I’m building a character who is introverted, so I was assuming that he would have a low charisma score. However, though the character is not very outgoing, most people who meet him find it easy to like him. Does that mean that he actually has a really high charisma score?
Charisma isn't simply just being liked. The world is filled with unlikeable people who have commanding presence and the ability to influence others. Think of a successful lawyer who represents unsavory clients.
Also, being introverted does not imply that one's charisma must be low.
I guess you are right on both counts. My way of thinking was that people are drawn to him without him really trying. The more I think about it, the more I think his charisma would be high. I’m not trying to equate “like” and “charisma” but people are drawn to this character though he puts in little effort to draw them in.
Think of Charisma as your ability to affect the world around you. Some people can brighten up a room with nothing more than a beautiful smile. Others do not look like much but can talk others into doing pretty much anything. With others, it's a combination of the two or the lack thereof.
How many OnlyFans models are great orators? How many politicians have stunning good looks?
If you're writing a story, stats don't matter. Gandalf didn't have to be balanced against Aragorn. But in the game, your Charisma is what you set it to be at. But even a guy with a negative three can Nat20 and get a 17.
I feel there are two factors to consider when gauging the Charisma score:
Class: Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, and Warlock. These classes have a Charisma that surpasses the standard interactions with society and other beings.
Skills: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion. It is possible to be skillful with one; so in that case having proficiency with the skill is all that is required.
If you feel you character has a innate capacity for some or all of the above skills then having a higher charisma make sense. Being drawn to the character or having a favorable opinion of the character suggests an average to above average score; however, regardless of the effort, if the character is success with efforts to influence or manipulate other characters then the Charisma scorer should be higher.
I guess you are right on both counts. My way of thinking was that people are drawn to him without him really trying. The more I think about it, the more I think his charisma would be high. I’m not trying to equate “like” and “charisma” but people are drawn to this character though he puts in little effort to draw them in.
I feel like that's actually a really accurate signifier of charisma... the fact that this character puts relatively little effort into impressing others or even getting out of their own house regularly, but any time they do actually meet someone people find it easy to get along with this person and feel drawn to try and spend time with them.
Honestly, my advice is to not overthink the interplay between ability scores and personality. The reality of social interactions isn’t nearly so clear cut that you can point to a single attribute as the defining metric of how successful a person will be in them. If you’re not looking to be a face or playing a class that needs high CHA for its abilities, just take something in the 8-12 range and you’ll be in a reasonable ballpark.
I’m building a character who is introverted, so I was assuming that he would have a low charisma score. However, though the character is not very outgoing, most people who meet him find it easy to like him. Does that mean that he actually has a really high charisma score?
No.
Charisma isn't simply just being liked. The world is filled with unlikeable people who have commanding presence and the ability to influence others. Think of a successful lawyer who represents unsavory clients.
Also, being introverted does not imply that one's charisma must be low.
I guess you are right on both counts. My way of thinking was that people are drawn to him without him really trying. The more I think about it, the more I think his charisma would be high. I’m not trying to equate “like” and “charisma” but people are drawn to this character though he puts in little effort to draw them in.
Think of Charisma as your ability to affect the world around you. Some people can brighten up a room with nothing more than a beautiful smile. Others do not look like much but can talk others into doing pretty much anything. With others, it's a combination of the two or the lack thereof.
How many OnlyFans models are great orators? How many politicians have stunning good looks?
If you're writing a story, stats don't matter. Gandalf didn't have to be balanced against Aragorn. But in the game, your Charisma is what you set it to be at. But even a guy with a negative three can Nat20 and get a 17.
I feel there are two factors to consider when gauging the Charisma score:
Class: Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, and Warlock. These classes have a Charisma that surpasses the standard interactions with society and other beings.
Skills: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion. It is possible to be skillful with one; so in that case having proficiency with the skill is all that is required.
If you feel you character has a innate capacity for some or all of the above skills then having a higher charisma make sense. Being drawn to the character or having a favorable opinion of the character suggests an average to above average score; however, regardless of the effort, if the character is success with efforts to influence or manipulate other characters then the Charisma scorer should be higher.
I feel like that's actually a really accurate signifier of charisma... the fact that this character puts relatively little effort into impressing others or even getting out of their own house regularly, but any time they do actually meet someone people find it easy to get along with this person and feel drawn to try and spend time with them.
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Honestly, my advice is to not overthink the interplay between ability scores and personality. The reality of social interactions isn’t nearly so clear cut that you can point to a single attribute as the defining metric of how successful a person will be in them. If you’re not looking to be a face or playing a class that needs high CHA for its abilities, just take something in the 8-12 range and you’ll be in a reasonable ballpark.
Good answers here already. I would just like to point out that being an introvert IRL has very little to do with social skills or charisma.
You can be charismatic and have amazing social skills and still be an introvert. And you can be an extrovert with no social skills whatsoever.
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