Over the years, PF has come out with some great social systems and mechanics.
I haven't been able to use many of them, much to my lasting regret. Most of them have been cool and awesome and it's that sort of thing you look at longingly, while knowing that adding it in adds an entirely new subsystem to your and others' gaming world.
And in my case, a lot of code as well.
A simple, simple way of attaching social rank and influence in Pathfinder can be done via a straightforward hack to the Craft and Profession skills. I realize these may be going away, but I'd like to outline the idea--and then leap from there, and see what you guys come up with as a PF2e alternative.
Here is how it currently works:
* Craft & Profession gain bonus functions: Knowledge and Diplomacy/Intimidate skills within their area of focus. This represents professional respect and influence. A dwarf skilled in weaponsmithing would be respected for her skill among other weaponsmiths. Craft/weaponsmith also serves as her knowledge of her craft's history.
* PCs gain a free point or two as they level to spend on only these skills.
In a way, this creates a simple social influence system that can flex inside of any existing game. I love the subsystems, but in my own case, I wasn't able to add them, and this hack offered a "Core" way to do it.
Other examples: Skill in Profession/Guide is influence and rank among guides, for example. Profession/merchants among merchants. A person's craft/profession reflects their influence in their profession.
Using this hack in PF2e, Profession/merchant could become a means of initiative, reacting while working out a dangerous deal on the docks, or reading the merchants' responses better than your compatriots before they attack!
To make it a more holistic system, say that at L10, maybe the PC gets to choose 2 'related' professions, and apply a certain percentage of their ranks, as a bonus, when influencing those areas.
Anyhow, this is a relatively simple "hack" I and others have used to add some social dimension and influence to existing PF games. I wondered what folks thought. :3 If enough do, maybe it's something we can look at as an adaption for PF2e?