Looking for tips on roleplaying a low charisma

[Wik]

Of course, another avenue is to simply go to any geek convention and look around. Throw a stick and hit a dozen examples of low Charisma

Don't. Those sticks hurt. Luckily, my friend had taken my phaser away from me, or you would have been sorry.

 

[Skallgrim]

You could also have someone who always tried to negotiate, etc, but simply was not plausible at it. We have a party wizard who does this. He uses threats like "Now, you have really caused me to get angry!" and bluffs like "Oh, powerful dragon, I have brought you a sack of really valuable things.". He reassures villagers with heroic sentiments like, "We will try very hard to do something to defeat the evil, if at all possible."

He's not dumb, and not asocial, or introverted. He simply doesn't manage to ever come across as impressive or imposing, just sort of nerdy.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

He uses threats like "Now, you have really caused me to get angry!" and bluffs like "Oh, powerful dragon, I have brought you a sack of really valuable things.". He reassures villagers with heroic sentiments like, "We will try very hard to do something to defeat the evil, if at all possible."

Those are pretty good- especially the last one, which is awesome!

I'm reminded of the Doctor from Arrested Development who had the Worst Bedside Manner In The World. He simply couldn't convey info to the patients without using the worst possible turn of phrase.

For instance, in one episode he told the Bluth family "I'm sorry, we lost your father....He, uh, just slipped away from us." After the cries of anguish from the horrified family, he amended his statement "I mean he escaped from the ward and we can't find him."

Then there was:

"I’m sorry to say this, but it’s too late for me to do anything for your son."

"Let him keep talking."

"Because Dr. Stein here has already been assigned to his case. You’re lucky. He’s the best."

Or this one:

"He looks dead."

"Wait...looks dead or is dead?"

"It just looks like he’s dead. He’s got like blue paint on him or something. But he’s going to be fine."

Classic stuff.

 

[EroGaki]

As has been covered, their are a ton of ways to play a low charisma character. However, can you also add the character's intelligence and wisdom, class and any possible traits you have chosen? Are there any relevant campaign details that you know of. This might help in deciding which of the wonderful suggestions so far you might take him.

He is a 1st level Dwarven Druid. We are going to be playing The Legacy of Fire AP using Pathfinder RPG rules. He has a 11 Int, 20 Wis, and 7 Cha. I don't know too much about the adventure path, besides the fact that it takes place in a desert area and gnolls are a common threat.

I'd really like to avoid playing the stereotypes associated with dwarves and druids; the gruff, grumpy ale spewing dwarf has been done to death, as has the hippy, tree-hugging weirdo druid who was raised by wolves.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

He is a 1st level Dwarven Druid. We are going to be playing The Legacy of Fire AP using Pathfinder RPG rules. He has a 11 Int, 20 Wis, and 7 Cha. I don't know too much about the adventure path, besides the fact that it takes place in a desert area and gnolls are a common threat.

I'd really like to avoid playing the stereotypes associated with dwarves and druids; the gruff, grumpy ale spewing dwarf has been done to death, as has the hippy, tree-hugging weirdo druid who was raised by wolves.

Maybe he would be a little like Doctor House? Okay, he's grumpy, but the point here would be:
He is very perceptive (high wisdom). He understands people, notices details. And than will always put the finger where it hurts most. He doesn't use his insights to make friends. People only thank him because he gets result when they or others might have given up hope, not because he was nice.

Of course, House is probably also very manipulative and can be very convincing, so he might not actually have a bad charisma. It's hard to say.

 

[Pbartender]

He is a 1st level Dwarven Druid. We are going to be playing The Legacy of Fire AP using Pathfinder RPG rules. He has a 11 Int, 20 Wis, and 7 Cha. I don't know too much about the adventure path, besides the fact that it takes place in a desert area and gnolls are a common threat.

I'd really like to avoid playing the stereotypes associated with dwarves and druids; the gruff, grumpy ale spewing dwarf has been done to death, as has the hippy, tree-hugging weirdo druid who was raised by wolves.

Perhaps "The Sphinx" from the movie Mystery Men might be a good example... He's soft spoken, and full of wise proverbs and saying that can be very useful and relevant to the situation, but always come out sounding like contrived cliches. For example:

"We are number one. All others are number two, or lower."

"To learn my teachings, I must first teach you how to learn."

"You must lash out with every limb, like the octopus who plays the drums."

"He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions."

"You must be like wolf pack, not six-pack."

"When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack."

"When you care what is outside, what is inside cares for you."

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Perhaps "The Sphinx" from the movie Mystery Men might be a good example... He's soft spoken, and full of wise proverbs and saying that can be very useful and relevant to the situation, but always come out sounding like contrived cliches. For example:

"We are number one. All others are number two, or lower."

"To learn my teachings, I must first teach you how to learn."

"You must lash out with every limb, like the octopus who plays the drums."

"He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions."

"You must be like wolf pack, not six-pack."

"When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack."

"When you care what is outside, what is inside cares for you."

Dang, reading them all at once makes it hard for me not to break out laughing. A virtual it is. A in real life.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

He is a 1st level Dwarven Druid. We are going to be playing The Legacy of Fire AP using Pathfinder RPG rules. He has a 11 Int, 20 Wis, and 7 Cha. I don't know too much about the adventure path, besides the fact that it takes place in a desert area and gnolls are a common threat.

I'd really like to avoid playing the stereotypes associated with dwarves and druids; the gruff, grumpy ale spewing dwarf has been done to death, as has the hippy, tree-hugging weirdo druid who was raised by wolves.

The medium intelligence, ultra-high wisdom and low charisma is an interesting mix. If you don't want grumpy dwarf and tree-hugging druid, you could perhaps mix some of the following aspects into the mix:

- He loves rocks and finds them fascinating: gaining much wisdom by comparing different people or situtations to the properties of certain rocks or rock formations. He knows he bores people with this stuff and that others don't appreciate his wit but he just humbly accepts the situation.

- He has a clear gaze but otherwise unremarkable features - perhaps the scraggiest of beards much to his family's disappointment. People are generally uncomfortable talking to him for any length of time or about personal topics. They feel like he can see directly into their souls with his solemn clear gaze and it makes them obviously uncomfortable.

- He is strange when it come to personal hygiene: diligent at times when in town but when out of town, he prefers to let nature do it's thing.

- He never raises his voice or tries to coerce or intimidate. Occasionally though, he may speak tersely with those he dislikes or who he feels are trying to outsmart him in some way. In fact about some things or very particular topics he can be a little paranoid.

- His method of spellcasting is always quite solemn, with the occasional droning. It is something he never tries to be overt about.

- When dealing with topics that he has limited knowledge on, he will always defer to the PC who he thinks would have the greatest knowledge on that topic. Alternatively, he will occasionally ask the party member with the least insight so as to demonstrate what would possibly be the poorest option.

- He is obviously fond of creatures shorter than him, yet somewhat shy and less open with those of greater stature. This tends to more a subconscious action rather than deliberate.

I think the most important thing is that while he may be somewhat ineffectual in terms of communication, he has a high number of idiosynchrocies that you can focus on roleplaying rather than just being the shy-don't-talk-too-much guy - in other words, you don't just sit there when the talking happens.

Anyway, ask your DM about character traits and if he is playing them in this adventure path. Traits are a nice addition that capture the flavour of a particular adventure path. I think you will definitely enjoy the Legacy of Fire AP - I have read many groups really digging it so have some fun.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Blastin]

My favorite example of a low charisma character is Jayne from Firefly...

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

This is the problem with the mental stats.... I always thought of Jayne as low wisdom, not low charisma.