VaticanT/SocialCombat

Social Combat

Goals For Social Combat

Social combat should have a voluntary component – to reflect a situation where to people are attempting to bring one another to their position. Combat starts with the following – opt-in.

Social combat begins with a challenge. At the outset the challenger states their outcome.

The challenged then have the following options.

a) Ignore the challenge at a cost of 2 wp

b) Listen to the challenger (the person has their MDV)

c) State their own outcome and engage the challenger (the person has their MPV)

Based on the challenged person’s outcome the challenger can opt out now but it will cost them 3 wp.

Each social attack is now Spd 5. The DV component works differently.

Each unsuccessful social attack adds 1 to the target(s) DV. As the argument continues, people’s positions harden and eventually they become intractable.

Social attacks are now resolved by attacking an attribute referred to as Resolve. Each social attack that goes over the DV of the target subtracts a number of points of Resolve equal to the difference.

Resolve: Resolve at the beginning of a social combat is equal to the Willpower score of the participant. For mortals, this is equal to their temporary Willpower score; for Exalts and Essence users, equal to their permanent Willpower score.

When someone’s resolve is reduced to 0, they have the following options:

a) concede the outcome

b) spend 1 wp, make a concession and continue the social conflict.

Both players must agree upon the nature of the concession. Both people can choose to finish the social combat here, if they wish.

If a person finds themselves without WP, they must concede to the Challenger’s wishes. However, any concessions granted to the other side remain.

Personality Mechanics:

Virtues: Each Virtue is now linked to a stated Belief. Whenever a character does something confirming his Belief they fill in one Channel and roll the belief, and add the result to their Willpower score. The highest rated Belief functions as a motivation.

Intimacies: A character can maintain a number of Intimacies equal to their Compassion. Each one is rated by dots, the maximum being equal to their highest Virtue. Once per story, when the character interacts positively with the object of their Intimacy, they can roll it and gain WP equal the result. Antipathies: A character can maintain a number of Antipathies equal to their Conviction score. Each one is rated the same way as their Intimacies. Once per Story, when the character opposes the object of their Antipathy, they can roll their score and gain WP equal to the result.

Raising and Lowering Intimacies and Antipathies

People may attempt to increase or decrease another’s Intimacies and Antipathies with a social action. This may only be done once per scene. The character rolls the appropriate Social dice pool against the person’s MDV (there is no argument to be engaged in, so MPV doesn’t apply). If the character gains a number of successes over the MDV equal to the current rating of the Intimacy / Antipathy, then it is raised by one point. Note that Intimacies do not grant bonus dice to raising Intimacies, nor do Antipathies give bonus dice to raising Antipathies, but the opposites certainly do. Note that it is definitely possible to possess both an Intimacy and an Antipathy to the same Object! Love/Hate relationships are fun.

Lowering Intimacies and Antipathies

The same social roll applies – and you must garner a number of successes above the MDV equal to the rating of the Intimacy and Antipathy.

Raising your own Antipathy / Intimacy

It is certainly possible to raise your own Intimacies and Antipathies. In this case, you must spend a number of WP equal to what it will be, to raise it by one dot. Usually, this can only be done once per Scene interacting with the character.

Lowering you own Intimacy / Antipathy

This costs a number of WP equal to the current rating. Then it decreases by one point. This can also usually only be done once per scene interacting with the character.

Defining Social Attributes and Abilities

Charisma: This attribute is used when force of Personality is important. It is not about lying or not lying – but when it’s important that people like you, this attribute is used. This is used for currying favours, instilling Intimacies, etc.

Manipulation: This is used for situation when it doesn’t matter whether people like you or not. Intimidation, blackmail, and gossip fall under this category, as well as often being used for Instilling Antipathies.

Appearance: This is a reflection of your Social Punch. In regular social combat, it acts as a base damage stat.

Presence: Presence is good for the following – influencing small groups of people and Instilling Intimacies. When instilling Intimicies or in Debates, it is compared to Temperance to act as a modifier on DV's.

Performance: Performance is good for Instilling Intimacies, and influencing large groups of people. (Ranting speeches will not convince people in a one-on-one scenario). Socialize: Is good for influencing actions by Individuals, and for affecting societies – but it’s too political for Instilling Intimacies.

Debates

These rules are used when two people (or groups) attempt to influence a third, neutral group.

Roll Join Debate. The side with more successes goes first.

The relevant social stat roll is made. The goal is to accumulate successes as rapidly as possible. Total the successes used for the argument. When one debater has achieved a number of successes higher than their opponent’s equal to the audience’s MDV, they have one the debate and the support of the audience. However:

- Each time that a debater achieves successes equal to the audience’s MDV, the other side must offer a concession that is the only terms under which an audience will accept the debaters outcome. Thus, the longer an argument continues, the more mitigated the outcome will be.