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It's a great power, and a good application of it can save your skin countless times.

Don't forget, though, that it works best on a single individual (so others don't stop them from doing what you told them), and the less out-of-the-ordinary the suggestion is, the less likely it is you'll be in hot water on a failed save.

The examples some folks provided above are great examples of weaving it in to a conversation in such a way that it might not immediately result in death if the victim succeeds in their save.

Of course, "let me borrow your all your weapons" may work sometimes, but a failed attempt at that might result in a hole in your head

Try to avoid giving it too broad of an application, though. Remember, people are going to examine their actions, and they're going to wonder why they did that... and the law isn't unaware of powers like Hypnotic Suggestion.

In the case of starting the fight, it's probably not so bad. Men get together and start drinking, fights happen... you're just pushing someone towards something that's likely to happen, anyway. However, in the case of the picking up a pistol... pretty much every jurisdiction is going to regard that as theft (probably worse than theft), even if you do have a receipt, because you took it without his real permission.

MrNexx wrote:Try to avoid giving it too broad of an application, though. Remember, people are going to examine their actions, and they're going to wonder why they did that... and the law isn't unaware of powers like Hypnotic Suggestion.

In the case of starting the fight, it's probably not so bad. Men get together and start drinking, fights happen... you're just pushing someone towards something that's likely to happen, anyway. However, in the case of the picking up a pistol... pretty much every jurisdiction is going to regard that as theft (probably worse than theft), even if you do have a receipt, because you took it without his real permission.

Exactly. Hypnotic Suggestion does NOT have an included "You will remember nothing" function, and people will recall doing whatever you asked them do, as well as who got them to do it. Personally, I prefer to use it for things like letting me go past, or being my friend, rather than physical results like fighting or theft, as the former are less likely to be detected or countered than the latter.

Make suggestions that people would have to make a 2nd thought to realize.

"It's been really hot in here. Why not leave the window cracked open tonight to cool it down?"

"We're just browsing and examining your merchandise before we buy it (while trying on a new gun belt complete with guns and ammunition, then stepping out to try it)".

One thing to realize is that if you give someone a suggestion in a subtle enough way, the person may not ever remember you. You were just a random person making a comment. They will rationalize their behavior to themselves.
They will make up their own reasons why the back door should be left open, or they will simply forget to lock it.

People are like that. I remember hearing that human beings generally only use their intelligent and rational parts of their minds after they have made a decision. They make decisions based on emotion or prejudice or whim, and come up with reasons why afterward.
Ask your friend why he bought the expensive sports car instead of the small economy car. I am sure he will give you good reasons.

Use your spooooky power to plant the suggestion in his head. If he fails the save and accepts it, he will think up his own reasons why it's a good idea.

Brian

Right. Depends on the nature of the comment. Start a fight in a bar, and it's probably never going to be questioned. Throw something at someone while suggesting "catch" will probably work, too, no matter how stupid the idea of catching it might be. However, a shopkeeper who isn't a complete idiot is going to get suspicious if he thought it was perfectly reasonable that you step outside to try on a fully-loaded weapons holster.

gadrin wrote:well, actually that's what the power does, hocus-pocus and now you'll kiss my a$$ cause I'm such a great BS artist.

just that some people are better at it than others. remembering and so on is up to the GM since it ain't covered in the power.

However, people do re-examine what's gone on in their lives; someone who's been HS'd isn't going to continue to believe something that's completely out of character for them, especially not when they keep running into evidence that it doesn't make sense (i.e. he just walked out of here with a 12,000 credit pistol, and he doesn't seem to be coming back).

gadrin wrote:depends on the GM. I'd expect an "intellectual" type of game from you or Nekira...others...I've seen all sorts of stuff (on these boards).

There's undoubtedly a GM out there who doesn't care what you say, just the fact that the target fails their save, you can tell him you're Joe Prosek and have a used car he should buy.

You can convince someone of both, but it's not just a simple "I'm joeseph prosek. you'd have to convince him why you don't look like the pictures, are here in the first place, ect.