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Questions tagged [social-stats]

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For questions related to the social statistics of characters. These are characteristics that are most frequently used when dealing with social situations, and are lightly used in combat situations.

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12
votes
4answers
268 views

How do I keep lie-detection skills from ruining my game?

I play a smoothtalking scoundrel in a GURPS 4e game. In it, I have the Detect Lies skill. Because of the nature of our campaign, which is a murder mystery, I always suspect whoever I'm talking to is ...
7
votes
3answers
323 views

Is it incorrect to use Passive Insight to tell Players what their Characters already know about NPCs?

I have a party of 4 noobs, 1 is a pro on other games but new to 5e (like myself - but I haven't played in years), 3 are actually playing their first characters ever. Ages run from 13 to 50 (I love a ...
43
votes
7answers
3k views

How do you balance a group with both charismatic players who enjoy role-playing and introverted players who don't?

I have been involved with RPGs in general for a long time, but have only been involved with tabletop RPGs (like D&D 5e, currently) for a year or so. In my current game (D&D 5e), I play a ...
6
votes
6answers
213 views

Improving Lie Detection and Credibility Assessment Rules

Many systems have two or more skills/traits/other numeric values that can be pitted against each other in situations where side A tries to assess side B's credibility, where side B may or may not be ...
32
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9answers
6k views

Are there concrete advantages for being proficient at social skills in a table that rewards roleplaying these interactions?

I'm a new DM running D&D 5e's LMoP with a small group of new players. So far everyone is having fun even though we're all learning on the fly, which I think is great. But there have been ...
13
votes
3answers
976 views

Would using the Thaumaturgy cantrip give advantage on an Intimidation check?

Let's say I used the thaumaturgy cantrip to create a booming voice, make the ground tremor, and start a rumble of thunder while suggesting someone to do something in an attempt to intimidate them. ...
5
votes
1answer
343 views

How do I roleplay a character with higher wisdom than myself, and lower intelligence?

I have seen a few similar questions related to intelligence, charisma and a general disparity in mental stats, but nothing yet on high Wis, low Int. Lets start with the premise: Intelligence ...
8
votes
4answers
303 views

How does failing a Sense Motive check against a Bluff affect your character's perception of the world?

There doesn't seem to be a concrete explanation for what happens to your character if you fail a Sense Motive check against a Bluff. I want to know the limits of failing a Sense Motive check, as well ...
4
votes
5answers
300 views

What are the advantages of using the Intimidate skill over using the Diplomacy skill for the same purpose?

What are the advantages of using the Intimidate skill over using the Diplomacy skill for the same purpose? There are some pretty obvious downsides to intimidation. The primary one is if it fails you ...
19
votes
9answers
3k views

What are the uses and limitations of Persuasion, Insight, and Deception against other PCs?

Yesterday, I was in a D&D 5E group. Today, I am not. We were playing Out of the Abyss, but that's redundant to my issue, I think. Basically, the DM and I are interpreting Insight differently. He ...
1
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0answers
55 views

Is there a mechanic for Passive Deception? [duplicate]

Right now I have a situation with a Doppleganger has infiltrated a small section of the group. It is passing itself off with the intentions of appearing to be someone important to one person and ...
10
votes
2answers
445 views

What's the difference between a monster that can't speak and a monster that doesn't speak?

In their languages section of stats for some monsters, the wording sometimes says "can't speak" and sometimes says "doesn't speak." What functional difference is there between these two wordings? ...
5
votes
3answers
411 views

What do PCs roll Insight against when another PC is trying to convince them that he is telling the truth?

There is already a similar question, however the answers focus on that you should not tell players that they don't believe the other but they should decided that themselves and only get hints. And ...
3
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2answers
87 views

Deception in Anima

In Anima: Beyond Fantasy, what skills are used to tell lies and sense lies? Most games have some form of skills that can be used for such things - Bluff and Sense Motive in some versions of D&D, ...
2
votes
1answer
126 views

What outcomes could arise from using group passive Intimidation checks to determine the attitude of NPCs/weak monsters?

When a group of characters are walking around, I imagine they could be very intimidating. Wearing armour, carrying weapons, possibly covered in blood etc. What outcomes could arise if a DM chose to ...
4
votes
2answers
213 views

Can a swarm be intimidated?

Last night the party ran into a swarm (this one was rats) which proved rather difficult, but interesting, for them to overcome. The bard, looking for an effective way to light them on fire cast ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views

Would a PC with advantage on Intimidation and disadvantage on Charisma checks be balanced?

I’m making a fighter who was tortured in the past. He has a badly healed broken nose, one of his ears was cut off, his face was branded, etc. I was thinking it would be neat for him to have advantage ...
82
votes
17answers
17k views

How should a DM resolve a smooth-talking player with a weak Charisma score PC? [closed]

This is an old problem, but one I am curious to find an answer to. One of our players is naturally a smooth talker, and his personality allows him to talk his way out of situations on the spot, and ...
13
votes
1answer
548 views

My GM declines valid dialogue by my character due to his low Charisma; how can I change my GM's mind?

This is the first time I'm playing D&D. As a result, I may have botched the stats of my character. I have a low Charisma stat. However, in my understanding, this should only be a modifier to how ...
24
votes
5answers
3k views

Is a speech trying to convince a crowd of something a persuasion or a performance check?

If I'm say, trying to convince a group of soldiers to follow me(a player) into a fight, or a crowd to riot, or otherwise convincing a large group of people via oration to do something (maybe it's a ...
7
votes
1answer
149 views

What test is made to deceive someone in Symbaroum?

As far as I have been able to find, there is no specific ruling made in the core rulebook on what attribute test is made when attempting to deceive someone. In the supplemental rules table, it is ...
1
vote
1answer
925 views

Do you get a penalty to Intimidation checks if you're a smaller size?

By the rules, would a gnome get a penalty on intimidating a human because they are small?
73
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15answers
17k views

How can I prevent players from using Persuasion or Deception to weasel their way out of a murder?

Background My players accepted a quest to basically be drug mules, delivering illicit goods to a faraway town. While alone with the NPC giving the assignment, they decided to kill him and take the ...
20
votes
8answers
6k views

Does it make sense to play a mentally unstable and socially awkward character that has high charisma?

I'm currently working on a character concept for a warlock player character for D&D 5e. Since Warlock's rely on charisma for spell casting I plan on putting my highest stat roll into that stat. ...
8
votes
1answer
415 views

How can Appearance be raised via in-game actions?

In my Vampire: the Masquerade game all stat increasing are necessitated by in-game actions to improve the related stat. Other than Vicissitude, what in-game actions would be appropriate to facilitate ...
15
votes
2answers
1k views

How to play Appearance straight and right?

There is a very basic structure that all the old and classic World of Darkness, drawing through all the editions and books. However, I never have seen this part played straight and in fact, I have ...
11
votes
7answers
52k views

Why does Intelligence seem so useless in 5e? [closed]

Of the base stats, it seems that some are more generally useful than others. It's a common observation that Dexterity is more useful than Strength, as an example. However, the thing that's bugging me ...
12
votes
7answers
3k views

When to use skill checks in social situations with NPCs?

I'm new to DMing and I've been planning my first adventure (for D&D 5e). However when it comes to non-combat situations I don't know when it makes sense for a skill check to be used or when the ...
5
votes
2answers
11k views

Whats the highest possible Charisma score a character can acquire in Pathfinder?

Whats the highest possible Charisma score you can end up with in Pathfinder, using official Paizo material only, assuming that you have an equivalent wealth level of a level 20 character?
24
votes
7answers
67k views

What ability should be used when resisting Intimidation?

During our last play session (it was our second session, so everyone is first level) my fighter dwarf had a conflict with another player's human fighter. My dwarf became annoyed at the human's ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views

Can Charisma be considered a physical score?

From the PRD: Charisma measures a character's personality, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and appearance. From the 3.5 Player's Guide: Charisma measures a character’s force of personality,...
17
votes
6answers
2k views

How to use social skills versus player characters

If the game system in use supports a mechanical modelling of social knack (like D&D's Bluff, Intimidate and Diplomacy skills), and the player who is subject of the social attack doesn't play his ...
13
votes
3answers
554 views

Ubiquity: Best method to excitingly adjudicate the effects of Persuasion (Con/Diplomacy)

In Pulp Adventure games using the Ubiquity Roleplaying System what is an effective method to add tension, and ensure consistency in applying results, when handling social interactions based on Con and ...
9
votes
5answers
508 views

How can I use a Conspiracy X Influence system in GUMSHOE?

One of Conspiracy X's greatest innovations was influence and pulling strings to represent the important and influential “day jobs” players come from. These day jobs range from the FBI, to the DEA, to ...
12
votes
8answers
690 views

Can a high charisma/social score save you from acting like a bastard?

I'm talking about PC.-vs.-NPC interaction; presumably, PC-PC interaction ignores 'social score' almost always (although counterexamples may exist). This has been a real life 'issue' in one of my ...