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Chapter 3: Abilities
Charisma
The ability of Charisma is the appeal of a
character to others based on 4 sub-abilities: Facial,
Vocal, Kinetic, and Rhetorical Charisma. High Charisma
is indicative of a beautiful countenance, voice,
movement, and style of speech.
Facial: Distinct from all other forms of attractiveness,
this considers only facial attractiveness 1 .
All humanoid races and cultures consider certain
features to be attractive. The most attractive male
features are large eyes, large eyebrow ridges, low-set
eyebrows, high cheekbones, and bigger jaws. The
most attractive female features are eyes that are large
and wide-set, small noses, narrow facial breadths,
small chins and jaws, high eyebrows, high cheekbones,
full lips, large smiles, dilated pupils, hair that
is well-groomed and full, and skin that is soft,
smooth, and unblemished. The symmetry between
the left and right face of a character correlates with
higher Facial Charisma. Symmetry suggests good
reproduction, healthiness, and youth. On average,
female characters have higher Facial Charisma than
male characters. Characters with low Facial Charisma
may seem to have 1 eyebrow instead of 2,
severe acne, an ugly birthmark, a large nose or ears,
dark rings under the eyes, rotten or missing front
teeth, or disfiguring scars to list a few examples.
Although Facial Charisma is an ability because it is a
capacity for attractiveness determined before birth,
it may be enhanced cosmetically or with a hairstyle
that complements features (see Barber in Chap. 7:
Occupation and Hairstyling in Chap. 8: Skills). Facial
Charisma affects the skill of Sexual Adeptness (see
Chap. 8: Skills).
Vocal: While a character may be speaking
or singing in a foreign language not understood by
the listener, factors such as tone, pitch, accent, and
inflection may influence the listener to perceive them
as attractive, or conversely, repulsive. On the table
presented later in this chapter, a description of Vocal
Charisma at each category of ability offers a reference
point for comparisons. Other characters tend
to enjoy listening to the voice of a character with
high Vocal Charisma. Vocal Charisma affects the
skill (see Chap. 8: Skills) of Musical Instrument (Singing).
Kinetic: Different from the Bodily Attractiveness
sub-ability, Kinetic Charisma deals not with
the physical shape and appearance of the character
in question, but the beauty of their bodily movements,
gestures, stride, etc. For example, characters
with high Kinetic Charisma tend to stand up straight,
instead of slouching. On the table presented later
in this chapter, a description of Kinetic Charisma at
each category of ability offers a reference point for
comparisons. This sub-ability is important particularly
in Dance, Massage, and Sexual Adeptness (see
Chap. 8: Skills).
Rhetorical: As rhetoric is the art of persuasion,
this sub-ability of Charisma is concerned
with the potential to seem credible, to make one’s
ideas or suggestions seem appealing by soliciting
emotions. Rhetoric has been accused as an art of
verbal trickery, a tool of political propaganda, and
the foe of reasoned and logical arguments. Just the
same, it is very influential and often more influential
than reasoned argument. Further, rhetoric is important
for leadership. Talented rhetoricians know
that the most persuasive speech rate is slightly faster
than the societal norm, and accordingly speak at such
a rate. Average Speech Rate is indicated on the table
for Rhetorical Charisma later in this chapter. It is
represented in words-per-minute (w.p.m.), and is not
to be confused with a character’s Maximum Speech
Rate, as indicated on the table for the sub-ability of
Enunciation. Obviously, a character’s Average
Speech Rate, as listed for Rhetorical Charisma, may
never exceed their Maximum Speech Rate, as listed
for Enunciation. This sub-ability is useful in skills
(see Chap. 8: Skills) such as Haggling.
1. In a scholarly journal article by Chen, German, and Zaidel (1997), a gender effect occurred regarding facial attractiveness.
On a Likert scale, the mean rating for the attractiveness of a female face (M=2.71) was higher than the mean rating for the
attractiveness of a male face (M=2.34). Interestingly, males rated females (M=2.64) lower than females rated females (M=2.89),
and males rated males (M=2.45) higher than females rated males (M=2.29). Finally, “cross-cultural agreement on facial
attractiveness” (p. 472) exists, because just as with animals, facial attractiveness provides “external features (e.g. feathers,
antlers, fur) to reveal clues related to health, quality of genes, state of immune system,” and is relevant to reproduction. For
more information, see the References section at the end of this book.
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