Resistance to Sex Appeal

[Danukian]

Originally Posted by gjc8

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.

Agreed - which is where Appropriate Situational Modifiers come in. I bet Frank might be distracted from vigilantly observing his post while the KGB Honey Pot flirted him up - enough to let the Infiltrator sneak over the wall unnoticed.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Danukian

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.

Which are whatever the person playing the character says they are.

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Danukian

Agreed - which is where Appropriate Situational Modifiers come in. I bet Frank might be distracted from vigilantly observing his post while the KGB Honey Pot flirted him up - enough to let the Infiltrator sneak over the wall unnoticed.

Aye situational modifiers are key...but Ice is right the skill *does* have an effect.

One of the Reasons why I bought Seduction Tolerance (modeled on Alcohol Tolerance 1cp/level) (3e IIRC mebbie 1e) back in the day when I was running a priest who really needed not to.

(Former Merc Priest for God of War...Sex allowed but Not Until Married. And with the Lifestyle of a PC....)

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Which are whatever the person playing the character says they are.

Well there are the Disads and a lot of GMs even have a written character backstory to refer to...so it isnt necessarily as nebulous as that...

[Sir Tifyable]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

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.

Oh, that's relief, then. So good to know that no-one ever slept with someone when they knew it was bad judgement and something they'd regret in the morning, or need to conceal from their spouse/regular partner. No need for anyone to take the Sex Appeal skill then - success or failure in such things is destined.

But as commented above, Sex Appeal isn't just about getting the person into bed (or a discreet summerhouse in the rose garden). It's the skill in use when Cameron Diaz smiles sweetly up at you and asks if she can just nip in and use the employees' bathroom, because she's desperate. The clanking noise in her purse is almost certainly not high-tech surveillance/hacking kit...

And yes, pretty people, along with the other kinds I listed above, will have developed a resistance. Imagine Cameron turning up to a party. She's Beautiful, Very Wealthy (multimillionaire many times over), High Status (major movie star)... How many sleazebags will be trying it on? Of course she's going to have some resistance!

The question is how to model it? It could be a new skill, which you could develop to a very high skill, or some other approach. It's up to you whether you choose to penalise an attempt at Sex Appeal (penalty to the success roll) or boost the chance to resist it (have a better Will roll to resist). And it will work better if it is separate form the normal Will roll, as the examples above make clear very well. Otherwise every beautiful person would have either a huge Will or a very loose reputation.

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Sir Tifyable

Imagine Cameron turning up to a party. She's Beautiful, Very Wealthy (multimillionaire many times over), High Status (major movie star)... How many sleazebags will be trying it on? Of course she's going to have some resistance!

Depends on your point of view...if the above is true than poor Cam may be very lonely. A practitioner with skill may BE a scumbag but the skill lets him appear to be something different...

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Sir Tifyable

above make clear very well. Otherwise every beautiful person would have either a huge Will or a very loose reputation.

Not a huge Will. Large situational modifiers. "I'm out of your class" is a situational modifier. So's "I've heard all the lines".

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Not a huge Will. Large situational modifiers. "I'm out of your class" is a situational modifier.

Agreed and perhaps a good dose of the Detect Lies skill. ;->

[Danukian]

Originally Posted by Witchking

Aye situational modifiers are key...but Ice is right the skill *does* have an effect.

Lol - the post before I said I agree with Icelander, it is a skill based interaction, with sitmods, like most Influence Skills

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Which are whatever the person playing the character says they are.

Again, I don't completely agree - on Character Creation, sure establish that your character is not interested in being "vamped", but in game play, it is a GM modifier for the situation - the player better have an established reason why he is immune to the Honey Pot, otherwise, why are Lech and Oblivious worth so much?

As a good example, in a 3e game one of the PCs had a quirk "Loves Heads" and an unknown enemy who was sending a string of assassins out after him. A redhead approached his character right after they made it to the town center and started flirted him up, the player yelled out "Dang! I'm going get stabbed with an Icepick during sex, aren't I?", but his character still went into the hotel with her due her high skill and his low will plus the fact that he had been drinking. CP were dolled out for good roleplaying.

[Qvintus]

Lech are so much worth because for the first people don't have to use sex appeal on you to get you to go after 'em. And having to hit on the kings daughter can lead to all kinds of trouble.