I activate wands with my mere presence.
I'm not using "Imposing your will" as in the sense of "I do something to accomplish what I want." I'm using it in the sense of "I want people to react this way and they do."You seem to believe that there's a difference between "I do something to activate this wand" and "I want this wand to activate and it does". Exactly what that difference is is unclear. Especially since I cant use UMD to activate John's wand. No, I have to have that wand in my possession. And I can't just activate it as it sits in my haversack. No, I have to have it in my hands. So, when I use UMD to activate that wand, I'm doing something to that wand. Yet, you say that charisma is different from "I do something to activate this wand", it is more (you say) about "I wand this wand to activate and it does."
So, clarify what is the difference between those two things (ie. "I do something to active this wand" and "I want this wand to activate and it does").
Here's an example: The Fonz would whack the jukebox, and it'd start playing. He had to whack it - it didn't just start. But there's no plausible way that whacking it would consistently play the song he wanted. With UMD, you need to do something - but it doesn't matter if the normal activation word for the wand is "foozball" (and having the spell on your list) and you say "zap!" (and don't have it) as part of activating it. I do something which normally would have no hope of activating the wand, and it works anyway because I want it to (or: it works anyway because my will is strong enough to force it to).
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Sure, in first or 2ed there used to be a sub-stat called comlyness which was your physical beauty. A very attractive person could certainly be so socialy inept or just plan rude that it would reflect poorly on thier CHA.
GAAAAH! A "Skills and Powers" reference! Kill it! Kill it!
Ok, just kidding...
Man, I *hated* that book. It was strange and different and scary. Then again, most of those went through serious editing and became third ed, so what do I know...
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Here's an example: The Fonz would whack the jukebox, and it'd start playing. He had to whack it - it didn't just start. But there's no plausible way that whacking it would consistently play the song he wanted. With UMD, you need to do something - but it doesn't matter if the normal activation word for the wand is "foozball" (and having the spell on your list) and you say "zap!" (and don't have it) as part of activating it. I do something which normally would have no hope of activating the wand, and it works anyway because I want it to (or: it works anyway because my will is strong enough to force it to).
That makes absolutely ZERO sense...
I love it. I think that will be my explanation for UMD being charisma based from here on out...
stuffSo, you define 'charisma' as activating X (in a non-standard fashion)to do Y. How does that defintion apply to charisma's role in turning undead?
No, that's how I define its role in the UMD skill. If you don't have UMD, which is a trained-only skill, you can't use charisma that way.
the world of darkness has a fairly good grasp of this concept. In vampire for example They have supernatural charisma effects. "Presence" is basically a supernatural way to inspire Awe.
The whole "status" system mirrors (to a lesser and non-supernatuaral) to an extent the way it works in real life. You would never dare (in most circumstances) to slap mother teresa. Not because she is powerful or you will be punished, but instead she is a person of reverence.
Charisma...
This is ten percent looks,
Twenty percent skill,
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
Five percent pleasure,
Fifty percent pain,
Only twenty percent useful for most of the game.
Or, y'know, something like that.
the world of darkness has a fairly good grasp of this concept. In vampire for example They have supernatural charisma effects. "Presence" is basically a supernatural way to inspire Awe.
The whole "status" system mirrors (to a lesser and non-supernatuaral) to an extent the way it works in real life. You would never dare (in most circumstances) to slap mother teresa. Not because she is powerful or you will be punished, but instead she is a person of reverence.
Presense! I think that's the word I've been looking for.
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Sure, in first or 2ed there used to be a sub-stat called comlyness which was your physical beauty. A very attractive person could certainly be so socialy inept or just plan rude that it would reflect poorly on thier CHA.GAAAAH! A "Skills and Powers" reference! Kill it! Kill it!
Ok, just kidding...
Man, I *hated* that book. It was strange and different and scary. Then again, most of those went through serious editing and became third ed, so what do I know...
That you should trust your first instincts?
i deleted my previous post because i realized i haven't the time to fine tune it.
but here was the summary.
one of the highest charisma characters i played was an endearing, manipulative, sickly, highly educated little girl who performed various "cutesey" dances to draw sympathy, despite her various illnesses. she was also a Baron's spoiled Niece with a lot of permenant health issues.
one of the lowest charisma characters i played was a loli assassin with a combination Asperger's syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, and a split personalty. she was very different from my traditional characters in that instead of being mentally advanced for her appearant age (usually due to being older than she looks) she really was a little girl who talked to her teddy bear and used him to smother sleeping victims. i beleive she had levels in rogue and monk (with a custom tailored DM made prestige class) and a feat to treat her teddy bear as an unarmed strike for the purpose of damage. she was easily seen as annoying. she also had an alternative version of stunning fist that put people to sleep instead of stunning due to a custom DM made prestige class. she was one of my older characters with tuesday tony who lasted 5 sessions before a reboot happened. she was an older character in tuesday tonys group who lasted 5 sessions before he went on a monthlong hiatus and requested a reboot. this was a joke campaign at the time.
Sure, in first or 2ed there used to be a sub-stat called comeliness which was your physical beauty. A very attractive person could certainly be so socially inept or just plan rude that it would reflect poorly on their CHA.
The stat your referring to is found in the 2ed Unearthed Arcana, and I DO use it, with a slight modification, when I GM.
And I do have comeliness affect skills and initial attitudes.