Greetings and Salutations. Some of the topics have already been discussed (such as the differences between Horror Factor and Intimidation), so I won't touch on those as much. But I'll try to touch on some of the things that weren't addressed, or try to add some new thoughts/insights into others.
Disclaimer: Since almost none of this is discussed very well in the rules, almost all of this will be my personal thoughts, at least a few times created on the spot (so not even tested). Take all of that for what you will.
Grimlock wrote:Would make any adjustments based on the fact that 22 guys are perfoming the dance together?
In your specific situation, I wouldn't do it much different. I wouldn't make each member roll (because that's almost guaranteeing failures on at least a few of them), and they're the same numbers so it wouldn't change much there either. I mention numbers because I once did make up some house rules for Horror Factor depending upon the number of people (which depends on the size of both groups).
http://www.prysus.com/horror_factor_expanded.htmSimilar rules can be applied to other things, such as intimidation, if so desired.
Grimlock wrote:What about characters with a lower Mental Affinity Stat? How do THEY Intimidate others?
They don't. If they're lucky they have a horror factor. Otherwise the best they can do is actions. He can take actions that might freak someone out, but he in and of himself will not be.
Think of seeing some 5'5" guy, scrawny 135 pounds, glasses, Mike Tyson type of voice ... and imagine him trying to be scary. You're more likely to laugh than be intimidated. He might suddenly snap and kill 20 people in front of your eyes ... and you're going to be freaked out! But that's not an intimidation roll. He might have a bunch of damning blackmail information on you and once he utters a few parts (and mentions the fail safes in store so even beating him up won't do you any good), and you'll kiss the ground he walks on just so he keeps his mouth shut ... but that's not an intimidation roll.
Intimidation (for me) has always been more of that presence. It doesn't have to have a tangible quality. Take the same scrawny guy above ... but now when you go to do or say something, he stops and shoots you a look, that cold dark look that sends a chill up your spine. It's like a Spidey Sense going off telling you to be careful, even if you don't know why. Even though you think you're smarter than this guy and/or more physically imposing, you just don't want to mess with him because ... you don't know why, you just don't!
Not sure if you've ever seen or known this type of person (or are this type of person), but this is what the high M.A. Intimidation represents to me. It's not a skill, it's a presence/vibe. There's just no way to represent this with a lower M.A. (unless you do something like kill the 20 people without breaking a sweat, have a bunch of blackmail info, etc., most of which will involve role-playing or using other skills, but not just a standard intimidation).
Grimlock wrote:AND, how does the Performance skill work? Not just in terms of intimidating others; what good is it for?
Nothing to do with Intimidation really, but since you asked ...
How does the Dance skill work? What good is it for?
Performance is much the same. It won't do you a lot of good in many situations, but it's a skill used by performers. Actors are probably the easiest example (this is their livelihood!), but performers in general. Ever see two people tell the same (or similar) jokes, but one is funnier than the other? It's the setup, the style, the presentation, the extra flair. Two jugglers performing side-by-side, both equal skill, yet one suddenly flips one of his objects behind his back to give an extra "Ooooo ... Ahhhhh ..." It's noted that politicians use the skill as well, such as during speeches and publicity events.
If you'd like examples beyond just role-playing though ... think of a movie (or TV show or book) that's had a character that's totally outmatched. He has no hope of holding off an enemy attack, but he bluffs. He goes out, meets the enemy commander face to face, and tells him how they have 20,000 men ready to meet them. The enemy commander laughs. Then he sees the men on the wall (dead bodies dressed up), and maybe a few parlor tricks or booby traps that help sell it. Performance in action (along with possibly some other skills during the setup).
Grimlock wrote:I'm still kinda stuck, though. I understand that context is everything when it comes to how the Intimidation is carried out, but how would you relate this to the mechanics of the game?
I guess my biggest question is: What does a character roll to resist the attempt to be Intimidated?
Unfortunately, this is an area that Palladium hasn't really fleshed out in game mechanics. The closest we have is the N&S Kata that drewkitty ~..~ mentioned earlier. However, this is how I'd tend to do it personally (which doesn't mean this is canon/official, just how I'd run it as an individual) ...
1: I tend to treat Intimidation as a saving throw, not a skill. If a character is trying to intimidate, it's everyone else who rolls %. You have to roll over the character's Intimidation % or else fail. This is reflected in the N&S version (though I'll note I created the rule for my games independently, and was just happy to see some version of canon agreed with that concept).
2: If you want to make it easier for some to save, you might have those making a save subtract their % from the target save. Ugh ... I probably said that oddly. Okay, example: Player A is trying to intimidate a group of bad guys. His M.A. is 25, so he has 84%. There are 5 bad guys he's facing, so each rolls %. NPC V, W, X, and Y need to roll 85% or higher to save. Anything lower and they're intimidated. NPC Z however is the enemy leader, and he gained his minions by having an influential personality with an M.A. of 20. That gives him Intimidation at 60%. 84-60=24. So NPC Z only needs a 25% or higher to save. Note: I've never used this rule myself (and just made it up off the top of my head), but it could let character design play a more active roll in the save.
3: More importantly than any other, people are individuals. This is important. Why? Because not everyone will react the same way. Some people will cower in fear, some people run, some people will just cooperate however they can to avoid being hurt, etc. Of course, then there's the other people who respond negatively to intimidation. Try to intimidate them and they might become MORE aggressive! Instead of acting scared, they just add another level of bravado on top to cover it up. Then there are the people who can ignore the Intimidation (more or less) and let their intellect tell them how to respond. They might be a bit slower to think, but they won't panic either.
I know that's not a great game mechanic, but remember there are no listed penalties for being Intimidated either. I use it as a role-playing concept, not a hard game mechanic. Random and meaningless mook gets intimidated? Yeah, he'll probably give you whatever information you want or do whatever you say (within reason). Smart characters might get intimidated, but won't do something stupid either. If he knows the information you need is the only thing stopping you from killing him, doesn't matter how intimidated he is he's not going to give that info. Sure, he's terrified you might hurt him, but being hurt is better than being dead. Poor innocent civilian? He's so busy crying that you can't get anything out of him. Sure he has info you need, but he's too hysterical to be of any use now. Veteran who survived years of enemy torture and didn't break, turned bad-arse merc ... yeah, good luck.
There are no set mechanics for it, and people react differently. I tend to judge it on a case by case scenario. I know that's not the best answer, but it's just the way I do it. I try to have a good idea of all the NPC in my head, so I can respond how they'd react to various situations. If it's someone I don't have well thought out, then I just try to go by archetype and some general concept.
Anyways, I think that's all for now. I hope some of that helped. Thank you for your time and patience, please have a nice day. Farewell and safe journeys for now.