Roleplaying the Stats

[Steeleface]

Hey Everyone. This is an area that I'm interested in getting some feedback/advise/direction: how do you roleplay your stats?
I'm particularly interesting in how you roleplay characters with poor stats, like low WIS, CHR, DEX scores etc...

Part of what I love about RQG is that everyone roleplays their characters very well, using their strengths and weakness to affect the narrative in a way that reflects what the character would do rather than moving the player towards the best possible outcome for them or win the game as it were. I recognise this as a better way (or the way) to play a tabletop RPG – to treat it like a collaborative storytelling effort instead of a game that needs to be won. This is what sets RQG (in my opinion) well above the other roleplaying podcasts and shows that I’ve sought out. I’m developing a campaign now and I’m trying to coach my players in the best roleplaying habits because I think it will ultimately yield a more entertaining experience for everyone.

So does a low INT mean the character is dumb? How would you reconcile roleplaying a character with a low INT but a high WIS? Does that translate as a sort of “idiot savant”? What about the reciprocal, a high INT but a low WIS – would that a sort of “bookworm”, someone with education but no real world experience? Am I correct in thinking that Bertie has a decent INT but a low WIS?

I appreciate that the stats are somewhat open to interpretation – a low CHR could be played as someone being ugly OR socially awkward OR perhaps a bit of both. Sacha, for example – her low CHR plays out as a bit socially awkward. 

Sorry if this is a bit rambling but ultimately I’m looking for opinions from those more experienced with the mechanics and roleplaying in general.

[theoverlord]

I would say that you are pretty much correct in the way that you've put it out already.
Characters changing with strength and intelligence are quite easy, a lower strength character looks weaker than other characters, and lower in characters are 'stupider' in terns of traditional teaching (school, uni, etc.)
I would tend to play a high wisdom character as having better 'street smarts' or a better strength of mind, with lower wis characters being a bit more likely to run from trouble, or be a bit more naive.
Characters with lower dexterity I tend to play as more 'ham-fisted', more likely to accidental drop items (or break them with higher strength)
Characters changing with charisma tends to be a bit more difficult, I usually play characters with lower charisma speaking less, only speaking when they have something they think is worth saying, and generally not speaking outside of their close group of friends/comrades, if all else fails I will play them as uglier just to make sure people are more likely to avoid me in general. Characters with higher charisma I tend to play like a diplomat arriving at a fancy party, moving about the crowd and speaking to everybody, making sure that they know me and what I am doing, and generally trying to move up in the world, or cement my position there.
This does come more from personal experience than from a rules point of view, I'm not particularly sure if mechanics can aid you in roleplaying, but if in doubt make them roll before they do the action, so they can act it out as they feel it should with the roll, a high charisma character can still fail a deception check, a high strength character can fail a strength check, it will be more rare but it will still occur and they should be the ones who help in controlling that.

[Oneiros]

I'd go along with what's been said here and you're on the right track with what you're thinking. INT and WIS are probably the two hardest to convey properly.

My advice here would be - look at the skills which require them, particularly WISDOM and play off those. Low WIS tends to mean worse Perception, Sense Motive, etc so things which relate to interacting with people & environment on a social level, kinda like consideration and tact. That doesn't mean everyone with low WIS is a boor, they could be shy and retiring. Likewise, a high WIS character can be both the counselor or the reserved observer.

Often what you want to do is see how the stats work in concert, though - no-one is just one statistic. They're an amalgam of all of them, even if some may be slightly skewed due to mechanics.

[Steeleface]

Thanks for the responses guys! Very helpful to know that I'm on the right track but it's always nice to get confirmation!