Is there any way to justify an unskilled character being on par on par with far more experienced characters?

Is there any way to justify an unskilled character being on par on par with far more experienced characters?

Use a narrativist system that doesn't revolve around all characters having an equal chance of killing each other in combat.

Depends on the system, the premise of the game and the playstyle of the group.

With a narrative focused system and a group who are okay with metamechanics, it's perfectly possible and can be fun to play a character getting by through luck rather than training or personal power, although quite often their story arc will involve them growing as a person to the point they don't just rely on muddling their way through.

Typically a barbarian is the definition of an unskilled warrior who gets by with more brute force and ferocity than skill with a weapon.

any attribute + skill system, just put all points into attributes

Of course.

Of course, if you maxed Luck

>Is there any way to justify an unskilled character being on par on par with far more experienced characters?
Experience ceiling. It's the only way to make middle aged humans/dwaves comparable to elves, and is mandatory unless you want to rip off Tolkien completely.

Eh, the Elf thing has never been a problem for me. Either they're a young elf on par with everyone else, or they've forgotten more than others have ever learned/let themselves get rusty before the adventure began, thus they're on par with everyone else. Although I'd generally only allow the latter sort of backstory in games about veteran adventurers, since an ancient elf being level 1 is a little bit silly.

Some beings are just stronger by default.

Even the best ant warrior can't beat me, whose combat training is small

Are you sure?

None which won't make the unskilled character a Mary Sue, so...no.

I once had a lengthly duel with a Salticidae. Those guys have actual fucking senses, eyesight and hearing unlike normal web-based spiders and their raw animal intelligence has exactly enough information to create attack strategies. It was coming right for me, strafing like a fucking professional, evading my attacks. Eventually I had to resort to soaking part of the floor in isopropane, then setting it on fire.

The scary part? This was in Sweden.

Where did you get isopropane in Sweden?

Sorry, isopropanol, or isopropyl alcohol as it's known globally. University stock.

Why would such a character always be a Mary Sue?

Because people don't understand what 'Mary sue' means.

They could be from Krypton.

I sprayed a spider with some raid once and it did enough damage to disable most of its legs but it started charging at me, dragging its whole body after me like it wanted to take me down with it
Spiders are scary

Spiders have the death doesn't matter mentality that insects have and many are actually dangerous due to poison

So yea spiders are spooky

Amnesia. The unskilled character was actually a grand master level of badass but had a severe trauma to the head that made him forget a lot.

>Is there any way to justify an unskilled character being on par on par with far more experienced characters?

In reality? Fortunate circumstances.

In works of fiction? The fact that it's a work of fiction and the people creating it have much more control over how things play out.

Maybe they were stuck for hundreds of years in some Drow's sex dungeon.

There was an elf wizard / human wizard thing I read once that I loved
The elf wizard has spent 12 years learning about the correct ink to use in a spell book and why it is used. He has practiced his penmanship for 8 years before being able to copy his first spell.
He has put 14 years into understanding the way magic flows in the fey and 33 trying to pick the perfect quill from the morgoeehen.

This week we lost 5 wizard humans to the fireball spell, this week chain lighting . Now class make sure your not holding any iron rods and your soaks are dry.

This week, next week

Why did you need two photos of po?

Physical talent.

The fight between Schiki and snow-loli-orphan from Katanagatari comes to mind. Essentially a trained martial artist goes up against a young girl and loses because she has a ridiculous amount of strength so can wield the giant "sword" she's using with ease and does a extremely reckless move which the martial artist didn't predict.