FFG Forum Archive

Posted at 2013-05-09 18:19:01+00:00

I just took the 'Staring Contest' card as an advancement. I think it'd be a good card to use from time to time.

What I would like to know is this, what exactly does it mean if I have influenced a target?

I don't see any card or rule anywhere that explains what it means to influence someone.

Does the target have to listen to me, do they have to do my bidding? If I tell them to jump on one foot and bark like a dog, would they?

If I do it on a Rat-Ogre or Troll, and tell them to run away, will they disengage and run away?

Posted at 2013-05-10 16:29:46+00:00

SJMazzella3380 said:

I just took the 'Staring Contest' card as an advancement. I think it'd be a good card to use from time to time. What I would like to know is this, what exactly does it mean if I have influenced a target? I don't see any card or rule anywhere that explains what it means to influence someone. Does the target have to listen to me, do they have to do my bidding? If I tell them to jump on one foot and bark like a dog, would they? If I do it on a Rat-Ogre or Troll, and tell them to run away, will they disengage and run away?

Player's guide p.65

The word “influence” occurs on many support actions, especially those with the Social trait, as in “influence the target.” The exact definition of “influence” in these cases is situational and determined by your GM and the declared intent of the action. In essence, “influence” is a shorthand for “cause the target to behave in the desired fashion, as determined by your GM” which may include advancing a progress token, or other effects. If you had been using your Steely Gaze action to attempt to convince a guard to let you in, for example, successfully influencing the target would either cause him to let you in, or make progress in the context of a formal social encounter.

Staring Contest

Social = Discipline (WP) vs. Target Discipline (WP) Willpower

+ You engage in a test of will with the target…and win! You influence the target

In the above case, you'd need to option to act socially with the particular creature.

Influence is not an "automatic thing." Oftentimes, you need to influence a person SEVERAL times to get what you want.

Here's how I rate these kinds of things in my games:

Ask a peasant for directions to the graveyard: one successful influence (charm check, perform stunt social action, or social action that can influence)

Get a hostile orc to attack someone else: two successful influence AND logical roleplay (intimidate, staring contest, or perform stunt social action)

Convince a merchant who feels he is safer inside of a cart to get out of a cart: # successful influences equal to their Willpower score

jh

Posted at 2013-05-10 16:51:21+00:00

..so for a puny Reiklander solder to influence a Troll to run away during battle, sure it's possible. Your GM would probably give you about an 8 difficulty single check, or require you 5-6 rounds of influence to get him to skedaddle.

Staring Contest was used in our game last night by our Priest of Morr to get a local guard to leave a tavern and follow him to investigate a dead body in a really bad part of town. Since the guard was extremely drunk and had already paid a prostitute for the evening, he was naturally reluctant to leave the tavern. I gave the priest a 2 purple + 2 black (plus the guard had the intoxicated condition) and required two successes to get the guard to go out and do his job.

Social actions can be pretty cool because they give your character a theme and depth beyond being just another dumb fighting charaacter.

You'll need to ask your Gm if your check requires an influence, or just a simple charm check, and then finally how many influences will be needed.

jh