Storyteller Shadow |
Social Combat Reposted - Note it is now in a link at the top of the page for easy reference!
Let me first thank Sir Dunstan and his excellent Game of Thrones campaign as the inspiration for this rules tweak. A shout out to Vitaliano who also does an excellent job as a player in that campaign.
Game of Thrones has a Social Combat system that, while not translatable directly, I used as inspiration for this campaign.
This is a proposed rules set and I am more than happy to hear feedback from Players before I implement it in full.
Roleplaying is still required to get your point across. However, I think a mechanical system could be beneficial for this scenario, a scenario quite unlike anything I have ever done in a Vampire game before.
Making My Case
To convince a “voter” to side with your Sire, you may roll the following set of Attributes and Abilities:
1. Against someone who is clearly NOT in your favor --- Manipulation+Subterfuge+Politics
2. Against someone who is NEUTRAL – Charisma+Expression+Politics
The difficulty of all rolls is that Cainites Willpower. You will need to score as many successes as they have Willpower to win the contest. Once you engage the voter, you will only have three rounds to make your case and can only attempt do so one time per night.
If you have Presence – Awe or Enrancement, you may attempt to use these powers in conjunction with the above roll. Each success utilizing that Discipline gives you one more success on your total roll.
Beware, failing in using Presence in Elysium can lead to Sanctions by Thomas Brexiano.
Also beware, Cainites may try to turn this system around on you…
But What if Someone Else Tries This on a Voter I just Brought to my Side?
Amount of successes is a key factor here, you will want to score as many success as you can to ensure that a rival does not try to take that vote from you!
Certain NPC’s already believe that others are in their favor and would never change their votes. Those will be the toughest cookies to break.
Note this system cannot be used on:
Your In-Clan rivals, no amount of sweet talking or bribes will change their minds they all want this position badly.
Prince Narses, he simply will not entertain such discourse. Of course, this does not mean you cannot try to get into the ears of one of his Childer to have them speak with him…
Discerning My Quarry’s Intent
How can I tell if someone is for or against me despite what they are saying?
Make a Perception+Empathy+Politics roll.
The difficulty is 10, less that Cainites Humanity score. Those closer to the Beast are much harder to read. For every Century over 300 years that Cainite has lived, the DC will be increased by 1, topping out at 10, as these Cainites have well and truly mastered this game to have existed for so long in the first place.
Once you engage the voter, you will only have three rounds to ferret out their intent and can only attempt do so one time per night. You will need to score as many successes as they have Willpower to ascertain their intent.
If you have Auspex – Read the Soul or Invade the Mind, you may attempt to use these powers in conjunction with the above roll. Each success utilizing that Discipline gives you one more success on your total roll.
How else can I make my case?
The use of Presence, while frowned upon, is much less cause for censure than using Dominate. Dominate does not work on a Cainite whose blood is closer to Caine than your own. If you seek to use Dominate to convince a voter (or perhaps one of the Childer?) to vote for your Sire, it would be best used elsewhere in the city.
Boons – the boon system of quid pro quo can also be used to gain votes. You will need to offer something of course that that voter does not have or cannot get from another candidate.
Eliminate my rivals. This one is obvious though failure to do so without detection may subject YOU to the Final Death!
Storyteller Shadow |
To refresh your recollection - Attendees seeking a seat or have a seat in the Inner Circle:
Assamite - Lord Bajazet al Nasir.
Brujah – Lady Meridie de Chancie, Lord Criatas, “Dark”Selena, Robin Leeland.
Cappadocian – Lord Benne.
Gangrel – Milov Petrankov.
Lasombra - Prince Narses the Archbishop of Nod
Malkavian – Antione le Fanu, Lutz von Hohenzollern.
Nosferatu – Cristo Petradon, Simon.
Salubri – Brian Stack.
Setites – Sadir.
Toreador – Rafael de Corazon, Francois Villon, Helene la Jouste.
Tremere - Radek, Mistress Fanchon.
Tzimisce – Myca Vykos.
Ventrue – Alyssa Gilbert, Lady Jadviga Almanov, Lanzo von Saschen, Prince Alexander.
Remember - only those listed get votes. Of course influencing their Childer can go a long way to getting a vote.
Storyteller Shadow |
Social Combat Per Player:
You have also begun the process with Lord Bajazet but a gaffe gave you a setback.
You spent a great deal of time with Bajazet, you doubt the other Brujah will do so, though you did not make any rolls so no guarantees there.
Initially Ranerius seemed on your side now he seems aloof. Certainly, Rafael and his Childe Bassanio are courting your vote!
You have not made any further rolls on anyone else though you have interacted with others, most notably Lord Benne and Lord Bajazet.
Francois wants Alyssa (with Alexander as a back-up plan) for Ventrue, Lady Meridie for the Brujah, Le Fanu for the Malkavians but he still would like your input on that one. For Tremere you have not discussed it yet as this madness just blew up!
You have created a bond with Alexander which you assume will extend to voting.
Xing you are apolitical and just don’t care one way or another.
Luca and Durdona, soon enough you will be embroiled in this one way or another!
Storyteller Shadow |
A quick reminder. All discussion I/C unless explicitly stated to be otherwise is in Italian.
Storyteller Shadow |
Did we lose Giovanni, Bajazet's childe? Does Alessandro see Bajazet?
Giovanni is now an NPC, you can interact with him and yes Bajazet is there.
Storyteller Shadow |
Yep Andrrw, slight problem, you get no vote! :-)
Remember, only your Sires get votes. Of course you can all influence and be influenced by your Sires and other attendees. Your recommendations will bear weight but ultimate decisions are being left to the Elders.
After all, don't they know better? :-)
Or is this all a facade as some here have already hinted at if not outright stated - Robin Leeland comes to mind.
Luca Marano |
Vitaliano da Riva |
Hmm...I don't even know what to say about that roll...? I mean is a failure?
I still am not a 100% sure on how successes are counted. (Well, I shouldn't say that, I mean anything on the die above the DC which I won't know what the target is on this such thing but do 1's remove from successes? And if so, does it remove tens first? If I use a point of Willpower, does it count as a 10 or a 7?)
Storyteller Shadow |
FYI, I will be off of the boards on Wednesday and likely Thursday due to my daughters impending surgery. Likely I will be distracted with hospital visit and aftercare those days.
Storyteller Shadow |
Thanks guys! I will try to get one last update out tonight if I run out of time it will be Friday.
Soon a call will come to gather for the lecture of Brian on the Road of Heaven so you will all be pulled into the same scene for a bit (well except those of you who play hooky!)
Storyteller Shadow |
Wow, you guys did some serious posting while I was out of action, updates forthcoming!
Storyteller Shadow |
I won't be able to get to all of the updates tonight. I will finish the balance of those I do not get to tonight, tomorrow.
Storyteller Shadow |
What's the roll for init? I'm away from my book.
Note that I have some rules on the Campaign Info tab, if you are away from your books you can check there to see if a rule has been posted, that one I posted as it is VERY different than it used to be! Note as well that ALL Discipline systems are there as well, linked through profile I created to warehouse that information.
Storyteller Shadow |
Updates Thursday to give everyone a chance to catch up to my latest rounds of posts.
Storyteller Shadow |
NO worries Vitaliano, my wife was sick all weekend so it limited my posting as well.
I will do a big update tomorrow. This heat has been sapping my energy late at night lately!
Storyteller Shadow |
As you can see, I am gathering most of you together to be in the same scene for some time.
A few of you will or have, gone off alone with Elders. Madness I say Madness! :-)
Storyteller Shadow |
Mid-day Magic Tournament then my wife's friends were over and over-stayed their welcome!
Storyteller Shadow |
FYI, I will be packing and moving and then unpacking again over the next 35 - 40 days so if I have intermittent unexplained absences from the boards this is why.
Storyteller Shadow |
Barring some catastrophe, updates tonight!
Oh and you each earn 1 XP for the night so far.
Storyteller Shadow |
Don't worry Bagrat, I will get back to you soon I just want to push some of the other scenes forward first!