R.Shackleford
2018-09-07, 08:18 PM
Social (Role-playing) Attacks/Defenses
Been reading a bit about 2d NPCs and I looked into the PHB and realized (yet again) that there really isn't a lot of rules regarding role-playing. There also isn't a lot of rules when dealing with the mental side of battle.
The problem I think is that social skills don't work like anything else that deals with having two entities butting heads.
Typically you know the outcome of any actions you perform. You make a weapon attack roll, you either hit or miss. You miss? No damage. You hit? Damage. Do enough damage and the enemy goes away.
The issue with social skills/role-playing is that, you have no clue what the outcome will be. You know what it might happen, but even then... From game to game, DM to DM, that will change.
===
Side Note
Hit Points
Hit points represent a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck. Creatures with more hit points are more difficult to kill. Those with fewer hit points are more fragile.
A creature's current hit points (usually just called hit points) can be any number from the creature's hit point maximum down to 0. This number changes frequently as a creature takes damage or receives healing.
Whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hit points. The loss of hit points has no effect on a creature's capabilities until the creature drops to 0 hit points
- Definition of Hit Points from the SRD. Edited by me.
===
Now, we have a way to mess with the hit points on the "meat" side of HP. From weapon attacks to many spells, we have a plethora of options to mess up creatures or PCs. Though we do have some ways to directly mess with the mental side of HP, they are primarily spells.
However, there is another way to mentally drain someone. I'm sure everyone has dealt with parents, teachers, bosses, friends, strangers, or significant others that when they keep talking to you (about something you don't want to hear about) that just... That just makes you want to not be there. Maybe it makes you mad, maybe it makes you confused, maybe it scares you, or maybe it just makes you want to go to sleep... This mental fatigue is something that D&D has ignored for generations.
So, let's change that and put some role-playing into our roll playing.
===
New Action: Talk
As an action, you may use your knowledge or ability to influence another creature in order to turn the tide of battle or social situation.
Outside of your talk skill range, you have disadvantage on talk rolls. Features that allow you to double your proficiency bonus never apply to the Talk Action. Any help action that would give advantage on an attack roll, gives advantage on a talk attack.
When you take the talk action, you choose a skill from Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, Animal Handling, Medicine, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion. You roll 1d20 + Prof (if proficient in that skill) + relevant ability score modifier and compare this to the target's Mental Class.
Mental Class (MC) is 10 + Highest of Int, Wis, or Cha modifier + Specific Modifier.
Specific Modifier is a modifier the DM will apply based on the situation. This can be a negative or a positive. This will be up to the DM and will vary from creature to creature and what skill is being used.
For player characters, you can use the talk skill against them. Just use 10 + highest mental score modifier + proficiency as their defense?
When you succeed at talking to a creature with this action, you deal damage to the creature by causing them to be scared, mentally scaring them, or just boring them.
The amount of damage is based on the skill used. You add the relevant ability score modifier to your damage. A DM can allow mixing and matching ability scores with the skills just like when making an ability check.
A creature must be able to hear you, however, if role-played correctly you could use some of the Talk Skills with hand gestures or any of them with sign language, though the target would need to see you if that's the case. For example, if you want to intimidate someone without speaking, you could use the knife to be menacing. You could also use a shrug and a grimace to try and deceive someone.
Intelligence
Arcana: 1d8 (Range 30')
History: 1d8 (Range 30')
Nature: 1d8 (Range 30')
Religion: 1d8 (Range 30')
Medicine: 1d10 (Range 15')
Charisma
Deception: 1d12 (Range 5')
Intimidation: 1d8 (Range 30')
Persuasion: 1d12 (Range 5')
===
Special
You may replace a weapon attack with a talk attack whenever you take the attack action.
When using talk in such a way, you have disadvantage on the talk roll when targeting a creature that isn't 5' away from you if a hostile creature is within 5' of you.
===
Ok, so damage type is yet to be determined. I'm thinking piercing or bludgeoning... You know, like a piercing headache or your head is throbbing.
Honestly, the damage itself isn't really set in stone. It needs to be high enough to make it worth using... But not too high as I don't want to completely overshadow weapons.
I would like to allow talking work with sneak attack, smite, and battle master maneuvers without being too broken. Perhaps putting wording of specific ranges when using those features.
===
Yes, I want to be able to talk creatures to death. I want to challenge a devil to a rock off. I want to not worry about a DM's whims or worry about my players feeling like they have to be weaponized murder hobos. Also, this will allow martials to use their brains for once.
Been reading a bit about 2d NPCs and I looked into the PHB and realized (yet again) that there really isn't a lot of rules regarding role-playing. There also isn't a lot of rules when dealing with the mental side of battle.
The problem I think is that social skills don't work like anything else that deals with having two entities butting heads.
Typically you know the outcome of any actions you perform. You make a weapon attack roll, you either hit or miss. You miss? No damage. You hit? Damage. Do enough damage and the enemy goes away.
The issue with social skills/role-playing is that, you have no clue what the outcome will be. You know what it might happen, but even then... From game to game, DM to DM, that will change.
===
Side Note
Hit Points
Hit points represent a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck. Creatures with more hit points are more difficult to kill. Those with fewer hit points are more fragile.
A creature's current hit points (usually just called hit points) can be any number from the creature's hit point maximum down to 0. This number changes frequently as a creature takes damage or receives healing.
Whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hit points. The loss of hit points has no effect on a creature's capabilities until the creature drops to 0 hit points
- Definition of Hit Points from the SRD. Edited by me.
===
Now, we have a way to mess with the hit points on the "meat" side of HP. From weapon attacks to many spells, we have a plethora of options to mess up creatures or PCs. Though we do have some ways to directly mess with the mental side of HP, they are primarily spells.
However, there is another way to mentally drain someone. I'm sure everyone has dealt with parents, teachers, bosses, friends, strangers, or significant others that when they keep talking to you (about something you don't want to hear about) that just... That just makes you want to not be there. Maybe it makes you mad, maybe it makes you confused, maybe it scares you, or maybe it just makes you want to go to sleep... This mental fatigue is something that D&D has ignored for generations.
So, let's change that and put some role-playing into our roll playing.
===
New Action: Talk
As an action, you may use your knowledge or ability to influence another creature in order to turn the tide of battle or social situation.
Outside of your talk skill range, you have disadvantage on talk rolls. Features that allow you to double your proficiency bonus never apply to the Talk Action. Any help action that would give advantage on an attack roll, gives advantage on a talk attack.
When you take the talk action, you choose a skill from Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, Animal Handling, Medicine, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion. You roll 1d20 + Prof (if proficient in that skill) + relevant ability score modifier and compare this to the target's Mental Class.
Mental Class (MC) is 10 + Highest of Int, Wis, or Cha modifier + Specific Modifier.
Specific Modifier is a modifier the DM will apply based on the situation. This can be a negative or a positive. This will be up to the DM and will vary from creature to creature and what skill is being used.
For player characters, you can use the talk skill against them. Just use 10 + highest mental score modifier + proficiency as their defense?
When you succeed at talking to a creature with this action, you deal damage to the creature by causing them to be scared, mentally scaring them, or just boring them.
The amount of damage is based on the skill used. You add the relevant ability score modifier to your damage. A DM can allow mixing and matching ability scores with the skills just like when making an ability check.
A creature must be able to hear you, however, if role-played correctly you could use some of the Talk Skills with hand gestures or any of them with sign language, though the target would need to see you if that's the case. For example, if you want to intimidate someone without speaking, you could use the knife to be menacing. You could also use a shrug and a grimace to try and deceive someone.
Intelligence
Arcana: 1d8 (Range 30')
History: 1d8 (Range 30')
Nature: 1d8 (Range 30')
Religion: 1d8 (Range 30')
Medicine: 1d10 (Range 15')
Charisma
Deception: 1d12 (Range 5')
Intimidation: 1d8 (Range 30')
Persuasion: 1d12 (Range 5')
===
Special
You may replace a weapon attack with a talk attack whenever you take the attack action.
When using talk in such a way, you have disadvantage on the talk roll when targeting a creature that isn't 5' away from you if a hostile creature is within 5' of you.
===
Ok, so damage type is yet to be determined. I'm thinking piercing or bludgeoning... You know, like a piercing headache or your head is throbbing.
Honestly, the damage itself isn't really set in stone. It needs to be high enough to make it worth using... But not too high as I don't want to completely overshadow weapons.
I would like to allow talking work with sneak attack, smite, and battle master maneuvers without being too broken. Perhaps putting wording of specific ranges when using those features.
===
Yes, I want to be able to talk creatures to death. I want to challenge a devil to a rock off. I want to not worry about a DM's whims or worry about my players feeling like they have to be weaponized murder hobos. Also, this will allow martials to use their brains for once.