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MesiDoomstalker
2012-03-13, 08:15 PM
The slick talker, word-smith, forked-tongue, other cliche names. Every party has (or at least tries to have) what has become colloquially called "The Face."

Whenever I build a character to be The Face, I max diplomacy and Charisma. They are typically Lawful and more likely Good (though I've had plenty of neutrals.) The characters themselves rarily use Bluff or Intimidate as its generally not in their nature. Mainly because they are not in my nature either.

So, my question is, what do you believe to be neccesary for your "Face" characters and in general? I'm curious. :smallsmile:

DrBurr
2012-03-13, 08:36 PM
Ironically the one time I was the party face I was playing a Fighter whos only social skill was intimidation. It was quite amusing and stood that way for half a year until my friend who usually plays the face came back from college with a wizard. Though it was to late as all the NPCs would immediately talk to me because of the adventurers we had been on, though he did handle the slaves I mean crew I too the ship we stole.

Though as a DM is notice to majority of face characters I've seen like to max out their Diplomacy and Bluff and try and rob every NPC in sight.

Drazik
2012-03-13, 08:39 PM
whenever i play the party face, i usually max out diplomacy and bluff. these characters are rarly good and almost always chaotic :smalltongue:

Vixsor Lumin
2012-03-13, 09:19 PM
I maxed out Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive. Can be nice, doesn't have to tell the truth, and knows when hes geting screwed. ;)

MesiDoomstalker
2012-03-13, 09:31 PM
I maxed out Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive. Can be nice, doesn't have to tell the truth, and knows when hes geting screwed. ;)

Oh dang! I forgot Sense Motive/Insight (I play 3.5 and 4e, sue me). I give that to almost all my characters if and whenever possible as I have some evil DM's a lot of times.

GenericGuy
2012-03-13, 10:22 PM
My face character is a young exiled human noble (class: bard), and is true neutral. Generally he is a spoiled, selfish, womanizing, slightly racist, drunkard, with a gambling problem, who play’s as a sleazy “talent” agent by getting the party work.

Strormer
2012-03-14, 12:38 AM
Alignment is almost always chaotic and either good or neutral, though I have done a neutal evil face before too.
Max CHA and usually bluff, diplomacy, intimidate, sense motive, and spot.
I tend towards bards and rogues, but have used warlocks and rangers on occasion. Clerics also do well as most good clerics have useful situational trust and influence.
I never use paladins, though not for any particular reason.

blackspeeker
2012-03-14, 11:42 AM
I always play party face. My current character, a binder, uses mainly intimidate and bluff. Before this guy I hadn't realized how useful intimidate can be.

Something I always forget to add is sense motive, which seems to get me into trouble.

jaybird
2012-03-14, 01:02 PM
Bluff Bard. Glibness. Win the Game.

:smallbiggrin:

ko_sct
2012-03-14, 04:05 PM
Bluff Bard. Glibness. Win the Game.

:smallbiggrin:

Or lose the game, like you just made me.

Personnaly I find that not having a party face can be really fun sometime, especially if the party has some internal tension and conflicts.

In general, the only thing the party face really need is backup, as in: the group may or may not fully agree with what he said but will generally got with it (if the face try to bribe de guards, the paladin shouldn't try to stop him, maybe talk to him afterward but not in middle of negotiations.)

WildPyre
2012-03-14, 04:36 PM
I play the party face in my current game. Perveshian Sorcerer, CN with high ranks in bluff, diplomacy, sense motive... spell focus enchantment and greater spell focus enchantment. Picked up a couple ioun stones to boost my diplomacy and knowledge arcana. The guy can literally get away with murder, and it actually led to this conversation with my DM.

"I wonder what the diplomacy DC is for convincing somebody to commit suicide..."
"Probably like 50."
"..."
"Crap... you're close to being able to do that aren't you?"

Anderlith
2012-03-14, 04:46 PM
Oddly enough my gaming group rarely has a Face. Sure we'll have unofficial party leaders who we all sort of follow, but a lot of the time the most vocal & most NPC interacting will be someone without any in-game Charisma. In Example: I played a Paladin of Pelor, two of my friends played a Half OrcBarbarian with 3 Cha (horrible roll) and an Archer spec Fighter. The archer was the most interacting person in our group of 12 & did most of the talking for us, the Barbarian was like our Mascot, everyone loved him even though he was uglier than a rabid opossum mixed with Danny DeVito. Our group just seems to let each other say our piece & come to collective decisions, never having a real Face

MesiDoomstalker
2012-03-14, 05:17 PM
Am I missing something, or is it assumed that The Face are leaders (non-role leaders)? Cause thats not how my group plays. Am I wrong?

Ashtagon
2012-03-15, 01:31 AM
Am I missing something, or is it assumed that The Face are leaders (non-role leaders)? Cause thats not how my group plays. Am I wrong?

The ur-example of the Face (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheFace)character archetype is "Face" from "The A-Team".

eggs
2012-03-15, 02:29 AM
So, my question is, what do you believe to be neccesary for your "Face" characters and in general? I'm curious. :smallsmile:Too frequently for me:

Sociopathy
Mercantilism
Little Self Awareness
A really scary side that sometimes peeks through.

Jay R
2012-03-15, 11:09 AM
The party needs two faces. Sometimes it's the paladin. Sometimes it's the rogue. Neither can replace the other.

Piggy Knowles
2012-03-15, 10:14 PM
My favorite "face" character was a changeling paladin who worshiped the goddess of love.