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[Zen Shooter01]

I've noticed that many dumpshockers think that social skills are unbalanced. I wanted to say a few things about that.

Social skills are really important in any setting that's even slightly realistic. Even in places like real world Mogadishu or South Central LA, social encounters outnumber combat encounters by a wide margin. Social skills are how people get along.

The average citizen of the 6th World is a Face. Not a very good one, but a Face nonetheless. They use their social skills more often than any other skill they've got, any time they speak - or don't speak, because that gives a social impression, too. Social skills are essential to any character to keep people from calling the police. Seriously, calling the police. Walk into any 7-Eleven and say as much weird, spooky sh!t as you can think of, see what happens.

That said, though, don't hesitate as the GM to pile on the negative social skill modifiers. If a PC is asking someone to do something that will land them in jail, don't be afraid of saying minus 10. The first paragraph under Social Modifiers in SR4, pg. 122, says the gamemaster should apply modifiers as he feels appropriate.

And don't be afraid to make social rolls into extended tests. If you walk up to a stranger at a party and tell them to kill their children with poison, you're not going to get very far. But if you take them down to Jonestown and brainwash them thoroughly for a year, you can get a different result.

And don't forget about reputation - being influential in and of itself can make people hate you. Think of Britney Spears, Osama Bin Laden, Hillary Clinton. These are all widely influential and widely admired people who are also widely despised. If a PC can make people jump out the window by suggesting it to them, anyone who's seen it happen is likely to be suspicious of the character (or regard the character as a god).