Missing Skill?

[Victor]

The Interaction Skills list seems to be lacking an Intimidation skill. Looking over the description for Persuasion, it seems to be more based upon guile and clever deceptions/misdirections, than on the less subtle means. Bribery too seems less related to extortion, than to 'buying' contrition or complicity... more carrot, rather than less stick.

 

The closest existing analog seems to be Interrogation, insofar as it covers using threats (both explicit and implied), "browbeating", and other unsubtle psychological techniques, to elicit a response or behavior. You don't tend to see Interrogation on many interaction-heavy characters, although that may just be Hero System's undyed superheroic roots showing through.

 

I can't decide whether to use Interrogation, or create a new skill. Someone help me down off this fence...

[Monolith]

I prefer to use Presence Attacks to intimidate. Skill versus Skill rolls really do not work well for me in those situations.

[noumena]

I don't have my FReD at work, but I recall that there are situational modifiers to PRE attacks for things like helplessness, violence or threats of the same, etc. Since these are pretty much the things people do when they are trying to intimidate someone, PRE attacks seem the way to go.

[Victor]

That was my first thought as well, but PRE attacks (aside from not being skill-based) seem more appropriate for imperative requests (e.g., "Drop your weapon"), rather than longer term changes in attitude or course of action that the other conversuasion skills imply (e.g., "Support my proposal to the council, or things may go very poorly for your group when we discuss trade tariffs.").

[Tim]

Another Skill that I've always felt was missing is Diplomacy.

 

You have to take various KSs and High Society to begin to simulate it.

[Bengal]

If you need it, make it up. Just make sure the GM knows you need it first. You bought the book- it's yours to play with as you wish.

[noumena]

Ah, I see. You want something with a longer duration than what PRE attacks normally get.

 

If you want someone whose intimidation is slightly more than human, you could construct this as Mind Control with (maybe) Incantations (talking to target), extra time (the time it takes to present your case), trigger (since it will affect their decisions later), reduced circumstances (must be able to open up can of something or other on the target), side effect (opening the aforementioned can), etc.

 

All that having been said, I've handled this sort of thing in play before as simply a type of Persuasion, with a bonus dependent on the level of intimidation. ("I will bad-mouth you at my RPG group." -2 "I will break your kneecaps." +2) Again, I don't have my book at work, but I find it easier to stretch an existing skill than to add a new one. (Naturally YMMV; your meta-game sense of what "feels right" may differ from mine.)

 

-noumena

[Victor]

I guess I'll go the route of a new skill, as I don't necessarily want to see imperial senators and ministers of state coercing information out of captured prisoners.

 

It also occurred to me to break Persuasion down into categories, as Systems Operation and Survival are, (e.g. Deception, Intimidation, Diplomacy, etc.), but I'd rather have characters with different levels of capability among those areas.

It might work fine for someone else, though, so I thought I'd mention it.

[PhilFleischmann]

I don't think a new skill is needed. Just because they did it that way in deendee is no reason to do it that way in HERO.

 

Consider:

If the guy just saw you uproot a tree and throw it a half-mile, how much intimidation do you really need?

If you can barely uproot a dandelion and throw it three feet, but you want him to think you can uproot a tree, the skill you need is Acting.

 

If you've risked life and limb to rescue the princess, presented the head of the dragon to the king, along with the choicest gems from its hoard, and fought bravely and valiantly in the royal army for years, how much diplomacy do you really need?

If you want the king to think you're a loyal subject and his bestest buddy and worthy of royal favors, again the skill you need is Acting.

[Victor]

Hero System 5th Edition, p. 31

Acting

This Interaction Skill enables a character to alter his physical mannerisms and speech patterns to seem to be another person, to fool someone, or to fake moods and emotions. Characters can use it to hide their true identity or to impersonate another individual.

...

I'd have no problem with Acting being complementary to whatever skill governs intimidating someone, or otherwise coercing them with threats of varying subtlety... but it's not the skill itself, IMO. Interrogation is far closer, in terms of the way it's defined. Regardless, it's a moot issue if I add a new skill to my game.

 

It's not just d20, either... there are a lot of games out there that have a wider variety of skills to represent social interactions. If a scenario/campaign is going to focus on them more than mutant powers and magic spells, the diversity is helpful, and stealing good ideas shamelessly (for personal use) is no crime. YMMV, though.

[Talon]

I actually had the same thought about PRE attacks not working well out of combat...but then I read the section and did some math. IMO it's fine as it is, for heroic or superheroic games.

[Aroooo]

Prfofessional Skills

 

For 'missing' skills like diplomacy, just make a Professional Skill: Diplomat and base it on PRE rather than INT. Obviously that would be a little difficult with 'Intimidation,' but most missing skills can be covered by the appropriate PS.

 

Aroooo

[zornwil]

I'd just consider this SFX of Persuasion - persuasion by intimidation, persuasion by guile, etc..

[AtomicGladiator]

Originally posted by zornwil

I'd just consider this SFX of Persuasion - persuasion by intimidation, persuasion by guile, etc..

 

Yeah, that's the way I look at it. Persuasion can cover a lot of different methods. But there's no problem in buying Persuasion and calling it "Intimidation".

[Fireg0lem]

There's also no reason not to limit a skill if necessary. A character who was only good at intimidation, and couldn't politely persuade someone if their life depended on it (as compared to, say, Batman, who could probably do either), buy Persuasion - Intimidation Effects Only (-1/4)