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Old 10-13-2020, 11:54 AM   #11
Not
 
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

Conan is a high Will character. Howard has him shrugging off a fakir's mind control attempt.
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Old 10-13-2020, 12:19 PM   #12
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

Social Engineering p68-69 have rules for Intimidation bonus and malus, including the effect of SM :
Add the SM of the person making the threat, and subtract the SM of the target.

You may also want to look at raising will, or at the talent Though Guy or Mr Smash.
Appearance(impressive) or going the other way, hideous or monstrous is also worth a bonus
perhaps also the perk controllable disadvantage : callous

Conan in a tavern would benefit from
*18 in Will (according to Gurps Conan),
*+2 from charisma
*a +1 for SM,
*at least a +1 for just being obviously strong, possibly up to +4 if he display his strength menacingly,
*possibly a complimentary bonus using streetwise to know how to handle this specific rough crowd,
*probably a bonus from reputation or even social stigma ("It’s not wise to upset a Wookiee"),
*possibly a bonus from talent.

Last edited by Celjabba; 10-13-2020 at 12:33 PM.
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Old 10-13-2020, 12:32 PM   #13
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Not View Post
Conan is a high Will character. Howard has him shrugging off a fakir's mind control attempt.
I think this is the answer. If you want to play Conan you need high Will.
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Old 10-13-2020, 01:10 PM   #14
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

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I think this is the answer. If you want to play Conan you need high Will.
I do tend to think of Barbarian Warriors (in the classic fantasy sense) as having Will that exceeds IQ by a decent amount.

Mind you, Conan himself was cleverer than is generally assumed of barbarian warriors, as well.
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Old 10-13-2020, 01:13 PM   #15
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

In 3rd edition he had IQ 13 (!). In 4th edition I would probably lower that to 12 and add some Talents - Outdoorsman, Street-Smarts, Born War-Leader are all candidates.
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Old 10-13-2020, 02:51 PM   #16
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

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I think this is the answer. If you want to play Conan you need high Will.
Unfortunately, in GURPS DF and DFRPG, the Barbarian template doesn't include the option to boost Will. Not that I'm unwilling to go off template, but this requires sacrificing other elements.

This is one of the very few things in DFRPG that regularly leaps out at me as a problem. I always presume that the burly violent types will naturally be intimidating, but none of them are. Holy Warriors are the only profession that is intimidating by default. If clerics drop a quirk point into the skill, they can be seriously scary. I'm good with intimidating clerics, but it does seem like something is missing for the martial types.
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Old 10-13-2020, 04:25 PM   #17
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

I would imagine that Conan would have ST 20, DX 16, IQ 12, HT 16, Basic Speed 10.00, Will 20, and Per 20 (for a total of 440 CP). Before he became a king, I would make him a 500 CP character (I would give him another 100 CP after he became a king). After all, Howard had him regularly kill supernatural threats with his bare hands!
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Old 10-13-2020, 06:23 PM   #18
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

Have them do a feat of strength. Take the fireplace poker and tie it in a knot or such. That gives more of a bonus. Just being big and strong might give a +1 but soemthing i,pressive can move the up higher.
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Old 10-13-2020, 06:48 PM   #19
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

Broadly speaking, the problem with 'intimidation' skill is that it's seen as the skill of being scary, and then people wonder why it doesn't scale with traits that seem intuitively scary.

You can make it make sense if you instead interpret it as the skill of maximizing the benefits of being scary, and/or getting people to overestimate how scary you are. Simply looking scary doesn't require any roll, it just requires looking and acting scary. A failed intimidate roll against a thug doesn't mean the thug doesn't run away -- it might mean the thug runs away and returns with a bunch of friends.
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Old 10-13-2020, 06:53 PM   #20
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Default Re: Passive intimidation?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalin View Post
Unfortunately, in GURPS DF and DFRPG, the Barbarian template doesn't include the option to boost Will. Not that I'm unwilling to go off template, but this requires sacrificing other elements.

This is one of the very few things in DFRPG that regularly leaps out at me as a problem. I always presume that the burly violent types will naturally be intimidating, but none of them are. Holy Warriors are the only profession that is intimidating by default. If clerics drop a quirk point into the skill, they can be seriously scary. I'm good with intimidating clerics, but it does seem like something is missing for the martial types.
DF Barbarians have Intimidation, but they're only particularly good at it when taking advantage of the circumstantial modifiers that may accrue to being a questionably-civilized semi-giant hero with high pain threshold.

(Meanwhile if they don't want to be easy prey for mental magics, they are allowed to buy Magic Resistance.)
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barbarian, fearsome glare, fearsome stare, intimidation, size modifier, social interaction, strength

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