The Ugly Crew

[Hand of Evil]

Here is the question; How do other CHR 7 PC & NPC treat and see the players? So, the players have to be scarred or of a lower class or smell or be a known cheater or back stabber or from a black listed family or any of the other things that people find ugly.

 

[Crothian]

Let them do it. Then when they gio out and do great things have other people take credit for it. The populace doesn't what to believe that this band of social misfits was successful. Or have them at first be popular for their victories but make social gaffs and soon the town is tired of them and wants them gone.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I don't think you should fall into the trap of allowing them to use a low charisma to have an influence (by being rude or aggressive, especially).

It makes much more sense to treat it as their ability to project their personality. And with everyone at 7, they are going to find it difficult to do so. If they act aggressive people don't take them seriously. Same if they act nice. People don't remember them. People don't ask them about stuff. They've chosen to be wallflowers, and the way that NPCs react to them should reflect that.

 

[Plane Sailing]

In fact I'd say they are not so much the 'Ugly Crew' as the 'Bland Crew', or the 'Boring Crew'.

Until such time as PCs invest in the social skills to overcome their innate blandness, of course.

 

[MoxieFu]

The Asperger Hill Gang?

 

[Stormonu]

Eh, they'd probably be more like the guys from Big Bang Theory instead of Friends.

The problem is not necessarily that they all have a Charisma of 7, but if they have a Cha 7 AND no one has any ranks in Diplomacy. Those are the kind of folk that get blamed for things they didn't do, other people steal the credit for the things they DO do (and the rewards that go with it), nobody wants to invite to a party and the mayor/sheriff/local noble is looking for any excuse to run them out of town. Merchants might not want them in their stores because they scare away other customers.

In short, the characters are spending their ability points on things they see important to their survival. If you get across the point that the use of Charisma is just as vital to their survival as Con, Dex, Int/Wis or Str then they'll bother putting points into it.

 

[Vaslov]

Foes tend to not surrender to them as often as they would expect. They pick up enemies quicker. No one ever supports them. Color their impression of the world as darker as well. They will think everyone is out to get them. When they enter a room they think people always give them suspecting looks. They will always see the worst of a situation. Use Charisma as a karma as well. When things could go one way or another have it come out on the worse end. It's like the universe is out to get them.

I like your description of the being the motley western outlaws. Have fun with it.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I don't think you should fall into the trap of allowing them to use a low charisma to have an influence (by being rude or aggressive, especially).

It makes much more sense to treat it as their ability to project their personality. And with everyone at 7, they are going to find it difficult to do so. If they act aggressive people don't take them seriously. Same if they act nice. People don't remember them. People don't ask them about stuff. They've chosen to be wallflowers, and the way that NPCs react to them should reflect that.

I'd agree with this, as well... Have NPCs ignore them, talk over them, and generally pretend that they don't matter/exist. This can be in addition to having someone (or everyone) take advantage of them / take credit for their deeds / treat them like lesser folk / and so on...

Of course, you should probably not be surprised when the characters begin acting out in an antisocial manner. I'd expect these PCs to end up killing townsfolk /shopkeepers who won't deal with them anyway and just taking what they want.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

If they feel they need to dump Charisma with a 15 point buy, then it can be their choice. That doesn't mean it won't have repercussions in their social interactions as you play the game though. Lacking a face-man for the party might make job negotiations tough or make people uneasy as they come into various towns and villages along the way. Sort of like a motley bunch of outlaws would set a town on edge in the old westerns.

That isn't to say go out of your way to punish them, just don't ignore the fact they aren't the prettiest looking or most well spoken bunch.

This.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Their logic that they're being forced into 7 Cha by the 15 point-buy is kind of off. My current group has a 14, two 16s , and an 18 (and yeah, one 7) in the Cha department using 15 point-buy and it works. Of course it's up to them who their characters are though.

If every character does it I'd probably make an effort to mildy punish them. Nothing serious, they'd just be more likely to be ignored by NPCs and would find social situations a fair bit tougher.

If one breaks the mould, make a bit of special effort to reward that one. If the others see "Hey, he didn't dump Cha and it's actually helping him" they might be convinced to try it once in awhile too.