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Grizzly Rant: CHA and You, Better Charisma in ICRPG

Hearts. In the humble opinion of this GM, one of the more brilliant constructions of ICRPG. However, it can lead to some goofy situations and questions at the table. One for me is: how to use CHA outside of roleplay (as in Combat against a Foe)? The answer might be as simple as using it against the regular Hearts of an enemy with BASIC Effort. Another, more complicated way would be to track a separate Heart of "courage" on an enemy that can be worn down with CHA. Personally, while I find it silly, I think the former option is better than the latter. However, I have also been thinking of simplifying it down to a simple Attempt based on a "D4 tier" system.

Behold: GM Grizzly's Relation Meter.

The idea is simple: anything from Monsters to NPCs can react to you in one of four ways. To Intimidate, Persuade, Command, Barter, etc, you need to CHA Attempt a Success. The difficulty is based on their Reaction to you:

  1. Friendly - Demoralized (No CHA Attempts needed, except in extreme circumstances. Then, EASY)
  2. Indifferent/Curious - Cowardly (EASY CHA)
  3. Cautious/Suspicious - Stalwart (Normal CHA)
  4. Hostile - Courageous (HARD CHA)
Most Monsters begin openly Hostile towards you, attacking immediately. Others may be more chaotic if you haven't already proven to be a threat such as Druids, resulting in their initial reaction beginning with a random D4 roll. 

Of course, if the idea is to "wear an enemy down," you can most certainly add Hearts and Effort to the mix or require them to work an Enemy down to "Demoralized" for them to flee. Another way to spice this up is should the attempt fail, the Relation of the target escalates a tier until it becomes Hostile or Courageous, refusing to speak with you or gaining a bonus in attack. It can also be used as a method to track the "Command" ability with NPC's and PC's. Work an ally up to Courageous, and they might receive a bonus! Track it visually on the table with a D4. 

This can reward players who specialize in Charisma, an oft overlooked stat and one dear to me, and it can add a layer of depth to a table seeking it.

But that's just one GM's opinion.

Happy gaming!
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