Mental and Social Challenges

Mental and Social Challenges can be difficult to understand in a LARP. If I win a Challenge against you using Intimidation, are you intimidated? If I try to force you to leave, when do you have to leave?

Ultimately, the effect of Mental/Social Challenges is whatever you and your opponent can agree on. Don’t make things more complicated than they need to be – if you and your opponent can agree on what happens, you don’t need to use these rules at all.

There are two types of Mental/Social Challenges.

The first are those resisted with your Resolve, when someone is trying to argue with you. Abilities which are resisted with Resolve are Etiquette, Influence, Subterfuge, and Politics. If you lose this kind of Challenge, it means that they found some small flaw in your position, a loophole, or something they weren’t prepared for. Have you ever seen a one-sided argument, where one side is saying ‘I guess that’s true, but…’ or ‘Well, I can’t really argue with that…’ You’ll slip up a little, give your opponent the upper hand.

This does not mean you instantly lose the argument and adopt their viewpoint, although several of these Challenges made over the course of an evening may do the trick.

The second are those resisted with your Composure, when someone is trying to get a reaction out of you. Abilities which are resisted with Composure are Artistry, Linguistics, Intimidation, and Performance. If you lose this kind of Challenge, you slip up slightly – whether it be taking a hesitant step back when intimidated, or becoming saddened by a dramatic performance. It triggers an uncontrolled subconscious reaction, whether emotional or physical.

This does not mean that you instantly break down in tears, although several of these Challenges made over the course of a performance may cause such a reaction.

Remember not to dictate your opponent’s action. For example, saying “I intimidate you into telling me the name of your contact” is dictating their action. However, saying “I growl, becoming very intimidating as I ask ‘Who told you this?’” is simply describing how you’re presenting yourself.

Of course, this brings up the problem of people with emotions like rhinos: no matter what you do, no matter how many Challenges you win, they refuse to roleplay the effects. This optional system allows you to wear down a stalwart opponent’s will.

Optional Mental/Social System: You must announce you’re using this system, and attempting to bend your opponent to your will. If you can beat your opponent in a number of Mental or Social Challenges equal to his Resolve or Composure (whichever one applies), their will is broken and they’ll follow a single OOC suggestion. They must follow this suggestion until the end of the game. Good ones are “Leave the room and don’t come back in.” “Don’t speak to me again.” “See some merit in my argument.” Your command may not be something self-destructive, such as suicide (or signing an order for their own death, or such). The STs will be watching for abuse of this system, so don’t overdo it. It’s meant to help the roleplay, not slow it down.

You may make as many Challenges as you wish in order to win more than your opponent’s Resolve or Composure, but for each Challenge you lose, you lose a point of Willpower. If you have no Willpower left, you may no longer use this system.

This is meant to be a last-ditch way to force someone into playing along with your Mental or Social Challenges. I strongly recommend you find a way to resolve your conflicts without resorting to this system.

Victory Conditions: Remember to announce what you’re trying to do on Social Challenges.  Just as, in Physical combat, you need to announce that you're punching someone, in Social combat, you need to announce what impression you’re trying to give, and how you’re trying to influence your opponent. Challenges are meant to enhance roleplay, but roleplay can also enhance Challenges.

Frequency of Challenges: Each Social Challenge represents an attempt to use a method to influence someone - an 'angle', if you will.  In order to do a new Social Challenge, you need a new angle.  For example, if one character was mostly trying to talk peacefully to calm another down - he'd only get one Social Challenge for that.  To do another one, he'd have to try something different, take a new approach.  The other already proved he could resist that approach (or suffered the consequences of being unable to resist), doing it again is double jeopardy, to borrow a court term.
    The short answer is that there should be at least five minutes between Social Challenges.  Talk IC a little before you resort to the OOC.