Social Encounters

By GauntZero, in Dark Heresy Second Edition Beta

Hello Guyz,

Having just read the chapter of Social Encounter Challenges in Into the Storm (RT), and looking at the additional social combat rules of the tome of excess (BC), I think it would make sense to add an overworked version of exciting big social events to Dark Heresy also.

This would probably be in a future supplement and not in the Core book, but are there any concepts that you'd like to see ? Any ideas ?

I for myself do like the RT approach...maybe a little overworked to include Linguistics, plus a couple of social talents for this kind of engagements ?

What do you think ?

Like the Social Encounter system starting on page 230 ;) ?

No - unlike this one.

This describes disposition and smaller encounters.

I am talking about playing out big important encounters with several tests involved - they feel more like a combat on a scial level. A combat with words.

Disposition would be a part of it, but if you wanna see what I mean, thats rather described in RT Into the storm.

No - unlike this one.

This describes disposition and smaller encounters.

I am talking about playing out big important encounters with several tests involved - they feel more like a combat on a scial level. A combat with words.

Disposition would be a part of it, but if you wanna see what I mean, thats rather described in RT Into the storm.

This would indeed make roleplaying far more interesting for players that just like combat. It also tends to make for interesting and unexpected plot development.

No - unlike this one.

This describes disposition and smaller encounters.

I am talking about playing out big important encounters with several tests involved - they feel more like a combat on a scial level. A combat with words.

Disposition would be a part of it, but if you wanna see what I mean, thats rather described in RT Into the storm.

This would indeed make roleplaying far more interesting for players that just like combat. It also tends to make for interesting and unexpected plot development.

Exactly ! And in the tome of excess, there was also such a mechanic, but this one was rather "social combat".

I prefer the RT approach, but maybe some elements from BC could be integrated to make it more exciting (and allow for both parties to make tests, not only the PCs).

In my experience, some players are excellent all-'round role players. On the other hand, some are good at describing only their actions, behaviors, and verbal participation in combat, but worry about saying something IC that is "silly" or causes a mess of a delicate situation. This is what social encounter tests should be for- the player who isn't always comfortable with the "war of words" in a social encounter can simply tell the GM the point he's trying to get across, and the GM may or may not assign a +/- to the relevant test. Disposition sets the foundation, the starting mark for how easy/difficult a social encounter may be.

But (in my opinion ) ToE's Social Combat rules suck and need to be kept as far away from DH2 as possible.

Edited by Brother Orpheo

Yeah, ToE's social combat rules aren't great. Unless you want to simulate rap battles in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium.

No - unlike this one.

This describes disposition and smaller encounters.

I am talking about playing out big important encounters with several tests involved - they feel more like a combat on a scial level. A combat with words.

Disposition would be a part of it, but if you wanna see what I mean, thats rather described in RT Into the storm.

This would indeed make roleplaying far more interesting for players that just like combat. It also tends to make for interesting and unexpected plot development.

Exactly ! And in the tome of excess, there was also such a mechanic, but this one was rather "social combat".

I prefer the RT approach, but maybe some elements from BC could be integrated to make it more exciting (and allow for both parties to make tests, not only the PCs).

I think if you look at the RT approach side by side with the DH2b one you'll find they are very similar. RT started with base dispositions you could improve based on social interaction. DH2b has base dispositions based on the personality of the NPC and their starting relationship to the players (Partly determined by subtlety). This disposition is then raised or lowered based on the NPC's response to social skills. This is probably much more accurate from a psychological stand point than the older system but it is essentially the same idea. Haven't yet had alot of opportunity to test it but I like what I see so far! In fact this is one of the things I was most glad they kept from the Dh2b1! Just sayin...