How do you handle high Int?

[Stone]

I'm in the process of making a character with high Int (23). Why it is not incredibly high, it does exceed the magic 20 for human maximums. This got me to thinking about how do you handle high Int in game terms. If a PC has of 30 plus, does it make it easier for that PC to learn new skills or "fake it". Would that character be able use the high Int to simulate other skills (ex. code breaking). Would it be a simple Int roll with a negative modifer for not having the skill?

[badger3k]

I go with INT as "processor speed" rather than high IQ, so it doesn't have such an effect in my games - if the character wants to learn faster, buy speed reading or whatever. Using skills untrained rarely comes up, but if you allow it, then you could sub a high-INT roll for the skill roll. I wouldn't allow it because it gives them a high benefit for low cost (30 INT is 20 pts for a 15- char roll). If you do want to use that as high INT, give them a +1/10 pts bonus or something like that (although to my mind it kinda defeats the point-base system).

 

edit - you can use a rule similar to weapon familiarity - use -3 to the skill roll for an unfamiliar skill, and I'd limit the skills that it could be used for (such as deduction but not technical skills IMO).

[bjbrown]

Regardless of how high INT goes, it shouldn't be a substitute for spending points on skills.

If you want a character who can easily adapt to any skill, buy Cramming one or more times.

[Mordacius]

If a PC has of 30 plus, does it make it easier for that PC to learn new skills or "fake it".

Learning new skills? Probably. I'd allow a very high INT character to learn new skills as fast as they wanted to actually pay points for those skills, where I'd make a normal person take time to study in game.

 

As for improvisation? As everyone else has said, a big no there. It's sort of like how a super high DEX isn't the same as actually paying for CSLs - no amount of raw talent can totally compensate for not having any idea what you're doing.

 

Here's how I handle "uber smart" characters: Overall Skill Levels. That way, I can dump 2-3 points into a skill - any skill - and suddenly have a fantastically good roll. (Things like Cramming are good too, as well as Lightning Calculator: Analytic. )

[Lord Liaden]

You might find some interesting ideas in this earlier, pretty extensive discussion of high-Intelligence characters:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1117&highlight=high+intelligence

[zornwil]

I'm probably the only GM in the world with 2 players in an INT war that has them up somewhere near 100 points now (high-growth game), though that includes some Aid. As such...maybe you shouldn't listen to me!

 

The two PCs though are pretty interesting in their application of it. To oversimplify, one sees every nuance in everything and chases every sort of detail, including many red herrings although of course he's so smart he can follow those SOMEWHERE exciting; he basically doesn't see the forest for the trees - and the rocks, and the grass, and the insects, and that little thing over there that I THINK means something...

 

The other PC doesn't see the trees through the forest. People are insects (not that he treats them that way), everything is a grand sweep. He's started exploring deep magic (which of course to him is science), sort of Lovecraft (that's the player's inspiration in many regards), and doesn't really take note of the consequences since they're "irrelevent" - he's so smart he understands them but doesn't feel the "need" to worry about them.

 

As far as how I deal with it, it's pretty simplistic. I don't let ridiculous INTs destroy PER rolls and such. There's realisms and effectively the GM cap on such things. However, the high INTs (if not at the insane level I have, setting that aside) are GREAT for skill-vs-skill rolls against master villains. Remember, when the team is going through the master villain's base, the security systems and the computers should be a duel of wits between the master villains (if brainy) and the super-INT PC. So have skill-vs-skill rolls wherever there's appropriate locks and security codes and such.

 

Re sleuthing, I ask for some sort of details as to the APPROACH - I understand players aren't going to be real-life sleuths, but they can indicate "I interview people" or "I use the computer" or the like. If they're really stuck, especially with a high INT, I gladly give them OPTIONS which I would not describe to lesser INT PCs, and that seems to work okay.

 

With high INTs AND appropriate skills you can give opportunities you might not otherwise give so long as they feel "realistic" (per the campaign world of course), and it becomes a great opportunity for obscure skills. For example, one character with high INT and Tactics was asking whether an opponents was near enough to ensnare or if it was too risky. Certainly his character had a number of applicable skills. However, given the character's brilliance and the fact that he did buy Tactics (and that rarely gets used), I did roll a secret roll and determined to give him a pretty strong but realistic clue about what could reach the opponent. Given that they had really already beaten the opponent and it was a matter of escape along with their inevitable pursuit, I felt this worked.

[lemming]

Originally posted by zornwil

I'm probably the only GM in the world with 2 players in an INT war that has them up somewhere near 100 points now (high-growth game), though that includes some Aid. As such...maybe you shouldn't listen to me!

As one of the "insects" at INT 23, zornwil does do a nice job. I think my character realizes that the other two have a vast intelligence, but thinks they don't know how to interract with the real world anymore...

[zornwil]

Originally posted by lemming

As one of the "insects" at INT 23, zornwil does do a nice job. I think my character realizes that the other two have a vast intelligence, but thinks they don't know how to interract with the real world anymore...

 

Thanks, I'm always worried about it, but have allowed the can of worms to be opened. I think you put it well though and hit the nail on the head - a really high INT is a curse, and objectively speaking, Laughton and Sihn (the two characters in question) really aren't dealing with the real world in fundamental ways.

 

Lemming's note reminded me, too - I don't let (or I try not to let) the high INT characters tromp on the other one's areas of intellectual expertise. My feeling is that while those super-super-INT ones may academically know a lot about the law or medicine or whatever, they don't have the talent or skill in the real-world unless they not only have the PS but ALSO are willing to have their characters put their time and energy into it. So the PS is a bit wasted comparatively, though it still opens the doors for them to do things they couldn't otherwise (practice law, practice surgery when needed). For example, in this campaign lemming's character is a legal specialist. One of the other characters with much higher INT is also a lawyer technically (passed the bar, can practice), but he didn't spend his background focusing on it and still doesn't really focus on it. So he doesn't get the real benefits that Spectrum (lemming's) gets when in court. Besides, I do treat the high INT as a curse - sometimes he talks way over the heads of the jury, that kind of thing.

 

Of course when a high INT character does focus on something, such as Sihn who studied medicine and still practices, the other high-INT one mentioned above, they are fabulous at it. I do allow incredible results - for example, Sihn has treated alien bodies and he can clone with relative ease (the player is mature enough not to abuse it, and I'm willing to tell him the boundaries, as lax as they are, when he gets over those boundaries).

[lemming]

Originally posted by zornwil

the player is mature enough not to abuse it, and I'm willing to tell him the boundaries, as lax as they are, when he gets over those boundaries

 

Well except for exchanging an NPCs brain with a border collie... (group abuse actually)

[zornwil]

Originally posted by lemming

Well except for exchanging an NPCs brain with a border collie... (group abuse actually)

 

Oh but that was just WAY too funny, and I never anticipated that reaction to the situation. You gotta admit, it's not like someone wouldn't have done something similar to that NPC eventually. Besides, you know how far that went to show that Spectrum just "wasn't right" anymore without actually stating it? Perfect moment!

 

(I know you weren't seriously criticizing, it's just one of those great moments worth dwelling on, even publicly).

 

Also, it'll be interesting to see how the NPC will react when rescued. Can you say potential enemy in your midst?