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<blockquote data-quote="Mark CMG" data-source="post: 5751540" data-attributes="member: 10479">Naw, it's just always more effective to convince someone to do sonething on their own than to try and force them.&nbsp; However, if you are intimidating someone by holding a gun to their head, they aren't like to risk trying to run away.&nbsp; That's an extreme example, of course, but there are more subtle ones.&nbsp; If, for instance, your PCs are the big adventurers in a small town and you are intimidating the blacksmith, where's he going to run?&nbsp; He's got family living here and he knows full well he's going to see the adventurers around from time to time and that they know where he lives.&nbsp; If they start bullying him for info, sure he's likely to give it up with a smile (even though he doesn't like being bullied and won't think of the adventurers in a friendly way henceforth).&nbsp; If you are Intimidating someone you don't know who could bolt, you'd best back them into a corner, literally or figuratively.This is one of the results of the disassociation of mechanics from RPing.&nbsp; What do you guys think that Intimidating someone is?&nbsp; It has consequences.&nbsp; It manifests as immediate and also longterm results.&nbsp; NPCs won't like being Intimidated and will resist it (they get an opposed roll) but if they succomb they will acquiesce for a time (grit their teeth and do what they must) until such time as they think they can remove themselves from being Intimidated.&nbsp; Furthermore, they'll appeal to a higher authority if they can after the fact, like talking to the local guards if they believe that will help.&nbsp; If any of the adventurers belong to a Good-aligned church and the person being Intimidated knows this or finds it out, you can bet they'll be stopping by to complain about what one of their members was doing.&nbsp; You don't turn someone into a friend by threatening them, you only turn them into someone who will act as you expect them to act for as long as you have power over them and if they can remove themselves without risk from that situation, or with minimal risk, they will definitely do so.&nbsp; This is also one of those situations where common sense and the rules happen to agree.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mark CMG, post: 5751540, member: 10479"] Naw, it's just always more effective to convince someone to do sonething on their own than to try and force them. However, if you are intimidating someone by holding a gun to their head, they aren't like to risk trying to run away. That's an extreme example, of course, but there are more subtle ones. If, for instance, your PCs are the big adventurers in a small town and you are intimidating the blacksmith, where's he going to run? He's got family living here and he knows full well he's going to see the adventurers around from time to time and that they know where he lives. If they start bullying him for info, sure he's likely to give it up with a smile (even though he doesn't like being bullied and won't think of the adventurers in a friendly way henceforth). If you are Intimidating someone you don't know who could bolt, you'd best back them into a corner, literally or figuratively. This is one of the results of the disassociation of mechanics from RPing. What do you guys think that Intimidating someone is? It has consequences. It manifests as immediate and also longterm results. NPCs won't like being Intimidated and will resist it (they get an opposed roll) but if they succomb they will acquiesce for a time (grit their teeth and do what they must) until such time as they think they can remove themselves from being Intimidated. Furthermore, they'll appeal to a higher authority if they can after the fact, like talking to the local guards if they believe that will help. If any of the adventurers belong to a Good-aligned church and the person being Intimidated knows this or finds it out, you can bet they'll be stopping by to complain about what one of their members was doing. You don't turn someone into a friend by threatening them, you only turn them into someone who will act as you expect them to act for as long as you have power over them and if they can remove themselves without risk from that situation, or with minimal risk, they will definitely do so. This is also one of those situations where common sense and the rules happen to agree. [/QUOTE]

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