Space Journalism

By shadeleader, in Game Masters

Posted at

One of my PCs is a journalist freelancing for a Vice-equivalent GFFA magazine called Scum & Villainy (well, was working for; they fired her).

How to use the dice engine to determine success/failure on her articles is something that I've been wondering about and I have a few different ideas:

  • Custom Skill: I don't like this option, and it's basically a last resort for me.
  • Charm/Deception/Coerce: Just treat writing like face-to-face social interactions.
  • Streetwise: Strongly considering this given the audience that the character is writing to/for.
  • Knowledge (Education): Because writing nice requires some book learnin'.
  • Options B, C, or D: use whichever one is situationally appropriate based on the PC's intent.

I wanted to get some opinions on how to best run this.

Are there any talent exploits that I'm missing?
Is there something in RAW that I'm forgetting?

Your feedback is appreciated.

Posted at

Fired from a magazine called Scum and Villainy, wow, she must have been caught stealing office supplies.

As for the skill roll, why not make it 2 rolls? A research roll based on a knowledge skill appropriate to the subject matter. Then a social roll to see how well written the article is based on the social skill that is close to the style she is hoping for, be it charming, coercive or deceptive.

The first roll will provide leads if you want actual roleplay, or it could just provide a mechanical adjustment to the following roll. Good research provides a better story and poor research makes it less so. Also, you may have to consider pay rates, if the story is good or not should adjust payment.

You could add a special motivation or obligation for having an informant that she is close to or helps out a lot more than normal. We can call this person "Huggy Bear" perhaps.

Posted at

That's definitely a good point.

For the specific situation in question, she's infiltrated a COMPNOR facility and has 'liberated' some potentially scandalous information involving an Imperial 'false flag' attack. So she has already done the legwork, hacked their computers, stealthed around the building evading guards, shot her way out and escaped without drawing any undue attention. That was the entirety of the previous session.

Posted at

Okay, the easiest way to come at this: what is the end goal of the task. When you are writing a magazine article, you're trying to present information and education in a compelling and emotional way. You are trying to sway the reader at the other end of the information pipeline.So, putting words to paper (or whatever the hell Star Wars has for word processing) would the charm skill.

Now, gathering information, interviewing sources, compiling data for the article - that would be streetwise, or education or any number of knowledge rolls. But stringing the words together is charm.

Edited by Desslok
Posted at

  • Options B, C, or D: use whichever one is situationally appropriate based on the PC's intent.

Research Phase (developing the story)

  • Charm to get a source to talk.
  • Coercion to get a source to talk.
  • Computers to find or hack into a digital source.
  • Deception when doing "undercover" research.
  • Negotiation when using credits to get a source to talk.
  • Perception when looking over information (a photograph) or a place (a Hutt's throne room) to notice something eye-opening. Or to pick up on someone lying.
  • Skulduggery to pocket that computer chip when inteviewing the ISB agent.
  • Skulduggery and Stealth to do some "black journalism", breaking and entering.
  • Streetwise to find a special source.
  • Vigilance to notice the ISB agent following you.
  • Knowledge (all types) for basic research.

Presentation Phase (telling the story)

  • Charm when making a standard anchor-type video clip. It has to sound and look good.
  • Deception when making a non-standard anchor type video clip. :) False journalism.
  • Coercion when trying to scare (intimidate?) your audience into doing the right thing.

Everything seems to be there in my opinion except a Writing skill. But, if you consider the three social skills above (Charm, Deception, Coercion) as not just limited to "talking", it could include writing. A charming story, a falsified story, or a shock-jock type story could use those three (in order) even when writing a printed article? Perhaps two rolls for writing an ariticle. First one is Knowledge (education) for grammar/prose then Charm/Deception/Coercion (pick one) for style.

Edited by Sturn
Posted at

As Desslok says, the way I'd approach it was to determine the end goal of the article.

If it's to sway people to a certain opinion, then perhaps Charm.

If it's straight-up deceptive propaganda, then Deception.

If it's more or less 'honest' propaganda (on behalf of the Rebels perhaps), then Leadership.

Coercion could be the case for something like government propaganda trying to compel people to report suspected Rebels in their midst, or suffer the consequences.

I love the idea of using Knowledge or Streetwise checks to do research for the article, and apply the results of the research to the Charm/Deception/etc check.

Posted at

Now, gathering information, interviewing sources, compiling data for the article - that would be streetwise, or education or any number of knowledge rolls. But stringing the words together is charm.

Also, the Charm roll doesn't need to use Presence as the characteristic in this case, it could use Intellect or Cunning, depending on what you're trying to get across.

Posted at

I think variety is key.

This is a great way for a character to play a campaign. So you don't want to become mechanical about it. Of course you want to sometimes have the concept be a background task, as to ensure the other players get some limelight.

Guess who is writting the After Action Reports for the games?

I can see many a gaming session starting with the "You get a lead on a new story." or "The bad guys have captured Louise Lane and."