I love Bards, always play Bards or Rogues, but with high Charisma i ALWAYS get voted as the frontman. Edit: Also like supports like Cleric or Paladin... also high CHA... Sometimes i just want to backseat a little and, "watch/listen" to see what other Players would do or say, but i always get forced into the leader making the decisions for my team. Sure you can ask your team what they think, but (especially a newer group or the first 3-6 months) they dont ever speak or want to speak or share their ideas and put it all on you as they drift-along.
Do I have to play a Barbarian or Monk or Wizard to stay in the-background and let the story unfold? What about STR based characters for intimidation or to show your team is Strong and Capable? What about INT or WIS based characters to outsmart or Perceive their target's reactions in communication?
just build your bard without proficiency or expertise in persuasion/deception/intimidation and they'll likely pass that task to someone else in the party instead, like, maybe the paladin or warlock or maybe the rogue.
You can simply have a conversation with your team about how you do not wish to be the person doing the things. Someone will step up.
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DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form| Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock | He/Him/They/Them
You don't have to optimise, in one campaign I was a warlock, alongside a Paladin a bard and a cleric and the cleric did as least half the face work (admittedly with the bard doing most of the rest)
Thanks for the tips! I was also thinking about making a lore-reason (not a blind/deaf/mute bard) but like... He gets nervous when he talks, causing him to almost always tell-the-truth (sometimes getting their team into trouble), or is SO BAD at lying, he tells wild lies, "and then this DRAGON appeared!".
Having the highest Cha score in the party doesn't mean you HAVE to be the front man. Any player can be the front man, and I figure it is often one of the more experienced players.
But, mechanically it helps if the front man can "charm" their way in and out of situations, and Cha is all about that.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Honestly, for the same reason a high dex score + light armor makes one the scout, players prefer if the required skill rolls are performed by the person with the best chance of success.
Typically, I have the opposite problem a lot when I play the high Cha character. I try to negotiate, and get undermined by a bunch of cha negative people falling over themselves trying to intimidate.
I honestly have no Idea why this phenomena occurs, maybe it is because charisma can be good for negotiating, so the negotiator is the leader. or maybe to distract you from making all creatures find you attractive via spells and charisma.
I am about to be in a campaign where the front man is decided by an initiative roll, but the DM was originally going to do it by a charisma check. On an unrelated note, our party meeta in a tavern.
In our party, it's usually the character with the least CHA that tries to take on the the Frontman role to hilarious affect. It's then generally up to me as the bard to try and rescue them :)
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Odo Proudfoot - Lvl 10 Halfling Monk - Princes of the Apocalypse (Campaign Finished)
As others have states, high CHA doesn't really help one much if you don't select the skills to support it. Simply select different skills.
I play a bard that not only doesn't have Persuasion, Deception or Intimidation, but also doesn't even have Performance or training in a musical instrument besides a drum (and again, no performance skill to back it up).
I play my bard as an arcane shaman that "throat sings" to cast his spells. My high CHA is manifested much like a Paladin - my oath/quest for righteousness. I don't give out Bardic Inspiration, I Bestow the All-Fathers Blessings.
I even got my DM to agree to allow me to give up Jack of All Trades at lvl 2 for the Divination Wizard's Portent.
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Why does high CHA always make you the Frontman?
I love Bards, always play Bards or Rogues, but with high Charisma i ALWAYS get voted as the frontman. Edit: Also like supports like Cleric or Paladin... also high CHA...
Sometimes i just want to backseat a little and, "watch/listen" to see what other Players would do or say, but i always get forced into the leader making the decisions for my team. Sure you can ask your team what they think, but (especially a newer group or the first 3-6 months) they dont ever speak or want to speak or share their ideas and put it all on you as they drift-along.
Do I have to play a Barbarian or Monk or Wizard to stay in the-background and let the story unfold?
What about STR based characters for intimidation or to show your team is Strong and Capable?
What about INT or WIS based characters to outsmart or Perceive their target's reactions in communication?
Drakiel the Bard, teller of stories, maker of dreams.
Yes. The high charisma is the frontman. You are cursed forever.
just build your bard without proficiency or expertise in persuasion/deception/intimidation and they'll likely pass that task to someone else in the party instead, like, maybe the paladin or warlock or maybe the rogue.
You can simply have a conversation with your team about how you do not wish to be the person doing the things. Someone will step up.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock | He/Him/They/Them
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You don't have to optimise, in one campaign I was a warlock, alongside a Paladin a bard and a cleric and the cleric did as least half the face work (admittedly with the bard doing most of the rest)
Thanks for the tips!
I was also thinking about making a lore-reason (not a blind/deaf/mute bard) but like... He gets nervous when he talks, causing him to almost always tell-the-truth (sometimes getting their team into trouble), or is SO BAD at lying, he tells wild lies, "and then this DRAGON appeared!".
Drakiel the Bard, teller of stories, maker of dreams.
Having the highest Cha score in the party doesn't mean you HAVE to be the front man. Any player can be the front man, and I figure it is often one of the more experienced players.
But, mechanically it helps if the front man can "charm" their way in and out of situations, and Cha is all about that.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Honestly, for the same reason a high dex score + light armor makes one the scout, players prefer if the required skill rolls are performed by the person with the best chance of success.
Typically, I have the opposite problem a lot when I play the high Cha character. I try to negotiate, and get undermined by a bunch of cha negative people falling over themselves trying to intimidate.
I honestly have no Idea why this phenomena occurs, maybe it is because charisma can be good for negotiating, so the negotiator is the leader. or maybe to distract you from making all creatures find you attractive via spells and charisma.
I am about to be in a campaign where the front man is decided by an initiative roll, but the DM was originally going to do it by a charisma check. On an unrelated note, our party meeta in a tavern.
- BigKid10
In our party, it's usually the character with the least CHA that tries to take on the the Frontman role to hilarious affect. It's then generally up to me as the bard to try and rescue them :)
Odo Proudfoot - Lvl 10 Halfling Monk - Princes of the Apocalypse (Campaign Finished)
Orryn Pebblefoot - Lvl 5 Rock Gnome Wizard (Deceased) - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (Deceased)
Anerin Ap Tewdr - Lvl 5 Human (Variant) Bard (College of Valor) - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Why does the guy with pilot skills always fly the plane?
As others have states, high CHA doesn't really help one much if you don't select the skills to support it. Simply select different skills.
I play a bard that not only doesn't have Persuasion, Deception or Intimidation, but also doesn't even have Performance or training in a musical instrument besides a drum (and again, no performance skill to back it up).
I play my bard as an arcane shaman that "throat sings" to cast his spells. My high CHA is manifested much like a Paladin - my oath/quest for righteousness. I don't give out Bardic Inspiration, I Bestow the All-Fathers Blessings.
I even got my DM to agree to allow me to give up Jack of All Trades at lvl 2 for the Divination Wizard's Portent.