11-23-2020, 11:04 AM | #91 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
Of course there's an 87 page SJG-published book, plus spin-offs, based mostly on the notion that you might actually want the social rules to have weight rather than being replaced willy nilly with GM fiat in any 'important' situation...
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
11-23-2020, 11:21 AM | #92 |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
And interestingly, they mostly don't say "make a reaction roll." They call for skill rolls, appearance rolls, etc. . . . but do take the time to point out when reaction modifiers should and shouldn't apply, rather than "all the time."
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Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
11-23-2020, 11:24 AM | #93 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
In the case of critical interactions with important NPCs, I tend to treat then as PCs, with the successful use of Influence skills inflicting a penalty on them rather than changing their opinions. Since reaction modifiers usually give a bonus to the use of Influence skills, this avoids the situation where social character find themselves completely useless.
For example, imagine a PC with SM+1, Will 20, Fearsome Stare, Tough Guy 4, Appearance (Hideous), Callous, and Intimidation-30. Without trying, they can easily intimidate a group of up to 30 people because of their size. Against an important NPC, they would instead using fear to inhibit their ability to fight, inflicting a penalty on their attack rolls against the PC equal to their margin of success, meaning that the important NPC would try another target or surrender. |
11-23-2020, 02:55 PM | #94 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
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The discussion of what modifiers should apply when is valuable, but the limitations pertaining to reaction modifiers on reaction rolls are mostly for when the 'target' wouldn't perceive the trait.
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
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11-23-2020, 03:38 PM | #95 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
Quote:
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11-23-2020, 03:57 PM | #96 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sweden, Stockholm
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
Having 20 in a skill basically makes you one of the best in the world.
I think you'll find GURPS performs better when numbers are kept roughly in the range of the 3d6. A skill of 30 mostly means you'll succeed with even nearly-impossible tasks (-10) automatically, and win most contests, and with an outrageously huge margin of success. But what succeeding with an intimidate roll my a margin of 20 means is very open to interpretation; it probably just mean you 'succeed about as well as well as could be realistically expected. If you have a cinematic or supernatural character and want them to be able to terrify anyone I'd combine Intimidate-20 and the controllable version of Terror, or even something like Mind Control with a 'fear'-theme ("I can terrify my opponents so well that the weaker willed will perform my bidding against their interests!")
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11-23-2020, 04:09 PM | #97 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sweden, Stockholm
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
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A lot of nobles had much more respect for the character in the party with blue blood. Though about 1/3 of the nobles were more focused on his negative reputation from his family's ill deeds, and tried to leverage it against him for favors, or otherwise treated him quite uncharitably. The party had also recruited an NPC naga monster (social stigma - monster). Their method for safely moving her through cities was by falsely claiming that she was property being delivered and mostly hiding her in a tavern room while they were in the city. In the end I think the important thing is to make sure the players feel their positive reaction modifiers mostly end up appropriately benefiting them, and the negative ones cause difficulties, or are a complete pain in the behind at the extreme negative end.
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"Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared" |
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11-23-2020, 05:15 PM | #98 |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: Why A Party Face Is A Bad Idea
FWIW, appearance rolls (as in, rolls against frequency of appearance) are the entirety of the thing in two of the spinoffs: Keeping in Contact and Pulling Rank.
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Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
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