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Appearence

   
Well, there is a 3rd party book which uses a 7th appearance stat, which I've only ever had to look at in relation to this very issue. The Book of Erotic Fantasy doesn't have much suited to MW, but it does clarify how an appearance stat works.

It makes disguise an appearance skill, and makes bluff, Gather Info, and Intimidate vary according to the method used (so a stunningly beautiful elf with App 18 would use her looks, but a Bard with Cha 18 would use word play).

It also give App for the core creatures.

So 1 = Zombie, Jibbering Mouther.
2-3 = Ankheg
4-5 =Belker
6-7 =Bugbear
8-9 = Orc
10-11 = Human/Dwarf
12-13 = Giant Owl
14-15 = Elf/Red Dragon
16-17 = Dryad
18-19 = Copper Dragon
20-21 = Will o wisp
22-23 = Succubus
24-25 = Nymph

It also says that a creature below adult gets +2, adults get 0, then its cumulative -1 for each age category after adult.

It also comments that almost all races get -2 outside their species, except for things like Fey (it also says elves, but I don't agree with that).

I don't recall where he got it from, but my friend's father, who used to run second edition for me and some of my friends, had an alternate second edition character sheet with a comeliness stat on it. Something like that could work, I suppose.

I like some of those scores. An elf can have low charisma, but still look good. I just can't picture a hideous elf short of deformity/injury.

It does make sense. I mean, an Allip has an incredible force of personality, just from its alien looks and its abilities, but while it looks alien, it doesn't look any more attractive than a Belker, as such, its App score is 5.

Question: could an "extraordinary" being posess greater a greater apperance that listed?

The Jessica Alba or Audrey Hepburn of any race should have a high appearance score.

How would that be handled? Case by case, I assume?

Well, for a PC, it tells you to either roll an extra set (for rolled scores), add an extra 13 points (for an average point buy), or if you use an array, you put in an extra score at the average of the others (rounded up).

And yes, Audrey Hepburn and Jessica Alba would both be more in the 18-20 region, where someone like Michael Jackson would be more like a 6, and Jack black would be in the average 10-11 range.

If memory serves, Comliness was first introduced in the AD&D campaign expansion Oriental Adventures. I recall the original Unearthed Arcana (which, incidentally, introduced the Barbarian. heh. Back then they hated magic, and actually got XP for destroying magic items!) coming after by a few months. (Both were published in 1985. Yes, I was there. I still have a copy of OA. Sadly, my copy of UA was poorly bound and didn't last a year )

As far as CHA:

I, too, have always described it as the force of a character's personality, manners, and social grace. Physical beauty - or lack thereof - generally has very little to do with social interaction beyond initial contact. History is littered with records of plain or unattractive figures going on to do matters of great historical significance, after all.

Which makes you wonder why tielfings, which are often difficult to tap as the creatures they are, have a Cha penalty?

They don't make numbers high enough for Audrey and Jessica (sighs)

But back to reality! I like that idea, and it makes sense. Now, let's assume we were to apply it to 3.5 rules. Do dwarves lose that -2 CHA penalty and suddenly become +1 LA? Do half orcs have only -2 INT for +2 STR?

(PS: Who said -2 INT and -2 CHA are fair tradeoffs? That makes half orcs weaker rogues, wizards, bards, sorcerers, and possibly paladins and clerics. The STR is great for fighters, monks, barbarians, and some rogues...but then, perhaps I'm bringing up a very old debate that belongs elsewhere...)




 

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