Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs
I thought of Strategy, too, but I have doubts about it. It seems not to fit closely, in more than one way: standard strategy is used to make decisions for large forces and for campaigns that last through multiple engagements, and also standard strategy is used for two forces that are each actively seeking to defeat the other. The last seems especially relevant: If the mark thinks that you're trying to con them, and tries to oppose you, you've already failed. So I don't think there's the oppositional element.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donny Brook
I have long used compulsory specializations of Strategy as a house rule, (Business) in particular. I agree with you about the need this fills in the skill panoply... Still, I am not sure about Strategy for this function, because this seems more pure creativity and less resource allocation-y.
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Thanks for the thoughts. In proposing Strategy (Criminal, until a better name presents itself) as a counterpart to Strategy (Military), I may be a little off the mark for the thread. I'm thinking complex and/or large-scale criminal operations in general, from meticulously planned movie-style heists to whatever it is that the Joker and Lex Luthor spend their days doing, masterminding new schemes for their crews to carry out. Setting the goals, planning the timetable, allocating the resources... it's Strategy all the way, IMO.
But if the thread is focusing purely on
cons – well, whether or not Strategy (Criminal) is relevant is going to depend on what we mean by a con. Looking up some info on long cons, at least some descriptions sound like targets for Strategy (Criminal) to me. Even when viewed as a counterpart to Strategy (Military); the latter definitely includes attempts to "con" a "mark" (see: D-Day and other surprise invasions), and other deceptions to achieve a goal without being opposed.
But then there are smaller scams and schemes, all the way down to back-alley Three-card Monte; I can understand that the smaller you go, the less that Strategy feels like the right skill. What's the skill covering small "short con" hustles and scams and stings, or even schemes that are "long cons" but are less about strategic planning and more about play-it-by-ear manipulation? The former suggests a skill that covers the "rules" for numerous short cons (in the way that Gambling covers a wide range of games). The latter suggests... well, maybe something different. (Hence the thread.)
I'll stop rambling here. In short, if anyone's looking for a "criminal mastermind" skill to handle big-picture scheming, I suggest Strategy (Criminal). I like it for complex, long-running cons as well. But for cons that don't seem to fit that mold... I don't know. If a given con doesn't call for a strategic planning element, then maybe there is no overarching "how to devise" skill, and the execution skills (Acting, Streetwise, Fast-Talk, etc. as appropriate) are all that are called for?