RUNNING SOCIAL CONFLICTS
NPC Reactions
☐ ADVENTURER APPEARANCE
If an NPC first sees an Adventurer before interacting with them, the Adventurer's Appearance Attribute serves as the basis for the NPC Reaction roll.
☐ ADVENTURER CHARISMA
If an NPC first hears an Adventurer before interacting with them, the Adventurer's Charisma Attribute serves as the basis for the NPC Reaction roll.
☐ LIKES / DISLIKES MODIFIERS
Guides may choose to apply NPC Reaction modifiers for specific NPCs according to the following additional factors, or others as desired.
- Special Effects (SFX)
- Topics of Interest or Disinterest
- NPC mood or personality
Goals
For a social conflict to exist, multiple sides or factions must want to achieve mismatched or conflicting goals.
What does each side gain or lose from the conflict?
Ambushes
What preparations may allow one side to ambush others?
What triggers the ambush?
What quote or action will the attackers use to start the attack?
Surprise
Roll an opposed Reflexes check of each participant to the conflict to decide which participants may act on the surprise round.
Some Skills or Special Effects allow Adventurers to avoid Surprise situations.
Initiative
If there is a surprise round, and for subsequent rounds, roll for Initiative with Reflexes bonuses and penalties.
Turn Order
Sort the participants into a Turn Order from highest to lowest results of the Initiative rolls.
Guides may choose to act individually for each NPC or group the NPC actions together on a single Initiative.
Quotes
☐ PERSUASION
☐ DECEPTION
☐ LEADERSHIP / COMMAND
The rank difference between the commander and the commanded may apply as a bonus.
☐ ROMANCE
Create a short list of Likes and Dislikes for each participant to a romantic encounter.
Actions or quotes related to any liked topic results in a bonus.
Actions or quotes related to any disliked topic results in a penalty.
Track an NPC's Likes and Dislikes as NPC Secrets / Hooks.
Remember to stay within any session zero agreed bounds for Romance-related topics.
☐ SEDUCTION
☐ INTIMIDATION
☐ INTERROGATION
What will satisfy the interrogator?
What must the interrogated captive keep secret?
☐ TERROR
Terror as a form of Mental or Social conflict primarily erodes the Will to continue forward in the face of the unknown.
When the Will Reserve depletes, sustaining courage becomes progressively harder until the Adventurer or their Opponent retreat or flee from the conflict.
Adventurers or their Opponents may intentionally trigger Terror through threats of blackmail, violence, or similar actions.
Reactions
☐ PERSUASION
Failed persuasion checks may generate increasing resentment toward the manipulator.
☐ DECEPTION
If someone detects an attempted Deception, that may change the nature of the conflict entirely.
☐ LEADERSHIP / COMMAND
Not following orders of authorized superiors may trigger formal reprisals.
☐ ROMANCE
Create a short list of Likes and Dislikes for each party to the romantic encounter.
Actions or quotes related to any liked topic results in a bonus.
Actions or quotes related to any disliked topic results in a penalty.
Track an NPC's Likes and Dislikes as NPC Secrets / Hooks.
Remember to stay within any session zero agreed bounds for Romance-related topics.
☐ SEDUCTION
Failed Seduction attempts may expose the true nature of the action and require the seducer to provide higher and higher difficulty Ingenuity checks to continue.
☐ INTIMIDATION
Failed Intimidation attempts may trigger escalations in the conflict.
☐ INTERROGATION
Reactions to Interrogation can include lying or counterintelligence actions.
☐ TERROR
Failed Terror attempts may trigger immediate escalations or reprisals.
Reserves
Mental or Social conflict primarily erodes the Will to continue.
Damage
Successful Quotes or Actions may reduce defender's Will Reserve by the difference between the Attacker and Defender Degree of Success.
Successful Reactions may restore lost Will Reserves by the difference between the two Degrees of Success.
Recovery
Reserves recover naturally at the rate of 1 point per rest.
Mass Conflict
Assign goals to each faction to the conflict, including the Adventurers.
☐ WITHDRAWAL / ESCAPE
☐ SCOUTING MISSIONS
☐ DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS
☐ SUBTERFUGE OPERATIONS
☐ SUPPORT / LOGISTICS OPERATIONS
☐ SABOTAGE MISSIONS / BATTLES