Social Challenges

SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS
Adventurers meet many travellers and wanderers along the road, and may visit foreign courts and realms if their adventuring brings them far enough from their homelands. Whenever they deal with strangers, they should exercise some caution, as theirs is a trade considered peculiar or even dangerous by the common folk, and their arrival is often met with fear and suspicion. Even when meeting enemies of the common Enemy, player-heroes should watch their tongues and be mindful of their manners, as even trusty friends can be quick to anger in days of doubt.

When the company meets an individual worthy of note, or the companions are taking part in a social event that can be influenced by their behaviour, the current episode is going to unfold around an encounter sequence.

ENCOUNTER GOAL
In the course of a typical encounter, the adventurers will be trying to demonstrate their good intentions to a wary audience. Sometimes they could be trying to attain a more complex objective: are they trying to intimidate the people they met? Do they want to get help from them? Are they trying to learn something? The players taking part in an encounter should decide on their purpose in the meeting, and use the guidelines below to select suitable tasks.

Most encounters entail two stages, an introduction and an interaction. A complex encounter, like being guests in a foreign court, will feature both stages and allow for several tasks and tests. A simpler encounter, like meeting a company of wandering Dwarves in a tavern, might include only the introduction, and fewer die rolls.

INTRODUCTION
“At your service and your families!” At the beginning of most encounters, the companions must present themselves, generally attempting to establish their identity in a way that is appropriate to their goals. At this stage, all players must choose whether their characters prefer to introduce themselves individually, or if they want to be represented as a group by a spokesman.

While at times it could be wise to let only one companion do the talking, as it lets the group take advantage of the best speaker among the company, electing a spokesman might prevent the remaining characters from eventually taking part in the following interaction phase (see below), especially at a formal meeting. Useful Abilities

The skills that might be useful during an introduction vary, based on the nature of the encounter, the opposing party’s attitude toward the company, and the companions’ goals. If the player-heroes can reasonably be assumed to have learnt something about the other group’s customs and traditions prior to the encounter or had enough time to observe them, they may attempt a Lore or Insight roll to divine the most appropriate course of action.

Skills that are usually instrumental in establishing a good introduction are listed below, with some commentary regarding their uses and consequences.

Awe
Best used by a single spokesman, a roll of Awe conveys a powerful message without using a lot of words. A player-hero using Awe to impress someone usually does so to rectify a negative early reaction, or to quickly set the terms for the coming discussion. When a player has successfully used Awe, there won’t be many questions regarding his or his company’s identity, as deeds, lineage and other personal information are usually mentioned for the action to achieve the fullest effect.

Courtesy
If any companions choose to introduce themselves individually, they do so by making a roll of Courtesy.

A polite introduction is the best way to smooth a relationship before asking for support or another form of assistance. It is most useful when already on friendly terms, as to unfriendly ears a courteous speaker might sound duplicitous. The action is made easier if the speaking companion does not intend to hide much information about himself from the listeners, but it is possible to politely refuse to reveal too much.

A failed Courtesy roll usually prevents a character from taking an active role in the encounter.

Riddle
When in doubt about the opposing party’s intentions, the spokesman of a company may turn to his ability to craft questions and answers in a way to extract a lot of information in exchange for very little. A riddling spokesman must be wary, though, as a poor performance is sure to provoke mistrust in the opposing party, and compromise the outcome of the encounter.

INTERACTION
This is the main part of most social challenges, from a birthday party to a formal council. Usually, only characters who were properly presented during the introduction may propose further actions. The following skills can be used to various effect by players engaged in an interaction.

Insight
Player-Heroes can use Insight to gauge the emotions of those they interact with, possibly revealing unspoken purposes or hidden feelings. A successful Insight roll lets a character filter others’ reactions, and thus works better when at least another companion is provoking useful responses with some kind of action.

Inspire Requiring a crowd of listeners, or at least the complete attention of a single individual, a player may attempt a skill roll using Inspire to capitalise on an already positive introduction. The purpose of the skill roll could be raising the spirit of an endangered community, or that of a downcast leader. The objective of the inspiration attempt must be obvious or the effects of even a successful action will be weak.

Persuade
A player may take advantage of his persuasiveness to make up for a poor first impression or a bad introduction, or to strengthen his hold on already-captivated listeners. Unlike Inspire, Persuade may be used discreetly, during any kind of social interaction.

Riddle
The skill of Riddle can be used again by players acting in a social environment, either to formally play the ancient riddle-game, practised and respected even by the unlikeliest of wicked creatures, or to gather information and news. In the latter case, a successful Riddle roll may allow a player-hero to put together all sort of titbits that incautious speakers might accidentally give away in their conversation, or simply to gather interesting facts while appearing uninterested or unconcerned . Song

A good song or tune is almost never out of place at a relaxed social encounter, but can also be a powerful diplomatic device if the singer finds the proper song or intones well-chosen words.