As usual, an actual case is more enlightening than the theoretical...
>From the "I want to rob you" part?
>You want to run the mugging as a persuasion roll of some kind before Bruno is allowed to draw the sword?
Perfect example of player intent not being exactly equal to character goal. That is, your supposition is correct. The player declaring the mugging wants to resolve a mugging, not a sword-fight.
You have to get away from the mindset of games where there are "persuasion rolls." This is what I mentioned in the last mail. If you think of it that way, then you start thinking about if it's "appropriate" or whatever. It's not a persuasion attempt, it's a player wanting to resolve a mugging.
Now, if it's an NPC he's mugging it's very simple... just allow them to resolve this. What does it matter if the NPC acts in a very human fashion, and doesn't go for their sword? Perhaps fearing for their life? I honestly see this as a right of the player, to get the conflicts they want, as long as they're not outright ridiculous, or mess with the game aesthetic in some way (that's why you're there as Narrator, letting them know what is and is not appropriate).
The real question, as you've noted, is what if the character getting mugged belongs to another player? Does player A have a right to screw with player B's character's coolness? Just because he declared an action first?
No. There's a very simple rule that I use here. If the other player doesn't want to participate in the contest, then they don't have to. Because the "right" I mentioned to have contests work the way you want is about maintaining the integrity of the character, and that same right extends to the other player involved.
Yeah, to some small extent the Narrator can extend this right of refusal to important NPCs... but the Narrator should try to find ways to avoid this as much as possible. If, in fact, the character being mugged is "Count Gorgen, Madman of the Marches" then the contest might simply not be appropriate. Frankly I'd allow it, and then have Gorgen come after them with a hellish fury... but you get the point.
When a player refuses to be involved in a contest with another player, the best thing to do is to have the players come up with a contest that they do think would be cool. Yeah, again we're talking about talking stakes and such, but it can often be done less than explicitly. They might agree that the contest devolves into a wrestling match on the ground for the target character's purse, with the target unable to get out their sword (but not being subject to the other character's ability to intimidate).
As I'm fond of pointing out, by one very strict reading of the rules, players aren't allowed to have their characters have contests with those of other players at all... from that perspective all outcomes of interactions would have to be simply negotiated, or decided by fiat by the narrator. So you could argue that allowing a contest to occur is completely additional to the rules, and therefore demands player consent.
Mike
N.B. Much of this may have changed with HQ2, I can't say not being familiar with it. All my comments should be considered in the context of the original HQ.
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