Roleplaying a four Charisma...

[Al'Kelhar]

Cha 4 is easy. Roleplay like my players roleplay

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

(OK, not so helpful. I agree with the "little awareness of self, expects to be treated as an object" line of thinking).

 

[Psychic Warrior]

ANother twist on the low Cha character might be this: the guy is a 'mirror' whatever his current leader needs him to be he becomes. Without thought to who or even what he is he takes on the persona of whatever his 'handler' requires. Think of him as a dog desperately trying to please those around him by being what they expect. Of course with multiple people aroundhim at once this can lead to all sorts of wonder disorders

 

[Trainz]

He's not dumb and he's not oblivious, so I'd be weary about the no sense of self thing. Charisma is all about you and how other sentient beings react to you.

I would play him like someone that no-one respects, even if what he says is right. You know the type:

Cha4:"Maybe we should check the door for traps..."
Warrior: (ignores Cha4) "Rogue, do you think there's a trap on the door ?"
Rogue: "Good thinking Warrior, let me check." (proceeds to search for traps)
Cha4: "But it was *my* idea..."
Wizard: "What are you talking about ?"
Cha4: "I mean... I suggested that we should check traps."
Wizard: "The *Warrior* said that."
Warrior: "Yeah, I just did."
Cha4: "I mean, before you said so."
Wizard: "No you didn't."
Warrior: "Stop being such a jerk. You wonder why people don't pay attention to you. If you weren't so annoying all the time, people would respect you more."
Cha4: "But it's not fair, I just..."
Rogue: "Would SOMEONE please just SHUT HIM THE HELL UP already. I'm trying to concentrate here."
Wizard: "Shut up, or you'll make Rogue spring a trap and risk all our lives, like last time."
Cha4: "But it wasn't me..."
Warrior: "SHUT UP!"
Cha4: *pouts*

 

[Elrik_DarkFury]

He's not dumb and he's not oblivious, so I'd be weary about the no sense of self thing. Charisma is all about you and how other sentient beings react to you.

I would play him like someone that no-one respects, even if what he says is right. You know the type:

Cha4:"Maybe we should check the door for traps..."
Warrior: (ignores Cha4) "Rogue, do you think there's a trap on the door ?"
Rogue: "Good thinking Warrior, let me check." (proceeds to search for traps)
Cha4: "But it was *my* idea..."
Wizard: "What are you talking about ?"
Cha4: "I mean... I suggested that we should check traps."
Wizard: "The *Warrior* said that."
Warrior: "Yeah, I just did."
Cha4: "I mean, before you said so."
Wizard: "No you didn't."
Warrior: "Stop being such a jerk. You wonder why people don't pay attention to you. If you weren't so annoying all the time, people would respect you more."
Cha4: "But it's not fair, I just..."
Rogue: "Would SOMEONE please just SHUT HIM THE HELL UP already. I'm trying to concentrate here."
Wizard: "Shut up, or you'll make Rogue spring a trap and risk all our lives, like last time."
Cha4: "But it wasn't me..."
Warrior: "SHUT UP!"
Cha4: *pouts*

I feel that this is better than the "no sense of self thing" - specially for someone with average int and wis.
I wonder though, would this kind of character be fun for the player?
I think i would soon get bored and tired roleplaying this character no matter how interesting and different he seems.


_________________
The Wizard

 

[Doctor Shaft]

Eh. I like your example. However, at charisma 4 you have even less "personal appeal" than some vegetation-like worms. I would say the "absence of self" is actually quite fitting for such a score.

While your example probably really points to the ignorance part of it, where other players kind of go "Uh, yeah, check the door" even though he just said it... I'd probably omit the part where Cha4 starts talking back.

Saying stuff like "but that was my idea" is a social construction. It would suggest that he actually cares what people are saying and that he wants a word in the discussion or wants people to remember or perceive him in some ways.

I don't think a charisma warforged below 6 would even consider that... and if he did, he most certainly wouldn't talk back. He'd probably just say this...

"Perhaps we should check for traps."
"Hey, we should check for traps."
...continue dialogue, minus Cha4 responses.

Those are personality quirks, something someone with such an abysmal score probably wouldn't have.



My two coppers.

 

[devoblue]

I would question whether a Cha4 character even has the self-esteem to speak up in a situation where they are being ignored. I can imagine them keeping to themselves and becomming depressed about not having any input, but being stuck there because they don't want to speak up. If they are asked their opinion, they may shrug even if they have one, or become overly excited about someone else caring. They may try to make a fool of themselves to get attention, and won't be aware of behaviour that anoys their friends.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Interesting concept.

When I saw the name of the thread, I thought, you wanted tips on playing the gruff version, and I was about to give you the advice to go on a drinking spree the day before the session (to get a good hangover) and then invite some really bad musicians to practise in your home the next morning - early (to improve upon that mood).

 

[Hand of Evil]

As this is a warforged I would think shape and or coloring. Warforged are built for war and shaped human but the look of the forged could be alien and not pleasing to the eye, also the color could just be nasty combo. Think ugly dog.

 

[Al]

- 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)

This works for low-medium Charisma (say, 8), but the problem with Charisma is that after a while it reaches "convergence". Essentially, a Charisma 16 character might have supermodel looks, or be a solid orator, or a good leader, or be able to keep the audience rolling in the aisles in his stand-up show, but someone with Charisma 26 is gorgeous, witty, dynamic, funny, charming and inspiring. It's the same the other way. Now, whilst this character hasn't quite dredged the depths (still got three Cha points to lose), he's on his way to becoming a nonentity.

The way I see high or low Charisma is that it acts as a prism through which the other actions of the character are perceived. The academic with high Charisma is a great mind, with low Charisma he's a pretentious over-intellectual smart-ass; the tank with high Charisma is a noble and valiant fighter, with low Charisma he's a semi-intelligent brute; the rogue with high Charisma is a gentleman adventurer beloved by readers of romantic novels throughout the world, with low Charisma he's just a petty criminal scorned by right-thinking folk. No matter what this character seems to do, he's always ignored and the accolades passed to others in the party. Other people might just acknowledge his talents, but they have such a negative image that unless he invests in social skills to convince them otherwise, he's going to have a hard time convincing them that he's anything other than cannon fodder to be bossed around.

 

[Tetsubo]

I think I would go with a very robot-like personality. I'd give him a name but one that would be given to a thing, ie Engle Number 5, Trooper 47, Drone, or Fodder.... As the CH goes up he begins to see himself as separate from the world around him. As someone else mentioned, he can say "No".