Style Task Bonus for Success
Lines Use randomly selected dialogue line or stage direction d10 bonus die to any social roll in scene Prop Ask for prop, receive it, use it in character d12 bonus die with accompanying attack Rumors Guess what rumor has been spread about you 2 Mood
Voiceover React properly to GM or player internal mono-
logues d10 bonus die to next social defense Rudolph Turn an assigned handicap into an advantage Two d12 bonus dice to use in encounter Trigger React to a stimulus d10 bonus die to any social roll in scene Ensigns Roleplay and accept the narration of minor
characters 2 Mood and 1 point increase to all incpira-tions for one week Sets Complete a set of characteristic actions/lines d12 bonus die to any social roll in scene Forced lines Take the GM’s lines and make them your own d10 bonus die to next social attack
social attack gains a d12 bonus die to the attack. Again, as with Lines, the GM should choose props that reinforce intended themes. The skull of a betrayed uncle for adventures focusing on death and fear; a white plume for adventures focusing on swordplay, honor, and romance; a canary in a yellow gold cage for adventures focusing on freedom and duty. This is your chance to inject literary symbolism into your game with a capital scarlet A. Go for it, literature fans!
Rumors. Each player is handed a piece of paper describing a rumor about everyone else. The player does not know the rumor that has been spread about his own character. During the course of the scene, the player must guess what the rumor about his character was, judging by the reactions of other play- ers in roleplay, their innuendo, and NPC comments and actions. If a PC guesses correctly at the end of the scene, he gains 2 Mood from the satisfaction and relief of solving the puzzle. If the PC does not guess correct- ly, he gains a d6 reputation for whatever the rumor in fact said: people believe it is true since the PC was not able to figure it out and deny it. (A PC can tell another PC what the rumor about them is - PCs have free will! - but doing so incurs 4 mood damage as it is awkward
and impolite to tell someone face-to-face such a vile rumor about them, especially one that you suspect may be true).
Voiceover. In Voiceover, players not in the scene are given two chances each to inject a voiceover into the proceedings. At any point in the social en- counter, a player with a voiceover can say something like, “I could tell how surprised he was by my pleas- ant tone.” The players in the scene must act out the voiceover as if it truly were the inner monologue of the character in question. The GM or adventure can provide prepared voiceover lines, or the group can trust the players to choose wisely. Anyone who fails to react to a Voiceover in a reasonable way takes a -1 Mood penalty from the cognitive dissonance. Anyone who does take a Voiceover line properly in stride gains a d10 bonus die on their next defense.
Rudolph. The Rudolph variation starts with the GM giving everyone a perceived handicap at the start of the scene. A chocolate smear on a party dress, a bad haircut, or a wasp sting to the tongue that causes a lisp. The player must roleplay accordingly. No penalties arise, but if the player manages to turn the handicap into an advantage, he gains two d12 bonus dice to use
in this encounter. For example, the young lady with a chocolate smear on her dress might use it as an excuse to chat up the major domo and get on his good side by offering her bodice to his roaming hands, all in the name of a good cleaning. The young man with a bad haircut might tell the story of how he has such a noble soul that he likes to slum and shower poor barbers with his gold rather than patronize wealthy coiffeuses. The trader with the wasp sting to the tongue might use it as a demonstration of a new fixer’s poison that he is selling.
Trigger. Each player has one stimulus that will prompt a reaction: anger, despair, lust, etc. Prepared stimuli and reactions are prepared ahead of time with the character’s history in mind (for character continu- ity I do not recommend assigning triggers randomly). In a long-term campaign, PCs can learn other PCs’ stimuli, and any social scene can be a Trigger scene, even in conjunction with another improv style. When a target character is triggered and reacts, she gains a d10 bonus die for use anywhere in the encounter. The character who triggers the reaction gains no bonus other than the manipulation of the target character into a certain reaction and emotional state, which she is obliged to roleplay.
Ensigns. The GM hands out new character sheets representing the maids, stewards, sommeliers and stableboys of the PCs. After the ensigns’ scene, each player must choose whether or not his PC really did act the way the Ensigns said he did. If he accepts the Ensigns’ narration, he gains 2 mood and all inspi- rations are increased by one for one week. If he does nto accept the Ensigns’ narration, he loses 2 mood and all inspirations are decreased by one for one week.
Sets. There are several sets laid out. Each set consists of three related actions in a theme. The Lecher set might consist of ogling young women, whistling and innuendo, and pinching what’s been ogled. The Martyr set might consist of offering labor to other people despite the pain in one’s back (which is of course loudly mentioned), assenting silently while staring at the floor and insisting that nothing is wrong,
and praising every little thing that someone else does as far beyond one’s own meager capabilities. Anyone who completes a set of three gains a d12 bonus die to use in the encounter. Note that this one tends to force characters in certain directions. Players don’t like to have their characters forced! So unless you know the players and characters well, and you can provide sets that you know the players will find interesting, steer clear.
Forced lines. Like Lines above, but much more challenging to the player and potentially disruptive. Use with caution! Forced lines are sometimes best interpreted as the PC blurting out something he might not have meant to say, whether from foolishness, absent-mindedness, or fury. To run this improv style, the GM places a line of dialoge or a stage direction in front of the PC at a time of her choosing. The player must then utter the line or take the direction in the next few seconds of roleplay or suffer a -1 Mood penalty. If he does execute the forced line, he gains a d10 bonus die on his next attack.
Theme modifiers
In some social contests, you’re not trying to win over the person you’re talking to. You’re trying to win over the audience. This is often true for politicians, barris- ters, and other entertainers.
When you are playing for an audience, your attack rolls must equal or exceed the Audience Dif- ficulty rather than your conversation partner’s reason or charisma rolls. The GM sets the audience difficulty according to its cultures and attitudes.
When one character is a solo performer, he simply rolls his best relevant social die and checks to see if it beats the audience difficulty.
If there are two or more characters, they attack each other normally throughout the performance. Banjos duel, courtesans exchange petty insults with each other while flirting with the dauphin, or lawyers argue before making a final pitch to the judge. This goes on
either for a set number of rounds or until both agree to make audience difficulty checks; the GM decides. Once the time has arrived, each makes a social roll, modified by the actions of the previous rounds (one side may already have conceded!). If neither beats the audience difficulty, neither side gains any benefit. Otherwise, whoever exceeds the audience difficulty by the greatest amount carries the day.
Reputation always applies with the audience. Even if a reputation was used once already in the pre-audience roll sniping, it applies again, as a penalty or bonus, when the final roll is made. If applicable, multiple reputations apply.
A harlot and a preacher are each try- ing to sell something. In Spellbound Kingdoms, you can make someone love you, believe in you, or value you. In game terms, you become one of their inspirations.
Forcing an inspiration on someone is similar to other social combats. You must convince your foe to come to your side, using so- cial attacks to punish him if he does not submit. There is one difference in this case, as mentioned in Chap- ter Two: your opponent defends with both his charisma nd reason dice, not just one or the other.
If you do win the argument, your opponent gains you as an inspiration (value 1) of a sort in keeping with the social encoun- ter.
If necessary, the van- quished opponent must remove one inspiration point of his choice to make room for the new inspiration. He takes full conse- quences for whatever penalties might accompany the inspiration drop.