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If a PC wants to make someone (NPCs, etc) else feel "uncomfortable" or disgusted, which social skill or skill/s should be used?
An example, a PC causes a distraction by wolf-whistling, catcalling or giving "hungry eyes" at some NPCs.
Which social skill or skill/s should be used in this situation? Assuming that the PC is NOT ACTING and actually having the hots for the NPCs.
Some thoughts on this...
● I was thinking a performance skill like acting, but then I realise that the target of the PC's catcalling might actually feel even MORE "uncomfortable" or disgusted if the PC is actually being genuine in their actions.
● Bluff kinda usually works, but the PC is not bluffing here.
● Diplomacy seems counter to what is going on...
● and Intimidate, might work?
● But what if the target ENJOYS that catcalling?
● It rotates back to Diplomacy?
● And what if the Intimidate fails and cause the target to get angry?
● Then it becomes a "success" cos you failed a skill check, but succeeded in your intention of making a target "uncomfortable"? (+ Angry)
● AND then there is dirty tricks, but those are melee only and you don't need to be in melee to give "hungry eyes" to a target from across the room?
I'm confuse....
Could always default to a charisma check?
Sounds like Intimidate to me.
No official rules so you'll have to homebrew. I suggest either using intimidate or just rolling charisma. You can also just not roll at all if the NPC would be disgusted by it by default.
You could also take the roll out of it it and simply role play the whole interaction, no need for dice.
I'd also go with Roleplaying it strictly from the GMs intuition of how the NPC would respond. If I didn't know much about the NPC I'd randomize their response and figure out the reason for their level of response in my head. I may use the PCs general personality, intim, diplom, CHR to justify their actions as well.
My justification for this is that the PC is not using a skill, or attempting to achieve an outcome. So having the PC roll falsely gives them the impression that they have control over the NPCs response.
This would be for an initial NPC response. If the PC really is interested, then my random roll has given the NPC an initial attitude towards the PC and the PC may respond Diplomatically (for example) to entice the NPC. Then it's a skill check.
TL;DR: no skill checks for cat-calling at random people as you walk past. Skill checks come when the PC consciously attempts something.
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Much like Coffedemon, I would just ad hoc rule this in play.
If I had to pick a skill it would be Bluff:
Secret Messages: You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages along to another character without others understanding your true meaning by using innuendo to cloak your actual message. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are communicating in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that receive the message can decipher it by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.
And DM makes a ruling, maybe allowing a bonus if the action is especially transparent, on whether the recipient understands it.
In any case, whether the recipient is creeped out or not depends on their personality as ruled by the DM.
Bluff would be my choice, because you are trying to get a reaction that benefits you by fooling them.
If you are genuinly trying to get their attention, and you are actually interested in them -sexually, romanticly or otherwise then I would use Diplomacy.
This assumes that you're not trying to distract them, but trying to get their attention.
If you fail, they look at you once and maybe roll their eyes, then go back to what they were doing - you did not make an impression.
Intuition tells me that this is best just roleplayed out with minimal dice rolling, but there is an exception: as the GM, are you intending for this catcalling to apply some kind of mechanical modifier to the target? If so, what kind of modifier? That might help determine how best to arrange the mechanics of such a scenario.
I have a houserule for when I'm undecided between two or more skills. I take the target DC, multiple it by the number of skills, then have them roll all of the appropriate skills and add the result together. Obviously not RAW in any way.
Run it as a re-flavored intimidate check. Shaken seems like it would apply equally from either fear or disgust.
What end goal is the PC attempting to get to here? By "disgusted," what are you going for? An in-combat condition, or just a general reaction?
If it's a reaction I'd agree with several others--just roleplay it out. Not everything has to come down to a skill check, after all.
If it's a condition (like shaken or sickened or something), look at ways to cause that, and base it on those. If it's an attempt to disgust them and make them look away or focus on you as a distraction, it's like a feint, so Bluff. You want them just grossed out by you and feeling a little queasy? That sounds kind of like shaken, so Intimidate. I don't see Diplomacy working here, honestly, but even a special distance dirty trick could be considered.
I would think that you should not rule out the idea of a Diplomacy check. Normally, a successful Diplomacy check causes someone's attitude towards you to improve. In this case, you are deliberately trying to make their attitude towards you worse. However, since you should never be rewarded for lack of ability, the worst possible result you should get on a disastrously bad Diplomacy roll for this purpose would have to be no change in attitude (as you so badly failed to convey your disrespect for them that they had no idea what you were doing).
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Assuming that the PC is NOT ACTING and actually having the hots for the NPCs.
I'm a bit confused, but if you think that if you actually like someone you should want to make them feel uncomfortable or disgusted I imagine you have a pretty poor dating life. This is usually something you get past by about 12.
More generally, if you want to elicit a negative response Intimidate seems obvious to me. I would probably allow a sense motive check to provide a circumstance bonus, since as you mentioned people react to different things differently.
If you fail the roll, you fail to do something that elicits the desired emotional response. It doesn't 'make them angry,' it probably doesn't inspire any emotional reaction at all. Perhaps pity for you bumbling attempts, but certainly nothing serious.
If you actually like someone, and want them to like you and not be repelled by your presence, then diplomacy is the skill.
I agree. The only way I would describe creepy behavior in those circumstances would be if the PC is trying to influence the NPC positively but gets an abysmal Diplomacy check result.
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If a PC wants to make someone (NPCs, etc) else feel "uncomfortable" or disgusted, which social skill or skill/s should be used?
An example, a PC causes a distraction by wolf-whistling, catcalling or giving "hungry eyes" at some NPCs.
Given that those, when intended to cause unease, are rape threats, I think the skill in question is pretty clear.
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An example, a PC causes a distraction by wolf-whistling, catcalling or giving "hungry eyes" at some NPCs.
Distractions and diversions in the rules are generally associated with Bluff. For example, "a successful Bluff check can give you the momentary diversion you need to attempt a Stealth check while people are aware of you." Feinting is another example. You're not acting so much as you're throwing people off your actual goals.
However, like many here I would also allow Intimidate in this particular situation, since an attempt to cause a negative reaction through catcalling is distinctly aggressive.