Re: AWMBI - Discussion
Use random.org or something. That's what I do when I have to answer multiple choice questions I don't feel like answering when I'm filling out forms (what is your race, from this list; what is your gender; how old are you; what state are you in? - why does my freaking e-mail account care!). I'm sure even what you put down for those questions means "something" even if you lie. But not if you answer completely randomly!
Um... *on* topic and slightly more controversial.... Well it's a classic RPG problem. Your character has 18 intelligence, but the player only has 8 - how are you supposed to solve the puzzle? It's reasonably easy to fake lower intelligence then your character, but it's impossible to fake *higher* intelligence.
"But thetwo," you say, "your character doesn't have unreasonably high intelligence and you seem unreasonably intelligent yourself! What are you really talking about?"
I'm glad you asked, voices in my head! As it happens, IRL I don't have any levels of "smooth talking" worth speaking about. Jenn is far more able to talk people into things then I am. But apparently the words we pick *really* matter, like "impossible vs certain" matter.
So... next time it comes up, I'm going to post: "Jenn tries to convince Joseph to stay and help to the best of her abilities". It's crappy RP, but if that's the only way to leverage the ability to smooth talk in plot-critical situations... then that's the way it is. RJ can come up with the actual words Jenn uses to convince Joseph to stay.
The other option is to change the rules. Instead of deciding based on *the player's* smooth talking ability, assume the goal of the words stays the same but the Character comes up with the exact words, with possibly a plus or minus one or two "circumstance bonus" for the way the Player is going about the convincing. Do a roll with all the relevant modifiers against a difficulty based on the goal (again, with at most 1 or 2 points of modifications for the exact words).
It's nice if people post convincing words, but I feel like I'm being tested on my OOC skills rather then Jenn's skills.