I'm lucky enough to play a elf wizard, in a awesome game. This elf has a int of 20. I'm doing my best to play the character as best I can, but I can use some tips on how to play a elf that has a int of 20.
Well, your character is smart. One of my high INT characters was a researcher who would take notes on monsters as they attacked him. Another was more reserved, but took care of the party. You don't necessarily have to play intelligence any particular way.
Something to think about is consider thinking about very broad sort of topics, solutions, etc. Most of us are not among the smartest people alive :) So playing someone who is might be challenging. So the idea is, instead of trying to figure out exactly how to rewrite the King's tax code in order to get on the King's good side, just ask the DM "Can I sit down and figure out a way to rewrite these tax codes?" That's something my 20 Int character could do that I never could.
So that's just one example, and you don't want to just say "My character will figure out how to beat this puzzle trap!" :) But a good DM shouldn't require the player to be as smart/charismatic/wise as the character. Just like my Bard's ability to inspire people shouldn't be based on my ability to sing, my 20 Int character's ability to solve a puzzle shouldn't be based entirely on my ability to solve puzzles either.
So you end up saying things like this, using the puzzle trap example:
Can I tell if there's some kind of pattern to the lightning flashes?
Is there something unusual about the ceiling?
What does my character know about electricity?
That's where the DM can say, after your more general question, "Ah, yes. As you watch the flashes, you determine that there's actually a very complex pattern of long flashes and short flashes..."
One thing to keep in mind: sometimes DMs forget this. :) It's not out of bounds, maybe after a session sometime, or even gently in the moment, to say "Well, my elf has a 20 Int. Is there anything he might be able to figure out here? Because I'm stumped, but he's smarter than me." It's a balancing act for the player and the DM--player to be as smart as he can be, and the for DM to give some clues based on what you do, but not just give the whole puzzle away.
Hey everyone,
I'm lucky enough to play a elf wizard, in a awesome game. This elf has a int of 20.
I'm doing my best to play the character as best I can, but I can use some tips on how to play a elf that has a int of 20.
Any tips?
Well, your character is smart. One of my high INT characters was a researcher who would take notes on monsters as they attacked him. Another was more reserved, but took care of the party. You don't necessarily have to play intelligence any particular way.
Something to think about is consider thinking about very broad sort of topics, solutions, etc. Most of us are not among the smartest people alive :) So playing someone who is might be challenging. So the idea is, instead of trying to figure out exactly how to rewrite the King's tax code in order to get on the King's good side, just ask the DM "Can I sit down and figure out a way to rewrite these tax codes?" That's something my 20 Int character could do that I never could.
So that's just one example, and you don't want to just say "My character will figure out how to beat this puzzle trap!" :) But a good DM shouldn't require the player to be as smart/charismatic/wise as the character. Just like my Bard's ability to inspire people shouldn't be based on my ability to sing, my 20 Int character's ability to solve a puzzle shouldn't be based entirely on my ability to solve puzzles either.
So you end up saying things like this, using the puzzle trap example:
That's where the DM can say, after your more general question, "Ah, yes. As you watch the flashes, you determine that there's actually a very complex pattern of long flashes and short flashes..."
One thing to keep in mind: sometimes DMs forget this. :) It's not out of bounds, maybe after a session sometime, or even gently in the moment, to say "Well, my elf has a 20 Int. Is there anything he might be able to figure out here? Because I'm stumped, but he's smarter than me." It's a balancing act for the player and the DM--player to be as smart as he can be, and the for DM to give some clues based on what you do, but not just give the whole puzzle away.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
Thanks so much! Super helpful!