Social Resources > Social Mechanics

It's snowing out, my partner is gently snoozing beside me, and I frankly do not want to get out of bed to write this blog post properly on a computer. So welcome to my first post via mobile device! ((Now In Technicolor™️!)) As a result I'll also probably be keeping this short and maybe expound upon this later ((lol)).

Here's the gist; I keep hearing people talk about social mechanics in TTRPGs and it really gets my goat for three reasons:

1)) A unique dice roll resolution mechanic does not a new mechanic make. I don't care if you're rolling 4d4 based on your Swag (4) and you add your Cash Money Crew skill for an extra d4. ((OK that does sound kind of fun BUT)) You've just reinvented the d20 + mod wheel in a marginally more interesting way.

2)) There's a camp that believes there's no room for design here at all, after all wouldn't it be more natural to simply have players navigate this in real time? Well yeah duh. That doesn't mean there isn't fun to be found in gamifying the thing. You just need to gamify it well. Heck even just adding some kind of Standings tracker to give more weight and tangible consequence (and GM resource) to the whole endeavor usually works wonders, even if the socializing itself is pure improv.

3)) As a consequence of these we hear a lot about "Target Numbers" and "Modifiers" and this and that, and you know what I don't hear about enough? RESOURCES

Think about bribes. They're the simplest way to add mechanical resources into a social encounter, and it already interplays with something most games have (currency). Now think about how much it tells you if I as the designer give every NPC some suggested bribing numbers. The earl will turn a blind eye to crimes for 100 gold. The local guards only need 5. The blacksmith? Can't be bought.

That's a mechanic, and it's one with resources and weight. Hell, it's a fun mechanic. Maybe your "People" check can't roll you out of a conversation but it sure as heck can roll you into that exact number.

Let's try another example. Remember Cyberpunk 2020? It has this neat little system called Reputation. Essentially instead of simply making a "how is the NPC feeling" check, reputation is a measure of "does this NPC know who the player even is." You essentially add Rep + Cool + d10 to find out! ((Yes, yes, it's still a bit Stat+Mod but it's more fluid and chunkier than that IMO))

Ace Hardon may be a famous Solo in Nocturne city, and with a Rep of 6 maybe if he rolls high the local Fixer may have heard of him. Ace does not roll high. The Fixer isn't about to let some chump try to screw her out of more eddies up front for the riskiest job in the Vegas Metroplex, and Ace is going to have to really make a case for himself when trying to take this job.

We're still stuck a bit in the "Rolling" phase, but it's an effective social resource that bolsters player improv rather than replacing it, while giving incentive to make a name for yourself and "never fade away." It's a double edged sword that can start or stop fights, and it all hinges on how players have acted in the past. Most of all it's a resource that can fluctuate up and down based on how the Players act and what they do.

But we can do better. Let's reimagine Rep for instance. Maybe Ace Hardon is being sized up by a local Solo; The Butcher (an NPC). The Butcher seems like he wants to start trouble and Ace taunts that the Butcher wouldn't stand a chance. What happens now? A rep check? An intimidation roll? GM discretion? What if we bring in a resource. 

Ace has 6 Rep. He secretly bets all 6 of his Rep that he's the top dog. Why not bet all 6 to make a good impression in town? I as the GM know the Butcher is vicious, efficient and because he's a corporate Solo who traveled the world for Biotechnica, he's rocking 9 Rep, and not going to back down easily.

The Butcher secretly bets 8 Rep and the two reveal. Ace brags about how he saved a movie star in Night City, while the Butcher meticulously recounts how he was able to kill every Solo who crossed Biotechnica. Gulp. Ace is forced to back down with head hung low, though the situation seems to be diffused for now as the Butcher seems content with wounding Ace's ego.

Maybe Ace now loses Rep proportional to the bet and the Butcher gains some from the exchange. Maybe it's simply a loss. Maybe Ace loses some kind of morale resource. Maybe we throw dice back in to throw in some extra tension and randomization! No matter what Ace will probably be a little more careful when dealing with the Butcher ((or go rally some more rep to one-up him!))

It's a very example, and not even a great one tat that. But what we've constructed here was not "Stat + Mod + Roll" - It's a resource for Players to actually play with, fiddle with, spend, risk, hoard, agonize about. And that to me is where I think there's lots of room for design when we talk about Social Mechanics.