Manipulation as a procedural conflict
Homebrew Toys #10 / Game Design Log #38
Today I want to revisit something I previously talked about in this post; the possibility of extending the loop of combat to other aspects that are important for the game, and particularly to those aspects that arise in the characters’ modes of interacting with the world as a consequence of the invasion of Conquistadors.
Previously, I was thinking of these aspects as the three main pillars of gameplay, as thought for OSR/DND-adjacent systems: combat, exploration, and social interaction. But when I began to write these down, as rules/systems/procedures, I realized that social-interaction could only be a “parallel” to combat when focused on “killing” the agency of the enemy, making it another extension of domination (as concept and as the resource “Domination” in NPFTH).
So, with this in mind, I took the “social-interaction” pillar, and made it into a procedure when it was expressed as manipulation toward mastering the wills of others (as always, at the bottom of the post, there is an easy conversion to use this procedure in OSE or Mork Borg).
Modes of manipulation
Narrative manipulation/imposing
Uses the ability of players to argue, discuss, and role-play.
This is for those who want to fully role-play an interaction based on manipulation.
The outcome of the manipulations should emerge naturally from the role-playing of the PC and/or GM.
To use this mode of manipulation there must be a consensus between all the parties that will be part of the encounter.
Tactical manipulation/imposing
Manipulations that use a system between adversaries in an encounter.
Used when players want a system to determine the outcome of their manipulation.
Does not prevent role play, it only frames it in a system that ensures that all parties understand what the conditions for success and failure are.
YOU ONLY GAIN GRIEF (XP) IF YOU IMPOSE YOUR WILL AND MAKE OTHERS DO SOMETHING THEY DON'T WANT: THIS IS THE “DO YOU WANT TO KILL?” MOMENT FROM THE MANIPULATIVE ENCOUNTER, IN THIS INSTANCE YOU ARE KILLING THEIR AUTONOMY.
Tactical manipulation
Composure and setting up a tactical manipulation
At the start of any tactical manipulation, you will have to take some tokens for each member on the encounter, and some to leave in the middle of the table. These tokens will represent Composure, the currency that will give pace to the encounter.
Composure is a currency that represent the grip on the manipulative encounter, whoever loses all their composure is on the open to get manipulated.
It is represented by any kind of tokens; coins, beans, dice, etc…
At the start of manipulation, set 2d10 tokens in the center of the table and give 5 + “their Imposing” + “their Resilient” tokens to each participant/party.
Whoever wins on a manipulative roll can take as many tokens as the difference between their roll and the roll of their adversary. The tokens can be taken from their adversary or the table, but not both.
The tokens on the table represent the space for dialogue and manipulations that allows for the encounter to go on. If there are no more tokens on the table, there is no more space to continue the encounter.
If anyone is out of composure but there is still free composure on the table, they can be softly manipulated, this means that their adversary can nudge them to do something, but they will not act against their will. They only do something that do not go totally against their desire and that do not suppress their free will.
If anyone is out of composure and there is no free composure on the table, they are open to being dominated. Whoever is playing that turn must decide whether to impose their will on them → “DO YOU WANT TO KILL THEIR WILL?”
Imposing your will to dominate someone.
When imposing your will over others and making them do something against their desires, you are doing something very uncommon for islanders.
When doing this, you win 1 Grief (XP).
You also have to roll Resilient DC 5 + your Grief (after winning the Grief).
If you succeed, you get the shame (-1) condition.
If you fail, you get the manipulative compulsion.
Tactical manipulation loop
If someone desires to manipulate someone, then a manipulation encounter starts.
Players always have the first turn. They decide who goes first.
You can manipulate until:
You fail on your manipulation roll.
Or you get hurt (by losing Composure or by getting a condition).
Or until you say or act without manipulative intent.
If a player gets hurt in their turn, then the adversary that was targeted by the manipulation gets a “comeback” (a narrative response to the intent of manipulation to signal that it was a failure) and then any adversary can act.
→ Note that only if you fail on your manipulation, then an adversary gets to act. You can always decide to do something that does have a manipulative intent (after any number of successful manipulations rolls or as your first and only action), ending your turn without triggering a comeback from an adversary. This ensures that the next turn goes to the next PC.
Then the next player takes their turn (who just played decides who goes next).
Rolling manipulation
When manipulating, you can roll with Strong, Imposing, Sneaky, or Observant.
You must declare the intent of the manipulative roll: You can role-play this interaction or just give a few words of what is the intend.
Then you and your adversary roll
1d20 + their chosen tactic.
Whoever wins the roll can take out of the game as many composure tokens as the difference between the rolls:
Composure tokens to take out
= Winning Roll – Losing Roll
The winner decides whether to draw these tokens from the free tokens on the table or from the opponent's reserve.
CRIT (d20=20): When someone gets a 20 in their d20 they can force a condition, that make sense within the conflict, upon their adversary.
TIES (Your Roll = Opposed Roll): Whoever is doing the manipulation can take out as many tokens as their dice roll without subtracting the dice from the defender.
Dominance
Measure of the strategic, psychological, and violent dominance that a character has in the encounter.
It is represented by a number that is added to all manipulative rolls.
It has a maximum value, Max-Dom, beyond that value characters can’t add to their dominance. Max-Dom value improves when reaching Grief milestones.
It always starts at zero, and it is reset to zero at the end of an encounter.
This modifier can be changed, increased, or decreased by PCs and NPCs.
To change the value of dominance an PC/NPC has to declare how they want to change the narrative, and then roll, against a DC set by the GM, to see if they are able to change it. This change is represented by a change of dominance in them or other PC/NPC, by a value equal to the dominance rate +D of the PC/NPC that changed the narrative.
Changing narrative when manipulating and the 3 triggers
To change the narrative when manipulating the PC/NPC has to declare how they pretend to do it.
If the way in which they intend to change the narrative DO NOT touches on any trigger of they adversary, then they have to roll on the a DC 15 to see if they gain dominance.
→ For PC their compulsions are their triggers.
If how they intend to change the narrative touches on any trigger of their adversary, then:
If it touches the +/- trigger → they succeed/fail automatically on changing narrative without need of a roll.
If it touches the “Desires” → then the adversary offers a new path out of the manipulation; they offer a bargain. If the adversary accepts, then everyone discards their composure, and only the composure that remains free on the table stays.
→ For players, if they hear an argument that touches on something they think their PC will be open to using as a bargain, then they can offer a bargain.
NOTE: Although triggers, compulsions, and desires, are here to give a mechanical weight to the particularities of the characters that are involved in the manipulation, these can be avoided. If you want to use them, when starting a manipulation, you can give to the NPC three triggers, these are things that the NPC is afraid, ashamed, scared, or any kind of thing that may make them more vulnerable. The desire is, as the its name says, something they desire. They can have more than one desire, but at least they have one. For PCs compulsions are one word concepts that when acting against/following them they act with disadvantage/advantage.
Bargain
When a bargain is offered, the number of tokens that there is on the table represents how beneficial the bargain is:
The price is always something that will benefit the NPC/PC.
If the price is easy to pay, it means that it is something the PC already has at hand or something that they may offer without going against their beliefs.
If the price is hard to pay, it is something they do not have at hand, and/or something that they may offer but that is against their beliefs.
Withdraw
Whenever a party still has composure tokens they can decide to withdraw. This can mean they simple walk away, or they start a combat, or they changed the situation by another means; as setting up an alarm or revealing something that changes the kind of interactions the parties are having.
When does ENDs a tactical manipulation?
Whenever a party decides to withdraw.
Or there are no more free tokens on the table.
Or a bargain is reached.
Long Example:
Two PCs are trying to free some slaves from a conquistador caravan; the only way they see as possible for them to do it is by manipulating someone. The PC decides to manipulate one of the conquistadors.
Both PC approach the conquistador when he is alone.
The PC declares they want to convince the conquistador that more islanders are approaching the place, and that if he helps them, by freeing the slaves, he will be granted one hour head start to run and survive.
This is a manipulation, so this is the start of the manipulation roll.
The GM rolls 2d10 to determine how many free composure tokens are in the table. The result is 8, so they put 8 coins in the center of the table.
Additionally each party, in this case the PCs and the conquistador, grab as many composure tokens as 5+Imposing+Resilient.
In this case, for one PC (PC1), these are 10 tokens, for the other (PC2) these are 8 tokens, and for the conquistador, as they have only one tactic, these are 9 (NPC use all the tactics they have, typically two or one).
PC1 starts with the intent of deception and now has to roll 1d20 + one tactic. They decide to use sneaky, as they think that this makes sense for deceiving. Then PC1 says:
-I want to tell him that he will die painfully if he doesn't do as we want. And that there are as many as us close to their camp.
In their roll they get 12(d20) + 3(Sneaky) = 15. The GM rolls for the conquistador, and gets 10(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 13.
The conquistador loses, and now the PC1 can take out of the game as many tokens as the difference between the rolls 15-13=2.
PC1 decide to take out form the game two tokens from the reserve of the conquistador, so the conquistador now has 8-2=6 tokens of composure.
-The conquistador tries to put on a brave face, and he says that you will be joining the slaves, but then he looks to your partner, and then beyond, toward darkness, an you see fear in his eyes.
As PC1 hasn't been hurt (by getting a condition or losing composure) they can continue manipulating the conquistador.
-You have seen them, ¿no? Or maybe feel them, our brave warriors beyond the light of your camp.
(Now PC1 decides to role-play instead of just telegraphing what they intended).
Then PC1 makes a new roll, now they think that Strong make sense, as they want to use the promise of violence as a threat.
They get in their roll 7(d20) + 2 (Strong) = 9.
The conquistador gets 9(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 12.
So PC1 loses the roll, ending their turn.
The conquistador can now take out of the game as many composure tokens as the difference between the rolls; 12-9=3. The conquistador decides to take out 3 tokens from the table, now there are 8-3=5 tokens on the table.
-He puts a brave face and with a malicious grin, he says; I would love to see you trying your best at killing me.
As is the turn of the conquistador, the GM continues with a comeback (he could run away or call others to alarm them of the presence of islanders, this will end the manipulation, but he decides not to).
-Tell them to come, more slaves, I have heard that you, islanders, are not able to count and do not know about large numbers. This the conquistador says to insult you and make you feel inferior.
The GM rolls for the conquistador and gets 8(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 11.
He decided that his target is the same PC1.
Then the PC1 rolls, they decide to use Imposing, and they get 19(d20) + 4(Imposing) = 23, and with this good roll, the player decides to narrate;
-I step closer, putting my face very close to his face, and I look around, and then I say: if you have a good ear, you will hear the drums, we only play them when we are hungry for the blood of conquistadors.
The GM says to PC1 that this is a comeback, and that will be their turn as the conquistador lose the oppose roll, and that this can be used as the roll that they already did or roll again, but that first they have to decide from were they will take out the tokens.
The difference between the rolls was 23-11=12. The player decides to take out the tokens from the table.
The GM warns them that this will make any kind of bargain more difficult, as this will empty the table of tokens. The player says that this is what they want, as they want to try to impose their will on the conquistador. The players look at the other player to see if this is ok, and he says
-Yes, let’s do it like that.
The table is now free of tokens, and PC1 rolls again for their comeback; they get 17(d20) + 4(Imposing) = 21.
The conquistador gets 17(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 20.
PC1 wins and now has to take out one token from the game, as there are no more tokens on the table the tokens have to be taken from the pool of the conquistador, now they have 6-1=5 tokens of composure.
The GM narrates
-You see fear in his face, and he takes a step back.
As PC1 won the roll, they could continue, but they decide to give space for PC2 to act.
PC2 narrates.
-I want to put myself behind the conquistador, and talk to his ear, saying something like, I can hear them, don't you?, or maybe doing the sound of drums with my mouth.
The GM says to them that this makes sense and that this could be a Strong or Imposing roll. PC2 chooses Imposing and he rolls getting 20(d20) + 5(Imposing) = 25
The conquistador gets 18(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 21
The GM says that first, as PC2 got a NAT20, they can put a condition on the conquistador. PC2 decides to put the condition afraid (-1), which make sense with the interaction.
Then the GM continues:
-He is super scare, he begging to tremble, and you see the opportunity to make them do as you want, he will go out of composure tokens, so you can impose you will on them. Do you want to kill their will?
The PC2 doubts and decides not to, but tries to find space for a bargain.
The GM says to them that if a bargain is set will be on bad conditions as there are no tokens on the table.
PC2 decides to do it in this way, as they don't want to get one more Grief.
PC1 says to their partner that they don‘t care about getting the Grief, so PC2 gives the turn to PC1.
-What do you do?
Ask the GM to PC1.
They say that they want to cut the skin of the conquistador, and take out a little of the blood with their fingers and lick it, and smile.
-I want him to be scared and to use the things they believe about islanders against him. I want him to beg for his life.
PC1 is playing an “orphan of the sea” and one of their compulsion is dominance, so as they act in concordance with their compulsion, they roll with advantage.
They use Imposing and they get; 19(d20,with advantage) + 4(Imposing) = 24.
The conquistador gets 19(d20) + 3(Brutality) – 1 (afraid) = 20
The conquistador loses, and he doesn't have more tokens, so the GM looks at the player of PC1 and says.
-Do you want to kill their will?
PC1 says, yes, and then they get 1 Grief, and they have to roll resilient, they fail their roll, and they get a new compulsion, manipulative.
Now the conquistador does as PC1 says.
-Free those slaves, and take the weapons from those conquistadors who are sleeping.
CONVERSION FOR OTHER OSR GAMES
This procedure make references to something call “Grief” and sometimes to another tactic/attribute/stat of the PCs, so if you want to use them in your OSR game…
…for something like OSE you can use this:
Grief → XP or Treassure carried by PCs or sum of both (divided by 1000).
Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)
Strong → STR
Agile → DEX
Imposing → CHA
Resilient → CON
Sneaky → DEX
Observant → WIS
…for something like MÖRK BORG you can use this:
Grief → Omens, or Silver dived by 100, or the sum of both.
Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)
Strong → Strenght
Agile → Agility
Imposing → Presence
Resilient → Toughness
Sneaky → Agility
Observant → Presence
…In the case of Conquistadors (for Mork Borg and OSE)
Violence → When doing something physical.
Pride → When doing something social.
…In the case of Inquisitors (for Mork Borg and OSE)
Torture → When doing something physical.
Intimidation → When doing something social.
…for both you could also add this:
Let the PCs spend “X” HP to increase their roll by “X”.
Allows PCs to gain Dominance (added to all combat and manipulation rolls, represented by any kind of token) by doing something that gives them an advantage (better combat stance, stunt, intimidation, making the terrain change, etc…) → They need to roll to acquire it, it is cumulative and on a failed roll they lose it all.
Conditions modify the rolls of anything that make sense as their modifier says (spring ankle will hinder jumping, confused will hinder perceptions, anger will hinder interactions, etc…). Conditions stack.
If anything has just one stat, it can use it for everything.
If there is reference to advantage/disadvantage roll twice and use best/worst result.