So here's my problem. A player picks a concept/class that doesn't have diplomacy, bluff, or intimidate and as a result never wants to talk to NPCs. I've noticed this both while playing and DMing. In the cases I'm thinking of most of the players have great ideas and want to say things, but in end it always comes down to either "Let the party face character do the all interactions because I have a bad diplomacy/bluff/intimidate score (and thus I'm scared of botching the roll)" or worse, no one wants to speak to NPCs at all.
In a game that I'm playing in no one has put ranks in any social skills and so no one ever wants to talk, including me (which is hard to cope with because I normally play the party face). In the game I'm DMing things aren't much better, as only the party face ever talks to NPCs (and always via intimidate because it's the only social skill he has).
I feel that the rules of the game are encouraging this behavior. I don't think this is an issue of poor character/group design. I feel like all characters should feel free to talk and have a fair chance at influencing others, but I do feel that characters who are invested in these skills should benefit from them in some way.
So here are my questions:
1. Does anyone else run into this problem of non-party face characters not wanting to speak to NPCs? If so, how does your table deal with them?
2. Can anyone give any suggestions/house rules to make social skills less necessary but still reward the players who want to invest in them?
Thanks,
-Jake