I'm completely certain this has come up before, but about an hour of search didn't yield much, so here goes:

Any skill that does not work work combatively but can be rolled as a "check" can conceivably be ignored if desired correct? At the risk of the disdain of the other player, certainly, but I imagine this works only on a consent level from my current experience.

Specific Example: Using Intimidate against someone. I've tried this on a few occasions. It's only been taken seriously once. The other two times the player involved inferred that their character was too brash or fearless to be intimidated, and thus made no attempt to use an Intimidate resist check. This is why I've come to the conclusion that non-combat skill checks must be consent based. If that is wrong, I'd just like to know.

Other checks: Also, what about checks that are not skills, but also not an act of the combat engine. STR checks to grab someone or kick a chair out from under someone. Are those also purely consent (or fall into the above category)?

Thanks in advance, especially for links to previous discussions on the topic.

I was lead to believe that you never have to roll, with the exception of when a DM asks you.

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Ael'thil Rilyn'tlithar
Previously known as: Anubis

Personally? I think it borders ignoring RP if folks flat out ignore other players' dice rolls. Exceptions to this can be made, however, on a circumstantial basis ((Like trying to intimidate a guard that has visible back up that outnumbers you and yours, etc.)). Barbarians have a lil trick they can get that enforces that, however, wherever they are.

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Eli Hodgewall <{/,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~X
Sven <=={o===========>
Qeelak \ | / ,

Search is your friend. This has been discussed so often its sick. Arguments haven't changed in time.

Well frankly you answered your own question.

"Roll-play" is only enforced when asked so by a DM.
Otherwise it is player courtesy.


The charisma skills are especially controversial. In a roleplaying server you expect them to be played out more than just someone rolling a meaningless number. If someone just rolls their intimidate or types something along the lines of *Looks intimidating* the opposing player won't have the idea that any effort is being put in the situation. (It smacks of godmodding in a way)

On those occasion I base myself on the previous actions that took place, the bio of the other player (banite insignia, skulls or hunting trophies can add to the look) and their appearance (Height also gives an added bonus in my opinion).

Of course it would be better if the intimidator gave some credit to the intimidee by adding verbal and/or non-verbal fluff.
"A flicker of his red eyes can be seen through the slit of the dark knight's helmet as he adds with hearable pleasure" Boy, you better hand over that diamond you're carrying. I'm still picking pieces from my gauntlet from the last one being a hero. "Draws his acidic green blade offhanded"
(Or something better than that)


Grapple skills on the other hand are mostly abided since it's a game system that nwn doesn't support but is very realistic though.

You can think it all you want, but you'd best enforce the rule, which is that we don't enforce rolls, aside from us as DMs running events.



Yes. People who expect their ego stroked by mythalling ear to have +50 in whatever skill (bluff, persuade, intiidate are the common 3) are just as bad as the ones who expect their ego stroked via PvP.



Grapple is indeed the exception we do enforce.

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Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds
Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham

Can, will, and always have.

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Eli Hodgewall <{/,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~X
Sven <=={o===========>
Qeelak \ | / ,

Quoting the least important part of my post and not responding to the rest was not lost on me.

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Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds
Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham

I can highlight the important parts of the least part too if you'd like

I can think it all I want. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Does mean I have to enforce it.

If you get to be snarky I do too.

In any case, playing by the rules doesn't mean you need to think they are good rules, just means you have to play by them.

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Eli Hodgewall <{/,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~X
Sven <=={o===========>
Qeelak \ | / ,

I found this from 2009. I'd already reposted it two or three times by then. Can someone please stroke my ego and put it in the sidebar? Search for 'eighties' and you find it in previous discussion, coyote.

Thanks for the search tip.

***Last Opinion on the Subject: I think that grapple and other physical checks are just as realistic/unrealistic as non physical checks, as long as they are role-played out. I agree just making an Intimidate check without any build up is silly. To me, unless a target has some form of magical immunity (such as being a paladin, or having a spell against mental effects) an intimidate or persuade check should have some reasonable chance of altering the characters attitude. I'm not talking about blind terror or dopey agreeableness, but a hostile character might think twice about a fight and a stubborn character might grudgingly make a concession if it's not something extremely against their ethos.

Realistically people and characters in stories are not immune to the personal sway of others. Too many warrior type characters disdain the idea their character could show fear or reluctance, and that makes me sad. If I ever re-roll my character again I probably won't invest the 30 skill points + Epic Skill focus into this skill, because it has no chance of having even a diminutive impact on situation because of the prevailing idea above. ***

I understand though. I've seen players in pnp try to abuse such skills to ridiculous degrees, mostly because the game itself presented the ridiculous option to do so. Like Bluff. I still remember the -10 penalty example in 3rd edition "I'm really a Lamasu that's taken the form of a halfling. Everyone knows a Lamasu is trustworthy, so you should trust me right?" I guess in pnp you can't craft +50 skill points to items, but still, that's rather insane for an example of what you can pull off with only a -10.

I guess this thread should be closed since it's only a rehash unless someone has something they really need to say about it. I'm done with it, my question was answered.