Min-Maxing Attributes



Smart players min-max, this is simply good role-playing. Min-maxing (that is deliberately underpowering characteristics that player does not intend to use and transfering the unused bonuses to characteristics the player considers useful) is simply good strategy, and it only becomes a problem when players go overboard and make death machines out of their ability scores. Using third edition Dungeons and Dragons as an example, the traditional Min-Max is generally a human fighter who has an 18 in strength, dexterity, and constitution, but a 7 or less in charisma, wisdom and intelligence.

This sort of thing scares some inexperienced GMs, but to remain in the realm of Dungeons and Dragons for a moment, our poor fighter is going to discover that there are some rather significant problems with his scheme. The GM should feel free to have shopkeepers overcharge him for goods, because they don't trust him (low charisma), and when the player complains the GM should require a will check for the player to even notice that his character is getting cheated (a will check is based on wisdom). The GM can also include magical traps that require will checks- illusions, charms, and the like. Just because he's a terror in battle, doesn't mean that he can't be magically convinced that hell hounds are cute doggies for a few critical early rounds of combat. Likewise, this fighter is likely to be backstabbed by NPC rogues a lot, because his spot skill is modified by his wisdom as well.

When it comes right down to brass tacks, min-maxed characters are only hard to challenge if a GM lacks imagination. All the constitution in the world won't help a character dumb enough to trip the falling ceiling trap or the poison gas chamber. And no GM should feel required to make every monster simply scream and charge the players. Monsters can attack and then withdraw and apparently flee in order to draw pursuing characters into traps. They can attack with missile fire, and again this may be to lure the PCs into a trap that they will activate when the players get to a certain point (think of the Ewoks in Star Wars for inspiration).

Moving to a Science Fiction campaign, very few species can survive an unprotected walk through the airlock, no matter what their skills. And the best marksman in the galaxy is in real trouble if she's min-maxed away the attributes that let her fix her gun when it jams in the field.