Uses for Charisma

[Enix18]

I'm working on building a new character with a high score in charisma. However, I don't want to go the obvious route of making her a Sorcerer to take advantage of that stat. Thus, I'm left to wonder: other than the obvious applications (sorcerer spells, cleric turning, and what little other core material there is that makes use of charisma), what can I do with this?

So here's my question to you, Playground: are there any useful feats, class abilities, spells, or other options that could put my high charisma to work?

[King Atticus]

I'm working on building a new character with a high score in charisma. However, I don't want to go the obvious route of making her a Sorcerer to take advantage of that stat. Thus, I'm left to wonder: other than the obvious applications (sorcerer spells, cleric turning, and what little other core material there is that makes use of charisma), what can I do with this?

So here's my question to you, Playground: are there any useful feats, class abilities, spells, or other options that could put my high charisma to work?

Sure, just use Diplomacy on everything. It's seriously the most broken skill ever. While it is fun for a while I always just feel a little dirty about it after a while. :smallsmile:

[Lappy9000]

Or you could go down the Bluff route.
Nab a few Bard levels (tons of Charisma use there)
Take Glibness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glibness.htm)
Control and manipulate friends and enemies
???
Profit!

[Malimar]

I'll just leave this here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125732)

[The-Mage-King]

Simple build for (ab)using Cha.

Chaotic Neutral Human (at start)

Level 1: Human paragon (Unearthed Arcana). Pick Iaijutsu Focus (Oriental Adventures) as your permanant class skill.
Levels 2 and 3: Crusader (Tome of Battle). Doesn't matter what you pick for maneuvers, you still get Cha to will saves.
Levels 4 (if Dragon Compendium stuff is allowed): Battle dancer. Cha to AC. After taking the this level, become Lawful. If it's not allowed, just replace this with Crusader.
Levels 5-6 : Crusader. It's kinda meh, but you need the "Oomph" of it.
Levels 7-12: Iaijutsu Master (Oriental Adventures). Cha to Init and damage.
Levels 13+: Binder/Knight of the Sacred Seal (Tome of Magic). Cha is your best friend.

Take Able Learner (Races of Destiny) at 1st level, and pick up Intimidate ranks. Then take Snatch Trophy (Champions of Ruin), and is successor, Bloodsoaked Intimidate (the same). Pick up the Never Outnumbered Skill Trick (Complete Scoundrel). When you drop a foe to negative HP, you get to loot something from their body, and then intimidate anyone in a 10 foot radius of you as a Swift action. The 10 foot radius thing is, sadly, 1/encounter.

Take Force of Personality (Complete Warrior) and Unnatural Will (Heroes of Horror). Cha to Will, and to Will against Fear saves. Basically, you are not going to be scared of anything. Ever. At all.

This is a Melee build, with no spellcasting whatsoever, that is mostly keyed off of Cha. Awesome, huh?

See also: X stat to Y bonus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125732), et all.


Anything else?

[Taelas]

Use Magic Device.

[Lord Ruby34]

Also grab slippers of Battledancing when you can afford them, Cha to attack and damage rolls when you move ten of more feet. And you can grab travel devotion for swift action movement. :smallwink:

[Talya]

Bardadin - (feats: Devoted Performer, Initiate of Milil, Divine Might, Snowflake Wardance).

You really can end up with to-hit, damage, saves, and spellcasting all going to charisma.

[Hunter Killer]

Bard and Paladin will get the most mileage if you're doing pure core.

If you have access to any and all of the WotC options, then there's TONS of stuff that takes advantage of Charisma:

Knight, Hexblade, Marshal, Warlock, Dread Necromancer, Spelltheif, Crusader. There's more, but I can't remember them...

[Lateral]

Level 1: Human paragon (Unearthed Arcana). Pick Iaijutsu Focus (Oriental Adventures) as your permanant class skill.
Levels 2 and 3: Crusader (Tome of Battle). Doesn't matter what you pick for maneuvers, you still get Cha to saves.
Levels 4 (if Dragon Compendium stuff is allowed): Battle dancer. Cha to AC. After taking the this level, become Lawful. If it's not allowed, just replace this with Crusader.
Levels 5-6 : Crusader. It's kinda meh, but you need the "Oomph" of it.
Levels 7-12: Iaijutsu Master (Oriental Adventures). Cha to Init and damage.
Levels 13+: Binder/Knight of the Sacred Seal (Tome of Magic). Cha is your best friend.

Take Able Learner (Races of Destiny) at 1st level, and pick up Intimidate ranks. Then take Snatch Trophy (Champions of Ruin), and is successor, Bloodsoaked Intimidate (the same). Pick up the Never Outnumbered Skill Trick (Complete Scoundrel). When you drop a foe to negative HP, you get to loot something from their body, and then intimidate anyone in a 10 foot radius of you as a Swift action. The 10 foot radius thing is, sadly, 1/encounter.

I like this build, but if you're taking Able Learner anyway, why Human Paragon over Factotum? You get all skills instead of just ten as class skills forever, more 1st level skill points, trapfinding, and a couple of abilities (one keyed off of INT, but you don't need to use it and the other isn't) usable 2/encounter.

[The-Mage-King]

I like this build, but if you're taking Able Learner anyway, why Human Paragon over Factotum? You get all skills instead of just ten as class skills forever, more 1st level skill points, trapfinding, and a couple of abilities (one keyed off of INT, but you don't need to use it and the other isn't) usable 2/encounter.

Because, if the foolishness of multiclassing penalties are being used, it's something to avoid them with?

I see what you're saying, though, but... Well, Human Paragon is my default "I want this skill" class. Ya'know?

[opticalshadow]

bards have plenty of use for high charasima, shoudlnt be hard getting an entire village to do whatever you want in a few levels.

[Lateral]

Because, if the foolishness of multiclassing penalties are being used, it's something to avoid them with?

I see what you're saying, though, but... Well, Human Paragon is my default "I want this skill" class. Ya'know?

I see where you're coming from; mine's Factotum, so that's what I always go for. Although even with Human Paragon, you still have three classes.

[The-Mage-King]

I see where you're coming from; mine's Factotum, so that's what I always go for. Although even with Human Paragon, you still have three classes.

It is specifically excluded from that.

[Analytica]

Dipping Marshall gets you things like +cha to all skills using any other ability modifier. Dipping Battledancer gives you +cha to AC.

[Lateral]

It is specifically excluded from that.

I know. I was saying that even though using Human Paragon means that you don't have one extra class (Factotum) contributing, you're still taking Battledancer, Crusader and Binder levels.

[Ashtagon]

I see where you're coming from; mine's Factotum, so that's what I always go for. Although even with Human Paragon, you still have three classes.

Racial paragon classes don't count for multi-class XP penalties.

[Big Fau]

Levels 2 and 3: Crusader (Tome of Battle). Doesn't matter what you pick for maneuvers, you still get Cha to saves.

Crusader 2 only adds Cha to Will saves. Paladin 2 adds it to all saves.


Edit: And a Snowflake Wardance Bard Gish is one of my favorite uses for Cha.

[Curmudgeon]

You can gain Frightful Presence via a feat (Draconomicon, page 106).