Social Feats

These systems cover tasks involving the three Social Attributes (Appearance, Manipulation and Charisma). Roleplaying usually supersedes any Social skill roll, for better or worse. Storytellers may ignore the Social systems when a player exhibits particularly good, or excruciatingly bad, roleplaying. (Will happen)

Carousing [Charisma + Empathy]: You influence others to relax and have fun. This might include showing a potential ally a good time, loosening an informant's tongue or making instant drinking partners who come to your aid when a brawl starts. The difficulty is typically 6 (most people can be persuaded to loosen up, regardless of intellect or will), though it might be higher in the case of large (or surly) groups. Certain Natures (Bon Vivant, Curmudgeon) can also influence the roll's difficulty. On a botch, your character comes off as an obnoxious boor, or people begin to question why your character hasn't touched her own food and drink....

Credibility [Manipulation/Perception + Subterfuge]: The Subterfuge Talent is used with Manipulation when perpetrating a scam or with Perception when trying to detect one (a scam can range from impersonating the authorities to using forged papers). All parties involved, whether detecting the lie or perpetrating it, make an appropriate roll (typically difficulty 7). The seam's "marks" must roll higher than the perpetrator to detect any deception. False credentials and other convincing props may add to the difficulty of uncovering the dupe, while teamwork may help reveal the scam. Hacking and/or intrusion rolls may be called for to pull off an inspired scam successfully. If your character perpetrates the scam and you botch, the entire plan falls apart.

Fast-Talk [Manipulation + Subterfuge]: When there's no time for subtlety, baffle them with nonsense. The target can be overwhelmed with a rapid succession of almost-believable half-truths. Hopefully, the subject believes anything she hears just to get away from the babble - or becomes so annoyed that she ignores your character completely. This is a resisted action - your character's Manipulation + Subterfuge against the target's Willpower. The difficulty of both rolls is typically 6, and whoever scores more successes wins. On a tie, more babbling is needed. On a botch, your character goes too far, angering the target and rambling without effect.

Facedown [Charisma + Intimidation]: Large egos and overweening pride are common results of finding that one has the power to reshape reality to one's whims. When two characters attempt to face each other down, with each one daring the other to back down or look away first, use the following system: Each party rolls Charisma + Intimidation versus a difficulty of the opponent's current Willpower. The first one who accumulates his opponents Wits + 5 in successes, wins. At this point, the other character either backs down, looks away or spends a point of Willpower to stand firm, forcing a new extended roll. Using impressive magic and similar props can lower the difficulty of this roll.

Fitting In [Charisma + Expression and/or Wits + Academics]: Sometimes, the best way to obtain information is to find it out directly from the people who know it. Attempting to do so means that the character may have to attempt to fit into a foreign culture or subculture. While most citizens of the First World understand the basics of middle class society, fitting into an immigrant community, a city's homeless population or the closed and paranoid ranks of the intelligence community requires an extensive knowledge and understanding of the culture or subculture in question. The first step is to look the part. A successful Charisma + Expression roll allows a character to dress like any member of a well-known culture or subculture. The difficulty of this roll is normally 5, but it can be as high as 7 for more difficult feats like believable cross-dressing or dressing down to street level. A single success allows the character to appear to be the desired type of person, and additional successes increase the degree to which the character appears to fit in. With just this roll, a character can impersonate a member of a different social class, dress for a particular subculture or pretend to be a member of a well-known professional community like the police or the military. However, to impersonate a member of a completely foreign subculture like the homeless, a religious or immigrant community or the members of a secretive organization like the NSA, merely looking the part is not sufficient. After the Expression roll, you must make a Wits + Academics roll with a difficulty based on the community. Relatively open immigrant communities would have a difficulty of 6, closed communities or the homeless would have a difficulty of 7, and highly secretive groups such as religious cults or the Technocracy would have difficulties of 8 or higher. A single success allows the character to move, respond and act like a new or relatively inexperienced (or slow) member of this community. Additional successes increase the character's perceived status and competence. Failure means the impersonation is unsuccessful, and a botch means that the character is believed to be someone who is spying on or members of that community maliciously. Additional Wits + Academics rolls may be necessary whenever the character faces an unknown or unfamiliar situation in this culture.

Impersonation [Charisma + Expression and Manipulation + Subterfuge]: Making others believe that you are someone they know and trust is a wonderful, if extremely risky, method of obtaining a great deal of useful information. Even if your character has the perfect disguise and knows a great deal about the person being impersonated, it all comes down to how well the character can pull it off. The best actors can impersonate someone's dear friend, while someone nervous, timid or simply unskilled cannot even become someone's long-lost third cousin believably. Impersonation requires two rolls. First it is necessary to look, sound and move like the target. A Charisma + Expression roll (difficulty 8) is required to obtain the desired appearance. If the character does not have access to the target or, at minimum, extensive visual and audio recordings of the target moving, the difficulty of this roll increases by at least one. Access to someone who has spent a significant amount of time with the target and who can help correct any obvious mistakes will reduce the difficulty level by one or two. One success gives a basic resemblance, but three or more successes help the character pass inspection by anyone who knows the target well. Five or more successes means that even the target's own parents won't know the difference. If the character can manage to keep interactions to casual greetings and nods of acknowledgment, no further rolls are necessary. However, the character will likely be called on to actually pass as the target while interacting with individuals who know the target. When the character interacts with someone, the player must make a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll with a difficulty based on how well the person knows the target. Casual acquaintances only require a difficulty of 5, coworkers and ordinary friends usually require a difficulty of 7, and spouses, long-term friends and similar people raise the difficulty to 8 or 9. A failure on this roll reflects odd, incongruous behavior. At this point, the player must roll again in a roll resisted the observer's Perception + Alertness (difficulty 6). Success mollifies these fears, while another failure or a botch on either roll reveals the character to be an imposter.

Interrogation [Manipulation + Empathy/Intimidation]: Anyone can ask questions. With the Interrogation Ability, you ask questions and have leverage. Interrogating someone peacefully (Manipulation + Empathy) involves asking strategic questions designed to reveal specific facts. This method is a resisted action between your character's Manipulation + Empathy and the subject's Willpower. Both actions are typically made against a difficulty of 6. Rolls are made at key points during questioning, probably every few minutes or at the end of an interrogation session. Violent interrogation (Manipulation + Intimidation) involves torturing the victim's mind and/or body until she reveals what she knows. This is a resisted action between your character's Manipulation + Intimidation and the target's Stamina + 3 or Willpower (whichever is higher). Rolls are made every minute or turn, depending on the type of torture used. The subject loses a health level for every turn of physical torture, or one temporary Willpower point per turn of mental torture. The combined effect of physical and mental torture has devastating results. A botched roll can destroy the subject's body or mind. Two or more interrogators can work together, combining successes; this works even if one interrogator is using Empathy while another is using Intimidation (the classic "good cop/bad cop" ploy). Whatever the interrogation method used, if you roll more successes in the resisted action, the target divulges additional information for each extra success rolled. If your extra successes exceed the victim's permanent Willpower score, she folds completely and reveals everything she knows. The extent and relevancy of shared information are up to the Storyteller (details are often skewed to reflect what the subject knows or by what she thinks her interrogator wants to hear).

Intimidation [Strength/Manipulation + Intimidation]: Intimidation has two effects. Intimidation's passive effect doesn't involve a roll; it simply gives your character plenty of space - whether on a bus or in a bar. The higher your Intimidation rating the wider the berth that others give him. Intimidation's active application works through subtlety or outright threat. Subtlety is based on a perceived threat (losing one's job, going on report, pain and agony later in life). Roll Manipulation + Intimidation in a resisted action against the subject's Willpower (difficulty 6 for both rolls); the target must get more successes or be effectively cowed. The blatant form of intimidation involves direct physical threat. In this case, you may roll Strength + Intimidation in a resisted roll (difficulty 6) against either the subject's Willpower or her Strength + Intimidation (whichever is higher). On a botch, your character looks patently ridiculous and doesn't impress anyone in attendance for the rest of the scene.

Oration [Charisma + Leadership]: From a general's rousing speeches to a politician's slick double-talk, the capacity to sway the masses emotionally creates and destroys empires. When your character speaks to an audience, from a small board meeting to a large crowd, roll Charisma + Leadership. Difficulty is typically 6; the Storyteller may increase the difficulty for a huge, cynical, dispassionate or openly hostile audience. Oration is hit or miss - your character either succeeds or fails. On a botch, your character may damage her reputation or even be assaulted by the audience. If the character has time to prepare a speech beforehand, the Storyteller may roll the character's Intelligence + Expression (difficulty 7). Success on this roll reduces the subsequent Charisma + Leadership difficulty by one. Failure has no effect, while a botch actually increases the Charisma + Leadership difficulty (the character inserts a gaffe into the speech).

Performance [Charisma + Performance]: Vampires are certainly egotistical creatures, and some among their number are actors, poets, musicians or other sorts of entertainers. When a character performs live before an audience, roll Charisma + Performance (difficulty 7). As with oration, the audience's mood can increase the difficulty, as can the performance's complexity. One success indicates an enjoyable, if uninspired, effort, while additional successes make the performance a truly memorable event to even the most surly crowd. On a botch, your character forgets lines, hits the wrong chord or otherwise flubs.

Seduction [Variable]: Vampires are master seducers, for their very sustenance often depends on coaxing potential prey into an intimate liaison. The particular situation and style of the seduction determine which Ability is used. Seduction is an involved process involving several different rolls and Abilities: First roll (approach/opening remarks): The player rolls Appearance + Subterfuge versus a difficulty of the subject's Wits + 3. Each success above the initial one adds one die to the player's dice pool for the second roll. A failure means the subject expresses his disinterest; a botch means the subject might grow disgusted or angry. Second roll (witty repartee): The player rolls Wits + Subterfuge versus a difficulty of the subject's Intelligence + 3. Again, each success above the initial one adds one die to the dice pool for the final roll. If the roll fails, the subject breaks off the contact, but might prove receptive at a later date (after all, the first impression was good). Third roll (suggestive/intimate conversation): The player rolls Charisma + Empathy versus a difficulty of the subject's Perception + 3. If the third roll succeeds, the subject is enamoured with the character and agrees to depart with her to a private spot. What happens next is best handled with roleplaying. Side note: This is not an easy way to get some and shouldn't be used, role play should take the part of this instead.

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