Roleplaying a four Charisma...

[Terraism]

Hey, folks. Upcoming game, starting next Thursday (character backstory intermingling is tonight,) and my roomate is working on his character. He's a warforged fighter (Eberron game) recovered from the Mournlands with no memory prior to his extraction. Perfectly average Intelligence and Wisdom... and a four Charisma.

So, we're trying to decide how that would work. Given Charisma's role as "sense of self," we're thinking that he might indeed be the ultimate John Doe - not only does he not stand out in a crowd, he doesn't even really stand out to himself. We've decided that he doesn't have a name - he's just so innocuous that, while he may have had one before the explosion of Cyre, since he's been pulled out of the ruins nobody has given him one, and, moreover, nobody has even noticed he doesn't have one. (Example "names" we've listed on the sheet include "Hey," "You," and "Here, hold this.")

The player is actually a rather good roleplayer, and we're all into relative serious gameplay - while humor has its upside, we tend to stay away from joke or gimmick characters. That in mind, does anyone have any suggestions for how to work with this?

 

[Anabstercorian]

I'd hold off the No Name schtick until charisma reaches much lower levels. We've got a Cha 1 Dwarven Barbarian in our group we just call It. We don't know it's gender and we don't much care.

Honestly, I can't give any advice. I just wanted to mention the barbarian.

 

[Terraism]

I'd hold off the No Name schtick until charisma reaches much lower levels. We've got a Cha 1 Dwarven Barbarian in our group we just call It. We don't know it's gender and we don't much care.

Honestly, I can't give any advice. I just wanted to mention the barbarian.

With a member of another race, I'd hold off - but warforged are still viewed by a lot of people in Eberron as "objects," and this particular example isn't doing a whole lot to change that opinion.

That said, we've moved his Charisma up to five, and the plan is to put the 4th level point there - at which point decide he's come to a startling realization that he can say "no." And call himself something. Still looking for any other insight, though.

 

[eris404]

I had asked this question not too long ago, as I am playing a psion with a Cha of 6. I got some really good responses, but uh, I can't seem to find the thread and uh, I don't have access to the search function.

 

[Terraism]

I had asked this question not too long ago, as I am playing a psion with a Cha of 6. I got some really good responses, but uh, I can't seem to find the thread and uh, I don't have access to the search function.

Found it. http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=113310 Thanks - you're right, there is some good advice.

 

[dvvega]

Low Charisma has come up in many of my campaigns.

the most common we have had were:

- person is gorgeous, based on first looks they're model material, however ask them a question and the drooling idiot is revealed (lack of personality version)
- person is grizzly, but somehow commands respect (clint eastwood version)

In your case I would suggest that the warforged is a combination of damaged/beaten up. Since he's looked upon as an object, human instinct would prefer something nice and shiny and new. So an inherent revulsion would exist.

Add to this the unsurity of his background. Don't make him a complete amnesia sufferer, but perhaps a hulking creature that doesn't 100% remember his past and this makes him scared of making friends (ala Wolverine).

D

 

[Tonguez]

Personally I don't think a character with Cha 4 would have the required drive to become an adventurer interacting with other people and/or the wider world - so thats your first challenge explaining why he is here in the first place. (NB absolutely no way I would even allow a Cha 1 character)

At -3 he is a bit pathetic and unlikely to be noticed. He may in fact see himself as an object which others have a right to use. As such he doesn't talk unless addressed directly and indeed other than the basic survival routines barely even responds without direction (at Cha 5 he may have a tiny bit of character but not much). Cha 6 is a good improvement, he is still uncertain about his actions but will break routine without direction and as you suggest is able to say "no"

 

[Tortoise]

The first thing that comes to my mind is that he's unaware of how some things repulse or sicken others. For example, while most people wouldn't mess around in critter or humanoid waste for something with limited worth, this character wouldn't think twice about it and wouldn't seem to notice how messy he has become.

 

[Ace]

AFAIK no score may be lower than 3 at start --

I think the 3 Charisma dwarf is do a couple of points back

Now IMC we have a 7 Charisma LE Fighter/Rogue with 11 INT, 9 Wis and no social skills

The player plays him as overconfident, arrogant S.O.B. who thinks he is a great leader but is not

 

[Kelleris]

Actually, the "not less than 3" clause only applies to Intelligence. They want to keep you above animal intelligence, but it's okay to have only slightly more personality than your average doorstop.