Charisma: the Dump Stat? Statting the Alien Part 4

Nok: Begin transcript /startstartstart/ N’sa Nok vegum Tesla ek

<<I miss you. I never thought the nights could be so long but they drag without you. Long nights and yet I feel life passing me by so fast. Too fast. I miss the sounds of the warren. I miss your scent. I yearn for soft rains out of a dark sky. I even miss the seasons of the Poisoned Light, at least the ones I spent with you in the warren.

Everything good about me came from you. You made me a better person. My crimes I will take credit for myself. There are those who say there is no justice in this life but they are fools or sociopaths. Truly I am being punished now.

A wise frog tells me: where you are from is not as important as where you are now and where you are going. Perhaps she is right. But some of us carry the weight of our previous days all the rest of our lives. Also I do not think I am going anywhere.

I do not ask your forgiveness. But will you at least give me a chance to atone? Surely there is atonement in this life if there is justice. The Dark Mother is ever merciful. She shows mercy to the basest sinner. It is said a moment of piety from a sinner is sweeter to Her than the laughter of children.

Surely I am not the same person who made those mistakes. I can’t be. Give me a chance.

Please M’fe?

Please.>>

N’sa Nok /outoutout/

Be-deep! Be-deep!

Nok: Xeche ... xe ... Enter ... you may enter.

Tivk: Is everything all right?

Mukh: Did the Captain find out about that trader we screwed with? Is he mad at me?

Nok: He doesn’t know you’re breathing ... and stinking up the ship.

Tivk: You did not answer my question.

Nok: No. I did not. Excuse me. I want to go get some food.

Tivk: Here ... You are forgetting your eye shades.

Nok: Thank you, beanpole.

Mukh: You okay Nok?

Nok: No worse than usual my friend.

Riasi has it. The Doc doesn't. He can't even get the aliens to stop calling him 'Dolphin'.

Charisma, for the short sighted, the dump stat. Charisma represents the force of personality of a person. Like it or not Charisma is often biased based on cultural perceptions or evolutionary factors as well. In some space operas this is treated as a planet of hats. A culture is based around a species' most salient trait (physical or mental). A species of large brutish warriors might accord more influence to a hulking warrior for example; use the Strength modifier in place of Charisma or add half rounded down to the Reaction modifiers. A brainy race might use Intelligence or Wisdom.Any characteristic could be treated this way for a planet of hats rule. 

Psionic potential could also be linked to Charisma. Having the nerve and will to read a person's thoughts or tell inanimate objects to move out of your way is the explanation for this linkage. It could also represent low level telepathy making people more likely to obey a person. This could work to portray a race with brilliant minds but little psionic potential, leaving such parlor trick to the slower but plucky humans. On the cool side your Space Knight can now look great while swaying the weak minded or deflecting energy bolts.

A referee has to decide how Charisma translates to other species. As written it is separate from appearance. However species' lines is stretching that separation a bit. A race evolved from prey animals will probably have an aversion to races evolved from predators. In game terms you could say a sentient predator spawn's Strength or Charisma modifier might work against them (a positive modifier becomes a negative modifier to the reaction.)