Obsidimen and sex

[kosmit]

I think that obsidimen could get racial ability that they have bonus to social defense against flirting etc.

[freid78]

[Kasbak]

I think this would depend on how you use flirting and such in your game. The way I run things, they will improve one's attitude and make the user seem more aesthetically appeasing, but the final decision on whether or not it goes anywhere is still up to the individual, so the statistical difference wouldn't really come into play. I don't see anything wrong with an obsidimen (or any race really) finding someone to be pleasing to the eye without having any drive to jump into bed with them. They'd just notice more appealing traits, like a chiseled jaw, or rock-hard abs, or a deep, gravely voice (yes, I have a problem).

[freid78]

Then perhaps the flavor text of these talents lead us into that line of thinking. Still, the Seduction skill seems pretty obvious

[Utsukushi]

I've always had a hard time picturing the average Obsidiman interacting properly with a lot of those talents, too, actually. It doesn't bother me, exactly, but I don't think I've ever seen an Obsdiman PC take Seduction, so it hasn't really come up.

Winning Smile doesn't really bother me, and Flirting works well enough -- I don't see why an Obsidiman can't draw someone's attention. But Seduction? Interestingly, RAW, it only refers to its use on members of your preferred sex -- their preferences are mechanically irrelevant. So presumably, if you have an Obsidiman who actually has a preferred sex, you have a case for it -- but rationally, I don't think that's really what they mean. I've been hit on by people for whom I was presumably their preferred sex, but they weren't mine, and even if it was very, very flattering, it just doesn't go anywhere. So yea, unless they run into one of those.. I have to assume rare.. lithophiles, anything past Intriguing Conversation seems like an impossible hurdle.

Windlings and T'skrang actually bring up similar questions. Kasbak? Any cute comments on those lines? <grin> "Chasing tail", I bet...hmm. Anyway.

Yeah. Seduction in a world with such wildly variant races is awkward, especially when the mechanics don't even mention what your `target' might think about the whole thing. It's interesting that (again, RAW), it's harder to Smile Winningly at someone from a different race, but not to get them to sleep with you. I have to admit that, culturally, using the skill ends up feeling a bit like drugging someone. It's uncomfortable, as written.

Fortunately, I've never seen a GM that had any difficulty at least applying modifiers akin to the open-ended suggestion in Winning Smile, if not just saying, "Regrettably, this particular guard just seems to be.. uninterested, no matter how heavy your innuendo gets. He thanks you for the drink and moves over to sit by Steve. <rolling dice> Steve? You can't help noticing that his outfit is remarkably flattering on his figure..."

[Kasbak]