[UmaroVI]

Reminds me of the SRM I ran where the Johnson was an extremely blatant neo-Fascist ... who hired a group consisting of exactly one human (who was, in fact, a changeling) for a mission. It didn't end well for her. The one human was the group's face, and she WAS pretty crazy, so I went with "she has the hots for him, even if he hangs out with dirty metas" so it made a little sense.

[Critias]

I mean, I've got nothing against crazy Mr. Johnsons, I just think taking a shot at someone (or doing what can, and should, certainly be seen as taking a shot at someone) is going to result in the negotiation turning into a gunfight, period. 

But I like crazy Mr. Johnsons.  The most popular Johnson I ever ran was modeled -- in universe, mind you, thanks to bio-sculpting, personafix chips for speech patterns, skillwires for body language, literally modeled -- on Christopher Walken. 

For posting his dialogue, I'd type up a couple of perfectly reasonable sentences, just doing standard Johnson stuff, detailing the job, the pay, that sort of thing.  Then I'd go back and remove all the punctuation, and re-insert periods, commas, exclamation points, question marks, and italicized/emphasized words completely at random.

No one ever tried to negotiate with him for higher pay, they just did what he said.  It was awesome.

[CanRay]

Any any Johnson that tries to blow an emotitoy off someone's shoulder, lapel, keychain, or where-ever the damned little thing is dangling from?  Yeah.  That's not a matter of professionalism, it's a matter of "return fire time."

Again, I said a certain one.  And never made any claim to his sanity.

Maybe a HERF Gun?

[Weldûn]

edit: Using Emotion software also, while more expensive, probably isn't going to get noticed. If its allowed. Which it shouldn't be, on account of being broken.

Just remember the golden rule, If the PCs can do it, the Johnson usually has a better budget with which to do it back to them. Negotiation is an opposed test by default, so what works on offense also works on defense. Still, scale the Johnson's social software with the level of importance of the Johnson. Personally, I have three blank d6s, just so my players hear a few more dice than are actually being rolled from time to time. It's scary how they can estimate how many dice I'm rolling from the sound alone, but that's what you get when you've each been gaming for about 20 years.

[baronspam]

edit: Using Emotion software also, while more expensive, probably isn't going to get noticed. If its allowed. Which it shouldn't be, on account of being broken.

Just remember the golden rule, If the PCs can do it, the Johnson usually has a better budget with which to do it back to them. 

That is really the main objection that I have to emotion software, other than the completely skewed ratio of price to benefit. Anything that cheap and that helpful will just be used by everyone, and it ends up canceling out.  The poor automatically fail social checks and with everyone else using it the number just balance, so why have it around from a game design point of view?

[CanRay]

Can we get away from Emoitoys and Mr. Johnsons being sociopaths and back to Magician/Face Combos?

[The Big Peat]

One begs your indulgence on this matter a little longer Mr. CanRay

edit: Using Emotion software also, while more expensive, probably isn't going to get noticed. If its allowed. Which it shouldn't be, on account of being broken.

Just remember the golden rule, If the PCs can do it, the Johnson usually has a better budget with which to do it back to them. Negotiation is an opposed test by default, so what works on offense also works on defense. Still, scale the Johnson's social software with the level of importance of the Johnson. Personally, I have three blank d6s, just so my players hear a few more dice than are actually being rolled from time to time. It's scary how they can estimate how many dice I'm rolling from the sound alone, but that's what you get when you've each been gaming for about 20 years.

Of course Johnsons can have it. But they almost certainly won't have it better than the PCs because its so damn cheap everyone will start with it at maximum. So all you achieve is everyone's taken it. Except people who for some reason haven't, and now suck. The long and detailed version of this mini-rant will have to wait but the point is, it is not broken because it gives the PCs power over all, it is broken as it offers too much power too cheaply and then skews the way PCs and NPCs behave in a boring manner. Which ties in with what baronspam says.

Anyway, plotting a course back towards the topic... although really CanRay, if you're going to introduce subjects as amusing as sociopathic Johnsons, you only have yourself to blame

I do have a tiny thought actually on this - which is in some cases, the sheer fact you're obviously a mage could be useful towards Intimidation rolls. After all, there aren't that many Mages around. When someone calls lightening out of an empty sky to strike the ground between your feet, its probably quite frightening. Not that Intimidation ends up on a lot of social characters, which is a shame imo...

[CanRay]

He met the group once on the docks.  The heat in town was getting too much for him, so he was going on a "calming fishing trip".

The only boat the group saw was a whaling vessel, and dock workers loading depth charges.  Swallowing their courage, they asked what he was fishing for:  "Megalodon.  I did tell you I hunted big game."

He had a nice fish dinner waiting for them when they were done with the job, too.

EDIT:  A Face/Magician would have been useful at that point as the Composure Test (Charisma+Willpower) would have allowed the character to actually try to negotiate, as the players were too scared of him to even try.

[Red Canti]

Not that Intimidation ends up on a lot of social characters, which is a shame imo...

In a way it makes sense though. I mean the combat focused characters can cover the intimidation angle all on their own.

[CanRay]

Not without a good Charisma.  Honestly, the scariest person in the group should be the one that looks least like a combat monster.

You know what those guys will do...  What will the calm, quiet man in the suit going to do?

It's why "Heisenberg" in Breaking Bad can be such an intimidating character.  'Course, having a kilo bag of Mercury Fulminate that the gang thinks is Meth doesn't hurt matters either.