Question about Trust/Intimidate & Charm/Impress

[Severus Snape]

Charm/Impress and Trust/Intimidate are next to useless. At least in my experience, that is. Any game I've ever played in these have never come into play. Ever. I mean, let me see if I can succeed with a dice roll in making someone trust me. Why? Just role-play it without the dice and see what happens.

[Lord Z]

I have gone back as far as the Valley of the Pharoahs game, and I have never found anywhere where it is explained how to use these stats. It comes up in my games a lot. There are three possibilities as best as I can figure.

Method #1: You may add these bonuses from high M.A. or P.B. to a Seduction Skill Roll. Considering how the I.Q. bonus works, this is most likely what Kevin intended.

Method #2: You may use the stat listed as a target number. When another character tries to resist your persuasions, the must roll percentile dice under your listed bonus. Your opponent wins a tie. It is called a "bonus" because it is an extra ability above and beyond what Persuasiveness most characters get through asking -- like a backup incase the just-roleplay-it method fails.

Method #3: The GM sets a base difficulty number, from 1 to 100, depending on the situation. Roll percentile dice, add the attribute-derived bonus, and try to get over the GM's number. The defender wins a tie.

As for whether the situation should be roleplayed or rolled, that is a hot button topic. There and pros and cons to both sides of the argument, and a lot of strong feelings. About a year ago, the Accidental Survivors discussed the topic in their podcast. More recently, Sean of the DriveThruRPG Newsletter tackled the topic in his A Better Game collumn. Completely different conclussions were reached both times.

[Ronin Shinobi]

Remember reading one time, ((Can't remember book)) that you can use your attributes as a base percentage for any unskilled check and then add any bonuses to it. So if someone MA is 16 that would be the base percenstage for the roll + any bonuses they might have to add to it.

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

Thanks.

And do you know anywhere I could find some precise rule about charm/impress and intimidate, because they are not very much explain in the book.

it's really not as complicated as some people make it out to be.
If you have an M.A. attribute of 18, you get a Trust/Intimidate value of 50%, for example. Your character wants to get someone to trust him or be intimidated by him. If you roll 50 or lower on percentile dice, then you get the reaction you wanted. The NPC either trusts you a little better or is kind of scared of you. Either way he believes what you say and is more likely to do what you want.
Its really that simple. People do it in real life all the time.

It's not mind control, but don't ever doubt the usefulness of Trust/Intimidate or Charm/Impress. A character who is very charming or attractive can be just as effective as a character with guns and super-powers.

[Lord Z]

Road, isn't that a house rule? I think it works well, but I think the original poster was asking if there were any official rules.

Ronin, I haven't read that. If you say that it's there, I believe you.

[MaxxSterling]

I agree with roadwarrior. That was always the impression myself and group had of these abilities, though it may not be spelled out will in the books.

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

yeah but i also agree that it should at least be explained in the rules.

[Silveressa]

I've always used it as a initial reaction roll when someone meets the character for the first time, if the rolls under the % then they have an initial impression of trust or intimidation (depending on how the PC is dressed/presenting themselves) from the player, which then effects how the rest of the conversation/interaction goes.

Using it for anything more in depth sort of feels like its taking away form the interaction/role playing aspect of the scene.

[MaxxSterling]

What is role playing?

[Silveressa]

What is role playing?

The question everyone has a different answer to?