Author Topic: How do you handle social actions during physical combat?  (Read 5283 times)

Offline ironpoet

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Re: How do you handle social actions during physical combat?
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2014, 09:01:39 PM »
I usually like to limit a conflict to one type of stress, that of the main focus of the fight. If it's a gun or fist fight, that's physical, if it's a discussion or some weird spell, that's mental, if it's some negotiation or something similar, social. I only allow actions that don't fit that type to be maneuvers to aid the main actions.

I expect that the majority of conflicts would be covered by a single stress track.  But I can imagine a few where that wouldn't make sense.  For example, what about a scenario where one half of the combat wants to beat up the other half, while the other half wants to talk them out of it?

(You know, something appropriately dramatic like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G8V00SkTvY)

I would imagine that the dramatic tension in this sort of scenario would be: Can I get through to [Character X] before they beat me unconscious (or kill me)?  In that case, it wouldn't make sense to break up the physical and social/mental conflicts.

Offline jstomel

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Re: How do you handle social actions during physical combat?
« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2014, 09:37:16 PM »
I think that one of the important things to keep in mind is that you have to be in the same "space" as someone to affect them. To initiate physical combat you have to be in the same physical space. To initiate social combat, you need to be in the same social space. In order for a conflict to be both physical and social the characters would need to be in both the same physical and social space. So you might be in a physical conflict with a gang leader and use a social attack to undermine his authority over the gang. But just because you are in the same physical space as someone doesn't mean you have the ability to affect them socially.

Offline Ulfgeir

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Re: How do you handle social actions during physical combat?
« Reply #17 on: September 03, 2014, 08:33:25 PM »
Well, here is an imo good attempt at using both Deceit and Rapport in a fight. Maybe even a little bit of Empathy.  Swordfight form Princess Bride

/Ulfgeir
I have not lost my mind, it is backed up somewhere on disc...