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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 5964166" data-attributes="member: 386">Yep.  I use social skill challenges that build off of the reaction roll - the reaction roll determines the number of successes needed (called "NPC Obstinacy"), if the reaction is unknown.  The player "role-plays" his PC, taking action in the game world; if that action triggers an internal conflict within the NPC, I call for a check.  The check resolves that internal conflict, giving a range of results (total failure - partial failure - partial success - total success).  If the PC's action triggers no internal conflict, there's no need for a check.(I'm not 100% sold on my system - there's a "seduction" technique embedded into the mechanics: you can make minor requests, which tend to grant more bonuses on your checks, and following up on previous actions grants a bonus to future checks; then, when you've got the NPC right where you want them, you make your "move" on the final check to overcome their obstinacy.  Maybe that's what I want to say about human interaction, I don't know.)The skill challenge/NPC obstinacy mechanic leads to unexpected results in the form of compromise.  edit: Because the NPC is stubborn, there's often a back-and-forth exchange that leads to some compromise, even if the PC can't fail the check.  XP awards provide value in the game system to "diplomatizing" NPCs; the (generally speaking) lack of loot provides tension between that choice and combat.  (The colour of the challenge - what the PCs says, what the NPC does in response - provides value to choices in its own way, but that's too complicated for me to really understand.)This system is slightly less complex than my combat system: in combat you have HP, like NPC Obstinacy, but the amount of damage done is variable, based on the PC's action.  Though there are morale checks in combat...  Otherwise it's the same; I originally called it "skill combat" for this reason.</blockquote>

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