This Chapter will cover Socialising and Relationships, while Relationships and Bonds are core games mechanics, the other sections of this Chapter and in the Game Guide's Companion can be considered an optional toolkit the GG can choose to include if they belive it will imrpove the Tables experience. The reasons is socialising often is an area where GGs and Tables may already have preffered methods and mechanics for handling these kinds of Encounters. For new GGs and Tables though feel free to use all the rules included as guidance for how to handle Social Encounters in your games.
Generally, when not socialising with other Player Characters you will be interacting with the many NPCs in the world, most often roleplayed by the GG. This will usually be done by roleplaying the Scene, with some Players preffering to refer to their Character in the third-person, such as "Sarvic asks the barkeep how are they doing", whilst others prefer to act in the first person, such as "I go up to the bar and ask the barkeep "Garran how are you doing?"", neither is an incorrect way to roleplay and each player will use the way that feels most comfortable to them. Interactions will flow like any normal interaction in the real world, and each NPC will have their own personality, desires, flaws, topics they both love and loathe to discuss, etc. Players shoudl be mindful of this when talking to them.
There may be times when talking to an NPC is not enough and an element of chance is in play. At this point, the GG may call for a Trait Test. It will always be up to the GG if the roll is required, and the TG may be altered based on how the interactions went, but also on the attitude and personality of the NPC, more details and guidance for GGs can be found in the Game Guide's Companion. Note though that socialising Skills are not mind control powers and a high roll does not automatically mean an NPC will respond exactly how a Character wishes them to in that moment.
Be mindful that even though the above section gives some direction for dealing with a Social Enocunter by roleplaying the Scene before making dice rolls, however, sometimes the PLayer may not be able to come up with what to say, whilst their Character would with ease. This can happen for a variety of reasons, so the GG and Table should always be willing to adapt or change how the play our a Social Encounter in the moment to ensure the game is fun for everyone, even if it does become just rolling to determine how the whole interaction goes.
The Bestiary has a guide for creating NPCs alongside providing some example profiles and Stat Blocks. A Stat Block contains detains useful to quickly reference in combat, however the profile will largely provide details to assist in the running of Social Encounters. The following are attributes which can impact how they interact with Player Characters:
Concepts. NPCs like Player Characters have Concepts, these both allow the GG to quickly determine a personality for roleplaying, alongside being something that Players and other NPCs can Invoke in play. Often these can be learnt through social interactions and with the Empathy Skill Rolls.
Relationships. These will state the names of other NPCs or Organisations. With NPCs it will state an attitude level in brackets, whereas with organisations it will state their relationship with the Organisation, or if they are a member their rank within the Organisation. These are threads that if brought up in conversations could lead to easier or more difficult conversations, potentially leading to easier requests for aid, or may alter your own Relationship Level with the entity based on how you call upon their relationships.
Virtues. These are beliefs or attituide the NPC will hold fast to, depending on if the Player Characters are acting in support or opposition to these virtues may lead to drastic changes in Realtionship Levels and the difficulty of certain requests for assistance.
Topics (Banes). These are topics of interest that if brought up will have a strong chance of negative consequences.
Topics (Interests). These are topics of interest that if brought up will have a strong chance of positive consequences.
Many of the above attributes may be both a Concept as well as another kind of attribute. This usually is because it is such a strong part of their personality and therefore calling upon that Attribute, even when not Invoked as a Concept, may have stronger than normal responses be it positive or negative.
Edgar is a Human Inkeep with the following Social Attributes:
Relationships. Barbara (Beloved) [Deceased], Falvio the Fabulous (Neutral), Mayor Tannis (Dislike), Lightbinder Stannis (Hostile), Marktar Steelfang (Hostile) [Deceased], Stasha Steelfang (Hostile)
Virtues. "My Word is my Bond", "The Commoner's Shield"
Topics (Banes). The Rustblade Raiders, The Church of Light, Ghost Stories
Topics (Interests). Cooking, Monster Ecology, Stories
While there are some more gneral Safety Tolls we give advice on using convered in the Game Guide's Companion, there are some lines we reccomend as an additional layer, one is using the prefix OC (for Out of Character) to briefly alloow for an over the Table discussion if an issue is occuring, also here are some additional suggested line of diaglogue that if a Character brings them uo should be seen as out of game markers as an issue. If there is confusion as to if the line is being used as a Safety Tool in the moment, GG's should feel confident to pause a Scene to check if everyone at the Table is comfortable and if any issues can be resolved in the moment.
"Let's talk about something else". This can be used when the current conversation is touching on a topic that you are uncomfrotable with, but may not yet be at a point another Safety Tool such as an X Card or Colour Card is required. It is recommended that the caller suggests another topic, but it isn't rrequired. Should someone use this phrase the GG shoudl be sure to ensure the Table does move past the current topic and if need be, call a break to check in on Players after.
"No, I don't want ...". No Player should feel compelled to go into any situation they as a Player are not comfortable with. A Player and their Character's agency are incredibly important and if they feel they are not having fun, or that their Lines and/or Veils are being crossed, that should be something worth discussing. It may be worth after the session the GG looking at the Lines and Beils to see if soemthing was crossed or if the Table need to discuss altering the current listed Lines and/or Veils to avoid this topic in the future.
There are some conversation markers less focused on safety but more intended for the comfort and fun of the Table. Remember this is a cooperative game and all Players should be allowed to have a fun game experience.
"Can we move this along?" or "I wonder how [Other Player CHaracter name] is doing?". These are phrases that are reccomended to signal to your current Players and the GG that the Scene has maybe been going on for too long, and perhaps a change of perspective and Scene is warranted. This should not be a definitive signal to automatically change the Scene, but largely to see if there is a dramatic moment to move the story forward.
For example, maybe the Party is split with one half questioning a guard, and the other half is breaking into a room of a lord's manor. The Scene has been focused on the group breaking in for a long period of time and the other half of the Party has been watching but not playing throughout. A member of the questioning group can use the phrase to make the GG aware of how long the Scene has been going on for, at this point the GG may wait for a dramatic cliff-hanger moment to then swap which Scene is in focus.
Another example is in the above scenario one Player has been solely questioning the captured guard, and the roleplay has been aamzing, but the other members of this group have been unable to get involved for one reason or another. At this point a Player uses the phrase and so the GG moves to begin winding down the Scene for something everyone can get involved with.
In both instances largely it is up to the GG how to resolve the suggestion, and it may simply involve an OC conversation to check in how everyone else is finding the Scene and to work out how best to move forward, in a way that everone can get active playtime at the table. Sometimes it may be unavoidable but hopefully this phrase helps.
"What do you think?". This is a phrase that is reccomended to give a quieter Player a chance to be involved in the conversation. Be mindful, this phrase is an invitation, and a Player may be quiet and not have something to add. This phrase should not be used to force unqwilling Players to be involved. But this is a cooperative game and sharing the focus of the Scne helps everyone feel involved.
These are a few suggestions but during Session 0 consider if your group would like any additional phrases add for the group's comfort and safety. For more details on Session 0s see the Game Guide's Companion.
Relationships can take a variety of forms, they could be romantic, but they could also be close friends, bitter rivals, familial bonds, etc. The rules used for determining Relationship Levels between Characters and NPCs are covered in the Game Guide's Companion. When determining the Relationship Level between two Player Characters that is entirely up to the Players themselves.
If your Character's relationship is suitably strong, you and the Character are considered Bonded. Some Features interact differently or only theough bonds between two Bonded entities. A Character can be Bonded to a maximum number of entities equal to their Skill Bonus + 2. This limit is for the mechanics of being Bonded, but should not limit how strong a relationship is in roleplay.
When the entities become Bonded, they make a Shared Bond Concept, this is a simple scentence describing the unique nature of this bond. Unlike other Concepts only the Bonded entities can Invoke the Shared Bond Concept. You also gain some special additional effects for Invoking a Shared Bond Concept between two Bonded Characters. Instead of choosing one of the normal options of the effect of Invoking the Concept, you can choose one of the following effects: