D&D 5E Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 18 Sorcerer

[GameOgre]

What would this character be like? I mean 8 is like the opposite of 12 so I would think that someone with a 8 in Int and Wis would just be slightly below average in both those regards.

One way I told the player to think of it is that he is perfectly normal but often slightly wrong. He knows about Dragons and there breath weapons but sometimes gets them mixed up and has issues remembering them according to type.

As far as his 18 Cha goes that's fine. He is simply a very likeable fellow even if his bulbs don't burn the brightest.


What do you guys think? How would you work it?

 

[schnee]

I knew a guy like this in college. Bad at school, not very articulate, but really good looking, warm, and personable. He was the center of our social circle even if I don't remember him ever actually doing much that's memorable. He surfed, hosted parties, played guitar, and nailed every girl in our group, one after the other, until they all started talking to each other, realized it, and it all blew up. (sigh) If he wasn't so damn nice I'd hate the hell out of him.

It's do-able, but I'm not sure it gives you much to work with as a character. You'll just kind of sit around and not do much, and after a while it might get boring. I accidentally did that with my character in a current campaign, and I'm still trying to figure out ways to liven him up.

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There's another path you can take that gives you a little more meat... Charisma isn't necessarily likable. It also means influential and the kind of person others rally around.

Look at a politician like (let's choose someone from history that won't inflame an argument), McCarthy. He wasn't known to be brilliantly smart, or a good policy maker. He knew how to grab the microphone, say things that a critical mass of people agreed with, and hammered those points constantly until nobody could ignore him.

So, I'd say the strength of personality to persevere over criticism, inability to accept 'no', always taking the center stage, etcetera are also a valid path.

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One other player in our group does that brilliantly. She's a racist Drow, and whenever a non-Elf screws up, she shouts out, 'you useless human!'. When she asks for assistance, she only talks to the other elves, and even then, slides in an insult disguised as praise whenever possible. It's funny as hell, and has livened up the table considerably.

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Hope that helps!

 

[Li Shenron]

What would this character be like? I mean 8 is like the opposite of 12 so I would think that someone with a 8 in Int and Wis would just be slightly below average in both those regards.

One way I told the player to think of it is that he is perfectly normal but often slightly wrong. He knows about Dragons and there breath weapons but sometimes gets them mixed up and has issues remembering them according to type.

As far as his 18 Cha goes that's fine. He is simply a very likeable fellow even if his bulbs don't burn the brightest.


What do you guys think? How would you work it?

A successful politician

Really, don't stress too much over the 8 Int and Wis. Typically players overthink their negative scores and start thinking that Int 8 means retarded and Wis 8 means incapable of following what's going on. A score of 8 is just slightly below average. I didn't do the math, but I think roughly more than 20% of normal people would have Int 8 or lower. Adventuring heroes have better scores typically, but the interpretation of ability scores is still based on normal people. So an Int 8 character might be just someone who's not so good at math and science, and a Wis 8 character someone who's a bit absent-minded, but really that -1 modifier means even less, it's just a few % chance less in a d20 roll.

 

[dream66_]

INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 18 is your basic stereotypical cheerleader. Not implying it's all cheerleaders, but the dumb blonde type you'd see in a movie.

 

[Quickleaf]

What would this character be like? I mean 8 is like the opposite of 12 so I would think that someone with a 8 in Int and Wis would just be slightly below average in both those regards.

One way I told the player to think of it is that he is perfectly normal but often slightly wrong. He knows about Dragons and there breath weapons but sometimes gets them mixed up and has issues remembering them according to type.

As far as his 18 Cha goes that's fine. He is simply a very likeable fellow even if his bulbs don't burn the brightest.


What do you guys think? How would you work it?

Take Insight proficiency and go for a Good alignment.

Play him as highly emotionally intelligent, a real people-pleaser, but easily flustered under pressure.
When you fail Arcana/History/Investigation/Nature/Religion checks, confidently prattle off a plausible (but inaccurate) answer, especially one you think your friends/audience wants to hear.
Over-promise what your group may or may not be able to deliver, not out of maliciousness, but out of poor common sense and a real desire to help.

 

[akr71]

Not the best with the book smarts, but not a moron. Doesn't always make the best choices (lacking some common sense), but highly charismatic and likable.

Sounds like many entertainers, celebrities and sports figures

Sounds like a fun character to play actually... make up words or try and persuade that you know what you are talking about, when you actually do not.

 

[iserith]

What would this character be like? I mean 8 is like the opposite of 12 so I would think that someone with a 8 in Int and Wis would just be slightly below average in both those regards.

One way I told the player to think of it is that he is perfectly normal but often slightly wrong. He knows about Dragons and there breath weapons but sometimes gets them mixed up and has issues remembering them according to type.

As far as his 18 Cha goes that's fine. He is simply a very likeable fellow even if his bulbs don't burn the brightest.


What do you guys think? How would you work it?

I play to my character's personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws (and its backstory to the extent I have one in mind), not to its ability scores. I would encourage this player to do the same, if he were at my table. Especially since playing to personal characteristics is worth Inspiration.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

What would this character be like? I mean 8 is like the opposite of 12 so I would think that someone with a 8 in Int and Wis would just be slightly below average in both those regards.

He might also come up with some not well thought out and inpractical plans, and manages to get everybody to go along with the plan.
People so cought up in his anthousiastic pitch for the plan they might only notice it's flaws while putting the plan into motion.
Sometimes it will turn out bad other times suprisingly good.

The Idea of the trojen horse might be pitched by a guy like this.
so we build this huge horse with soldiers hidden inside , and our whole army hides ( yea right hiding a whole army)
And they take the horse into the city ( why would they )
then the soldiers come out while they are having their victory party and open the gate ( and ofcourse nobody will see them getting out of the horse in the city square and moving to the gate)
meanwile we bring our ourmy close enough to the gate so they can rush in when the gate is opend. ( like nobody would notice that army sneaking to the gate)

 

[Croesus]

Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

 

[TerraDave]

So, just like most of the people you see on TV.

Part of the gift is being able to act smart. Like those people you see on TV who you think are smart. (unless they are an actual expert on something, probably not so much).

Though he may want to get a good writer.