Social Conflicts

The social conflict system is played in rounds, though if the players are not actively working towards a specific outcome, this may be dispensed with.

The conflict can be performed remotely, socially or personally.

• At personal distance the conflict takes place face to face, with rounds measured in minutes.
• At social distance the conflict takes place at a social event, or other event where people mingle, with rounds generally measuring in 15 minutes or half an hour.
• At remote distance the conflict takes place via letters or intermediaries. Here rounds usually last a day, though for circumspect conflicts they may last as much as a week.

The goal in social conflict is generally to gather influence with a target, and then spend that influence to make the target do something or change their relation to another character or organization.

Usually influence will be cumulated towards a specific effect, as portrayed during roleplaying, but a GM may allow influence to be repurposed if a new goal comes up, though there may be a cost (from one influence to half the accumulated influence).

Performing such an effect usually costs either 2 or 4 influence, but unless you are at personal distance, getting to the point where you can affect the target might be half the struggle (which can be handled either through social conflict, or physically getting within personal range).

Influence Effects

Lesser effects cost 2 influence, and greater effects cost 4 influence.

• Improve attitude: This attitude change can be towards you, another creature, or an organization.

  Greater: From hostile to unfriendly, or from friendly to helpful

  Lesser: From unfriendly to neutral, or from neutral to friendly

• Reduce attitude: This attitude change can be towards you, another creature, or an organization. Though there are usually easier ways to reduce a targets attitude towards yourself.

  Greater: From unfriendly to hostile, or from helpful to friendly

  Lesser: From friendly to neutral, or from neutral to unfriendly

• Break or create connection: This usually involved joining or leaving an organization, though it may also be to convince the target to make or break a personal connected to another person.

  Greater Examples: Leaving a knightly order, joining a death cult, breaking off a betrothal, entering the employment of another person

  Lesser Examples: Joining a social club, getting a thief to contact another thief

• Create emotional state: Common options might include panic, suspicion, paranoia, trust, lust, and the like.

  Greater: Long-lasting (potentially permanent) emotional states

  Lesser: Temporary emotional states

• Force an action: The target is forced, convinced, or otherwise compelled to attempt a particular action.

  Greater Examples: Sell a rare item, surrender, make a confession, provide potentially harmful information

  Lesser Examples: Engage in negotiation, sell a common item, provide non-harmful information

• Add Trait: The target is influenced or deceived such that the target gains a social trait.

  Greater: Long-lasting gain of the trait, though depending on how this was accomplished, it may only apply to some social conflict. This effect might also permanently add the trait if it seems reasonable.

  Lesser: The trait is gained for the purpose of the next social conflict against the target (as long as this matches to how this effect was accomplished)

• Suppress Trait: The target is influenced or deceived such that the target target loses social trait.

  Greater: Long-lasting suppression of the trait, though depending on how this was accomplished, it may only apply to some social conflict. This effect might also permanently remove the trait if it seems reasonable.

  Lesser: The trait is suppressed for the purpose of the next social conflict against the target (as long as this matches to how this effect was accomplished)

Hooks

Social traits or other personal traits (such as loyalties) can decrease the amount of influence that is needed to perform an effect. This decrease is usually 1, though beliefs at the core of a character's personality may decrease the influence cost by 2.

A hook comes into play, if it squarely falls within the area of the effect, but may also be invoked as part of an Influence action to bring it into play.

Blockers

Social traits or other personal traits (such as loyalties) can increase the amount of influence that is needed to perform an effect. This increase is usually 1-2, though beliefs at the core of a character's personality may increase the influence cost by 4.

A blocker comes into play, if it falls within the area of the effect, but may be addressed as part of an Influence action to negate it.

Weakness

A social trait that gives a weakness, lowers the DC of skill checks that exploit the vulnerability.
Greater: -5 DC
Lesser: -2 DC

Resistance

A social trait that gives a resistance, increases the DC of skill checks that is blocked by the resistance. Greater: +5 DC Lesser: +2 DC

Situational Modifiers

Adjusting influence cost or check DCs also works to adjust the general quality of social checks or influence cost of the action. Though keep in mind that the lesser/greater effect division already considers some of the difficulty of convincing people about a thing.