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<blockquote data-quote="Al" data-source="post: 2178654" data-attributes="member: 2486">The most important way to make Charisma useful is to make NPCs react accordingly.&nbsp; Unless your campaign consists of a large series of dungeon-hacks, NPCs will be a significant driving force in your campaign world.&nbsp; The example of shopkeepers possibly trying to get poorer deals to low Charisma characters in a very good one, particularly if there is a large amount of haggling involved.More importantly, Charisma dictates how the PCs will be treated in a broader sense.&nbsp; So, not only will the highest Charisma PC be treated as the &quot;leader&quot; in nearly all cases, but the low Charisma PCs will likely be ignored or passed over by NPCs.&nbsp; The high Charisma bard could well get a peerage and engagements to lovely young debutantes eager to hear about his adventuring on top of the standard reward; the low Charisma fighter begrudgingly gets his money and is told to go to the tavern before the guests start arriving at the palace.&nbsp; High Charisma characters always receive social benefits over low and average Charisma characters.&nbsp; Diplomacy and similar social skills (which are, of course, Charisma based) can act to remedy this, but are often trying to close the door once the horse has bolted.&nbsp; If, as the duke, you have one more ticket to your grand ball, do you invite the handsome and bold paladin or the ugly rogue who will probably eat the food with his grubby hands?&nbsp; Even if the rogue has Diplomacy, one the letters have gone out, what is he going to do to change the situation?Disparities can really appear when PCs are not merely taken in isolation, but are in competition with others for particular roles, honours and positions.&nbsp; The high level cleric might be looking for a formal title such as Bishop, but imagine his horror when the quiet middle-aged theologian gets it instead since he is deemed to have &quot;better capacity for fulfilling the pastoral and organisational role, notwithstanding your great combat achievements against Sardun the Lich&quot;.I cannot emphasise this strongly enough: high Charisma always grants social privileges; low Charisma is always a social handicap.&nbsp;&nbsp; It is the job of a DM to ensure that that is the case: and that the low Charisma character suffers as a result.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Al, post: 2178654, member: 2486"] The most important way to make Charisma useful is to make NPCs react accordingly. Unless your campaign consists of a large series of dungeon-hacks, NPCs will be a significant driving force in your campaign world. The example of shopkeepers possibly trying to get poorer deals to low Charisma characters in a very good one, particularly if there is a large amount of haggling involved. More importantly, Charisma dictates how the PCs will be treated in a broader sense. So, not only will the highest Charisma PC be treated as the "leader" in nearly all cases, but the low Charisma PCs will likely be ignored or passed over by NPCs. The high Charisma bard could well get a peerage and engagements to lovely young debutantes eager to hear about his adventuring on top of the standard reward; the low Charisma fighter begrudgingly gets his money and is told to go to the tavern before the guests start arriving at the palace. High Charisma characters always receive social benefits over low and average Charisma characters. Diplomacy and similar social skills (which are, of course, Charisma based) can act to remedy this, but are often trying to close the door once the horse has bolted. If, as the duke, you have one more ticket to your grand ball, do you invite the handsome and bold paladin or the ugly rogue who will probably eat the food with his grubby hands? Even if the rogue has Diplomacy, one the letters have gone out, what is he going to do to change the situation? Disparities can really appear when PCs are not merely taken in isolation, but are in competition with others for particular roles, honours and positions. The high level cleric might be looking for a formal title such as Bishop, but imagine his horror when the quiet middle-aged theologian gets it instead since he is deemed to have "better capacity for fulfilling the pastoral and organisational role, notwithstanding your great combat achievements against Sardun the Lich". I cannot emphasise this strongly enough: [B]high Charisma always grants social privileges; low Charisma is always a social handicap.[/B] It is the job of a DM to ensure that that is the case: and that the low Charisma character suffers as a result. [/QUOTE]

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