The most cost effective way of boosting charisma?

[ConBrio]

If I were to make a charisma based character what would be the most cost effective ways of boosting his charisma modifier? I know there is the Cloak of Charisma +6 for 36000 GP. But what else is there?

[Kajhera]

Via races and templates, I would say.

Unseelie Fey template from Dragon Compendium, +0LA (supposedly) and includes +2 charisma among other things.

Magic-Blooded template from Dragon 306, also +0LA supposedly and includes +2 charisma among other things.

Lesser Aasimar race from somewhere in Faerun, you don't get to be an outsider but you keep the +2 charisma.
Edit: Player's Guide to Faerun. Just taking 0 levels in the Aasimar monster class gets you less Wisdom, but still the Charisma and you get to keep the outsider type.

If you want charisma for specific reasons, a level of Marshal can double your charisma's contribution to Charisma based checks and skill checks. Circlet of Persuasion gives +3 competence on charisma-based checks for 4.5k.

[ConBrio]

Via races and templates, I would say.

Unseelie Fey template from Dragon Compendium, +0LA (supposedly) and includes +2 charisma among other things.

Magic-Blooded template from Dragon 306, also +0LA supposedly and includes +2 charisma among other things.

Lesser Aasimar race from somewhere in Faerun, you don't get to be an outsider but you keep the +2 charisma.
Edit: Player's Guide to Faerun. Just taking 0 levels in the Aasimar monster class gets you less Wisdom, but still the Charisma and you get to keep the outsider type.

If you want charisma for specific reasons, a level of Marshal can double your charisma's contribution to Charisma based checks and skill checks. Circlet of Persuasion gives +3 competence on charisma-based checks for 4.5k.

Besides races/templates, are there any other items besides the cape that boost the mod specifically (rather than aiding with checks)?

[Kajhera]

You can get a +1 to +5 inherent bonus from Wishes cast in sequence, or a Tome of Leadership and Influence. I believe you can get a +4 profane bonus from being possessed by a fiend. I think you can change your score by channeling a celestial too. (BOVD/BOED) Mertoran leaf, is a medicine that grants an alchemical bonus to charisma for a time (at the cost of dexterity) from UA.

[ConBrio]

You can get a +1 to +5 inherent bonus from Wishes cast in sequence, or a Tome of Leadership and Influence. I believe you can get a +4 profane bonus from being possessed by a fiend. I think you can change your score by channeling a celestial too. (BOVD/BOED) Mertoran leaf, is a medicine that grants an alchemical bonus to charisma for a time (at the cost of dexterity) from UA.

Woah @ Tome of Leadership and Influence. Can I read multiple tomes and gain the bonus multiple times?

[Kajhera]

I believe it's similar to Wish, so you'd just get the best one.

[LordBlades]

Also the Chameleon PrC (Races of Destiny) grants a floating bonus to one of your stats (+6 max)

[Ithamar]

Vow of Poverty will eventually let you get +8 to your CHA.  Though obviously you don't get any GP to buy useful things like +5 Tomes of whatnot.  Of course if you take VoP as your level 18 feat...

I believe BoED also has a few spells that will grant Sacred boosts to CHA.  Maybe try and turn those into custom items?

[SorO_Lost]

Heheheheheheh Oh this thread was asking for me wasn't it?


Primordial Giant^EB:SoX Lesser Half Giant^CPsi, skip the racial class.
If Dragon is allowed, go Magic-Blooded
Age your self twice.
Sub-Total is: -7 Str, -5 Dex, -3 Con, +6 Int, +0 Wis, +8 Cha.

You'll need to play as a Sorcerer, because you better. Use Incantatrix to Persist spells, or barring knowledge of Errata on DMM a dip into Sacred Exocist. Oh, and those level up points go to Charisma btw.

PrC into Prestigious Bard for one level or get a Runestaff, doesn't matter.
Snowsong^FB: +4 Moral to Charisma.
Nixie's Grace^SpC: +8 Enhancement to Charisma, also +6 to Dex (saves buying an item) and +2 to Wisdom (meh).

Buy some wands.
Devil's Ego^{FCI/FCII, forgot}: +4 Profane to Charisma.
Righteous Aura^SpC: +4 Sacred to Charisma.

Use the gain a Domain's Spells AFC or Feat, doesn't matter.
Greater Visage Of The Deity^SpC: +4 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Con, +4 Int, +2 Cha.

Think I'm done yet? Hells no, that was just spells. Let's see what gold can do for you.

Tome of Leadership and Influence^Core: +5 Inherent to Charisma, normally rounds out that +5 from leveling too.
Horseshoes of Flame^SS: +6 Untyped to Charisma baby, also +10 to Int and +2 Dex.
Command^DotF: The word "command" keeps getting reprinted, this is the only +2 one so bite me. +4 Competence to Charisma!
Swim though a Worm of Minous^FCII for +1 to your highest ability score, Charisma I'm sure. It's a Magical Location so you "pay" for it.
Brake a deal with a devil^FCII? for +1 to Charisma rounding off that odd point from the worm.
Don't forgot drugs. Mertoran Leaf is +2 Alchemical to Charisma for a measly point of Dex damage.

Final Total: -3 Str, +6 Dex, -1 Con, +20 Int, +2 Wis, +54 Cha.
Start with 18 Charisma and you'll be packing 72 at the end of things. +31 to spell save DCs and more spells per day than you have time to cast. And no CL loss for doing it. Hell, you're an Incantatrix, there isn't a more powerful PrC printed. And you can still pick up enough Coldcasting flavored feats for another +6~+8 to Save DCs, +3 damage per die, and +3 to caster level. What more could you ask for?

[Noliar]

Note that you need to be an ordinary horse transformed into a nightmare to gain the benefits of horseshoes of flame.

[Bearchucks]

or have enough UMD that it doesn't matter.  72 cha = +31 bonus.  The UMD check to emulate a race is child's play with that amount of charisma.

[Noliar]

Still, it gives the boni by turning the wearer into a nightmare - a large, horrific quadruped with no hands or speech that has an unfortunate tendency to set light to the ground it steps on - not the best form for an adventuring sorceror. And polymorphing into a more humanoid form would cause the horseshoes to merge and stop working.

Unless... Shapechange into a form with 4 hooves, put on horseshoes and UMD to become a nightmare, shapechange into a centaur which leaves you with the mental ability adjustments. You don't want start as a hooved tauric creature because the RHD will cost CL.

[caelic]

If you want to stick to reasonably sane ways of boosting Charisma, venerable age plus Reincarnate is totally logical.  Who wouldn't want to be reborn in a young adult body just before dying of old age?  At 1,280 gp for a +3 to every mental stat, it's a bargain.