Hated Heroes?

[diaglo]

Great responses.

I do agree I confused Reputation with Charisma. Curious that no rules for reputation are in the Core; I suppose I consider it for that in NPC reactions, but still.

After reading all the posts, I think I'll be more strict with my players regarding roleplaying their abysmal charisma scores. I can see how NPCs would come to personally hate them, even while their reputation and deed are for good, if the Cha is properly roleplayed.

Yair

iirc, the mechanic for reputation is covered under the Leadership feat(s).

 

[Lamoni]

I can see how NPCs would come to personally hate them, even while their reputation and deed are for good, if the Cha is properly roleplayed.

That's great... as long as you can also see how NPCs could come to personally love them, even while their reputation and deed are for good, if the Cha is properly roleplayed.

Someone with a high charisma can more easily get people to like them, but like I said before... most people like people with similar values and beliefs as them. In the Hitler example, Hitler's high charisma and skills in public speaking, bluff, and diplomacy were high enough that he knew what the people's beliefs and values were and presented himself in a way that the people thought that he was the person that best represented them. He was also able to get more than a few to change their beliefs from a more indifferent attitude to a more supremist attitude.

In conclusion, let the public hate them if they deserve to be hated. Let the public love them if they deserve to be loved. CHA has little to do with it (unless they only deserve to be loved through the lies they are telling). Of course, your campaign could have a press like we have in our society. In that way, the press could spin any story to look like anything they wanted. To avoid bringing up real world examples, think of Harry Potter 4 and Rita Skeeter. That is why most dictators have felt the need to control the press. It prevents people from spinning their stories in a bad light and allows them to spin any other story the way they want.

 

[Rel]

I wouldn't say that a slightly low (6-9 range) Charisma is going to make you hated by people even if you're helping them out. I just think that you make a rather poor first impression that must be overcome by further actions.

One other comment about ability score penalties: You probably wouldn't have people gape in awe of the muscles of a character with a 14 Str, right? Well that's as much of a bonus (+2) as somebody with a 6 Cha has for a penalty (-2). So you don't need to have every peasant hurling rotten fruit at them the moment they show their face in town unless they've done something to deserve such treatment.