From:	losthalo <losthalo@********.COM>
Subject:	Re: Sex & the Single Shadowrunner(thanks)
Date:	Tue, 5 May 1998 17:58:44 -0400

At 05:23 PM 5/5/98 -0400, you wrote:
>There is a valid arguement for allowing some kind of dice roll. There
>are just times when the character is skilled in areas the player lacks
>in.

>I see it as being akin to, say, the Negotiation roll to try to squeeze
>more nuyen out of the Johnson. I've seen plenty of players who
>couldn't haggle their way out of a paper bag, and there are GMs who
>don't feel they should be penalized for that.

Exactly. Not to mention, there is more to being intimidating (for example)
than what one is threatening someone with, and one's tone of voice. Body
language counts for a helluva lot, and most SR games aren't LARP. Even
one's proximity to the 'target' counts, etc... If you're willing to stand
toe-to-toe with the guy, literally, and threaten him you're prolly willing
to actually fight him, certain that you can take him out. And I'm sure a
big part of most etiquette skills is as much body language (who to defer
to, who to threaten a little, etc.) as language.

>One reason there are 'Social Skills' in many RPGs is so that players
>can create characters who are either better or worse 'people persons'
>than the players themselves. Another reason is the time factor: many
>social situations can be quite lengthy, and while role-playing them
>out line by line may let players show off their character's
>personality, it may also kill the pace of a game.

Exactly. Think of your typical novel or play: some things are spelled out,
line by line, others are summarized by narration. RPGs are the same.

>When making the players role-play it out, the GM could award RP karma
>if a socially inept player rises to the level of the char he's
>playing, or in the opposite case, a charmer of a player holds himself
>back because he's playing a boorish oaf of a character.

I personally dislike the RP karma award, since it's... rewarding the
character for something the player should be doing anyway. Roleplaying is,
after all, the point of this game. It doesn't make sense for a character
to gain experience and 'luck' because he is so completely 'himself' that day.


losthalo@********.comwhileyouarelisteningyourwillingattentionismakingyoumore
andmoreintothepersonyouwanttobecome.

"Some things are true whether you believe them or not."