Slightly more charming than the average

[Lombra]

I'm playing a CN Tiefling Shadow Monk (although he's far from edgy) which happens to have a 12 in charisma.

I like to try to play my characters as tied to their scores as possible, what are in your opinion little things, mannerisms, quirks, that 12 charisma could bring to the character? Just to make it feel like it's actually slightly above average.

[Tiadoppler]

Well, 10 in a stat is supposed to be the average value for a generic (non-adventurer) person.

8 means notably below average.
12 means notably above average.

Generally, I assume that (real-world) Olympic athletes have 16-18 in a physical stat (or multiple 14-16s)




What does Charisma mean? Force of will, strength of personality? Ability to influence others?

So, someone who's notably above average in strength of personality might be more willing to take center-stage in a conversation, share their plans, talk to NPCs or attempt to bring people around to their point of view.

What's more, your character may be used to the idea that they're going to be leading a conversation. Your character might not be used to being around other people with higher charisma and it might be very surprising that there's some other incredibly forceful personality taking charge. This is similar to when the strongest man in the village (STR 14) meets a traveling adventurer (STR 20) and takes offense at the idea that there's somebody much stronger than him.

So, your character likes leading conversations and bringing people around to his point of view, and may get upset when someone else steps in and takes over the conversation.

Maybe, if that's how you want to run your character.

Generally, I don't like to link personality traits directly to stats.

[TheYell]

When you're talking IC, pause, stare, and smile, then talk.

[Cespenar]

With 12 being close to average, I don't think you should worry that much about specifically characterizing that stat that much.

Instead build a general feel of the character through all the mental stats and the quirks/flaws/bonds. And try to play that.

[DeadMech]

My go to with charisma is confidence. My current wizard is only a 12 cha. but she comes from a cloistered scholarly world where she was used to being queen bee for a variety of reasons. In play she's not really any more successful at charisma checks than anyone else. The d20 sees to that. And she's not used to other people trying to take charge of situations. But she will happily argue her point, tell off anyone who's being foolish or rude, be loud, sing, and generally walk around with a supremely healthy self esteem whether she has earned it or not. She's an attractive young woman and takes pleasure in being an attractive young woman even if she knows her studies or work is far too important for romance to interfere. She dresses to show off what she thinks are her better features and flies around on a broom in a short skirt with no concern. She wears black and red almost exclusively and punctuates her interactions with hairflips, sweeping gestures, power posing. She's very expressive it's quite fun to try to pull the most extreme and often comical faces when she's confronted with anything unexpected. She knows what she's not good at and will attempt anyway if there is no risk of safety it's become a running gag now that despite a 7 strength she has never rolled below a 19 on a d20 on any strength check resulting in things like armwrestling an orc chief or picking up a box of ore no one else was able to make budge.

Her mother a previous wizard of mine was 8 in cha. I interpreted that as her quite likable to those that spent time with her but concerned in most aspects of her behavior with what others thought of her. She was defined by a traumatic childhood full of bullying and built a metaphorical mask to keep others at a safe distance. She wanted quite desperately to dance in the tavern or to sing or to speak up but purposefully withdrew into her books and curled up to make herself smaller in case someone actually thought for a moment to approach her. She maintained an expressionless face out of fear people would use emotion against her. She wore earth tones or greyscale. Very little skin showing. Should would buy something of the local fashion wherever she went to blend in. She would follow people around pinching their cloaks for a sense of security and tug lightly on them when she felt she had something to say that was vitally important to share as if requesting permission to do so. If she was emotionally disturbed in town she would retreat to the room rented at the Inn. Elsewhere she would look away, touch her face and try to regain her composure. She would hug her book tightly to her chest. She was mesmerized by people like bards or paladins or sorcerers who not only could command a room but actively seek out opportunities to do so.

Confidence I kind of think to be the middle ground of cha. I also assume the biggest change given by magic items that boost it to be an artificial boost of confidence. A volume knob turned down on that voice in your head that is always second guessing you and telling you not to do what you want to do because what will people think. For someone without much natural confidence I assume that might be a sort of liberating and possibly addictive feeling.

Of course for more extreme cha bonuses I tend towards other traits. The ability to be especially empathetic or gaining insight into how other people tick.