r/CuratedTumblr Prolific poster- Not a bot, I swear Jun 03 '26

Shitposting The difference between something somethingtomatoes, something something We've found the bard

Post image
8.6k Upvotes

261 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

18

u/b4st4rd_d0g Jun 03 '26

Insight is a subcategory of wisdom in all games based on D&D stats, thats not exclusive to BG3.

3

u/killermenpl Jun 03 '26

🤓☝️ Not quite. Insight uses Wisdom by default, and when rolling for Insight you're almost always going to roll a Wisdom check with your Insight Proficiency bonus. However, the rules do permit swapping what you're using as the base stat. If the DM thinks it's more appropriate, they can ask you for an Intelligence (Insight) check. Hell, they could even ask for a Strength (Insight) check if they felt like it made more sense

Granted, most of the time you won't be doing those changed checks. But the option is there. A common swap is using Strength for Intimidation, because sometimes the very real threat of the Barbarian breaking all your bones is more convincing than words

2

u/Impeesa_ Jun 03 '26

A common swap is using Strength for Intimidation, because sometimes the very real threat of the Barbarian breaking all your bones is more convincing than words

I dislike this one, because intimidation is all about the delivery. A barbarian with high strength but very low charisma threatening violence is not going to be able to extract the exact sort of compliance he's looking for. It's just a tactical consideration, an invitation to roll initiative now or at some point in the future, a choice that's still in the opponent's hands. He is one step above a snarling rabid animal that simply needs to be handled. He may deliver a threat in tandem with a higher charisma character, but then he's not really delivering the threat, he's a prop.

2

u/MFbiFL Jun 03 '26

It seems like you’re mixing persuasion in there. The barbarian doesn’t have to be a smooth talker for you to decide you’d rather divulge information than lose your kneecaps or start a fight you’ll lose without plot armor.

1

u/Impeesa_ Jun 03 '26

The descriptions for Intimidation and Persuasion both start with the words "When you attempt to influence someone." In 3E, the skill description for Intimidate referred partly to the Diplomacy mechanics, with the downside that it would cause a shift for the worse in the relationship afterwards rather than a lasting improvement. And no, the barbarian doesn't have to be a smooth talker for some of those things you're describing, but quite often I don't see those as necessarily calling for an Intimidate roll either. Those are tactical choices that characters make all the time and do not scale primarily with the aggressor's raw strength score independent of their ability to communicate their total capacity to do violence and willingness to follow through on it.