Social Objectives
Texto
Social objectives are overarching goals that give an intrigue structure, and they give the GM a guideline on when the intrigue should draw to a close. Additionally, they use the rules for momentum points to track characters’ progress toward their goals (see page 253).
Choosing Social Objectives
At the start of Phase 1: Initiative during an intrigue, each participating character may choose a social objective. This is a concrete goal that the character hopes to accomplish during the scene; this goal also helps to define when the conflict should end.
Any number of characters can choose to pursue the same objective. For instance, all player characters in a group might choose the same objective and support each other in accomplishing it. Alternatively, each PC might have their own objective—and thus, their own priorities—in a given intrigue. The PCs might even need to accomplish numerous objectives to bring a larger plan to fruition. The players can confer as they desire, and then each player should decide upon their character’s objective and inform the GM.
The GM should also decide upon objectives for any adversary NPCs in the conflict who have an agenda of their own, but the GM should not tell the players these objectives (though careful sleuthing and observation might reveal them). At the GM’s discretion, an adversary NPC with no concrete goal relevant to the scene might not have an objective, and minion NPCs generally do not need to have objectives.
Sample Social Objectives
The following are a few examples of social objectives that a character can pursue during an intrigue. However, this list is not intended to be fully comprehensive; if a player wishes to have their character pursue a goal that does not fall under one or more of these categories, the GM should allow them to create a custom social objective for the intrigue. The GM should also provide some guidance on the narrative and mechanical avenues they must take to attempt to achieve that custom objective.
Appeal to a Person or Group
A general social objective that covers many reasons a character would enter an intrigue, this objective signifies that the character is trying to convince someone to behave in a certain way. Often, this objective is directed at a character’s lord, in an effort to get the lord to back the character in one of their efforts or take one of their claims seriously. However, it might also be used to get a belligerent party to agree to come to terms, to sway a judge away from (or toward) meting out a punishment, or to win wide support from a large number of people. A character who chooses this objective should state their target at the outset, along with what they want to persuade them to believe or do.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can get someone else to adopt their viewpoint by accumulating a preset number of momentum points on successful Social skill checks against that target. The GM sets the difficulty value to complete this objective (and can tell the players this value, or not, at their discretion). The focus attribute of the target of the Persuade action is a good starting value for this number, but the GM can adjust this value up or down based on factors like stubbornness and the character’s innate resistance to the perspective being proposed.
What Is Achieved by Completing It?
At the end of any round in which a character accumulates momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective, the target is persuaded to adopt their perspective (or stops raising an argument against it). If another character has accumulated a greater number of momentum points at that time, that character persuades the target to adopt their perspective instead. In the case of a tie, the character with the highest status wins.
Various circumstances, such as certain ways of unmasking (on the part of the person doing the persuading or the target) or narrative events such as giving grave offense or creating a significant interruptions, can make it impossible to sway someone during the course of an intrigue, in which case this social objective cannot be completed. Additionally, if the target retires from the scene before completion of this social objective (whether or not they have completed a separate personal social objective), this social objective cannot be completed.
Discern Someone’s Qualities
Sometimes, information-gathering is a character’s main social objective: they seek to ferret out the strengths, weaknesses, or loyalties of another character. This goes deeper than understanding their target’s social objective; it extends to trying to get a measure of their target’s character. Beyond quiet observation, this objective requires engaging with a target to draw out their less obvious qualities. A character who chooses this objective should state their target at the outset, along with which features of their target they want to uncover.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can draw out and study someone else’s nature by accumulating momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective on appropriate Social skill checks against that target. A character might also investigate the target with other skills (like Culture or Sentiment) to fulfill this objective.
The GM sets the number of momentum points needed to achieve this objective (and can tell the player this value or not, at their discretion). The vigilance attribute of the target is a good starting value for this number, but the GM can adjust this value up or down based on the target’s wariness in the situation.
What Is Achieved by Completing It?
At the end of any round in which a character accumulates the requisite points, the character learns up to three of the following about their target: social objective, ninjō, giri, composure, endurance, one advantage, one disadvantage. The same option cannot be selected multiple times this way.
If the target retires from the scene before completion (after completing their own objective or otherwise), this objective cannot be completed.
Discredit Someone
Provoking one’s enemies directly is a dangerous art, but it can put them in positions where they must accept a loss lest their reputation suffer harm. Applying this pressure subtly, without exposing oneself to criticism, is no easy task. A character who chooses this objective should state their target at the outset.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can back someone into a corner by causing them to become Compromised. The character can do this by inflicting strife on the target (or getting others to do so), which in turn is something they can accomplish by using various (see page 328) and techniques.
When the chosen character unmasks, they must forfeit glory equal to their glory rank (as they allow themself to be humiliated or shamed for a moment of vulnerability) unless they retire from the intrigue, and the objective is considered complete. Such provocation makes it very hard to get someone to take the provoker’s side in a matter, so if the target’s support is vital to a cause, this tactic is usually very ineffective. Further, many samurai respond to this sort of humiliation with a demand for a duel—or with a dagger in the night, if they are of a less-than-honorable persuasion.
If the target retires from the scene before completion (after completing their own objective or otherwise), this objective cannot be completed.
Spread a Rumor
Rumors are among the courtier’s greatest weapons, and a well-placed rumor can lay the groundwork for future victories. Spies often place rumors in enemy courts as well, to lead foes astray or into cunningly laid traps. A character who chooses this objective should state the rumor they wish to spread at the outset.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can spread a rumor across a group by accumulating momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective on appropriate Social skill checks. However, no two of those Social skill checks can target the same character, as the rumor must appear to come from multiple sources to be accepted.
The GM sets the difficulty value to achieve this objective (and can tell the player this value at their discretion). The vigilance attribute of the character in the scene with the highest status is a good starting point, but the GM can adjust this value up or down based on that character’s disposition toward the rumor in question.
What Is Achieved By Completing It?
At the end of any round in which a character accumulates momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective, the rumor becomes self-sustaining within the group. This does not necessarily mean that everyone believes it, but they do discuss it, for it is too reputable (or intriguing) to fully ignore.
If the character fails at two consecutive checks to spread the rumor, it fails to take root, and this objective cannot be completed in this scene.
Texto do livro
Core Rulebook · Chapter 6: Scenes and Conflicts › Intrigues › Social Objectives · p. 254 p. 255 p. 256
Mostrar o texto como impresso
Social objectives are overarching goals that give an intrigue structure, and they give the GM a guideline on when the intrigue should draw to a close. Additionally, they use the rules for momentum points to track characters’ progress toward their goals (see page 253).
Choosing Social Objectives
At the start of Phase 1: Initiative during an intrigue, each participating character may choose a social objective. This is a concrete goal that the character hopes to accomplish during the scene; this goal also helps to define when the conflict should end.
Any number of characters can choose to pursue the same objective. For instance, all player characters in a group might choose the same objective and support each other in accomplishing it. Alternatively, each PC might have their own objective—and thus, their own priorities—in a given intrigue. The PCs might even need to accomplish numerous objectives to bring a larger plan to fruition. The players can confer as they desire, and then each player should decide upon their character’s objective and inform the GM.
The GM should also decide upon objectives for any adversary NPCs in the conflict who have an agenda of their own, but the GM should not tell the players these objectives (though careful sleuthing and observation might reveal them). At the GM’s discretion, an adversary NPC with no concrete goal relevant to the scene might not have an objective, and minion NPCs generally do not need to have objectives.
Sample Social Objectives
The following are a few examples of social objectives that a character can pursue during an intrigue. However, this list is not intended to be fully comprehensive; if a player wishes to have their character pursue a goal that does not fall under one or more of these categories, the GM should allow them to create a custom social objective for the intrigue. The GM should also provide some guidance on the narrative and mechanical avenues they must take to attempt to achieve that custom objective.
Appeal to a Person or Group
A general social objective that covers many reasons a character would enter an intrigue, this objective signifies that the character is trying to convince someone to behave in a certain way. Often, this objective is directed at a character’s lord, in an effort to get the lord to back the character in one of their efforts or take one of their claims seriously. However, it might also be used to get a belligerent party to agree to come to terms, to sway a judge away from (or toward) meting out a punishment, or to win wide support from a large number of people. A character who chooses this objective should state their target at the outset, along with what they want to persuade them to believe or do.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can get someone else to adopt their viewpoint by accumulating a preset number of momentum points on successful Social skill checks against that target. The GM sets the difficulty value to complete this objective (and can tell the players this value, or not, at their discretion). The focus attribute of the target of the Persuade action is a good starting value for this number, but the GM can adjust this value up or down based on factors like stubbornness and the character’s innate resistance to the perspective being proposed.
What Is Achieved by Completing It?
At the end of any round in which a character accumulates momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective, the target is persuaded to adopt their perspective (or stops raising an argument against it). If another character has accumulated a greater number of momentum points at that time, that character persuades the target to adopt their perspective instead. In the case of a tie, the character with the highest status wins.
Various circumstances, such as certain ways of unmasking (on the part of the person doing the persuading or the target) or narrative events such as giving grave offense or creating a significant interruptions, can make it impossible to sway someone during the course of an intrigue, in which case this social objective cannot be completed. Additionally, if the target retires from the scene before completion of this social objective (whether or not they have completed a separate personal social objective), this social objective cannot be completed.
Discern Someone’s Qualities
Sometimes, information-gathering is a character’s main social objective: they seek to ferret out the strengths, weaknesses, or loyalties of another character. This goes deeper than understanding their target’s social objective; it extends to trying to get a measure of their target’s character. Beyond quiet observation, this objective requires engaging with a target to draw out their less obvious qualities. A character who chooses this objective should state their target at the outset, along with which features of their target they want to uncover.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can draw out and study someone else’s nature by accumulating momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective on appropriate Social skill checks against that target. A character might also investigate the target with other skills (like Culture or Sentiment) to fulfill this objective.
The GM sets the number of momentum points needed to achieve this objective (and can tell the player this value or not, at their discretion). The vigilance attribute of the target is a good starting value for this number, but the GM can adjust this value up or down based on the target’s wariness in the situation.
What Is Achieved by Completing It?
At the end of any round in which a character accumulates the requisite points, the character learns up to three of the following about their target: social objective, ninjō, giri, composure, endurance, one advantage, one disadvantage. The same option cannot be selected multiple times this way.
If the target retires from the scene before completion (after completing their own objective or otherwise), this objective cannot be completed.
Discredit Someone
Provoking one’s enemies directly is a dangerous art, but it can put them in positions where they must accept a loss lest their reputation suffer harm. Applying this pressure subtly, without exposing oneself to criticism, is no easy task. A character who chooses this objective should state their target at the outset.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can back someone into a corner by causing them to become Compromised. The character can do this by inflicting strife on the target (or getting others to do so), which in turn is something they can accomplish by using various (see page 328) and techniques.
When the chosen character unmasks, they must forfeit glory equal to their glory rank (as they allow themself to be humiliated or shamed for a moment of vulnerability) unless they retire from the intrigue, and the objective is considered complete. Such provocation makes it very hard to get someone to take the provoker’s side in a matter, so if the target’s support is vital to a cause, this tactic is usually very ineffective. Further, many samurai respond to this sort of humiliation with a demand for a duel—or with a dagger in the night, if they are of a less-than-honorable persuasion.
If the target retires from the scene before completion (after completing their own objective or otherwise), this objective cannot be completed.
Spread a Rumor
Rumors are among the courtier’s greatest weapons, and a well-placed rumor can lay the groundwork for future victories. Spies often place rumors in enemy courts as well, to lead foes astray or into cunningly laid traps. A character who chooses this objective should state the rumor they wish to spread at the outset.
What Does It Take to Complete?
A character can spread a rumor across a group by accumulating momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective on appropriate Social skill checks. However, no two of those Social skill checks can target the same character, as the rumor must appear to come from multiple sources to be accepted.
The GM sets the difficulty value to achieve this objective (and can tell the player this value at their discretion). The vigilance attribute of the character in the scene with the highest status is a good starting point, but the GM can adjust this value up or down based on that character’s disposition toward the rumor in question.
What Is Achieved By Completing It?
At the end of any round in which a character accumulates momentum points equal to or exceeding the difficulty value of the objective, the rumor becomes self-sustaining within the group. This does not necessarily mean that everyone believes it, but they do discuss it, for it is too reputable (or intriguing) to fully ignore.
If the character fails at two consecutive checks to spread the rumor, it fails to take root, and this objective cannot be completed in this scene.