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Old 05-25-2014, 02:17 AM   #3
Sindri
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Default Re: Influence Skills Modifying Reaction Rolls

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Originally Posted by Dinadon View Post
Done anything like what exactly?
Having Influence Skills directly modify the results of a Reaction Roll.

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Originally Posted by Dinadon View Post
Sure, Diplomacy is the only skill that can use an Influence Roll after determining the initial reaction, but I'm okay with that.
Great for you, but I think it's absurd.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinadon View Post
If the players want to find out what someone feels about them first, that's their choice. if they want to make Influence Rolls on npcs then they should be making a point of actively trying to ingratiate themselves with the target.
It's quite apparent that it's not their choice to find out what someone feels about them first if that locks them out of Influence Rolls afterwards unless they happened to want to use diplomacy.

This doesn't correspond with a great deal of social interaction where one does observe how someone reacts and then later tries influence. Not to mention that absolute prohibitions are generally a bad idea when it comes to social matters. If a PC starts talking to an NPC and a reaction is produced either by rolling or substituting GM fiat and then the PC later tries to influence him what is supposed to happen? You can't say "that's impossible", the PC can trivially prove that someone could try it, it's hardly a secret technique that the character wouldn't know and GURPS is supposed to avoid producing "you can't do it because the rules just don't support it" results. It's also incoherent because it acts as if Reaction Rolls are a thing PCs do. They aren't, they're a thing GMs do. The GM rolls a Reaction Roll whenever he damn well wants, including when the PCs literally don't know of the NPC's existence. The first time a PC meets someone obviously he should often have an opportunity to modify the NPC's reaction even if the NPC observed him first and it doesn't work for Reaction Rolls to work one way if the GM initiated it and another if the PC initiated it by starting to talk to the NPC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinadon View Post
Anyway, Influence Rolls are only a part of Influence Skills. Social Engineering shows this. Whilst Building Trust and Competitive Influence make use of Influence Rolls, many things are just Skill Rolls. A Good (or better) reaction is not the end for your Social Skills.
It's irrelevant what other uses they have.
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