Enthrallment using Sex Appeal

[Beguiler]

For a character I'm making, I wanted them to be able to use the Enthrallment skills using Sex Appeal instead of Public Speaking, but I didn't how this could be modeled in GURPS terms and point cost, and could not find anything but the briefest mention of it by Google searches. So, I came up with a few ways of how it could be used, a 30 and 5 Point advantages and a obvious 1 Point perk.

Seductive Enthrallment, 1 Point, 5 Points, or 30 Points

For all versions, since Sex Appeal is being used, the Enthrallment skills will only work on those sexually attracted. The underlying prerequisites for using Enthrallment with the Seductive Enthrallment advantage becomes Charisma 1 and Sex Appeal 12+. These Enthrallment skills using Sex Appeal cannot exceed the level of Sex Appeal the character has.

For the 30 Point version specifically, the Enthrallment skills which normally take more then a minute now only take a minute to take effect. There also is no fatigue cost to use these skills. To somewhat balance this, regardless of how many levels of Charisma, this form of Seductive Enthrallment will only work on one individual at a time. The point cost figures out as:
1 Point for Skill Adaptation (Enthrallment skills use Sex Appeal), 4 Points in Unusual Training for the four Enthrallment skills, Reduced Fatigue Cost +400%, Reduced Time +240%, totaling to a worth of 32 points but shaving off the extra 2 points for the sake of pentaphilism. The fact that this advantage basically just lets you use Mind Control spells with no FP costs required with no more a minute required to use would probably make this completely inappropriate for anything but the most cinematic games. Sure, the fact its enthrallment through seduction means it'll only work on those sexually attracted to your sex, but it's still extremely powerful. It's not really meant to be balanced though really, this was made with film-noir femme fatales in mind, specifically how the film Double Indemnity portrays the archetype; he was doomed the moment she had him in the grip of her allure. It's meant to be unfair.

The 5 Point version is much like normal Enthrallment with the normal time requirements, fatigue costs, and audience size increased by Charisma, but assumes that this form of enthrallment still isn't of the norm in a realistic campaign. The 4 out of 5 Points in Unusual Training may as well just be a 4 Point Unusual Background.

The perk version is just a Skill Adaptation of using Enthrallment with Sex Appeal of course, priced as a perk assuming a somewhat cinematic campaign in which Sex Appeal is much more flexible in its usage but still doesn't warrant more then a point in cost.

So did I price these right? I thought the fact that the limitation of being only used on a single target at a time for the cinematic version would warrant a reduction in point cost, but I'm not sure what percentage that would be, but for what the advantage can do the point cost is quite very generous IMHO anyways as is.

[Christopher R. Rice]

This is briefly mentioned in Fantasy pp. 135, 214 - so you might want to check that out too.

[Beguiler]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

This is briefly mentioned in Fantasy pp. 135, 214 - so you might want to check that out too.

I must have totally overlooked that while skimming through my books for ideas. From pp. 135 and 214 it doesn't say anything more about the matter besides simply switching Public Speaking with Sex Appeal, which apparently doesn't require at least a perk but a Unusual Background instead, which I suppose makes sense... but I also have to wonder, why isn't there more being said about the possible difference in function between Public Speaking based Enthrallment and Sex Appeal based Enthrallment? If the difference is a matter of flavor, that's alright I suppose.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Beguiler

I must have totally overlooked that while skimming through my books for ideas. From pp. 135 and 214 it doesn't say anything more about the matter besides simply switching Public Speaking with Sex Appeal, which apparently doesn't require at least a perk but a Unusual Background instead, which I suppose makes sense... but I also have to wonder, why isn't there more being said about the possible difference in function between Public Speaking based Enthrallment and Sex Appeal based Enthrallment? If the difference is a matter of flavor, that's alright I suppose.

FWIW, I've ran this before and what I do is make the time requirement time spent flirting, playing the coquette, stealing covert glances when your target is watching, etc. It works pretty good and you really don't need to add anything (unless you want too).

[Beguiler]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

FWIW, I've ran this before and what I do is make the time requirement time spent flirting, playing the coquette, stealing covert glances when your target is watching, etc. It works pretty good and you really don't need to add anything (unless you want too).

Well, I'd like to add to it, much like to some of what I said in my original post. When I first envisioned the use of Sex Appeal it seemed more like what you'd see in typical hollywood movies in which it didn't take more then a few moments for the male character's romantic interest to get him tongue tied. So I think the 30 Point advantage I described in the first post probably fits the bill, but tacking on an additional 10 points of Unusual Background would be a good idea.

Alternatively, I could just have the character have high levels of Sex Appeal, Fast-Talk, Diplomacy, and Public Speaking to more or less get the same flavor that's not so extravagant and unrealistic.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Beguiler

Well, I'd like to add to it, much like to some of what I said in my original post. When I first envisioned the use of Sex Appeal it seemed more like what you'd see in typical hollywood movies in which it didn't take more then a few moments for the male character's romantic interest to get him tongue tied. So I think the 30 Point advantage I described in the first post probably fits the bill, but tacking on an additional 10 points of Unusual Background would be a good idea.

Alternatively, I could just have the character have high levels of Sex Appeal, Fast-Talk, Diplomacy, and Public Speaking to more or less get the same flavor that's not so extravagant and unrealistic.

Are you use Kromm's From Skills To Advantages (Pyramid 3/44: Alternate GURPS, p. 14)? Because that would be immensely helpful to what you are doing. Again, I don't see anything wrong from your rules, but you should playtest them to be sure.

[Beguiler]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Are you use Kromm's From Skills To Advantages (Pyramid 3/44: Alternate GURPS, p. 14)? Because that would be immensely helpful to what you are doing. Again, I don't see anything wrong from your rules, but you should playtest them to be sure.

Thanks, I'll check that out. Now that I think about it though I probably should have put a house rules tag on this thread. >.<

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Beguiler

Thanks, I'll check that out. Now that I think about it though I probably should have put a house rules tag on this thread. >.<

No big. :-) Hope I helped, however minor.

[Beguiler]

So, using “From Skills to Abilities”, I was able to put this together:

Alluring Influence, 65 Points
Your sexual magnetism is strong enough to manipulate someone’s actions, emotions, and their attraction towards you. When you wish to use this ability on someone, you must first capture their full attention which takes one minute. Make a Sex Appeal roll to do so, if successful you may roll a Quick Contest of Sex Appeal vs. the victim’s Will to have them do something for you, alter their current emotional state, or have them be enamored with you so that they react to you at +3 for future reaction rolls with them for as long as your with that person. The subject resists at +5 if the action they must take threatens his or her life or the life of his or her loved ones. If you fail the initial Sex Appeal roll, you may not make another attempt without somehow making it up to the subject for your perceived poor behavior. You may only attempt to use this ability once every few weeks (the exact amount of time at GM’s discretion, but at a minimum of three weeks recommended) on the same subject.

This is basically a package deal of the Enthrallment skills Suggest, Persuade, and Sway Emotions using Sex Appeal. The cost works out as Unusual Training 3, Advantage Cost 15, and Based on (Sex Appeal) +20% (this enhancement took a bit of delving around in old threads to figure this out and is the best I could come up with even though it’s not exactly RAW), Reduced Time +160%, and Reduced Fatigue Cost +240%, Accessibility (May attempt once very few weeks. Again, limitation is what I could figure out as reasonable while trying to follow RAW closely) -60%, totaling at 64.8 Points, rounded up to 65 Points. I know that Reduced Time, Reduced Fatigue Cost, and Accessibility are basically heavily frowned upon in “From Skills to Abilities”, but they were used because I felt it suited the flavor. As for the not so RAW usage of Sex Appeal instead of Will, it just legitimately made more sense to make that switch for obvious reasons. As for the odd Accessibility limitation, well, I pulled that idea from what’s said under Sex Appeal in the Basic Set that it could only be attempted once every few weeks on the subject. Comparing the skill cost to that of what I’m assuming would be a more or less minimum cost dedicated to decent Enthrallment skill levels, 50 (IQ+2, Per-2, each Enthrallment skill bought at IQ, and a trivial quirk because, um, pentaphilism), point cost for Alluring Influence being only 15 more points then that is pretty okay.

This advantage actually seems feasible in a realistic campaign to me.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Beguiler

So, using “From Skills to Abilities”, I was able to put this together:

Alluring Influence, 65 Points
Your sexual magnetism is strong enough to manipulate someone’s actions, emotions, and their attraction towards you. When you wish to use this ability on someone, you must first capture their full attention which takes one minute. Make a Sex Appeal roll to do so, if successful you may roll a Quick Contest of Sex Appeal vs. the victim’s Will to have them do something for you, alter their current emotional state, or have them be enamored with you so that they react to you at +3 for future reaction rolls with them for as long as your with that person. The subject resists at +5 if the action they must take threatens his or her life or the life of his or her loved ones. If you fail the initial Sex Appeal roll, you may not make another attempt without somehow making it up to the subject for your perceived poor behavior. You may only attempt to use this ability once every few weeks (the exact amount of time at GM’s discretion, but at a minimum of three weeks recommended) on the same subject.

This is basically a package deal of the Enthrallment skills Suggest, Persuade, and Sway Emotions using Sex Appeal. The cost works out as Unusual Training 3, Advantage Cost 15, and Based on (Sex Appeal) +20% (this enhancement took a bit of delving around in old threads to figure this out and is the best I could come up with even though it’s not exactly RAW), Reduced Time +160%, and Reduced Fatigue Cost +240%, Accessibility (May attempt once very few weeks. Again, limitation is what I could figure out as reasonable while trying to follow RAW closely) -60%, totaling at 64.8 Points, rounded up to 65 Points. I know that Reduced Time, Reduced Fatigue Cost, and Accessibility are basically heavily frowned upon in “From Skills to Abilities”, but they were used because I felt it suited the flavor. As for the not so RAW usage of Sex Appeal instead of Will, it just legitimately made more sense to make that switch for obvious reasons. As for the odd Accessibility limitation, well, I pulled that idea from what’s said under Sex Appeal in the Basic Set that it could only be attempted once every few weeks on the subject. Comparing the skill cost to that of what I’m assuming would be a more or less minimum cost dedicated to decent Enthrallment skill levels, 50 (IQ+2, Per-2, each Enthrallment skill bought at IQ, and a trivial quirk because, um, pentaphilism), point cost for Alluring Influence being only 15 more points then that is pretty okay.

This advantage actually seems feasible in a realistic campaign to me.

I understand what you are trying to do here, but I think you're going about this the wrong way. You say this is feasible for a realistic campaign, but Enthrallment skills are not realistic. Even Mata Hari (GURPS Who's Who I) only has a Sex Appeal of 13 - so if you're using this ability in a realistic campaign...you don't want to use Enthrallment at all. OF course, your definition of realistic and mine may be very different. If you're after a "realistic" skill you just want a high Sex Appeal. Honestly, I'd just build this as Mind Control (Mind Tricks*, -30%) [35], it's a better fit for what you're trying to achieve to be perfectly honest. That other ability feels...bloated. If you want the cost to be higher, charge an Unusual Background.

* This can be found on p. 15 of GURPS Psionic Powers.