores and is only watching this for Matt?

[Jwilhoftstg]

If someone is worried about a low score, just remember grog had 6 intelligence and vex had 7 strength
(At the beginning)

[varykwalker]

Matt's charisma score would be one thousand.

[Quadraxis]

One thing I've learning is to think about the three mental stats; Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma, as a pond.
Intelligence is how wide this pond is. How wide your own knowledge is, can be vast as a lake or thin as a puddle.
Wisdom is how deep it is. This is your depth of how to use the knowledge you've got. Your wisdom may be shallow like a splash or deep as an abyss.
Charisma is how much others want to drink from that pond. The pond may be sparkly and clean like that summer lake by the cabin or murky and deceitful as the oceans.
Well, t hat's my take in it at least.

[bknwuzheer]

I remember Stephen Colbert discussed rolling stats "back in the day."

They would roll 3d6 and stick with the score. If none were equal to or above 15, they would say their character would become a farmer, and they would roll a new character. The called this "death by farming."

[loonyxlizziex]

Matt: 'Is it gamenight yet?'
Me: MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER MILLER/MERCER THAT IS *NOT* HOW WE END VIDEOS ON THIS CHANNEL!!!!

[Crowvidkitty]

Matt’s wiggles give me life, the dm wiggles™️

[WardNightstone]

from a 4 year old Reddit post:

Strength is being able to crush a tomato.
Dexterity is being able to dodge a tomato.
Constitution is being able to eat a bad tomato.
Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad.
Charisma is being able to sell a tomato based fruit salad.

[seansvoices]

One of my favorite characters was a Tortle Cleric who rolled a 4 Charisma. a realllly to veeeerrryy deeetaiiilled

[myopic_cyclops]

Nice episode of Handbooger Heifer, great job team!

[CainLatrani]

Many years ago, when I was in high school, (in the wayback of the late 80's) I had a D&D group, and we played pretty much every day. It was a boarding school, so there was little else to do. We rotated who was the DM, between me, and two others. One of the others, Doug I think his name was, once had this fun idea to start everyone out as NPC classes. Merchants and the like, and confined our ability rolls in a very peculiar way.

Basically, we would roll each ability in turn, and what we got, was what that ability score was, rather than placing them where they would be most advantageous. It was kind of weird, even then, but we were always game for trying something new, and as we were already playing NPC classes, figured Doug knew what he was up to, and gave it a shot.

We all rolled a mix of high and low scores, and off we went, a bunch of characters poorly prepared for adventuring, trying to adventure. The basic concept Doug was playing with was to let us choose our class by way of our actions in the first adventure. My character found a sword, and in a moment of panic, as we were being attacked by Goblins, grabbed it and started swinging wildly. He had a Strength of 8. By the end, I was the Fighter, because my character was too terrified to be without the long, sharp, stabby thing.

He was a terrible fighter, obviously. The Wizard only had an Intelligence of 10, though, and the Rogue ended up being the guy with a 6 Dexterity. We never did end up being very good adventurers, but we had a real blast with that party being terrible at everything. Doug decided that his concept was better in theory than practice, and despite us kind of wanting to do it again, refused to ever run a campaign full of people poorly suited to their roles again.

Point being, have fun with bad ability scores. They really can be more fun than you might imagine, if you're willing to embrace it, and have that fun.

Well, fun for everyone but the DM, anyway, who had to spend the whole time herding cats.

[MidnightSunna]

All hail the negative ability score, especially when it comes to strength. It makes for some funny moments if your playing a wizard whose has literally never lifted some thing heavier than a sack of potatoes.

[Taneth]

Don't be afraid of low scores. If you're going to fail at something, you might as well fail spectacularly.