Gangs, Thugs, Social Pariahs, and Charisma

[Arkham]

It's important not to overestimate the importance of a single raw stat, though.

If some guy has a charisma of 6 but still gets the job done then he's in. If some guy has a charisma of 20 but can't get the job done, he's out. Being awesome and useful at what you do is an influence all its own.

Not really. The Charisma 20 guy will probably take credit for everything the charisma 6 guy did, and get promoted, rewarded, etc even if he didn't actually do anything, but can make it look like he did. The Charisma 6 guy will keep slogging away in the trenches until there is no one with a positive charisma modifier to steal credit for his performance.

 

[Wolfwood2]

Not really. The Charisma 20 guy will probably take credit for everything the charisma 6 guy did, and get promoted, rewarded, etc even if he didn't actually do anything, but can make it look like he did. The Charisma 6 guy will keep slogging away in the trenches until there is no one with a positive charisma modifier to steal credit for his performance.

That's placing waaaaay too much importance on a single stat. Somebody's charisma does not determine everything that happens to them in life. All sorts of things involving their talents and the needs and desires of those around them are going to factor in.

I see it all the time. There may be a guy who's not very likeable, but he's good at what he does. He may not get chatted up at the office water cooler very much, but his job is secure. Contariwise, somebody may be likeable but that's only going to take you so far. Unless you're uber-bluff dude who has devoted his career to figuring out how to take credit for other people's work (possible but requiring more than just raw charisma).

Remember, charisma is about how good you are at pushing yourself on those around you, but that is not quite the same thing as how those around you are going to react to who you are.