Is it possible to play a sorcerer that is a loner?

[Travellintroll]

I would like to play a sorcerer in a new D&D campaign, but my last GM was very insistent that you need to roleplay to your stats, and I rather agree. So is it even possible to play a sorcerer that doesn't get along with people, and is a bit of a loner, being that the sorcerer needs a high charisma score. How do you do that? Any suggestions? Thanks.

I guess the same would apply to a social misfit warlock or paladin.

[LordEntrails]

IMO, charisma is ones about to relate to people and be able to influence them. Its your ability to get along. No stat indicates how much your character wants to get along.

All that said, I caution any player who wants a loner character that D&D is a cooperative game about a group solving challenges. Loner characters often cause problems with everyone having fun at the table. So, when a player wants a loner character I always talk to them about it. A character who has been a loner, and starts as a loner is fine, but I expect over the first few sessions for that character to change, to become a team players. What ever the player has to do to justify that change in character is fine, but I make it clear that "soon" the character needs to be cooperative.

[notrealdan]

I totally agree with LE here. It's a least partly the players' responsibility to give/maintain reasons for the party to be together and work together, and being a "loner" can actively work against this. I really like it when characters grow and evolve over a campaign, not just their stats changing as they level up, but more than that. Being a loner could be a trait your character struggles to overcome as part of their story.

[notrealdan]

But don't fall in the trap of doing something against the party or just being a jerk only because "that's what my character would do."

[notrealdan]

Some videos that might help, but are about general "loner" characters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=307YbZ4kPdg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGJehjIuIb0

Probably plenty more out there.

[Bidmaron]

6 stats cannot adequately capture the range of human personalities. In the old D&D second addition, there was a book (available on DTRPG) that I cannot remember that took all 6 stats and split them out into 2 separate stats. If memory serves, Charisma was split into Appearance and Leadership. It gave new tables for the bonuses/penalties associated with these new stats.
You are viewing Charisma too narrowly. It also captures leadership, attractiveness, and several other qualities in addition to social ability. There have been plenty of loners who turned out to be effective leaders in a group, e.g. And a high charisma could be due to just a phenomenal magnetism even though the person is socially inept.

[notrealdan]

He might not be a loner cause he wants to. Maybe he likes people and wants them to like him, but he has some trait that gets in the way. Maybe he's too quick to aggression? Maybe he's always telling dad jokes? Maybe he is gorgeous but has bad BO? Use your imagination!

[Travellintroll]

Alright, perhaps it would be better for me to describe the character I want to play. He was an orphan and adopted by a family with four other children, so that they might put him to work as a farmhand. He ran away to the big city at his first opportunity. Even as a child, he felt out of place, like he did not belong. He was bullied and had difficulty making friends. He does not excel at social interactions, not for lack of trying. That is not to say that he does not make friends. He usually has one or two good friends that he shares something in common with. He does, however, typically have a disdain for people, in general. You see, a long time ago he came to the conclusion that he is an exception to almost every rule. Things just typically don't work out for him, and he typically does not get along with others. He almost never lies, but people usually consider him dishonest. He never breaks a promise, but people usually consider him untrustworthy. It's just the way it is.

When he discovers that he is a sorcerer he uses his power to influence others and to attempt to accumulate wealth and power, filling a need he has never been able to fulfill in normal social interactions. At first, he is unaware of the origin of his power, but he may or may not discover in time that he is indeed an 'exception.' You see, now and again an individual is born who is not beholden to any other. That is to say, he or she simply comes into existence and is not created or made. Though that individual has the appearance of any one particular race they are not of that race. And though mortals are beholden to a particular God, or Gods, such an individual is not. That is not to say that he cannot die. He can. But he holds within himself the potential and the power to be immortal, if he lives long enough to live up to his potential.

[GavinRuneblade]

I don't see anything in that description that sounds like "loner". Loner means hermit, physically and emotionally isolated and doesn't have other people near them. In contrast, everything you just described could also be a very charming person who manipulates people and makes them feel like he is their friend but he sees them only as tools and he lives constantly surrounded by crowds. It really sounds to me like you're describing someone with either megalomania or antisocial personality disorder:
Antisocial personality disorder is defined by a pervasive and persistent disregard for morals, social norms, and the rights and feelings of others. Individuals with this personality disorder will typically have no compunction in exploiting others in harmful ways for their own gain or pleasure and frequently manipulate and deceive other people, achieving this through wit and a façade of superficial charm or through intimidation and violence. They may display arrogance, think lowly and negatively of others, and lack remorse for their harmful actions and have a callous attitude to those they have harmed.
that appears to be a perfect match for these comments you made:

He does, however, typically have a disdain for people
he typically does not get along with others
he uses his power to influence others and to attempt to accumulate wealth and power, filling a need he has never been able to fulfill in normal social interactions

If that is really your character idea, then yes it could fit a sorcerer just fine. However, I strongly urge you to real Lord Entrails statement before you actually make such a character. This character absolutely has the potential to ruin everyone's fun and kill a game. Take it over with your DM first.

Also, be careful with things like this, "He almost never lies, but people usually consider him dishonest. He never breaks a promise, but people usually consider him untrustworthy". Most DMs like to be the one to decide how the world reacts. Players define their behaviors and personalities, the DM determines what happens based on that. So if you want to have an effect where people react the opposite of what is normal, I recommend talking it over with the DM first. Making the whole world behave irrationally "because it is my character" isn't going to play out without the DM being on board. And be prepared to remind your DM too, because that is something I know I would forget from time to time. I'd be cool with it, I like the idea, but I know I'd forget it and have a shopkeeper you know well let you have a tab or something like that. The only risk with it is why are the other players immune? Because if they're not, then you're not playing with a team because if they don't trust you you cannot go into life and death situations with them. And if you're not playing with the team, you're not in the game. So why are they immune or different?

[Travellintroll]

Nevermind. As a character I loosely based on myself, I was bumped from the game.

Got to love the irony though!!

[damned]

It does sound like either your character, or your play style, or your play style for this character wasnt a good fit for that group.

I will also throw my hat in with Lord Entrails - this is a co-operative and social game and players and characters that enhance the experience for the others at the table will result in more fun for everyone.

[Dark Lord Galen]

.............. If memory serves, Charisma was split into Appearance and Leadership. It gave new tables for the bonuses/penalties associated with these new stats.
You are viewing Charisma too narrowly. It also captures leadership, attractiveness, and several other qualities in addition to social ability. There have been plenty of loners who turned out to be effective leaders in a group, e.g. And a high charisma could be due to just a phenomenal magnetism even though the person is socially inept.
For Charisma it was divided into Charisma and Comeliness Discussed in 2e Version of Unearthed Arcana p6
For a relatable example I give my players, Hitler was certainly no beauty (comeliness) but he was undeniably Charismatic.

I still utilize it today since it does a better job of separating the physical from the intangible. Nothing like a barmaid or Succubus with a high comeliness. or a Bard with a silvered tongue of charisma talking those less armed with smooth words (yea you mister gatekeeper) out of information or egress to the secret ways of the castle.

As to the others, while there were several references to dividing Attributes throughout Dragon Magazine and other places (Seems like Judges-guild & Gurps might have been others). This went full bloom when the "copyright wars" of the late '90s went on with what was and was not copyrightable. Alternate game sources,all re-invented some of these descriptors. Some third party gaming systems substituted similar descriptors as well.
Fortitude = Constitution
Intellect= Intelligence
Willpower=Wisdom etc

but I don't think there was one D&D book that collected the splits on all.. but I'll look.

DLG

[GavinRuneblade]

For Charisma it was divided into Charisma and Comeliness Discussed in 2e Version of Unearthed Arcana p6
For a relatable example I give my players, Hitler was certainly no beauty (comeliness) but he was undeniably Charismatic.

I still utilize it today since it does a better job of separating the physical from the intangible. Nothing like a barmaid or Succubus with a high comeliness. or a Bard with a silvered tongue of charisma talking those less armed with smooth words (yea you mister gatekeeper) out of information or egress to the secret ways of the castle.

As to the others, while there were several references to dividing Attributes throughout Dragon Magazine and other places (Seems like Judges-guild & Gurps might have been others). This went full bloom when the "copyright wars" of the late '90s went on with what was and was not copyrightable. Alternate game sources,all re-invented some of these descriptors. Some third party gaming systems substituted similar descriptors as well.
Fortitude = Constitution
Intellect= Intelligence
Willpower=Wisdom etc

but I don't think there was one D&D book that collected the splits on all.. but I'll look.

DLG

2e Skills and Powers (https://www.dmsguild.com/product/16863/Players-Option--Skills--Power-2e) had all of them.

[Dark Lord Galen]

2e Skills and Powers (https://www.dmsguild.com/product/16863/Players-Option--Skills--Power-2e) had all of them.

Good Catch Gavin, beat me to it! Certainly hits right on Bidmaron's thoughts.

BUT, I think you'd have to agree its not a "true splitting" of the core attributes as 2e started with. It was a lean so hard in the direction of point buy it made it difficult to even utilize with other 2e (And later for that matter) PH character classes. And at the time even WOC didn't intend doing it to all attributes, and thus revisited it in Dragon #225 as to how that might be approached. So after re-proofing through it and the thread, not certain fits the course the OP was hoping for except idea growth maybe.

DLG

[Bidmaron]

Well it was a tangent. I am wont to do that sometimes. What I was trying to get at was that the OP was taking too narrow a view of Charisma in thinking a loner couldn’t have a high charisma.