[SPOILER] Click here to see my commentary for this page!
My comment for this page from Gaia: sic mundus creatus est:Our reader Puyon put it best: “Viviana’s charisma stat is off the charts. Diplomacy, persuasion, bluffing, seduction, intimidation, she can do it all!” I later used this quote for Malva’s speech in The Third Age #9. Elliot Kane commented: “That has to be one of the best attempts to coerce an untrustworthy colleague into staying loyal ever. By praising San in front of pretty much the whole world and telling everyone how dedicated they are to defeating Eldor together, Vivi has given her no wiggle room whatsoever. A true masterclass!”
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My, iIias looks handsome in his new uniform. Too bad nobody’s gonna see it.
I do love San’s faces in panels 4, 5 and 6. Powree is a genius.
All-Purpose Guru wrote:
People saw it on previous page when he brought the device to Viviana. But probably not from best angle.
As the grognards say, charisma is no dump stat. And giving San no room to maneuver is a 100% on point. It’s a more uncommon means of utilizing it, because the circumstances in which they arise are just going to be a lot rarer I think.
*pointing at the author commentary* hehehe thats me 🙂
I’m glad that comment made an impression, so much to the point that it ended up in the comic itself.
This entire scene has always stuck out to me as one of the best showcases of the phenomenal characters built for the story of Gaia. Especially after in Breaking All Barriers, Monster, and The Way Back Home, where we see Viviana struggling to overcome the severity of the circumstances handed to her, it was a relief to see that the clever and charismatic thief we first got to see in The Shadowdancers and The Letter of Jael Bara was still in tact despite the overwhelming mental and physical trauma she’s suffered. It really shows her resilience, mental fortitude, and the incredible strength of her convictions.
Viviana is an easy pick for “Best Character in Gaia” and possibly one of my favorites across the many webcomics I’ve read over the years.
Thanks again for writing such a wonderful story. It has been a delight seeing it unfold all over again.
Carefulrogue wrote:
Depends. For an average adventurer-for-hire, charisma just needs to be high enough not to get arrested for suspicious behavior / turned down for jobs. Now, for a leader? Definitely a must.
Klaus wrote:
It is always good to have at least one character with a great charisma in a party. In this one, Ilia is quite good, but Viviana is the best.
BTW, San’s face is priceless. I remember loving that during the first run.
Viviana is a good example of a character who not only has good charisma (although I would attribute her success more to her skill at using it than to any particular high amount of it, although she definitely has higher-than-average), but also of a character who has taken the Leadership feat. I know the stereotypical usage of leadership is to have swarms of minions to go with the player into combat, but I find the much more interesting (and probably, the more powerful overall use) is like Viviana, where the followers are used to lay plans, build resources, accomplish tasks in the background, etc. It may not be as flashy as leading an army into battle, but it’s very powerful.
It is always a good idea to pay attention to the morale of one’s friends, allies, and supporters. Especially after giving them such a blow like the whole bit about Bhaal and the spiritstream. And Viviana, as we have seen in the past, values people.
Carefulrogue wrote:
For an excellent example of how useful charisma can be, this clip from Viva La Dirt League is a great example of its value.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aujOb50T8Pc