... if he started with a 1 Charisma?

Half-Orcs can start the game with a 1 Charisma. The Orc Leather gives it's wearer a -1 Charisma penalty.

If a stat reaches 0, that character dies, right? Anybody ever check this out?

Yes he would die. I have had a ever-so-slightly ugly char die from wearing Trachie's Plate.

I haven't been able to start half orcs or dwarves with less than two Charisma, sadly. But Mad=Dog has given us an answer.

Hmmm, I thought Half-Orcs could start with a 1 Charisma, I could be wrong.

Edit: I just tried, and the lowest I could get on a Half-Orc is a 3 (I'm surprised). A Dwarf can go as low as 2, though.

[ 08-17-2005, 01:41 AM: Message edited by: krunchyfrogg ]

You can use the ugly-stick to lower Charisma the last point. I didn't even bother to consider if the conditions where applicable. Anyhow a character will die if a stat hits zero. Mindflayer intelligence loss is a prime example. It would seem a bit silly with Charisma - you are simply too ugly to live. Warts grow out of control to cover your mouth and nose!? Nevertheless you die if your Charisma gets too low.

Perhaps the character mutates too far? A system shock?

I understand that constitution and strenght going under one kills. Dexterity would make more sense if it made the cracter twitch on the floor unable to control his/her movements and die of starvation after a few days (permanent uncounciousness?). Charisma of zero could cause one of those nifty moral failures in all who see the character.

The answer is obvious: The character has such a low self esteem as a result of his crippling lack of sexual appeal, that he kills himself.

LOL!

BTW, Charisma is not looks, it's personality too.

Charisma is also that spark, that je ne sais quois, that personal magnetism... the humanity. I don't know if you could live without that.

Sure you could, you'd make up for you low charisma with compensating Strength, Dexterity and constitution.
The Baldur's Gate universe is populated entirely by unbelievably strong, fast, tough and ugly warriors.