Hi all. I'm considering introducing the fear mechanics (AoR pgs. 314-315) into my game, and I have a couple of questions about how they interact with a couple of skills.

1) How do you adjudicate the use of the Leadership skill to remove or reduce the effects of a failed fear check. The description of the skill states that characters affected by fear "may be rallied through a leadership check", but I haven't been able to find any guidance in the book.

2) Can the Coercion skill be used to trigger a fear check? It seems like Coercion as written is there to be used to turn NPCs to comply with the PC using the skill, but I can see a secondary mechanical use to trigger or boost a fear check. Would this make the the skill overpowered? Does anyone have any ideas on house rules for how this might happen?

Thanks!

We use Fear Checks when they are appropriate.

The group is handily trashing storm troopers when they hear a walker coming (or don't hear it). Once they know it's there, they have to make a fear check!

Currently running Beyond the Rim and pretty much every time they step off the ship on this one planet they have to make a fear check.

For 1, We discussed it as a group, and decided to make the difficulty for leadership checks to rally those affected by fear the same as the original fear check.

For 2, If you want to do that, you should create an enemy with ranks in the following the following talents:

Fearsome: When an adversary becomes engaged with the character, the character may force the adversary to make a fear check (see page 326), with the difficulty equal to the character’s ranks in Fearsome. At the GM’s discretion, some adversaries may be immune to this talent based on the type of adversary or the ongoing circumstances.

Intimidating: When attempting a Coercion check, the character may suffer a number of strain to downgrade the difficulty of the check a number of times equal to the strain suffered. This number cannot exceed his ranks in Intimidating. When the character is the target of a Coercion check, the character may suffer a number of strain to upgrade the difficulty of the check a number of times equal to the strain suffered. This number cannot exceed his ranks in Intimidating.

Hope that helps!