Social Maneuvering
Social maneuvering is a system for applying persuasion and social pressure over time. Social actions within this system may be direct or subtle, complex or simple. For example, your character may shout at another and demand he gets out of the way, or your character may subtly offer clues suggesting someone needs to vote for her.
It is not always possible to get someone to do what you want. For instance, no amount of social maneuvering is going to convince the chief of police in a large city to hold a press conference and admit to murder, even if the player has a dice pool impressive enough to make it happen. This system is designed to allow characters to manipulate or convince other characters to perform favors or undertake actions, but it does raise the question: Is one character dictating another’s actions, and how much of that should be allowed in a roleplaying game? Or, put a different way, can one character seduce another with this system?
Under a strict read of the rules, yes. The goal is “get that character to sleep with my character,” the number of Doors is decided as explained below, and impressions and other factors play into the final result. This is not too different from how seduction and other, less carnal, forms of persuasion actually work — the persuader tries to make the offer as enticing as possible.
How it Works
Step One: Set Goals
When using a Social action with this system, the first step is to declare your character’s intended goal. This is as simple as stating what you want the subject to do, and how your character is going about making it happen. You need only announce the initial stages, as the effort will likely occur over multiple rolls, reflecting different actions.
At this point, the Storyteller determines whether the goal is reasonable. A character might, with time and proper tactics, convince a rich person to give him a large sum of money. He probably isn’t going to convince the wealthy individual to abandon all of his wealth to the character (though it might be possible to get him to name the character as his heir, at which point the character can set about speeding up the inheritance process).
Step Two: Determine Doors
Once you’ve declared your character’s goal, the next step is to determine the scope of the challenge. We represent this with “Doors,” which reflect a character’s resistance to coercion, her social walls, skepticism, mistrust, or just a hesitance toward intimacy. It’s abstract, and means different things in every given case.
The base number of Doors is equal to the lower of the character’s Resolve or Composure. If the goal would be a breaking point for the character, add two Doors. If accomplishing the goal would prevent a character from resolving an Aspiration, add a Door. Acting in opposition to a Virtue also adds a Door. Doors may increase as the effort continues and the circumstances change. For example, if the goal seems mundane at first but the situation makes it reprehensible, that may increase the number of Doors. If your character gives up on the goal and shifts to another, any Doors currently open remain so, but assess Aspirations, Virtues, and Integrity in case of a potential increase.
Doors must be opened one by one. Each successful roll — not each success — opens one. Exceptional successes open two. Also, Doors are specifically a one-way relationship between two characters. They may each have Doors to one another, or Doors to other characters.
Step Three: Figure Out First Impressions
First (and later) impressions determine the time required between rolls. The Storyteller sets the first impression based on any past history between the characters, the circumstances of their meeting, the nature of the favor being asked (if the acting character is asking right up front — sometimes it’s a better idea not to lead off with what you want), and any other relevant factors.
“Average impressions” call for weekly rolls, which makes the process very slow. Through play, your character may influence the interaction for a “good impression.” This may mean meeting in a pleasant environment, wearing appealing clothing, playing appropriate music, or otherwise making the situation more comfortable. This should not require a roll during a first impression, but requires one if attempted later. An excellent impression requires a roll to influence the situation. For example, you may use a Wits + Socialize to find the right people to invite to a party. Perfect impressions require further factors. It may involve leverage, or playing to a character’s Vice (see below).
Hostile impressions come from tense first impressions, or threatening pitches. These interactions require you manipulate the impression, or to force the Doors (see below).
Step Four: Opening Doors
At each interval, you may make a roll to open Doors to move closer to your character’s goal. The roll might be different each time, depending on the character’s tactics. Some of the rolls might not even be Social. For example, if your character is trying to win someone’s favor, fixing his computer with an Intelligence + Computer roll could open a Door.
As Storyteller, be creative in selecting dice pools. Change them up with each step to keep the interactions dynamic. Similarly, consider contested and resisted rolls. Most resisted actions or contested rolls use either Resolve or Composure, or a combination of the two. But don’t let that stand as a limit. Contested rolls don’t require a resistance trait. For example, Wits might be used to notice a lie, Strength to help a character stand up to threats, or Presence to protect and maintain one’s reputation at a soiree.
Failed rolls impose a cumulative -1 penalty on further rolls. These penalties do not go away after successful rolls. When the player fails a roll, the Storyteller may choose to worsen the impression level by one. If she does so, the player takes a Beat. If this takes the impression level to hostile, the attempt cannot move forward until it improves.
Step Five: Reach Resolution
Once your character opens the final Door, the subject must act. Storyteller characters abide by the intended goal, and follow through as stated.
If you allow players’ characters to be the targets of social maneuvering, resolve this stage as a negotiation with two possible outcomes. The subject chooses to abide by the desired goal, or offer a beneficial alternative.
Go With the Flow
If the character does as requested, and abides by the intended goal, his player takes a Beat.
Offer an Alternative
If the subject’s player chooses, he may offer a beneficial alternative, and the initiator’s player can impose a Condition (see p. 75) on his character. This offer exists between players, it does not need to occur within the fiction of the game (though it can). The alternative must be beneficial, and not a twist of intent. The Storyteller adjudicates.
The initiator’s player chooses a Condition to impose on the subject. It must make sense within the context of the scenario.
Failure
A social maneuvering attempt can fail utterly under the following circumstances:
Successive Efforts
After opening all Doors and resolving the action’s goal, your character may wish to influence the same person or group again. If successful, successive influence attempts begin with one fewer Door. If failed, or if hard leverage was employed, successive influence attempts begin with two more Doors. These modifiers are cumulative. No matter what, a character will always have at least one Door at the outset.
The Return of the Boost Dice
The following Elements all add a distinct boost to the Action dice pool, Impression level, or number Doors involved, and may be incredibly useful.
Aspirations
Aspirations are quick routes to influence. Find out a character’s goals, wants, and needs, and they can help move interactions forward. If your character presents a clear path and reasoning for how they’ll help a character achieve an Aspiration, remove a Door.
This doesn’t require follow through, but it does require a certain amount of assurance. If the opportunity presents itself, and your character pulls out of an offer, two Doors close.
Vices
If your character knows her subject’s Vice, she can use it to influence the interaction. When presenting an offer that tempts that Vice, move the interaction one step up on the chart. As a rule of thumb, if by agreeing to the temptation the target character stands to gain Willpower, then the temptation is a valid form of influence.
Soft Leverage (Gifts and Bribes)
Soft Leverage represents offers of services or payments in order to lubricate social interaction. Make the offer. If the recipient agrees, move the impression up once on the chart. Mechanically, this can be represented by certain Merit dots. For example, a bribe may be represented by a Resources 3 offer, or an offer for a particular service may be reflected by Retainer 3. By default, these bribes give the recipient use of the Merit for a designated amount of time.
Hard Leverage
Hard Leverage represents threats, drugging, intimidation, blackmail, kidnapping, or other heavy-handed forms of coercion. It drives home the urgency required to force open a character’s Doors.
Hard Leverage that requires that the character suffers a breaking point removes one Door (if the modifier to the roll — not considering the character’s breaking points — is greater than -2) or two Doors (if the modifier is -3 or less).
Alternatives
Forcing Doors
Sometimes, waiting and subtlety just aren’t warranted, desired, or possible. In these cases, your character can attempt to force a character’s Doors. This degree of urgency is high-risk, high-reward. Forcing Doors often leads to burnt bridges and missed opportunities.
When forcing Doors, state your character’s goal and her approach, then roll immediately. The current number of Doors apply as a penalty to the dice roll. The subject contests as normal. If successful, proceed to resolution as normal. If the roll fails, the subject is immune to further efforts at social maneuvering from your character.
Influencing Groups
Influencing a group works in the same way, using the same system. This generally means that influencing a group requires at least an excellent level impression, or forcing their Doors, unless the group meets regularly. The Storyteller determine Doors using the highest Resolve and Composure scores in the group. She also determines three Aspirations, a Virtue, Vice, and relative Integrity score for the group. When resolving the influence, most members will abide by the stated goal. Individual members may depart and do as they will, but a clear majority does as your player suggests.
Impression Interval
| Impression | Time per Rolls |
|---|---|
| Perfect | One Turn |
| Excellent | One Hour |
| Good One | Day |
| Average | One Week |
| Hostile | Cannot roll |
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