[PF] Roleplaying a CHA 8 Character

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I'm currently in the process of working on a fresh character and to make him most efficient, I placed his lowest score, a 10, in Charisma, since none of his class abilities as an Inquisitor rely on them. Unfortunately, as the character is a tiefling, he carries a Charisma penalty, reducing his Charisma score to 8 and giving a -1 on all Charisma-based checks.

I was wondering how best to roleplay such a character. I've put ranks in the various social skills despite the penalty mainly because I have the option of using the Conversion Inquisition to replace the modifier Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate key off of with my high WIS modifier. But what I'm wondering is how to roleplay such a character.

I initially thought that it may simply be a product of his race, as tieflings are viewed as scum and second-class citizens in the place the Adventure Path takes place in. In this case, it's less a personal failing or behavior, but more that everybody instinctively mistrusts and is repelled by the character because he's a hellspawn. That seems overly simplistic, though, so I don't want to depend on such an interpretation.

Any advice on how to roleplay this person. I've never played a character with a negative modifier before (I try to build my characters in such a way that I avoid that), so I don't know how to be "below average" in regards to a stat.

[hushblade]

10-11 is an average charisma score, so you could roleplay an 8 that as simply having a few awkward idiosyncrasies, just generally not being a "people person"

If it were a 6 or so, that's when you'd need to really roleplay it up.

[The Dark Fiddler]

In my opinion, a low charisma character should have something about their personality making them a bit unlikable. Being a bit too gruff, lacking tact in conversations, something like that. Could easily be caused by the prejudice your character's faced.

[Marnath]

Perhaps the -1 can be made to represent the fact that his first urge in any situation is to curse, blaspheme and otherwise verbally abuse people whenever he opens his mouth(due to his heritage). His constant need to keep that in check takes some of his focus away that could be otherwise put into formulating the best words to get his bluff/diplomacy/intimidation taken seriously.

[Righteous Doggy]

Perhaps it represents the fact people don't like talking to demon folk and he's actually a perfectly well presented gentleman?

[NNescio]

Perhaps the -1 can be made to represent the fact that his first urge in any situation is to curse, blaspheme and otherwise verbally abuse people whenever he opens his mouth(due to his heritage). His constant need to keep that in check takes some of his focus away that could be otherwise put into formulating the best words to get his bluff/diplomacy/intimidation taken seriously.

Tourette's syndrome?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

10-11 is an average charisma score, so you could roleplay an 8 that as simply having a few awkward idiosyncrasies, just generally not being a "people person"

If it were a 6 or so, that's when you'd need to really roleplay it up.
Being an inquisitor practically REQUIRES you to be a people person, though. Even though Charisma is not important to the class because it does not fuel any class features, you gain massive bonuses to your Intimidate and Sense Motive checks, in addition to altering your other social skills to key off Wisdom, which is your spellcasting stat and thus needs to be at least 16 to get to the highest level spells you can cast.

Judging by what's been said though, perhaps I could play up the blunt angle. While he's capable of persuading and can practically detect lies without the spell, he's also blunt and harsh, wielding the truth like a hammer, something that doesn't exactly win you many friends in a city full of shadows and deceit like Westcrown. He'd have to spend a lot of time backpedalling and swallowing his pride because while he knows how to persuade and cajole others, he hates having to do it, preferring to be honest and forthright like his goddess is.

Perhaps the -1 can be made to represent the fact that his first urge in any situation is to curse, blaspheme and otherwise verbally abuse people whenever he opens his mouth(due to his heritage). His constant need to keep that in check takes some of his focus away that could be otherwise put into formulating the best words to get his bluff/diplomacy/intimidation taken seriously.
That'd work better if he was the spawn of a demodand, as they loathe not just religion, but conventional morality, and they find delight in breaking social, legal and divine codes. They don't just blaspheme and insult the faithful, they also don't bathe and commit lewd acts in public just for the fun of it.

This guy, however, is descended from devils, much like the majority of Cheliax's tiefling population, so he's more conforming and willing to play by the rules than a Foulspawn. The prejudice doesn't come from the fact that he's descended from a fiend, as Cheliax is ruled by diabolists who have a standing pact with Asmodeus himself. Rather, people mistrust tieflings because they place a high importance on the ability to bind and control devils. A tiefling is proof that back in the family tree someone either used the incredible power of a bound devil and wasted it on simple gratification, treating a might creature of Hell like a common prostitute, or that they lost control of their conjured slave, and it had its way with them. Either possibility connotes weakness, and so tieflings are regarded as expendable and treated little better than tieflings in other lands.

Perhaps it represents the fact people don't like talking to demon folk and he's actually a perfectly well presented gentleman?
Demon-spawned tieflings, or Pitborn, actually get a bonus to Charisma. :smallbiggrin:

[Greyfeld85]

You can take your cue from a lot of comic and anime villains as well. There are a lot of antagonists that are rude, blunt, harsh, mean, or just generally disliked, but know how to read people and craft an argument that sways people.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Yes, though something I also want to play up with this character is that he maintains a strict personal code of chivalry as a way of compensating for his fiendish heritage. That, for some reason, he wants to be good, so he managed to get himself ordained by the church of the goddess of justice and honor, and that he keeps a tight rein on himself, and when he loses his temper, he's capable of monstrous acts. I basically came up with the concept of this guy thanks to a Doctor Who quote:


"The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men...have too many rules."

"Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many."

[Gamer Girl]

A great way to role-play low charisma, but not be a Corky-type ''special needs person'' is to just give them a personality flaw. Arrogance works great here, as does anything related to it. For example someone who always calls everyone else ''the little people'' will rub a lot of people the wrong way(how would you react if a lady said to you ''You there little persons could you open the door for me?'') Even just calling a man a ''boy'' can be bad.

It's also easy to not say please or thank you or anything like that. Talking down to people also works or the 'detail guy': ''Yes I'd like a glass of lemonade, but fresh , not swill that is sitting in the picture, and I only want a hint of pulp, and only a dash of sugar and chilled to 35 degrees''. Or the infamous person who orders something complex at Burger World (''Only two pickles, one small and one medium sized and extra mustard and...).

The fish out of water can also work...where you simply say the wrong things at the wrong times. This can be serious (''that dress makes you look fat'') or trying to be funny(''wow people sure are dying to come to this funeral''). Or even the classic ''Data does not understand'' type thing (''why did Sue cry when I told her she was fat, at 266 pounds she would be classified as fat").

You can also go the Creep route....for example you always ''look at women like pieces of meat'' or touch other peoples things without asking.

[Grundy]

Keep in mind that even elite-array humans have one stat that has a negative modifier. These are the elite. So having a -1 mod to one of your stats means that you are essentially absolutely normal. It's like being a 5'9" man, or a 5'11" man- a pretty subtle distinction.
I like the idea of playing him a little rigid- not understanding that other people have different goals or viewpoints than his own- especially if that fits his religious upbringing. Make him a little judgemental. That certainly puts people off, but is very common.

[deuxhero]

He lacks magnetism but his arguments are very logical?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Keep in mind that even elite-array humans have one stat that has a negative modifier. These are the elite. So having a -1 mod to one of your stats means that you are essentially absolutely normal. It's like being a 5'9" man, or a 5'11" man- a pretty subtle distinction.
I like the idea of playing him a little rigid- not understanding that other people have different goals or viewpoints than his own- especially if that fits his religious upbringing. Make him a little judgemental. That certainly puts people off, but is very common.
The judgmental part is perfect, since he's an inquisitor. It's his job to be judgmental, and he's especially hard on his fellow tieflings. He hates, absolutely HATES tieflings who take the easy routes and give in to the dark urges of their heritage. He could watch a tiefling use underhanded and evil means to take over an entire city and he'd still consider that man a weakling. He'd be insensitive to the fact that this tiefling may have had a life much harder than his, could have been spat upon and beaten and left for dead, and it wouldn't matter to him. He behaved no better than his fiendish forebears, and that's unforgivable.

[Dexam]

Speaking from a DM perspective: whatever you do, don't overplay it!

In one of my campaigns (many years ago), one of my players rolled a character with a Charisma of 8. They decided that the character was horribly disfigured and for all intents and purposes anti-social. The player went out of their way to be offensive to NPC's and occassionally to other PC's - he thought it was amusing and in-character, but it really spoiled the enjoyment of the game and was one of several contributing factors for me deciding to end the campaign.

So if it looks like other players or the DM are getting annoyed at your role-play of the penalty, scale it back a bit.

[BerronBrightaxe]

I just rolled a new char with a cha of 8.

I’ve put a bit of the cha penalty in his appearance. Though he’s pretty muscular (str 16), he’s overweight (about 5’9 and 240 lb) because eats and drinks way too much. He also shaves his head (it gets in the way with fighting), but that reveals a large childhood ugly scare.

I intend to play him smart (int is 16), but over the top. Being overly jovial, too present at social happenings, conflicts should be resolved via logic (not emotions), being too direct, slapping people to hard shoulder and keeps on ordering food for everybody for a first and second time (presumes everybody should eat well and thus as much as him).
Thinks he can do things in good ‘sport’, f.g. he keeps on calling the halfling a gnome (which irritates the halfling, but which he doesn’t notice/doesn’t really care) and being overly shy around pretty girls, unless he’s drunk and then uses very bad pickup lines.

[Ravens_cry]

Charisma 8 is only a tiny bit below average.
There is a variety of ways you could play it, mostly subtle. Maybe they don't have much a personal sense of style, maybe they are a bit of a slob, maybe they are just a little dull, maybe they are kind of plain.
A Charisma score of 8 is not neon green and cyan plaid with purple and gold checks, flies buzzing over their head, crashing, droning, bore, gonk repulsive.

[Belril Duskwalk]

The judgmental part is perfect, since he's an inquisitor. It's his job to be judgmental, and he's especially hard on his fellow tieflings. He hates, absolutely HATES tieflings who take the easy routes and give in to the dark urges of their heritage. He could watch a tiefling use underhanded and evil means to take over an entire city and he'd still consider that man a weakling. He'd be insensitive to the fact that this tiefling may have had a life much harder than his, could have been spat upon and beaten and left for dead, and it wouldn't matter to him. He behaved no better than his fiendish forebears, and that's unforgivable.

I think this might be a good start to things. As an inquisitor it is of course your job to find those who have done wrong. If you want to play up the low charisma a bit, be just a touch overbearing. Once in a while you treat a man you are suspicious of like you've already found him guilty. You still do your job, make a full investigation, but your attitude towards him would cause him to believe you might be out to get him.

[hushblade]

High wisdom, high Intelligence, low charisma... Gregory House!
Clearly a low charisma individual that uses his Wisdom and Intelligence to make up for it in his social skill checks.

[Scowling Dragon]

Im good at roleplaying scores:

He can be:

Dull and not very motivated

Can be naturally timid

Can be overtly flamboyant to the annoying level

Smug with a superiority complex.

Just....creepy.

All these can be low Charisma characters.

[panaikhan]

Heh. I was thinking House as I was reading :)
Another is Doc Martin, although I think his charisma may be a little lower than 8..

[Ceaon]

You could portray your character as an annoying know-it-all, who has very little patience with 'stupid' and 'illogical' people and often points out to them EXACTLY why they are wrong and he is right. He can still be well-spoken, polite and even nice, but few people will like talking with him.

[Marlowe]

I had a CHR 7 Cleric once. the other players so loudly played up her hideousness that roleplaying on my part became completely superfluous. Although she had a tendency to say completely accurate but rather unfortunate things at awkward moments:

[MINOR NPC EMPLOYER AFTER A BURGLARY JOB INVOLVING A FLESH GOLEM]
"A decent enough job, you lot. Nice work on the Golem. but you really should have stone-shaped the wall closed afterward".

[DWARFY MCFIGHTER]
"Well, sorry. Stealth and discretion aren't really our things-"

[SCARY O'CLERIC]
"No, we're more barefaced killers".

[Archpaladin Zousha]

High wisdom, high Intelligence, low charisma... Gregory House!
Clearly a low charisma individual that uses his Wisdom and Intelligence to make up for it in his social skill checks.
His INT is 10, completely average. His highest stats are his CON and WIS, which are both 16, and that's because they were 14s that were boosted through his racial bonuses (I'm using Blood of Fiend's Devil-Blooded tieflings, which get a +2 to CON and WIS and a -2 to CHA as opposed to the normal tieflings that get a +2 to DEX and INT and a -2 to CHA).

A friend of mine is suggesting he be a widower, married at 16 and about a year later his wife was killed by a falling harpsichord.