Difference between revisions of "Flamepunk: Social Combat"

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(Terminating: Forcing Social Combat to end)
(Attack Rolls, Defences, Damage)
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==Attack Rolls, Defences, Damage==
 
==Attack Rolls, Defences, Damage==
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The system for taking actions in combat is the same as in the [[Flamepunk: Basic Rules|basic rules]] with a few variations.
  
 
===Attack Rolls===
 
===Attack Rolls===
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An attack roll in combat will vary in ''Hit Target'' according to what sort of attack is being made, and the level of training of the attacker.
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A basic social attack made by an untrained attacker has a hit target of ''5 or 6''.
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For other attacks, consult the appropriate trait sections: '''((links here))'''.
  
 
===Defences===
 
===Defences===
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Defence applies after the action roll, just as in the basic rules.
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A basic "social dodge" made by an untrained combatant is a reflexive action that costs 1 action dice, and has the effect of removing 1 dice from the attackers rolled dice pool.
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Social dodging represents actively dismissing or ignoring your opponent's arguments.
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For other defences, consult the appropriate trait sections: '''((links here))'''.
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Specifically "social parrying" is something which requires some degree of training or specialisation.
  
 
===Damage===
 
===Damage===
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Damage is usually equal to the ''success level'' of the attack roll. For example, an unarmed attack with a success level of 3 deals 3 hit points of damage.
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Other factors may apply:
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* Some attacks (via certain advanced Traits) have special effects that increase the damage on a successful hit. The most common effects will be ''"if this attack hits, add +X to the damage"'' or ''"if this attack hits, multiply damage dealt by X"'', but there are many different special effects depending on the attack.
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* Some effects (via certain advanced Traits) will affect the damage of hits against you. The most common effect will be ''"when an attack hits you, deduct X from the damage dealt, to a minimum of 0 damage dealt"'', but there are numerous different special effects with different abilities.
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Damage is applied directly to the receiving character's will points. When a character is reduced to 0 Will, he has been taken ''out of action''. He suffers the consequences of the assigned defeat condition.
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==="Out of Action" in relation to social combat===
 
==="Out of Action" in relation to social combat===

Revision as of 03:12, 18 January 2008

Flamepunk:Main Page -> Flamepunk: Social Combat


Overview of Social Combat

This section describes rules for social conflict.

Using Social Combat

When and how to use social combat

Social combat is an acquired taste, but the general idea is it allows greater simulationism for social characters in the group. Why should the fighters and runners get all the dice-crunching fun?

The default purpose of social combat is when two or more characters are interacting with a specific goal in mind, and need to use their cunning, charm and force of personality to get their way.

Its generally not something you need to pull out for everyday conversations and day-to-day social interactions - this is best covered through just roleplaying - instead, its reserved for actual conflicts of personality, where characters want different things but can't just agree to differ.

Seduction, intimidation, persuasion, coercion and mroe can all be covered by social combat.

Social Combat Goals: "Defeat Conditions"

Core to social combat is the idea that each character has a target, and has a goal to the social combat.

Example goals:

  • Seduce the Hadar ganglord, so that he is willing to tell you things that he wouldn't otherwise.
  • Discredit the arguments of the prosecution lawyer, so your client walks free.
  • Interrogate a suspect so that he tells you where his blazer buddies are.
  • Convince the inquisitor interrogating you that you know nothing, so he'll leave you alone.

Social combat always requires an extended period of time, and continuous social interaction over this time

If you succeed in social combat (i.e. you reduce your target to 0 Will Points) then you achieve your objective.

The Passive Social Combatant

Sometimes, someone is trying to convince you of something, but you have no goal yourself.

In these circumstances it is reasonable to set a "passive goal", such as:

  • Get this guy to leave me alone and stop harassing me.
  • Walk out of here with my dignity intact, but without it looking like the other guy has won the argument.

With a little thought you can change most passive goals into active ones. The other alternative is "terminating social combat" as described below.

Intrinsic Resistance

Its sensible for players and GMs to set fairly low key and attainable goals for their characters.

If the GM deems that a character is trying for a particularly difficult goal, then he can assign a degree of intrinsic resistance. A lot of this is an ad hoc call by the GM.

Examples:

Intrinsic Resistance of 1

  • Intimidating a ganger when he is front of his friends.
  • Befriending a rich (but not especially prejudiced) Guilder, when you are the wrong social class.

Intrinsic Resistance of 2

  • Convincing a heterosexual man to kiss a woman he is not at all attracted to.
  • Convincing a miser to lend you money.
  • Befriending a racist, when you are the wrong colour.

Intrinsic Resistance of 3

  • Convincing a heterosexual man to engage in penetrative homosexual acts.
  • Convincing an honourable soldier to betray his squad.
  • Convincing a Church fanatic to spit on the altar of the holy flame.

Intrinsic Resistance of 4

  • Convincing a happy man that he should commit suicide.
  • Convincing a Church fanatic to burn down his local temple.

Intrinsic Resistance acts as a Dodge Defence on every social attack you make on that character, which is cumulative with their normal defence.

Intrinsic Resistance can be countered to some degree with tools or circumstantial factors. For example, the Church fanatic is more likely to spit on the altar if you have a gun to his head, and a character will be more likely to do things which are repugnant to him if you are holding his beloved family to ransom.

Intrinsic Resistance cannot be reduced to below 0, however.

Roleplaying and Social Combat

Using the social combat rules do not preclude roleplaying!

In the same way that physical combat shouldn't just devolve into a series of dice rolls, its also important that social combat goes hand in hand with roleplaying.

Some players may find the stop-start nature of social combat impedes the natural flow of roleplaying conversations - there can be a tendency for the character whose action it is to have a little monologue before "handing over the talking stick" to the next person up. Similarly, there is an urge for players who are not natural social roleplayers to not have the same social skills their characters do.

There are ways around this:

  • Players and GMS have the option of describing the gist of what is being said, or how it is being said, rather than picking the actual words. For example: "Skazz locks eyes and snarls, then spits out a pithy reply, daring the Paladin to argue with him."
  • GMs should allow for freeform roleplaying to break out at any time, and let people talk naturally, but occasionally call for a pause as the dice are rolled. In this way, the system fades into the background of the conversation. Skilled GMs will be able to pick the right moments, so this feels right, waiting until the active character is on the offensive before calling the next attack roll.



Relenting: Voluntary Defeat

At any time during a social combat, a character can relent and be voluntarily defeated.

This means that the character targeting them automatically achieves their social goal, but that the relenting character avoids losing any more Will Points.

The best time (tactically) to relent is after a social attack is made, as you can look at the result and work out whether it is going to wipe you out (or just inflict unacceptable Will damage).

Of course, even after you have relented, there is nothing to stop the aggressor picking a new social goal and going at you again with a fresh social combat.

Terminating: Forcing Social Combat to end

The physical trumps the social.

On a character's action (and only on his action) a character can choose to forcibly terminate social combat, for example by walking away and locking the door behind him, or by striking physically at his social assailant.

Note that he either has to initiate violence or leave the social mileu to forcibly terminate social combat. Merely covering his ears or blanking out what is being said is not enough - social avoidance strategies that don't involve walking away are covered by social combat, for example by setting a passive goal of "Make the other guy realise I'm not listening to him, so he gives up and goes away."

If social combat is interrupted by physical combat, then refresh everyones action dice pool back to their full Focus value immediately, and start a physical combat as per the normal rules.

Initiative and Combat Rounds

Time and Combat

A single round of social combat represents about one minute of social interaction, during which combatants will make their points and deflect the arguments of the opposition.

This is flexible of course - for example, in an environment where socialisation is slower, such as a courtroom with protocols to be observed, or a duel of newspaper articles, the round by round rate may be slower, for example 10 minutes per round in the first example, and 1 week per round in the latter.

Order of Action

The same rules for determining initiative are used in social combat as for physical combat:

  • Actions are declared then immediately resolved when it is a character's turn.
  • The character with the most dice left in his action dice pool acts next.
  • If action dice pools are drawn, then players act before non player characters.
  • If players are drawn in action dice pool, then they can decide who goes first.
  • If the above factors do not tell you who goes next, the GM arbitrarily decides, taking into account drama and expediency.

A character can choose not to act when his turn comes round by "setting aside" one or more dice. These set aside dice cannot be used for the rest of the round, but are returned to the player's dice pool at the end of the round.

Ending the Round

Once all characters in the combat have no dice left in their action pool, the round ends.

Each character moves all set aside dice back into their action dice pool, then recharges a number of action dice equal to half their Focus rounded up.

For player characters this will generally be three action dice.

A player's action dice pool cannot exceed their Focus from this.

Attack Rolls, Defences, Damage

The system for taking actions in combat is the same as in the basic rules with a few variations.

Attack Rolls

An attack roll in combat will vary in Hit Target according to what sort of attack is being made, and the level of training of the attacker.

A basic social attack made by an untrained attacker has a hit target of 5 or 6.

For other attacks, consult the appropriate trait sections: ((links here)).

Defences

Defence applies after the action roll, just as in the basic rules.

A basic "social dodge" made by an untrained combatant is a reflexive action that costs 1 action dice, and has the effect of removing 1 dice from the attackers rolled dice pool.

Social dodging represents actively dismissing or ignoring your opponent's arguments.

For other defences, consult the appropriate trait sections: ((links here)).

Specifically "social parrying" is something which requires some degree of training or specialisation.

Damage

Damage is usually equal to the success level of the attack roll. For example, an unarmed attack with a success level of 3 deals 3 hit points of damage.

Other factors may apply:

  • Some attacks (via certain advanced Traits) have special effects that increase the damage on a successful hit. The most common effects will be "if this attack hits, add +X to the damage" or "if this attack hits, multiply damage dealt by X", but there are many different special effects depending on the attack.
  • Some effects (via certain advanced Traits) will affect the damage of hits against you. The most common effect will be "when an attack hits you, deduct X from the damage dealt, to a minimum of 0 damage dealt", but there are numerous different special effects with different abilities.

Damage is applied directly to the receiving character's will points. When a character is reduced to 0 Will, he has been taken out of action. He suffers the consequences of the assigned defeat condition.


"Out of Action" in relation to social combat

System Permutations

Preparing an Argument



No Stacking Defences



Special Effects and Non-damaging attacks

... Examples:



Social Mercy / Positive Socialisation



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