[Basic] Skill of the week: Acting

[johndallman]

The thing I forgot when writing up the first post: Does anyone actually use the modifiers to Acting for relative IQ? I never have, because I always forget them; they do seem rather fiddly.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by johndallman

The thing I forgot when writing up the first post: Does anyone actually use the modifiers to Acting for relative IQ? I never have, because I always forget them; they do seem rather fiddly.

When the roll is a Quick Contest of Acting vs. IQ, Per, Will, Body Language, Detect Lies, etc., I do not, as it seems like double-counting. When the roll is uncontested, I do, because it nicely emulates the fact that smarter people are harder to fool, which is inherent in the Quick Contest but lost otherwise.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by johndallman

The thing I forgot when writing up the first post: Does anyone actually use the modifiers to Acting for relative IQ? I never have, because I always forget them; they do seem rather fiddly.

I do. The modifiers are often important. Of particular interest is the fact that levels of an appropriate Talent count as levels of IQ for the purposes of these modifiers. This adds spice to the dynamic between various party members and a party NPC whose motives they have trouble guessing:

NPC chemist has IQ13, Impersonator Talent 4, and an Acting score of 16. Also, the Impersonator Talent in this case has an Alternate Alternate Benefit: it provides a penalty to unresisted attempts to figure out what's on the character's mind. (Yes, not quite RAW, but seems to fit the spirit of the trait and not munchkiny.)
The party doctor has IQ15, Acute Vision 2, and Body Language 16 (after the AV bonus).
The party face has IQ14 and Empath Talent 3, and a Psychology score of 15.

So doctor vs. chemist goes by base QC of 16 vs. 16, with the Chemist enjoying +2 for effective IQ13+4 vs. the doctor's actual IQ 15.
Face vs. chemist can go for either Psychology, a QC of 15 vs. 16, with the chemist enjoying +0 for having IQ 13+4 vs. IQ 14+3, or the face can just use Empathy and roll an unresisted 13 (Empath 3, IQ14) at -4 for a final score of 9.

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Note that the modifier goes away when more than one skill is involved, such as using Acting combined with Disguise and Mimicry. See Social Engineering, p. 37.