Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-25-2011, 01:06 AM   #1
Sir Tifyable
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Sheffield, England
Default Resistance to Sex Appeal

A post in RPK's Monster Hunter leaks thread set off a train of thought. Someone queried why the first character posted had "No Game" (= Incompetence: Sex Appeal) when she might be quite attractive.

Of course, Sex Appeal isn't about how attractive you are - it's your state of mind. How much are you willing to 'vamp it up' to persuade someone to do what you want?. In fact, the more attractive you are, the less likely you are to need the skill.

I think that most Attractive or Beautiful people are more likely to develop the skill Resist Sex Appeal - otherwise they'll pretty quickly acquire an undesirable reputation.

I'd call it a Will-based skill, and Easy, because you don't want to have to pay too much for something that's basically a socially defensive skill.

As well as attractive/beautiful people, of course, it will be developed by those whose religion discourages extramarital physical relationships, or those whose Status makes them a target for gold-diggers or those looking for a Reputation.

Thoughts?
Sir Tifyable is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 01:15 AM   #2
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Tifyable View Post
A post in RPK's Monster Hunter leaks thread set off a train of thought. Someone queried why the first character posted had "No Game" (= Incompetence: Sex Appeal) when she might be quite attractive.

Of course, Sex Appeal isn't about how attractive you are - it's your state of mind. How much are you willing to 'vamp it up' to persuade someone to do what you want?. In fact, the more attractive you are, the less likely you are to need the skill.

I think that most Attractive or Beautiful people are more likely to develop the skill Resist Sex Appeal - otherwise they'll pretty quickly acquire an undesirable reputation.

I'd call it a Will-based skill, and Easy, because you don't want to have to pay too much for something that's basically a socially defensive skill.

As well as attractive/beautiful people, of course, it will be developed by those whose religion discourages extramarital physical relationships, or those whose Status makes them a target for gold-diggers or those looking for a Reputation.

Thoughts?
Totally unnecessary. If someone wants to resist Sex Appeal they just don't go for it. And of course pretty people usually have higher standards so all attempts to use Sex Appeal on them are going to be penalized.
David Johnston2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 01:23 AM   #3
jason taylor
 
jason taylor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

Actually, I would disagree. A skilled courtesan for instance might want to make sure she doesn't give away to much for free. On the flip side a religious person might want to make sure she is as cold as ice normally but really, really-well really-at kosher times. Skill at controlling appeal might be a useful trait.
__________________
"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison
jason taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 01:26 AM   #4
Christopher R. Rice
 
Christopher R. Rice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Tifyable View Post
A post in RPK's Monster Hunter leaks thread set off a train of thought. Someone queried why the first character posted had "No Game" (= Incompetence: Sex Appeal) when she might be quite attractive.

Of course, Sex Appeal isn't about how attractive you are - it's your state of mind. How much are you willing to 'vamp it up' to persuade someone to do what you want?. In fact, the more attractive you are, the less likely you are to need the skill.

I think that most Attractive or Beautiful people are more likely to develop the skill Resist Sex Appeal - otherwise they'll pretty quickly acquire an undesirable reputation.

I'd call it a Will-based skill, and Easy, because you don't want to have to pay too much for something that's basically a socially defensive skill.

As well as attractive/beautiful people, of course, it will be developed by those whose religion discourages extramarital physical relationships, or those whose Status makes them a target for gold-diggers or those looking for a Reputation.

Thoughts?
I wouldn't make a new skill for this...it was also fairly well discussed in the Social Engineering playtest (resisting Influence skills) so when that book comes out you should see a official answer.

In my games I have used Resistance as a model.

+3 vs. Sex Appeal rolls is [1] (basically a perk)
+8 vs. Sex Appeal rolls is [3]
Immunity to Sex Appeal is [5]

It's worked out pretty well for me, but YMMV.

Ghostdancer
__________________
My Twitter
My w23 Stuff
My Blog

Latest GURPS Book: Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Thieves
Latest TFT Book: The Sunken Library

Become a Patron!
Christopher R. Rice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 01:27 AM   #5
knoterich
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

thaths why i love naughty and dice.
but i dont think you should be resistant to sexappeal only because you have it. for players its yust a kind of roleplaying the character and about storytelling.

the big difference is when magic comes into play but you get a resistance for that with your will already
knoterich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 01:38 AM   #6
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
Actually, I would disagree. A skilled courtesan for instance might want to make sure she doesn't give away to much for free. On the flip side a religious person might want to make sure she is as cold as ice normally but really, really-well really-at kosher times. Skill at controlling appeal might be a useful trait.
No skill is needed. Characters are as open or closed to sex appeal as their player wants them to be.
David Johnston2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 01:43 AM   #7
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
No skill is needed. Characters are as open or closed to sex appeal as their player wants them to be.
Why have a skill for it, then?

If the GM, playing NPCs, decides whether or not they are open to Sex Appeal and the players, playing PCs, decide the same mutatis mutandis, the skill would seem to be a worthless point sink.

As it happens, though, what you describe is not how things work in GURPS. So it's all good.
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 01:50 AM   #8
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
If the GM, playing NPCs, decides whether or not they are open to Sex Appeal and the players, playing PCs, decide the same mutatis mutandis, the skill would seem to be a worthless point sink.
It would be, except that the GM usually doesn't set the sex appeal difficulty all that high.
David Johnston2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 05:57 AM   #9
Danukian
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: MI
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
No skill is needed. Characters are as open or closed to sex appeal as their player wants them to be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Why have a skill for it, then?

If the GM, playing NPCs, decides whether or not they are open to Sex Appeal and the players, playing PCs, decide the same mutatis mutandis, the skill would seem to be a worthless point sink.

As it happens, though, what you describe is not how things work in GURPS. So it's all good.
I agree with Icelander here: Sex Appeal is an Influence skill, same as Fast-Talk. In many settings it is classic and iconic (Cold War Espionage, for instance). It totally defeats the purpose of the skill and listed modifier if you simple say "Not interested" with no buy off as much as it would for Fast Talk. The RAW Will check works perfectly fine with the appropriate situational modifiers.
__________________
"My Dirty Girls on Bikes Calendar ends in December: it doesn't mean the world is going to end, it means it's time to order a new calendar!" ~Burt Chance
Danukian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2011, 06:05 AM   #10
gjc8
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Default Re: Resistance to Sex Appeal

There are two different things here.

1) The difficulty of using Sex Appeal to influence a target.
2) The difficulty of convincing someone to have sex, specifically by Sex Appeal, but presumably also by other things.

These are separate concepts. Not all Sex Appeal attempts will involve sexual intercourse. If you're specifically looking for sex, it's just another "favor" that can be the result of a positive reaction, whether from Sex Appeal, Diplomacy, or simply Charisma, etc.

Charles the conscript is married and has SoD: Family, but doesn't care much for being in the army. He'd be difficult to get into bed, because he's loyal to his wife. He might be sufficiently flattered by playful flirting to reveal confidential information, though.

Frank the fanatic is single, but he volunteered for the army because he has Fanaticism: Country. He's willing and eager to sleep with any woman who makes a pass at him. However, it would significantly more difficult to convince him to reveal information.
gjc8 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
heterosexuality, homosexuality, kromm explanation, new skill, sex appeal, social engineering

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:10 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.