StarJaunter/AnimalSocialAttacks

Social Attacks Upon Animals

In order to figure out exactly how I want Familiars background to work I have decided
to explore the rules behind interacting with animals and how charms and familiar status
can change it.

Domestic Animals

The most normal situation is someone trying to compel behavior or change emotional state
in a tame, domestic animal.

Like all social attacks it faces the MDV of the animal in question. This, of course, is
willpower + intergrity divided by two (FRD). Most normal creatures have only two or 3.

In addition to MDV one must also overcome several penalties, some of which can be alleviated.
1. One penalty involves the animals confusion with said command. Training or clever animals can overcome.
2. Another involves the lack of familiarity, this can be overcome between animal and animal's keeper with time and effort.
3. The last penalty involves the intrinsic difference between human and animal and can vary depending on how different
the animal is than a human, but is always at least one external penalty. The only way to overcome it is usually magical.

• Caveat, building an intimacy in the animal can at least compensate for alien quality in normal animals.

So commanding an animal you have never met before to do something, like telling a cow to leave
your presence, would require beating it's MDV of two at difficulty three, IE you need six successes
(So we are already at so-called legendary effort)

However a dog you have raised from a Pup, commanded to perform trained tricks, requires only beating
its MDV of 2, so three successes. (Plus after all that training, you may have a specialty as well)

Wild Animals

Even more difficult to control and influence are wild animals, for one it is that much harder to train
or become familiar with wild animals, for another they are usually more "alien" and can potentially
give higher penalties. Some of the most desirable to command, tend to have higher willpowers.

Wild animals usually have a motivation that also will work against any command that might be given.
Indeed, stories about non-exalted commanding beasts usually stem from understanding and working with
such motivations, the bonus provided by working with motivation can be the only thing that allows
such a command any purchase.

Charms

Charms of course have impact on these rules. Here are some of the most Basic

Friendship with Animals Approach Removes a number of Penalties equal to essence score.

Dog-Tongue Method Removes all barrier caused by "alien" level.

Training Charms Training charms grant bonuses as stated, six year old intellect = clever animal

Some normal social charms can work on animals

Hypnotic Tongue Technique This works on animals, but must get through animal based external penalties.

New Friend Aroma Creates instant intimacy, but must get through initial penalties first.

Familiars

My familiar Rules are already stolen and listed in my links section.

Obedience All familiars are obedient which means there motivation works to obey the Exalted.
Very Clever This feature remove need to train an animal to command without penalty.
Expressive This feature removes the "alien" penalty for the Exalt master at least
Speech Lets animal have normal social combat with all people.
Telepathy Let's commands flow from a great distance
Intelligent Intelligence allows a Familiar to become a character, formulating strategies of her own.
God-Blood Grants full intelligence and an essence score, which boosts MDV and allows (FRU)