So the gist of my character is this:
Using the Race Builder, I made a Tanuki variant for the Kitsune, who will be a portly NG Alchemist that plans on operating his own business.
His Intelligence ended up being 20 (after a +2 racial bonus), and his Charisma is only a 9. However, I picture this character's personality as very friendly. He's also a bit of a prankster (a common trait for the Tanuki race).
The question arises: How would a character's low Charisma manifest itself when they are an obviously kind and friendly person, gregarious and not shy? Obviously, I'm avoiding the use of appearance to justify Charisma because I don't believe in doing that (e.g. A sorcerer could be ugly as sin but still have a great deal of persuasiveness and influence, while a man with a face chiseled by the gods could still be an obnoxious boor).
So I came up with a couple of ideas, but I'd love to hear some more!
- He unintentionally come across as pushy when he speaks to people, like someone who clearly wants to be your friend but is socially unaware that he's making himself too close.
- He tries to be friendly through a "good-natured ribbing," poking fun at people with a friendly smile like some people do with friends, but he does it with anyone.
- He could be prone to correcting people a lot because he "wants to make people smarter."
- He could be a bit crass when trying to be friendly, e.g. Al Czervik from Caddyshack.
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Missing social cues, talks over everyone's head, is trying to share his knowledge but comes across as condescedning lectures, laughs at the wrong things, feels etiquette is stupid so he ignores it.
Also, a stat if 9 is just on the low side of normal, the RP for it shouldn't be too strong, it's not that low.
Charisma is only a 9.9 is just on the low side of normal, the RP for it shouldn't be too strong, it's not that low.+1. It's not that bad. It's only just below average. Average is supposed to be 10-11.
+2
I'd play him normally, but just let the dice rolls go against you occasionally to show him not quite getting it.
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A 9 is not low, 8-13 is average. According to the CRB, an average person (aka normal npc) has stats of 13 12 11 10 9 8.
You can easily be outgoing, friendly, gregarious, and all that without being charismatic. It just means you just aren't good at it. You think you're acting friendly, but for whatever reason you don't understand, other people don't take it that way. That pretty much describes the stereotypical nerdy kid. Just push your glasses up and say "Um actually" a lot.
Like other people said: a 9 is just below average. Most people wouldn't roleplay a 12, but are really focused on roleplaying the 9. That being said, this is a roleplaying game and you should grab on to any excuse to flesh out your character.
With a 9 I don't see him as social incapable. He is just missing the queues. Maybe he stutters, being so enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge that he forgets to pay attention to the conversation. It doesn't make him unlikely, just a little difficult to be intimidated or to be rallied by. Nor would his lies sound very believable.
When he is trying to make disguises he focuses on the small details, the way he walks and talks, that his wig is sitting perfectly, non of his clothes match. But he forgots that he is the only Tanuki in the country so people still find him easily.
With a lower charisma but with an outgoing personality, you can try to make him try. Just let him copy the behavior from high charisma players because he wants to be like them. But just says the wrong things or he just does things at the wrong time. He saw the bard walk up to the tavernmaid and hit het on the butt? He wants to try that too and does it to the same maid while the previous pc is still talking to her.
I would go for a slightly awkward but very enthusiastic character, who would make interrupt characters telling stories to fact check them, but overexplains everything.
I think the easiest thing to do would be to make this the sort of very intelligent person who is constantly second-guessing themselves (because they're tossing around counterexamples to whatever they're saying as they speak.)
So hedge a lot when you are speaking in character, and use a lot of conditionals.
Ugly. Classic butterface. The kind of person you would describe as having a great personality to a blind date. Not much to look upon but funny, kind-hearted, interesting, good conversationalist, that sort of thing. Especially if you have invested points in diplomacy and sense motive, and/or are good-aligned.
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As I understand Charisma, it's solely about the creature's social output, both verbal and nonverbal. IMO understanding the world is a matter of Wis (for instinct level) respective Int (for reasoning level). Of course they are connected: For example you can only react to what you perceive and if you can't learn a new language, you can't express yourself in it.
A person with high Int and slightly below average Cha, with a sprinkle of good alignment, would mean to me:
Body language: Needs to focus to look into another person's eyes, will walk / sit at the fringes of the group, has elaborate thinking expressions
Talking style: Uses a lot of technical terms and long sentences, hoping to teach all the necessary information
Nerd humor: Makes complicated references and wordplay most people don't get, tries hard to make it easier this time (and fails, to its frustration)
Advisor role: Enjoys to offer advice to the leader, but doesn't even consider being in charge itself
Dealing with new people: Is reluctant first, but absolutely engaged if someone happens to share one of its interests
Impression on other people: Needs some time to actually get noticed within a group, either dismissed as an overly attached smart*** or valued as "friendly fellow"
just play any character from Big Bang Theory. Act as if you have a laugh track so that you find your jokes and actions humorous, but absolutely nobody else does.
Charisma in game is mostly about getting others to react how you want. A character with a low charisma may simply not care how others react, since they can't control that anyway. They may still be "nice", because they believe that you should treat others the way you want to be treated, but they don't expect anything in turn.
But also, I agree that 9 is not a noticeably low charisma. Even 7 isn't "that" bad, but maybe at least noticeable.
I'd go for condescending and helpful. You know better and are making everybody a big favor by sharing tidbits of your clearly superior insight, whether itvs welcome or not.
I think you just gave my real world personality profile. I'm not sure if I should feel proud, embarrassed, a little ashamed, or slightly paranoid. Have we met? :p
Who knows... Nah, it's a common profile within the tabletop RPG community, among my friends - and the description mostly works for me, too. This made it easier to write it down.