Can a character have 16 Charisma still be fugly?


Advice

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Liberty's Edge

I have a Wayang Wizard in a monstrous Pathfinder Campaign, she has 16 CHA, but the people I play with contend that because she is a Wayang, she is still hella fugly, agree/disagree?


She might be attractive to other Wayangs. Beauty is subjective, and charisma is a composite of many attributes, not just (or even most importantly) physical attractiveness.

Dark Archive

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Yes, they can.


Do you think undeads are pretty?


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Charisma is force of personality. People may feel drawn to your character without feeling a sexual or romantic attraction.


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Charisma has no real effect on beauty.

In 3.5, mind flayers had high charisma, and they had squids for heads.


How you interpret Charisma is up to you. I've never really liked it when people judge appearance by looking at your character sheet instead of judging the way you describe yourself.

Entirely unrelated to that is what they think of Wayang. You can't change if they think all Wayang are ugly. You can however roll better diplomacy and show off that wonderful charisma and charm of yours.

Silver Crusade

You absolutely can have a hideous high CHA character. There are a ton of official examples of exactly that, so you're totally good to go with that character. :)

Liberty's Edge

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Yes they can. CHA is not only beauty but how one carries themselves and how proficient they are with a "silver tongue". Prime example;
The Phantom of the Opera. If you know the story the Phantom is essentially an epic level bard, he could fascinate, and implant ideas into peoples mind and had a very strong way of carrying himself to the point of sheer intimidation. He was hideously deformed on one side of his face that when his face was revealed people ran in terror. So yes, it is possible to have good CHA and have the remnants of taco night look better.

Liberty's Edge

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Jeraa wrote:

Charisma has no real effect on beauty.

In 3.5, mind flayers had high charisma, and they had squids for heads.

Are you saying Cthulhu is ugly? Would you say it to His(?) face?


This is a HUGE case of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I know people who think that the general description of Wayang (scarification, ritual tattoos, etc) would be attractive. And I know people that think otherwise. Charisma, however, really doesn't necessarily affect looks at all. It CAN be looks, sure, but as others have said it also involves force of personality, etc.

Also, who the heck do the other players think they are? They get no say in what your character looks like. That's entirely between you and the DM.


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Steven Tyler
Iggy Pop
Mick Jagger
Lyle Lovett
Steve Buscemi
Howard Stern

Charisma doesn't mean good looking.

Silver Crusade

As stated above, physical comeliness is a small part of what the Charisma ability score encapsulates.


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Kalenz wrote:
DONT IGNORE LORD AWMODEUS

Misspelled. Now you spend eternity as a lemure.


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Charisma may be an example of physical attractiveness, but it can also be completely divorced from appearance. Allow me to show you a few creatures with high charisma that are defined by their ugliness (or their horrifying nature).

Night Hag (CHA 17)
Sea Hag (CHA 15)
Undead Horror Tree (CHA 18)
Dark Naga (CHA 17)
Tentacled Horror (CHA 18)

Hope that helps justify your cause. :D

Sovereign Court

Doug's Workshop wrote:

Steven Tyler

Iggy Pop
Mick Jagger
Lyle Lovett
Steve Buscemi
Howard Stern

Charisma doesn't mean good looking.

Billy Joel

David Lee Roth
Jane Lynch


The Human Diversion wrote:
Jane Lynch

Hey! Jane Lynch isn't ugly! She's just regular looking.


Yes. In the same sense that a dwarven woman can have a charisma of 6 and be a damn sexy thick chick (until you get close enough to notice the height difference :P)

Then again... there are those who might appreciate the height difference for certain... purposes...

Sovereign Court

Sean FitzSimon wrote:
The Human Diversion wrote:
Jane Lynch
Hey! Jane Lynch isn't ugly! She's just regular looking.

Apologies, I used her as an example because she's known for her personality and skill rather than her looks. Pretty rare when a female artist is like that.

Betty White is another - tons of Charisma even though her looks are long gone.


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The Human Diversion wrote:
Betty White is another - tons of Charisma even though her looks are long gone.

Some serious blasphemy, here.


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kyrt-ryder wrote:
Then again... there are those who might appreciate the height difference for certain... purposes...

Like being able to use the top cabinets for whatever you like, because it's not like she's going to be getting up there.


Yessss. That's where the munchies go.

Dark Archive

kyrt-ryder wrote:

Yes. In the same sense that a dwarven woman can have a charisma of 6 and be a damn sexy thick chick (until you get close enough to notice the height difference :P)

Then again... there are those who might appreciate the height difference for certain... purposes...

Lewd.


To you perhaps. Sean didn't see it that way ^_^

Dark Archive

Lewd, I say!

I'm not saying I disagree! Just that the implications are lewd!

Contributor

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As others have said, Charisma is anything that makes you attractive. You can flavor it as your looks, charm, personality, that special wink in your eye. Whatever you want.

Personally, I don't like attributing Charisma to physical appearances if only because Charisma is a mental stat. How the heck do you explain getting physically uglier when something attacks your mind?

Silver Crusade

Henry Kissinger had more women than you can believe. The Mexican painter Diego Rivera married five times (twice to the same woman) and had a string of affairs that bordered on the prodigious.

What did they have in common? Faces like a bulldog chewing a wasp.

Charisma is not necessarily looks.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Yes!

Charisma is your ability to exert your will on others effectively.

Sovereign Court

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Two words: Tyrion Lannister


Hitler's force of personality was so strong, he had to be an 18+ Charisma....but his looks would have been fugly.


Persons Gary Gygax said had Charisma 18: Napoleon, Hitler.

Shadow Lodge

sure a fuggly person can have an 16 cha, juju zombie sorscerers

Sovereign Court

Dakota_Strider wrote:
Hitler's force of personality was so strong, he had to be an 18+ Charisma....but his looks would have been fugly.

Godwin is right again.


I don't really buy the "Hitler was charismatic" angle. I've seen the videos. He was loud. 'Bout it. Someone (anyone) could have been Hitler at the time; Germany was in such turmoil that any number of people could have filled his shoes. If there was no Hitler, I'm sure someone else would have stepped into his place.

Shadow Lodge

have you heard of lincon? he was much the same, but hitler was also good looking.


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Lincoln is a great example of a high Charisma / not very attractive real-world figure.

Silver Crusade

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Check me out! I am an infernal teddy bear, and while not a looker, I am damn charismatic!

[All comments do not reflect reality and are solely based on subjective opinion]

I would never dictate to a player the appearance of their character. Charisma is force of personality and that is pretty much it. There is enough decided by the mechanics of the game for PC's that the GM should not be taking the control of said PC's appearance away from the player.


Whether or not Hitler was charismatic in the usual English meaning of the word, Gygax wrote that "there can be no question that" Caesar, Napoleon, and Hitler "were 18's" in the ability score. AD&D DMG, page 15. If your character has a score of less than 18 in Charisma, your character has less of whatever the ability score measures than Hitler did, according to the guy who defined what the ability score means.


see wrote:
Whether or not Hitler was charismatic in the usual English meaning of the word, Gygax wrote that "there can be no question that" Caesar, Napoleon, and Hitler "were 18's" in the ability score. AD&D DMG, page 15. If your character has a score of less than 18 in Charisma, your character has less of whatever the ability score measures than Hitler did, according to the guy who defined what the ability score means.

Actually, according to the guy who defined what the ability score means in that edition. Not disagreeing that Hitler would have an 18 in charisma--I think he would--just saying, exact definitions of the ability scores can change.


Whether you interpret Charisma one way or another, as far as I'm concerned, if the player insists their character is attractive and they have a high Charisma, you can't argue, if they say they're not attractive, then they aren't.


Detect Magic wrote:
I don't really buy the "Hitler was charismatic" angle. I've seen the videos. He was loud. 'Bout it. Someone (anyone) could have been Hitler at the time; Germany was in such turmoil that any number of people could have filled his shoes. If there was no Hitler, I'm sure someone else would have stepped into his place.

He was incredibly charismatic - though was clearly helped by pushing a message many Germans at the time were open to hearing. You may have seen the videos of his oratory performances, but have you seen the responses of his audience? The adulation, intoxication and adoration?

Saying "I've seen the videos. He was loud. 'bout it" is incredibly dismissive of everyone who suffered due to his actions.


Don't give me that! I wasn't condoning the man, nor was I dismissing the suffering of his victims. All I said is that he wasn't as charismatic as people tend to think he was. Many of the German people were receptive to his message, but that in no way speaks of his force or personality. It was already a popular viewpoint at the time. They were positively foaming at the mouth for an opportunity to externalize blame for their post-war economic collapse.

That said, this in no way undermines the role he's played in history, or the terrible consequences of his actions. Not in the slightest.

I don't even know how you could come to that conclusion.


Have you seen some of the greatest leaders ?
Are all good looking ? Ofc not


I remember Pendragon, within the games mechanics male characters rolled 3d6 charisma, female characters rolled 3d6+1d10 for charisma and all characters with a high score recieved a number of traits to describe their exceptional charisma.

In one adventure there was high charisma noblewoman who was used to commanding men, the description of her exceptional charisma? Simply: 'Awesome voice'.


The demi-lich is another good example. It's a floating skull with a high Charisma.

Floating. Skull. High. Charisma.


Winston Churchill is another charismatic leader, that wasn't all that great looking. Actually all of the leaders in WWII were very charismatic leaders, and Roosevelt was probably the best looking.

Mrs. Roosevelt was also a very charismatic leader, and I doubt that anyone would have called her pretty, certainly not beautiful.

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