Just How Am I Intimidating?

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Another factor is how much it is worth it to call the bluff. The old cliche,"all bullies are cowards" is of course false. What is true is that the mild fun of bullying someone is not worth the trouble of encountering a serious opponent.

But then some people like a challenge and the nail that sticks up most get hammered down first. If nothing else in some societies that include a lot of intimidation it not so much about the fun of bullying but social currency and can involve loss of face.

I agree that a persons ability to be intimidated is as important as a person ability to intimidated

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Tomsdad

I agree that a persons ability to be intimidated is as important as a person ability to intimidated

Influence rolls are resisted with Will, meaning that a Willful individual is hard to intimidate. Your opponents fearlessness applies as a penalty to your roll, and Unfazeable characters are immune to intimidation. Technically, combat reflexes doesn't apply to Intimidation, but I've always allowed the bonus to fright checks from Fearlessness to apply. Someone who knows how to fight is less likely to be easily pushed around. And, of course, Indomitable characters cannot be intimidated.

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Influence rolls are resisted with Will, meaning that a Willful individual is hard to intimidate. Your opponents fearlessness applies as a penalty to your roll, and Unfazeable characters are immune to intimidation. .

True, I often find I have both sides trying to intimidate the other, as I think its the only way that you can leverage your own intimidate skill to "resist" being intimidated*. (I just tend to rule that using you intimidate skill to not be intimidate ends up looking different to trying intimidate back).



*and you can't play a player (but it's a good way of distinguishing between High Will + Low Intimidate vs. Low Will + High Intimidate).

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Technically, combat reflexes doesn't apply to Intimidation, but I've always allowed the bonus to fright checks from Fearlessness to apply. Someone who knows how to fight is less likely to be easily pushed around. And, of course, Indomitable characters cannot be intimidated.

That seem fair (I'd also allow some one with a lot of combat experience (i.e. someone who likely has CR) to be evaluating the situation for the true threat rather than perceived or implied threat ala the scene in the Outlaw Jose Wales: "he had crazy eyes" (although I could do that in several different ways in GURPS)