Forum > Design, Development, and Gameplay
Boosting social interaction
VengerSatanis:
A lot of OSR games focus on combat, some focus on exploration. I'm trying to find new ways (or those currently unknown to me) to make social interaction the dominant pillar.
Here's what I don't want - social interaction mechanics that actually replace social interaction and roleplaying with a bunch of dice rolls.
Here's what I'm currently doing to get there - using Divine Favor (kind of like 5e's inspiration) as a meta-currency. Players get Divine Favor when they interact socially between encounters + roleplay elements of their background.
What else am I missing? What can I do to further juice social interaction in my OSR game? Are there other OSR games that make social interaction the primary pillar and I just don't know about it?
Thanks,
VS
Wrath of God:
Honestly that sounds like all those terrible "I'm gonna raise my players like kids" advices I heard in internet.
Extra XP for making funny voices. Extra XP for excellent acting.
Problem of course is that those things way more than actual achievements "in-verse" fall under GM bias. And less GM bias, the generally smoother game, and less bad feelings.
So my take is a) social dominant OSR game does not really seems like good idea. Simply saying - OSR games are derived from engine where S.I. was like not neglected but not central focus of game. Better to find game that is more directly about it IMHO. b) if anything - rather than apply some subjective rewards for players engagement - judge and adjucate them for actual accomplishments in social field. If they neglect social area they gonna have less allies, less henchmen, less contacts to solve difficult problems. And on the other hand - being active in interacting with world - in civilised and helpful way gonna open many ways to fluorish - access to Mage's Guild for Wizard with spellbooks to learn from, land granted to Cleric for new chapel of his god, being vassal of some powerful lord - options are numerous.
And if you want to give additional boost to that - treat earnings from such accomplishments - like taxes for Warrior Lord as part of his XP for Gold, so you get XP for being of high social status.
rpgSeeker:
You can do subsystems for social interaction but you don't use mechanical subsystems you use setting subsystems. 'Setting devices' might be a better term for it.
Old school world of darkness was golden for this. Factions, sub factions, each subfaction is its own identity, culture, attitude and in setting group, lots of focus on character personality, tons of loyalities, to your self, your group, your sub faction, your faction, your cause, and of course the background and perk system was littered with npcs your character was connected to. And social interaction was a completely legit way to resolve conflicts, be it trough subterfuge, negotiation, persuasion, intimidation intrigue or social backstabbing.
But you if you want to encourage social interaction you really need to build out the setting for it. Which dnd tends to leave pretty vague.
blackstone:
The rules for Honor and Fame from Hackmaster 4e might work.
VengerSatanis:
All worthy replies. Thanks, everyone! If anyone has more suggestions, I'd love to read them...
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