Comeliness

Comeliness is an ability score used in Dungeons & Dragons to represent a character's physical beauty. It is not one of the main six ability scores in D&D, and appears only in optional sourcebooks for AD&D 1st and 2nd edition.

Comeliness is abbreviated CO, CM, or Com.

History

Origin

A brief mention of a "comeliness" statistic appears in Jakalla Encounters, Dragon #4 (Dec 1976), p.10, in reference to the RPG Metamorphosis Alpha.

In Dragon #67 (Nov 1982), p.61-62, Gary Gygax attributes the invention of a "beauty" statistic to Francois Marcela-Froideval. Gygax instead uses the name "comeliness" for the statistic, on the reasoning that low "beauty" score would merely imply a lack of beauty, while a low "comeliness" would imply ugliness.

That issue presents rules for comeliness statistic, which works like a normal ability score, though it is adjusted by the character's charisma score. When interacting with another race, the character also has racial bonuses or penalties. As a result, a character's comeliness may in practice be negative, in which case NPCs find the character disgusting; or in practice be very high, in which case NPCs are routinely smitten with them and treat them exceptionally well.

A version of these rules appear in Gygax's Unearthed Arcana (1e) (1985), p.5-7 and Oriental Adventures (1e) (1985), p.10.

AD&D 1st edition

Later Dragon magazine articles and some sourcebooks used the comeliness stat. The use of this statistic was limited to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st and 2nd edition rulebooks, and was not applied from in D&D third edition onward.

In Dragon Magazine, articles presenting new races frequently included comeliness bonuses or penalties. Dungeon magazine adventures also described characters having the statistic, including Fluffy Goes to Heck, Dungeon #4 (Mar/Apr 1987); The Stolen Power, Dungeon #5 (May/Jun 1987); Samurai Steel, Dungeon #7 (Sep/Oct 1987); The Golden Bowl of Ashu H'San, Dungeon #9 (Jan/Feb 1988); and The Wooden Mouse, Dungeon #11 (May/Jun 1988)

In Dragon #110 (Jun 1986), p.31, Elminster is described as having a comeliness score of 12, or average.

Comeliness statistics of deities are mentioned in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983).

The comeliness ability score is referenced in various AD&D 1e sourcebooks, including REF4 The Book of Lairs II (1987), Monster Manual II (1e) (1983), and Wilderness Survival Guide (1986). AD&D 1st edition adventure modules using the statistic include WG6 Isle of the Ape (1985), H2 The Mines of Bloodstone (1986), I10 Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill (1986), I12 Egg of the Phoenix (1987), and I9 Day of Al'Akbar (1986).

AD&D 2nd edition and later

AD&D 2nd edition, published after Gary Gygax left TSR, deprecated the Comeliness statistic, although it saw sporadic use in official 2nd edition products. The AD&D 2nd edition free preview rules booklet notes:

"We kept the 3 to 18 range for basic ability scores (although the tables are now complete out to 25), but we got rid of the Comeliness score, and some new columns were added to the tables."

The foreword of Dungeon #18 (Jul/Aug 1989) notes, in regard to adapting 5th edition:

"The attribute of comeliness has been dropped, but you may continue to use it, assigning values of your own choice."

Nevertheless, a single reference the comeliness statistic appeared in Bride For a Fox, Dungeon #27 (Jan/Feb 1991)

In RPGA Network News, Dragon #225 (Jan 1996), p.42, Scott Douglas notes that Ravens Bluff was created prior to the switch from AD&D 1e to AD&D 2e, with the result that comeliness statistic is retained as an RPGA house rule. The statistic appears in LC1 Gateway to Ravens Bluff, The Living City (1989), and is referenced in LC3 Nightwatch in the Living City (1991).

Player's Option: Skills & Powers (1995) had the similar "Appearance" statistic as a "subability" score of Charisma.

Sourcebooks from D&D third edition onward did not use the comeliness statistic.