Thoughts on "Intimidation" in GURPS

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

The guy doing the Intimidation check knows that he succeeded his side of the contest and got what he wanted.

Why would an npc know that he succeeded or failed at an intimidation attempt?

NPCs are merely a figment of the GM's mind. The GM knows if they succeeded or not.

Just as a PC shouldn't know if he succeeded or not in an intimidation roll, because the GM should be rolling this privately.

[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by Plane

If you have Variable at +5% it actually seems like switchable isn't even necessary, unless you rule that Variable mandates you use at least 1 level of it?

(like for example a Variable Crushing Attack can't just hit with 0d right?)

I actually don't know. I'd have to check, you might be right. Still, you don't need Switchable if you have Selective Effect.

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Just as a PC shouldn't know if he succeeded or not in an intimidation roll, because the GM should be rolling this privately.

I'm fairly certain PCs and NPCs know if they succeed or fail their side of the contest, at the very least. If I'm a PC and I roll Intimidation, I can tell the GM I succeeded by 3 but I won't know the NPC succeeded Will by 5 and wasn't successfully influenced.

[Anthony]

Broadly speaking, intimidation is a negotiation in which you are asserting "If you do what I want, I won't hurt you". The target of intimidation then has to evaluate six things:

1. Do I believe that you have the ability to carry out your threat?
2. Do I believe that you have the willingness to carry out your threat?
3. Do I believe that you will actually keep your agreement to not hurt me?
4. How bad is what you are threatening to do.
5. How strongly do I object to doing what you want?
6. If I go along with you now and backstab you later, will you have the ability to retaliate?

ST is mostly relevant to (1), above, but all of them are areas where it's possible to do better. Intimidation skill is the ability to shift at least one of those evaluations in favor of doing what the intimidator wants.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

you don't need Switchable if you have Selective Effect.

1) wanting to get some temporary disadvantage discounts
2) wanting to make selective effect less costly by taking a limited enhancement (like Costs Fatigue) and not having Selectivity to turn the enhancement off
3) interpreting Selective Effect as just "who sees my altered beauty" rather than "able to set variable beauty levels for different people"

[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by Plane

1) wanting to get some temporary disadvantage discounts
2) wanting to make selective effect less costly by taking a limited enhancement (like Costs Fatigue) and not having Selectivity to turn the enhancement off
3) interpreting Selective Effect as just "who sees my altered beauty" rather than "able to set variable beauty levels for different people"

I feel that all three seem like they would be allowed with Selective Effect already. 1 could just apply if you have Selective Effect affect anybody, I think 2 works (or should work) already, and I think 3 needs Variable to have variable levels.