Dm's Tip's (23) Roleplaying social skills by sean connors

[VoraxTranstellaris]

Sorry, but I have two players who would never succeed on any social interaction if I were to implement this idea. Not even sure if I could pull it off myself. What I do is I ask for a description of what they want to do or speak in-character, whichever they're most comfortable with. Then I have them make the roll and I interpret the result of their action from both.

[VoraxTranstellaris]

@VoraxTranstellaris (cont'd) A good roll means they succeed, a bad roll means they don't. But the details are filled in using their description.

[TheOutsiders68]

@VoraxTranstellaris trust me its worth doing dont give them the roll encourage them to roll play.

It really works some of the shy players eventually with coaching and encouragement become great role players.

[VoraxTranstellaris]

@TheOutsiders68 I don't allow them to get away with just the die roll. I do "demand" some creative imput.

[TheOutsiders68]

@VoraxTranstellaris i understand good stuff

[VoraxTranstellaris]

@TheOutsiders68 Do you allow creative description instead of "acting" in-character?

[TheOutsiders68]

@VoraxTranstellaris yes not everyone can act or stay in character.

[VoraxTranstellaris]

@TheOutsiders68 That's what I meant to say really. But because even a good speech can fall on deaf men's ears, for example, I still let a (opposed) roll determine the final outcome.

[mortonstromgal]

I prefer to either give a skill bonus or give xp for good roleplaying. Because my players are not their characters. For example in my games 1/3rd of your XP or more is gained from roleplaying, I use that to encourage RP rather than just relying on the roll. But the roll still happens. If the roll fails but their argument convinced me I'll give them a bonus which is usually enough that their roll now succeeds.

[Ghaladen]

An idea I would prefer to do in my games, my only issue would be the fact that no one would take social skills since we just RP for those, and they would focus all their points in mechanical ones, thus making stock DC's easily attainable.

I guess you could up the DC's for the mechanical skill challenges. Any idea on how to deal with that imbalance?

[AdenineMonkey]

.. continued.

I prefer doing it the other way around. I let my players roll against their social skills to do what they want to do and let that influence the roleplayed encounter. A great degree of success will make the NPC more compliant, while a failure means the NPC will tend toward being more selfish, more demanding, or just getting tired of the PC more quickly.

I do this because not all of my players are equally eloquent and some of them feel they can't play social characters otherwise.

[AdenineMonkey]

Hi Sean,

I run mostly GURPS and WoD games, where social skills are a more integral part of the system (though I suppose loosing them in GURPS is a minor tweak). While I agree with you that a bluff check to get an NPC to do something won't fly, I do think social skills have their place. Some other commenters have suggested roleplaying the social encounter and roling to see if it works...

[TheOutsiders68]

@AdenineMonkey Roleplay them unless your so new you cant....

Or no other way is possible...Thanks for your thoughts...

[AdenineMonkey]

@TheOutsiders68 I think it's a matter of taste mostly. Basically, the issue is how much you value the PC's social skill vs the player's.

Toning down your persuasive ability when playing a character that should be less socially apt than you are is difficult for most players, especially during more heated moments. That's something you can learn though. For a shy person to play a suave social butterfly though, is nigh impossible. I have one such player (in a sort of regular group of 8 years).

[TheOutsiders68]

my thanks glad it was of help.

[lichen101]

Sean I would have to totally agree with you on this video. I tried this randomly one time during a tense session where half of the group was being held hostage by a group of slavers and the player through a curve ball at me by suggesting to the slave leader that he allow a couple of the PCs to fight for everyone's freedom. If the PCs won they got their freedom and if they lost they would go willingly into slavery. It was something I was not expecting and really tested my skills as a DM.

[nutluck]

We do what some here are suggestioning. We still use the skills and rolls but RP it out, first. If well done they get benifits and it helps with the players showing exactly what they are trying to accomplish. One of our group loves to play social characters but the guy just has no social skills in RL at all.

[woodwwad]

I use to do it the way you suggest but have found the better way is to use all the social stats, know what they are for each character, then make them rp any social situation. I use their rp as if it were the die roll and modify that by the stats they have, their cha bonus & skill bonus, so you get both the rp & the reflective stat bonus of your character, so my npcs will sell for you if you have a big diplomacy.

[TheOutsiders68]

Sorry ragistsu you are missing the point if we are talking about roleplay i expect the player to attempt it if it sounds convincing i go with that they dont need to be a computer wiz just sound convincing. what i am saying here is make it up ad lip and have fun. As for being a swordsman obviously no role a dice and if you can describe what you do in combat all the better. Social characters are what you as a player do...

[Ragitsu]

I can see your point of view, but I would dislike having to roleplay a primarily social character and solely have the result fall on my own words. Do you necessarily require a player to be an expert swordsman for their character to know how to wield their broadsword in battle? Should a player be skilled with computers if they want their character to be? Think about it...

[Ragitsu]

Of course, there is the oh-so-popular skill bonus imparted by the GM for clever wordplay and speech. I usually use this in my campaigns.

[DeTzardis]

Good vid! I'm the same... I can't remember the last time I used a "stat" instead of quality role playing. Im not mad about games that use those those types of social mechanics per se.

[dcfoley]

Sean, I would love it if you did an audio blog of your campaign game sessions!!!! Ever think of that. There are some others out there that do it. Some of the good ones I have listed to quite a bit. It is cool to hear a group going through an adventure. If you ignore the rules questions, and out of game chatter, and can almost be like old timey radio.

Don

[karigaut]

Totally agree, I never let my players get away from actual role-play. I still use the skills (just to keep charisma a useful skill) but only as an end point, the players have to role-play the encounter to GET TO use diplomacy, bluff etc.

[jerryseinfeldisfunny]

i agree with this guy use the social skills but dont let the pcs just "say i am gona make a diplomasy check" the need to say somthing like "you want to come with us on our journey to greyhorn you will earn a part of the spoils" then i say "do a diplomasy check"

[MsWhatThe123]

Omg amazing never thought of this its bloody brilliant . Something i am going to start doing straight away..

How do you teach players a lesson in a nice way of coarse...

I would appreciate it if you could cover this any chance just for me...