D&D (2024) Change in Charisma Description

[Irlo]

It's probably best (IMO of course) to ask players for character descriptions rather than labels like ugly, attractive, or smokin' hot, which don't convey any real information. DMs should do the same for NPCs. I can have my chiseled jaw and sculpted pectorals, and you can decide if you swoon.

 

[Clint_L]

Also, what does "smokin' hot" even mean if my character is a Tortle, a Kenku, or a Plasmoid?

 

[Vaalingrade]

"If you're scrawny it's because you don't work out hard enough"

No, working out isn't going to make you strong, murder does.

 

[James Gasik]

Also, what does "smokin' hot" even mean if my character is a Tortle, a Kenku, or a Plasmoid?

I want to preface this with, you did ask:

 

[Clint_L]

I want to preface this with, you did ask:
View attachment 274387

A) lol - well played

B) that seems more like a tortle designed to be sexy by human standards

 

[Charlaquin]

Also, what does "smokin' hot" even mean if my character is a Tortle, a Kenku, or a Plasmoid?

I have a feeling a lot of players who specifically want to play one will be able to answer that in detail, and possibly with reference pictures.

 

[Charlaquin]

A) lol - well played

B) that seems more like a tortle designed to be sexy by human standards

Well, yeah, most players are human.

 

[Branduil]

Ultimately, it comes down to 3 things:

1. There is no inherent benefit, to the player or society at large, to making Charisma explicitly based on appearance.
2. There are inherent negatives to society at large by linking Charisma and appearance, however minor.
3. There is nothing stopping any individual player from making the personal choice that their character's Charisma is influenced by their personal appearance.

So for these reasons, I see absolutely no good reason to connecting appearance and Charisma. Charisma wouldn't be an ability at all if I had my way, but as long as it is, I certainly don't want to encourage any ideas of "low Charisma = ugly."

 

[Scott Christian]

I... have no idea what point you're trying to make.

the CR cast is attractive.... therefore Chewbacca lives on Endor?

Hi Vaalingrade. I brought this up simply because the discussion of how adding one word, "beauty" to a definition might affect younger players. I was simply pointing out there is a mountain of other influences that will greatly affect their ego than one word added to a definition. Sorry of that was not clear.

 

[Scott Christian]

Again, I teach high school students. I don't think they need yet another avenue to be bombarded with the message that "attractiveness certainly plays a role" in how valuable they are or how successful they can be. Can't at least our fantasy worlds offer them a safe space from that constant BS?

Again, we are in the same boat, but on different sides. If you say this about beauty, then why not say this about strength. I mean, I am sure there are players in your D&D club that wish they were strong in real life, but are constantly out shadowed by the football players, the wrestlers, and any male who hit puberty one or two years earlier than them. Yet, D&D encourages this in the realm of combat and athleticism, arguably, the two most used functions in the game. And let's not even discuss intelligence. I am sure you have students that are not on the 4.0 stream. They may struggle greatly in all their academic areas. Yet, here you have a game that actively encourages players to "not be smart." I have seen more than my share of high school D&D clubs poke fun of the barbarian with an 8 intelligence. If that was a student that struggled academically, I am sure it hit a little close to home.
And then there is adding one word, "beauty" to charisma. A word that will probably be read by a third of the players. A word, that is a pebble in the boulder strewn stream of social media, including geek media. Anime, Critical Role, geeky actresses, pictures of heroines, etc... I would argue all of those play a much greater influence than adding a word to a definition.