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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Al" data-source="post: 562513" data-attributes="member: 2486">Charisma is a peculiar ability score, and is almost certainly the odd one out.  Why?  Because every other stat increases in value by what the player does with it, but Charisma increases in value by what the DM (and other players) does with it.With some notable exceptions (sorcerors, turning undead, bards, etc.) Charisma is what the DM makes of it.  Essentially, the DM can fall into two 'traps' where Charisma is render null.The first isn't really a 'trap'- the hack n slash campaign.  There is nothing inherently wrong with hack n slash campaign, but they will render Charisma useless.  Then again, purely social campaigns will render Strength nearly useless, so it's all a matter of campaign style where the emphasis lies.Yet the second 'trap' is a common, and a bad one.  It is the problem of poor roleplayers dumping a low stat in Charisma and then roleplaying a high one.  Think about it.  Roleplaying is *not* being able to speak well, act eloquently and make a positive impresion on every NPC in existence.  Rather, it is about playing a role.  The character with a 6 Int roleplays his character better by saying 'Ug smash' than talking about particle physics.  Similarly, the character with a 6 Cha roleplays his character better by being rude, shy or awkward than playing him as charming, outgoing and eloquent.  One should not ignore the Bluff roll.  It is poor DMing (metagaming?) to penalise a character or benefit a character heavily by having the player's abilities benefit.  Just as a character doesn't get a bonus to hit if his player is an Olympic fencer nor a penalty to movement if his player is clinically obese, so the character doesn't get a bonus to Diplomacy if his player is an ambassador nor a penalty if his player can't string together a sentence.Some more constructive ways DM may consider making Charisma more important:Difference in general address.  Have NPCs make a *clear* disparity between the two.  Typically, they enjoy talking to high Cha PCs, and with lower Cha PCs only talk for as long as is polite.  With Cha entering the basement zone (5-) they may just make excuses and leave.Unequal rewards.  This is best done with non-monetary rewards.  Of course, they may all get 2000 gold pieces, but the charismatic bard may be invited to the duchess' inner circle of advisors, and gain great influence as a result.  Subquests.  Have charismatic PCs given more and better quests than uncharismatic ones.Romance.  Very difficult to do well, but can really make a marked difference between charismatic and uncharismatic PCs.Politics.  In a pre-democratic model, charismatic PCs get the friends required to gain advancement; uncharismatic ones don't.  In a democratic model, charismatic PCs get elected; uncharismatic ones don't.Recurring NPCs.  Charismatic PCs make friends better, so the more important the friends, the better.  If the cleric that the high Cha paladin made friends with earlier petitions the bishop to raise the paladin free of charge, then that translates to a significant material advantage.Just a few ideas.</blockquote>

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