Difference between revisions of "Nekomimi-Maiden/SocialCombatRedux"

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With MUCH credit to WoD: Mirrors, which has provided the basic founding idea for building this...
 
With MUCH credit to WoD: Mirrors, which has provided the basic founding idea for building this...
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== Integrating Influence into Exalted ==
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== Rewritten System: Social Influence ==
 
The current social combat system in Exalted, while certainly superior in concept to other systems such as D&D's "Diplomacy DC 50 to make my lifelong nemesis embrace me as a brother", is severely lacking in certain aspects.  While willpower makes sense for a heroic character to be able to use to resist social influence, the all-or-nothing nature of it with only potential Limit when resisting unnatural mental influence once a scene, is a very poor stick indeed.  This rewrite intends to incorporate the idea of graduated levels of success into Exalted, permitting people to protect core ideals from social influence while still being susceptible unless they perform a truly heroic effort to resist the words of the Chosen.<br>
 
The current social combat system in Exalted, while certainly superior in concept to other systems such as D&D's "Diplomacy DC 50 to make my lifelong nemesis embrace me as a brother", is severely lacking in certain aspects.  While willpower makes sense for a heroic character to be able to use to resist social influence, the all-or-nothing nature of it with only potential Limit when resisting unnatural mental influence once a scene, is a very poor stick indeed.  This rewrite intends to incorporate the idea of graduated levels of success into Exalted, permitting people to protect core ideals from social influence while still being susceptible unless they perform a truly heroic effort to resist the words of the Chosen.<br>
  
 
This system intends to use my Composure rework of Appearance as well.<br>
 
This system intends to use my Composure rework of Appearance as well.<br>
  
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When making a social attack, you total the pool considering all relevant modifiers and roll it, subtracting your opponent's MDV [similarly modified by intimacies and the like].  Every success above your opponent's MDV generates a point of Influence.  Influence is typically casual; intimate Influence requires a relevant intimacy: If someone has an intimacy of fear towards you, your intimidation is intimate Influence.  Unnatural Influence requires a relevant intimacy and the social attack to be a form of appropriate unnatural mental influence.<br>
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Social influence is normally levied as a dramatic action, which typically takes up to one minute per social attack, but may be performed as a speed 6, DV -2 miscellaneous action in normal combat, though this imposes a -3 internal penalty.  The Monologue action is added to normal combat as well, as a Speed 6, DV -2 action that gives +1 die to the following social influence every second tick, which may be aborted early for a partial benefit.<br>
  
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After Influence has been totaled, the successes are assigned to force the target to perform particular actions, limited by the level of Influence you have with the target:<br>
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When attempting social influence, the intent of the influence is stated first.  Generally, this is compelling a particular behavior - "Join an alliance with me". "Buy my wares". "Believe my report of an army camped to the south". "Form an intimacy towards me".  The character declares any charms she intends to use on the social influence, and the target [or targets] choose their form of resistance.<br>
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* A success of Casual Influence allows you to convince someone to do something they have no inherent objection to, reveal information that could cause some trouble but would not threaten their livelihood or life, or ensure the scene acts as a scene of social interaction for the formation of a new intimacy.  Additonally, a success can be expended to make another success act as Intimate Influence, or ensure an order lasts for a scene rather than only as long as it takes to perform.<br>
 
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* A success of Intimate Influence allows you to convince someone to take an action or reveal information that could endanger their livelihood or health or get them in serious trouble, act against or degrade an established intimacy.  Intimate sway automatically lasts the scene barring someone else swaying the target against it or it being resisted, but an additional success can ensure it lasts for [target's Conviction] days.<br>
 
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* Unnatural Influence can do all of the above, and even convince someone to act against or change their Motivation, temporarily; however, they get a free Willpower roll to resist this sway, and can resist with virtues, as listed below.<br>
 
  
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After Influence is assigned, your target has the opportunity to resist.  A given target has three basic options.<br>
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When subjected to social influence, the target should write down a "Commitment Track" for this influence.  This is typically equal to their Conviction; however, intimacies, Virtues rated at 3+, and their Motivation can modify the track:<br>
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<b>Accept the Influence</b>: The target spends no willpower and accepts all forms of Influence.  They are compelled to obey the orders you gave, feel the emotions you inspired, and otherwise act according to your social influence.  '''Extras automatically choose this option unless the Influence is casual and opposes their motivation or an intimacy. They may ONLY resist as below if the Influence is not intimate or unnatural and opposes an intimacy or their motivation.''' An extra can still choose to accept the Influence, even if it contradicts an intimacy, if they lack the willpower or virtue, or otherwise have sufficient cause to accept it in spite of those facts.<br>
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* Relevant Intimacies add or subtract 1 Commitment Level, depending on whether the influence harms or supports the subject of the intimacy, in addition to any MDV modification.
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<b>Resist with Willpower</b>: The target spends the willpower cost to resist -- normally 1wp, though charms can modify the cost -- and rolls their Willpower score.  Every success permits them to counter a point of Influence dictated to them.<br>
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* A relevant Virtue at 3+ adds or subtracts 2 Commitment Levels, as with Intimacies.  Convincing a very Compassionate person to take an action that benefits many is easier, while convincing them of the justification of wanton slaughter is far harder.
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<b>Resist with Virtues</b>: The target spends the willpower cost as per resisting with Willpower, plus one relevant virtue channel, such as Temperance to refuse a bribe or indulgence, or Valor to resist fear; they roll the channeled Virtue, and if they score even a single success, they may negate all Influence dictated to them.<br>
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* If the action goes against the target's Motivation, the Commitment track is doubled after all other modifiers.  If it supports their motivation, it is halved after all other modifiers.
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[Social defense charms' altered effects will come later]
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The target of social influence has several means of resisting available to them.<br>
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<b>First</b>, they may use their Dodge MDV, attempting to shut their mind and heart to the influence.  This is generally superior to Parry MDV due to the inclusion of Essence and the high potential rating of Willpower, but it carries a critical flaw; any influence that passes their DMDV cannot be resisted with Willpower or Virtues.<br>
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<b>Second</b>, they may instead use their Parry MDV, choosing an attribute and ability combination appropriate to refusing the particular influence to set their MDV. If their Parry MDV is defeated, they may still spend Willpower afterwards in order to reduce the influence that gets through, but may not channel Virtues to reist.<br>
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<b>Third</b>, the target can choose a Virtue appropriate to resisting the influence, such as Valor to ignore an attempt at intimidation, Temperance to resist seduction or temptation, and so on.  They spend the willpower cost to resist the influence as well as a single channel of that Virtue, and the influence is completely negated.<br>
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<b>Alternately</b>, the target can accept the influence without resistance; this willing acceptance of someone else's command [and not having to take responsibility for their actions] grants the target one temporary Willpower, though they may not gain this benefit more than once a scene.<br>
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Social defense charms may also be used in this step as well.<br>
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After the form of defense is chosen, if the target has not completely negated the influence [whether through Virtue or an appropriate social defense charm], the character rolls her social attack, subtracting the appropriate MDV.  If any successes remain, they are applied to the target's Commitment track for the influence in question.  If the target has the option of spending willpower, such as if they applied their Parry MDV, they may pay the appropriate cost [usually 1wp, though some charms can increase the cost to resist] and roll their Willpower; every success reduces the 'damage' to the track by one level.<br>
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Once the target's Commitment track is filled, they are subject to the influence and must act appropriately. 
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[work in progress]

Revision as of 18:28, 29 June 2011

With MUCH credit to WoD: Mirrors, which has provided the basic founding idea for building this...

Rewritten System: Social Influence

The current social combat system in Exalted, while certainly superior in concept to other systems such as D&D's "Diplomacy DC 50 to make my lifelong nemesis embrace me as a brother", is severely lacking in certain aspects. While willpower makes sense for a heroic character to be able to use to resist social influence, the all-or-nothing nature of it with only potential Limit when resisting unnatural mental influence once a scene, is a very poor stick indeed. This rewrite intends to incorporate the idea of graduated levels of success into Exalted, permitting people to protect core ideals from social influence while still being susceptible unless they perform a truly heroic effort to resist the words of the Chosen.

This system intends to use my Composure rework of Appearance as well.

Social influence is normally levied as a dramatic action, which typically takes up to one minute per social attack, but may be performed as a speed 6, DV -2 miscellaneous action in normal combat, though this imposes a -3 internal penalty. The Monologue action is added to normal combat as well, as a Speed 6, DV -2 action that gives +1 die to the following social influence every second tick, which may be aborted early for a partial benefit.

When attempting social influence, the intent of the influence is stated first. Generally, this is compelling a particular behavior - "Join an alliance with me". "Buy my wares". "Believe my report of an army camped to the south". "Form an intimacy towards me". The character declares any charms she intends to use on the social influence, and the target [or targets] choose their form of resistance.

When subjected to social influence, the target should write down a "Commitment Track" for this influence. This is typically equal to their Conviction; however, intimacies, Virtues rated at 3+, and their Motivation can modify the track:

  • Relevant Intimacies add or subtract 1 Commitment Level, depending on whether the influence harms or supports the subject of the intimacy, in addition to any MDV modification.
  • A relevant Virtue at 3+ adds or subtracts 2 Commitment Levels, as with Intimacies. Convincing a very Compassionate person to take an action that benefits many is easier, while convincing them of the justification of wanton slaughter is far harder.
  • If the action goes against the target's Motivation, the Commitment track is doubled after all other modifiers. If it supports their motivation, it is halved after all other modifiers.

The target of social influence has several means of resisting available to them.
First, they may use their Dodge MDV, attempting to shut their mind and heart to the influence. This is generally superior to Parry MDV due to the inclusion of Essence and the high potential rating of Willpower, but it carries a critical flaw; any influence that passes their DMDV cannot be resisted with Willpower or Virtues.
Second, they may instead use their Parry MDV, choosing an attribute and ability combination appropriate to refusing the particular influence to set their MDV. If their Parry MDV is defeated, they may still spend Willpower afterwards in order to reduce the influence that gets through, but may not channel Virtues to reist.
Third, the target can choose a Virtue appropriate to resisting the influence, such as Valor to ignore an attempt at intimidation, Temperance to resist seduction or temptation, and so on. They spend the willpower cost to resist the influence as well as a single channel of that Virtue, and the influence is completely negated.
Alternately, the target can accept the influence without resistance; this willing acceptance of someone else's command [and not having to take responsibility for their actions] grants the target one temporary Willpower, though they may not gain this benefit more than once a scene.
Social defense charms may also be used in this step as well.

After the form of defense is chosen, if the target has not completely negated the influence [whether through Virtue or an appropriate social defense charm], the character rolls her social attack, subtracting the appropriate MDV. If any successes remain, they are applied to the target's Commitment track for the influence in question. If the target has the option of spending willpower, such as if they applied their Parry MDV, they may pay the appropriate cost [usually 1wp, though some charms can increase the cost to resist] and roll their Willpower; every success reduces the 'damage' to the track by one level.

Once the target's Commitment track is filled, they are subject to the influence and must act appropriately. [work in progress]

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