Influencing the PCs

Influence rolls are designed to allow PCs to affect NPC reactions.
The GM should not make Influence rolls on behalf of NPCs and tell the
players how to react. Most players form an opinion of an NPC based on
the GM’s portrayal of the character, and few appreciate being told that
they must roleplay a good reaction toward an NPC they do not like or
trust.
This does not mean that NPCs cannot influence PCs! When an NPC
makes a successful Influence roll against a PC, the GM should apply the
NPC’s margin of victory as a bonus or penalty (as appropriate) to the
PC’s die rolls when dealing with that NPC. For instance, if a beautiful
spy beats the PC’s Will by 3 using Sex Appeal, the hero might suffer -3
on self-controls roll for his Lecherousness and -3 to his Detect Lies skill
where that spy is concerned. Be creative!
you a “Bad” reaction – “Very Bad” if
you attempted specious intimidation
(see Intimidation, p. 202). Exception:
If you used Diplomacy, the GM will
also make a regular reaction roll and
use the better of the two reactions.
Thus, Diplomacy is relatively safe . . .
If the subject is Indomitable
(p. 60), you lose automatically unless
you have Empathy, Animal Empathy,
Plant Empathy, or Spirit Empathy, as
appropriate. Intimidation attempts
against those with the Unfazeable
advantage (p. 95) also fail automati-
cally. On the other hand, you win auto-
matically – no roll required – against
those with Slave Mentality (p. 154).