Using Bluff

[irdeggman]

That makes sense, but at the same time ignoring the roleplay element (The stat roll is just a somewhat desperate plea to the GM that my character is basically being ignored, when of course he is the first person sought when we find something magical) is really what bothers me the most. When the sorcerer tells you why something is not a good idea, gives you a perfect valid reason, and then is ignored various times... I dunno.

Is the PC a "tactician"?

Does he have a lot of knowledge skills?

Is he giving advice on a topic that he is a recognized "expert" on?

A sorcerer (known as one by other party members) is probably recognized as an "expert" when it comes to things "magical" unless of course there is a wizard around since wizard trumps sorcerer when it comes to magic knowledge.

But a sorcerer is not in general recognized as an expert at diplomacy and interaction (a bard, rogue, paladin, or cleric in general are recognized as such based on their "class" training backgrounds)

Charisma means different things for different characters. It is not always that a character is great at interactions.

Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers, and bards. It is also important for clerics, since it affects their ability to turn undead. Every creature has a Charisma score.

IMO the reason that most spontaneous casters use Charisma as the prime ability is not because they are great at interaction or personal magnetism it is because they have a strong force of personality.


Diplomacy is not a class skill for sorcerers precisely because they are not associated with interaction as a class. Bluff is for a variety of possibilites based on the type of setting - they are trying to hide the fact that they are arcane casters (unfortunately they didn't make sleight of hand a class skill to match the rules change from the Rules Compendium that sleight of hand is used to disguise spellcasting), they are trying to people that they are not who they are looking for, etc.

Now your PC has a +12 for diplomacy at 4th level with a 19 Charisma.

Hmm let's check the math:

max ranks - 3 (actually 3.5 but the .5 doesn't mean anything) for a cross class skill, +4 for Charisma mod, +2 for 5 ranks in bluff (I assume you have that) you can't have 5 ranks in Knowledge (nobility) or Sense motive for the additional bonuses because they are cross class skills.

So the max bonus should be 3 + 4 + 2 = +9 not +12

Now you could have gained +3 if you took skill focus feat and/or +2 if you took the persuasive feat but I can't think of why a sorcerer would take those feats - if you wanted to be a master of interactions then you should have chosen to be a bard instead.

Bluff could be max of 8 +4 +2 (if a snake familiar) = +14 (minus any bonuses due to feats) (which is what you show - so I assume you either have a feat or a snake familiar)

I guess I could find a cursed item identify it, and pass it to the offender. "Oh, yes. It's a pretty powerful magic effect." The same character (a Lawful Good warrior with a Knight of same alignment) is also one of the greedier players, despite being Lawful Good and (to my character) abuses his position as a liege by using his knight's gold in lieu of his own. He supports this by saying the action isn't 'evil', just greedy/selfish (??) and that he isn't breaking any law. Worse, he seems to use that character to buffer his own rolls and act as an insert for when he wants to be in two places at once. (He has control over his knight, which he gained from a Deck of Many Things)

While I have run across people who don't play their characters the way I think they should I continually tell myself that it is "their character" and that I can only control how I play my character. The DM should evaluate if people are runnning their PCs according to whatever code they had developed for their PC in the first place not another player.

Now be careful on how you perceive lawful good. A paladin is lawful good with extra spinkles. That is not the reference to use for lawful good in general.

Lawful Good, “Crusader”: A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. She combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. She tells the truth, keeps her word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.

Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion.

Is the character telling the truth?

Is the character keeping his word?

Is the character opposing "evil"?

Is the character helping those in need?

No where does it say that the character can not be "greedy" - that is a paladin "extra" but not an inherent part of being lawful good.

 

[irdeggman]

aboyd: You can Intimidate other players in combat as a standard action to make them shaken. Although why you would choose to do so is a completely different reason.

And the reason you can do this, is that it has a very specific game effect, and isn't telling a player that they can't choose to slice you into little pieces anyway...

You can also use Bluff to "feint" for the same reason.