Does the Alliance system support diplomacy?

[Duke Frost]

I feel we should have as few rules as possible that interfere with roleplay.

I'm not certain I agree (with the sentiment, not that you feel it ). We already have numerous rules that interfere with roleplay (just two examples: no being the "Exception to the rule" when it comes to playing your race, and no laughing in the face of Fear unless you spent build to do so). I think that there could be rules that enhance a player's ability to "be all they can't be" and be more charming or intimidating than some other schmo in the rule system. If it's a roleplaying game, why shouldn't there be more rules about roleplaying?

And the fact that we respectfully disagree is why the rulebook is chock full of compromises.

If there was a full blown diplomacy/charisma/intimidation mechanic, I likely would no longer want to play Alliance and would likely play another game. I enjoy the freeform roleplay of it. I'd hate to see a mechanic that forced my characters or plot creations to have to make certain choices because someone spent 200 build on diplomacy. I'd rather they use actual charm or planning or cunning or even outright lying (IG only please) to sway me to their cause.

Scott

 

[jpariury]

I can dig it. I prefer when people can take me down due to outmaneuvering my shield and sword more frequently than due to chanting bigger numbers or special words. But that's the compromise. Obviously, the most either of us can do is advocate for what we want.

 

[David_Aselrik]

Have you heard of an IBGA (In-between game action)?

Fynwei, I'm mostly playing devil's advocate here, but I still think the game system has this huge grey area that says, "You can do cool things outside of combat, but it's up to your plot to do those cool things (if at all). But here's 100 pages on combat, things that make you better at combat, and rewards you get from combat."

This is a legacy from D&D, really. Most people haven't even heard of all the RPGs that have 3 pages on combat and 100 pages on everything else you can do.

 

[Fynwei]

It's not just up to your plot team to bring up diplomatic coolness for you to succeed at. Players are expected to do it themselves. A good example is the gnoll plot that was run last year in SoMN. We sent in a crunchy, a gnoll, and the PCs befriended it. A PC sent in an IBGA after that event to follow up with the gnoll. This NPC was fully intended to just go out and die. We ended up with an ongoing story-arc about this gnoll tribe because of this. PC driven, not plot staff driven. Why do we need to write a rulebook on etiquette? Our game is made to constrict combat, thus combat has rules. The rules for diplomacy, talking, and roleplay in general are much looser because we do not see the need to constrict it. Some more constricting rules can be found in the chapters' specific player's handbooks, or in racial packets (such as the MWE's dislike of command spells and elixirs or the barbarian's dislike of celestial magic). Not everything has to be in the rulebook. Not everything should be in the rulebook.

Honestly, it's a third the size of most novels right now and the marshal test takes 1.5 hours to take... do we want to have to remember more rules?

 

[kittenpunk2]

there was a day event a month or 2 back where the "army" went on a mission the mod was went to be combat but because the Sargent leading the mission used his words 1st and his men/women myself included supported his authority by remaining quit and in rank wile he spoke with the "aggressors" a diplomatic truce was reached, and because of the players approach to the war like provoking plot that had been escalating for a wile, the cations other PCs have taken since that one mod of 4 PCs vs 4 NPCs that ended in words rather then blood shed, led to a formal please treaty singing at the last weekend event and if nothing else the postponement of war in one of the plot lines...

diplomacy lives! its just dependent on your RP ability and the realistic nature of a well rounded world as presented on both sides staff NPC and PC willingness to open or shut there mouths at the right times.

hell one of the biggest plots going on in my home chapter as much combat as it is revolves a round forging allied diplomatic ties with the surrounding NPC nations groups or powers to take on a force way to big for anyone to expect survival.... and its been going on for 2 years