Page 82 - Chronicles of Darkness

Uncovering the Truth Goals

Once characters have the requisite Clues, they may When using a Social action with this system, the first
Uncover the Truth. So long as they have the required number step is to declare your character’s intended goal. This is as
of Clues, this doesn’t require a roll; they have pieced together simple as stating what you want the subject to do, and how
the puzzle. However, for every Clue short of the required your character is going about making it happen. You need
total, the Storyteller adds one significant complication to the only announce the initial stages, as the effort will likely occur
investigation. Some example complications are: over multiple rolls, reflecting different actions.
At this point, the Storyteller determines whether the goal
• The culprit has plausible deniability.
is reasonable. A character might, with time and proper tactics,
• The culprit has a viable escape plan. convince a rich person to give him a large sum of money. He
probably isn’t going to convince the wealthy individual to
• The culprit has a hostage. abandon all of his wealth to the character (though it might
be possible to get him to name the character as his heir, at
• The characters risk legal consequences if they pursue which point the character can set about speeding up the
the culprit.
inheritance process).
• The characters risk professional or personal conse- Doors
quences if they pursue the culprit.
Once you’ve declared your character’s goal, the next step
• The crime in question was a smokescreen for a greater
conspiracy. is to determine the scope of the challenge. We represent this
with “Doors,” which reflect a character’s resistance to coer-
If possible, use input that came from the players dur- cion, her social walls, skepticism, mistrust, or just a hesitance
ing the investigation to determine the results. This doesn’t toward intimacy. It’s abstract, and means different things in
necessarily mean they get to determine the culprit, but they every given case.
should be able to influence the finer details. After all, if they The base number of Doors is equal to the lower of the
made hypotheses and assumptions during the investigation, character’s Resolve or Composure. If the goal would be a
and their efforts were successful, that should mean most of breaking point for the character, add two Doors. If accom-
their theories rang true. plishing the goal would prevent a character from resolving
an Aspiration, add a Door. Acting in opposition to a Virtue
Social Maneuvering also adds a Door. Doors may increase as the effort continues
and the circumstances change. For example, if the goal seems
mundane at first but the situation makes it reprehensible, that
Social maneuvering is a system for applying persuasion
and social pressure over time. Social actions within this system may increase the number of Doors. If your character gives up
may be direct or subtle, complex or simple. For example, your on the goal and shifts to another, any Doors currently open
character may shout at another and demand he gets out of remain so, but assess Aspirations, Virtues, and Integrity in
the way, or your character may subtly offer clues suggesting case of a potential increase.
someone needs to vote for her. Doors must be opened one by one. Each successful roll —
It is not always possible to get someone to do what you not each success — opens one. Exceptional successes open two.
want. For instance, no amount of social maneuvering is going Also, Doors are specifically a one-way relationship between
to convince the chief of police in a large city to hold a press two characters. They may each have Doors to one another,
conference and admit to murder, even if the player has a dice or Doors to other characters.
designed to allow characters to manipulate or convince other First Impressions
pool impressive enough to make it happen. This system is
characters to perform favors or undertake actions, but it First (and later) impressions determine the time required
does raise the question: Is one character dictating another’s between rolls. The Storyteller sets the first impression based
actions, and how much of that should be allowed in a roleplay- on any past history between the characters, the circumstances
ing game? Or, put a different way, can one character seduce of their meeting, the nature of the favor being asked (if the
another with this system? acting character is asking right up front — sometimes it’s a
Under a strict read of the rules, yes. The goal is “get that better idea not to lead off with what you want), and any other
character to sleep with my character,” the number of Doors relevant factors.
is decided as explained below, and impressions and other “Average impressions” call for weekly rolls, which makes
factors play into the final result. This is not too different the process very slow. Through play, your character may
from how seduction and other, less carnal, forms of persua- influence the interaction for a “good impression.” This may
sion actually work — the persuader tries to make the offer as mean meeting in a pleasant environment, wearing appealing
enticing as possible.
clothing, playing appropriate music, or otherwise making
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Social Maneuvering