CHARISMA- Useful???

seanthony · Post by **seanthony** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 3:03 am

Hey all. Okay, I'll keep this short. I just wanna know why this particular characteristic is useful/good when creating a new character.

I mean, it has no use for most classes (Mages, Fighters, etc), so for these classes, we should keep it at the minimum. Right?

Secondly, for Paladins and Rangers (right?) they need high Charisma (Paladins need at least 16/17). What are the added advantages/bonuses of maxing Charisma for these 2 classes (and for any other classes that requires Charisma). Because I don't see the purpose/reason for doing so.

IMO, Charisma $ucks, but what about your thoughts?

Stilgar · Post by **Stilgar** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 3:16 am

Charisma is one of the most importent stat's in the game, or I put it high (above 15) or very low, and wear the ring of humaninfluence (who you'll find rather quick in the game). Charisma dous a lot of things, for instance,
stores will sell you things cheaper if you're charisma is higher.
And some quests can't be done with low charisma. and some rewards will be less with a low charisma. i sugest that what character you are, you should put every stat at at least 10, (or lower when you know you're going to wear a modifying item like the girdle of .... strenght, the ring of human influence, or the gaunlets of dex.)

Pe Ell · Post by **Pe Ell** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 4:13 am

Charisma

Charisma is very useful. It helps in a lot of ways. Shops, quests, moral failure.
Go with high charisma! A PC with high charisma is very nice. Eg(spoiler): When getting into spellhold you can convise that theif lord (Argh, name!) that you are insane and need to be locked up if your charisma is high enough(15 I think).

Stilgar · Post by **Stilgar** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 4:28 am

Yeah, but the other way in is much more fun.

But i would recommand wearing the ring of humaninfluence since you're PC already has a low charisma!

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 4:32 am

Correct me if I'm wrong.

But doesn't the ring of influence set your Charisma up to 18.

Therefore allowing you to set a low amount of points into the Charisma slot. And focusing on other stats such as Constitution, Intelligence etc.

Wouldn't this make Charisma, (dare I say it) rather useless when creating a character.

By all means correct me if I'm wrong.

Pe Ell · Post by **Pe Ell** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 4:33 am

@stilgar:Hey! Why do you have an ordos insignia of you call yourself Stilgar? No true fremen would join the insidious ordos. Traitor!

@Tamerlane:But say you wanted to use that ring slot for something else?

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 4:40 am

ahhh, so true

With all the useful rings around. And only two fingers available.
I guess I see your point.

seanthony · Post by **seanthony** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 5:02 am

Thanks for the tips guys.

On to the second part of my question. What bonuses would maxing out the Charisma of your character for Charisma-required classes, such as Rangers and Paladins???

About buying good cheaper. Can't you use some NPC (Keldorn?) to buy the stuff for you? Wouldn't that be cheaper? But anyway.. gold wont be an issue after Chapter 2/3.

Whatever it is, I seem to find maxing out the other characteristics have more benefits (strength for fighters, int for mages, etc).

Pe Ell · Post by **Pe Ell** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 5:12 am

Allways roll at least 90 for your PC. Let it take the time it takes. If you roll high enough you should have enough point left to spend on your charisma. A paladin with Str 13(find something to boost this early), dex 18, con 18, wis 12, int 12 and cha 18 is in my opinion perfect.

Stilgar · Post by **Stilgar** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 5:31 am

Originally posted by Tamerlane
Correct me if I'm wrong.

Wouldn't this make Charisma, (dare I say it) rather useless when creating a character.

By all means correct me if I'm wrong.

You're right, unless you want to use the ringslot fore something else, you can put you're charisma on 3 and put the other points in something else, but same goes for dex and strenght. But it's kinda cheesy!
But i have to admit, when soloing a f/m/t i put my charisma at 10 and wear the ring when i wanted to buy something, or had to do a high charisma talk!

Littiz · Post by **Littiz** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 7:04 am

I just posted my opinion in a similar thread.
Did you choose an ugly portrait for your PC?
Give him 3 cha (and imagine he's very pedant and arrogant too!)
No one in the world could be disliked more than him.

Did you choose the portrait of a nice elvish girl?
You can't give her 3 points in charisma.
Likely she will have at least 13.
And even more likely, she won't have 16 strenght or 18 constitution.
While Dex 19 could fit well!

Try to make characters like this, and you' ll love them much
more during the game, believe me!

uaooo!!!
One hundred posts!!

Aubrey · Post by **Aubrey** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 7:41 am

To the characters I've lately created, I tried hard to get a good charisma for them, but didn't work in all cases. I mean, you spend hours in front of the stats screen, rolling and rolling, and rolling again, and you are not so lucky as to get all these high points once I read someone did managed to get.

Is it a bad luck or, what?

Cheers

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 10:35 am

I'm afraid I'm having problems understanding why the ring that grants you an 18 Charisma can't be used. After all, you don't need to use it on yourself; just find any party member who isn't wearing two rings, give it to them, and make them party leader. Sure, there are some times (notably Underdark, or the Temple District) when quest givers insist on speaking with the PC, but other than that, the only important factor is that the ringwearer (Gods, this sounds so much like some bad Tolkienesque dream

) also be the group leader.

Silvanerian · Post by **Silvanerian** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 10:58 am

It all depends...

Charisma is better for a fighter than say, int or wis, if you don't plan on dualling, as those to have absolutely no effect whatsoever with characters other than mages and priests.
Still, I find it hard to "like" my character if his stats are:

18
18
18
3
3
3

(or any stat which has a below 10 in) not that I think of myself as a powergamer, but while powergaming to shuch an exstreme (putting an 3 in char, just because you can wear the ring of human influence (btw, what about elves, drow and dragons, heh...) the charme fades out the character in 2 seconds, and I find myself infront of the character generator stating a new game again.
I'm not saying that it's wrong, just to warn you that you might finding yourself ditching the character for another because of it.

About the rolls:

Yesterday I rolled up a Paladin with these stats:

18/00
17
15
16
13
17

and that didn't take more than 5 minuttes, but I know that a good roll can take a long time to show itself. As most of the stats, as I stated before, don't enhance your characters battleprowess, you might just use the ctlr+shift+8 trick, just to get some stats up to what you feel like the character has - who would think of a highly charismatic Paladin which is dumb as a brick? (int: 3) Just as long as you feel good about it, and maybe don't let your character become too powerful (yes, it really shows in gameplay if you got 19,19,19,19,19,19 - tomes of bg1 anyone?)

spoiler
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I stated before that int has no purpose to a non-mage, which perhaps isn't entirelly true - mind flayers drain 5 points of int per hit, so having more than 10 wouldn't be a bad idea, as someone always gets a critical hit.

-Sylvanerian

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 11:25 am

Well, sometimes I get tired of my character (halfling f/t, usually equipped with the CHA-boosting items) leading the party and instead equip Korgan with the mentioned ring and a certain cloak - at least if there's no danger of stumbling into WIS-influenced dialogue.

Fortunately Mr. Bloodaxe doesn't change his attitude due to his newly gained beauty and sticks to his roots even with 20 CHA: "The first one to disobey me orders will find themselves with an axe in their skull." Gotta love the little monster.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 12:07 pm

CMIAR but AFAIK Rep influences Store pricesmore/not Cha.

Silvanerian · Post by **Silvanerian** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 12:11 pm

I don't know what CMIAR and AFAIK is about, your posts are more often than most rather cryptic...but I do know that high charisma does lower storeprices. But you need at least 17, I think.

-Sylvanerian

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 12:28 pm

charism is a really great attribute but sacrifice if you want.

rign of human influence, 18
nymph cloak +2
helm of glory +1
armor of baldy +1
sword of roses +2

so if warrior you can have 22 chr....

a sorc or mage with 18, set by ring and one enhancing item can reach a max of 25 with friends...at which point even if you reach rep of 20 your eveil cahrs are not suppose to leave...

never seen it, but supposedly true...

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 12:42 pm

another issue...

YOU ARE A LEADER OF MEN!!!

And women too...your charisma must be high for role playing aesthetics since only a charismatic leader can gather your followers together, inluding some eveil chars and lead them into hell and back...so if you role play, you need a high chr as much asa possible...

hmmmm...
25, eh?

maybe I should remake my char again...ick...

sigh, I know i am retentive, but every time I revise my spells table, and I am in Mark 26 or so, for my spells for sorc/kensai/assassin and hive mother beholder, I recreate my char...

sigh, give myself 25 chr and see how much nicer people are to me...giggle..
well, maybe not.. kept items of chr enhancers...and freinds at high levels is awesome, but I rarely bother

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Mon Jan 28, 2002 12:56 pm

no i've tested it, 17 or 23 don't mater!