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Firemage
2011-03-31, 01:38 PM
I've read the OGL SRD of Spirit of the Centuries and it looks like it's the role playing system I've always wanted. I will definately try it out some time.

However I don't quite seem to understand mental and social conflict.

So all conflicts work the same, no matter if you use fists, pistols or words. The only difference is, what kind of skills and which stress track you use. I really like this unification! But I just can't seem to grasp what it really means.

I can clearly see how consequences can last for several weeks, if it's a physical one. But I can't see someone getting a mental severe consequence, because you resisted being persuaded to do something. I can see someone getting nightmares for getting intimidated, but that's the worst I could think of.
Same with manoeuvers: They make perfect sense in a physical conflict, but I can't imagine, what a manoeuver could be in a social or mental conflict.

Ranos
2011-03-31, 02:25 PM
A moderate consequence could be something like "guilt-ridden" or "wants to lash out". A severe consequence could be "Reclusive", or "psychotic tendencies". Once you get to extreme consequences (does Sotc have those ?), you'll get to things like "Mute", "Frequent hallucinations", or "Suicidal".

Yes, it seems pretty harsh, but you have to understand that the only way you're getting such a consequence is if you want to. You're not going to become bat**** insane the moment you refuse to open the door for someone, because you're probably going to concede the moment you get past mild consequences anyway.
There probably needs to be something deeply important to you at stake for you to get that involved in a social conflict. And when your faith in that important thing is shaken to the core, you take mental consequences.




Same with manoeuvers: They make perfect sense in a physical conflict, but I can't imagine, what a manoeuver could be in a social or mental conflict

Just like physical maneuvers, social maneuvers can be extremely diverse. It could be blathering on so fast that the target doesn't quite understand what you're talking about anymore and just goes along with it. It could be cracking your knuckles ominously. Whatever works.

Delwugor
2011-03-31, 03:32 PM
Strands of Fate has both mental and social conflicts with their own stress tracks. It also has detailed examples of how the different conflicts work.
Instead of Maneuvers it uses the equivalent called Edge. For example you discover the dark past of the opposing politician and can use it against him in a debate.

One of the stated goals in SoF is to be a toolkit to supplement other Fate systems.

Ranos
2011-03-31, 03:42 PM
Instead of Maneuvers it uses the equivalent called Edge. For example you discover the dark past of the opposing politician and can use it against him in a debate.
Edge is on top of maneuvers, but it doesn't replace them. It is the equivalent of a weapon in a physical conflict.
I personally don't like the idea of edge too much, since it leaves a bit too much of an onus on the GM. I can already see the players debating on that stuff all day. (is that dark past a +1 weapon, or +3 ? What about if I know his dark past and also have dirt on his daughter ?)

In my (non-strands game), I would model such a thing as a persistent aspect to be used in the conflict (an excellent idea which I stole from Strands).

Kiero
2011-03-31, 07:25 PM
Also check out the very different method of doing social combat in Diaspora (SRD is free).

Strands has some good examples of various levels of mental and social Consequences.

Firemage
2011-04-01, 06:17 AM
Thank you, Ranos. I guessed that much, but the harshness threw me off.
I still can't quite imagine social manoeuvers, but that's probably because I don't have much experience in social conflicts IRL.

I imagine no conflict, except maybe boss fights, will go beyond mild consequences.


And about the edges thing:
I agree with Ranos that it can easily be modelled as an aspect.

That's what I love about aspects: Easy to handle, yet powerful enough to be applicable to practically anything. And when something can't be expressed as an aspect, it's probably some kind of skill or stunt.
And on top of that aspects are a way to describe characters and scenes, which are tied to game mechanics.


I will probably dm a one-shot game of SotC for some friends in a month or so and depending how well that goes, I would like to try a star trek/star gate kind of campaign based on SotC.
I know there are already Diaspora and Starblazers, but somehow they don't quite fit for what I have in mind.
I probably only have to add rules for races (basically aspects with aspects) and negative space wedgies and tweak some of the skills. But besides of that SotC does already exactly what I want.

Kiero
2011-04-01, 06:20 AM
If you're not actually intending to run pulp, Strands of Fate is a much better FATE toolkit than SotC. It's also better laid out and easier to tweak.