Intimidation, and its close cousin Interrogation, rely on an implied threats and coercion to obtain a result.
Fear of physical harm or reprisals may force others to comply with demand they would otherwise reject.
Both sides enter a battle of Wills.
The loser may concede, or escalate to another form of conflict such as a physical brawl.
☐ Intimidation Example
A thug corners an Adventurer demanding they hand over a piece of gear.
The thug's Will and any relevant skill form the basis for the Intimidation attempt against the Adventurer.
Possible modifiers include a fearsome Appearance, an aggressive demeanor conveyed through Charisma, the implied threats of equipment carried, and local renown or reputation.
The Guide may describe this as a single Task Resolution to declare the winner of the Intimidation attempt, or limit the rounds to a small number before escalating or de-escalating the encounter.
Situations where one party controls, detains, or imprisons the other may lead to Interrogations.
An Interrogator attacks the captive's Will to resist until satisfied they have broken that resistance.
Interrogators may combine Intimidation, tricks, drugs, or torture to get what they want, subject to the adventuring groups agreed story limits.
The captive may possess an incredibly strong Will or special training to resist Interrogation, dragging out the process for extended periods of time.
A captive may apply their Ingenuity to resist, focusing on ideas which bolster their Will to resist.
The Interrogator may run out of Will Reserves before the captive, forcing a break, allowing both a chance to recover.
☐ Interrogation Example
A thug captures an Adventurer and Interrogates them to find the location of a hidden cache of valuable xeno-archeological artifacts.
Round by Round, the thug attempts to Intimidate, threaten, and torture the Adventurer causing loss of Will Reserves and Endurance Reserves from the physical damage.
Unknown to the thug, the Adventurer knows they have a secret tracker which leads the remaining Adventurers to the thug's lair.
The Adventurer's Ingenuity allows them to find new clever ways to console themselves that help will arrive at any moment, providing them the means to continue resisting the thug's tactics.
Losing his patience with lack of results, the thug storms out, leaving the captive alone to enjoy the momentary victory, slight reprieve, and elevate their hope they will hold out until help arrives.