How to play a 19 Charisma

[ConcreteBuddha]

I'd argue the exact opposite. NPCs are affected by Charisma, but the party itself shouldn't be. In the absence of magical influence, a PC's emotions and attitude are as the player determines, regardless of whatever the numbers say.

You can't make a Diplomacy or Intimidate check to alter a PC's attitude. Flat Charisma should be unable to do better.

We house-ruled that you can make Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate checks against PCs. More people took a care to have good mental stats after that. Sense Motive became an important skill.

 

[Al]

I'd argue the exact opposite. NPCs are affected by Charisma, but the party itself shouldn't be. In the absence of magical influence, a PC's emotions and attitude are as the player determines, regardless of whatever the numbers say.

You can't make a Diplomacy or Intimidate check to alter a PC's attitude. Flat Charisma should be unable to do better.

I would strongly disagree.

No-one can force PCs to respect a high Charisma, but at the end of the day, if they do then it is likely poor roleplaying. The vast majority of characters are more likely to believe someone who is attractive, confident, eloquent and amiable over someone who is ugly, pathetic, ill-spoken and unpleasant, even if they say the same things. The same applies for NPCs (as DM I certainly pay attention to character's Charismas), and the same even applies for NPC charismas with regard to PCs.

With regard to Diplomacy and Intimidate, you cannot change a PC's attitude. Yet they should act appropriately: someone who is the target of a roll of, say, 37 in Diplomacy and does not act in any way more friendly towards the character is, in nearly all cases, a poor roleplayer. The same applies for Bluff, Intimidate etc. If the character is successfully Bluffed but the player plays the character as though he is not, that is metagaming of the lowest order and borders on cheating.