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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deadguy" data-source="post: 463598" data-attributes="member: 2480">To me, any game written as generically as D&D3e will have difficulty inclusing much advice as to how to role-play, in the sense of the hows and wherefores of dealing with NPCs. Why/ simply because the game is generic. The writes can't know what model of society or societies that the PCs will engage with. For example, the 'default' D&D such as there is one seems to be mediaeval European trappings around a fairly modern society.  But what if the DM decides to add a more 'authentic' feudal feel? Or prefers soemthing along the lines of Imperial Rome? Or actually tries to create a society off his own back using the D&D ruleset as thestepping-off point? In each of these societies, the 'correct' mode of interaction will be different. Indeed the final arbiter will be the understanding and opinions of the DM. It doesn't matter if I, as a player, am a major in classical history and the DM learned all he knows about Rome from watching History channel, his interpretation is the one that you need to understand.Having thus defended D&D3e I will say that it would have been a good idea to at least talk a little about how the society that lies behind the DM's adventures is significant for certain types of adventures. And that a little verisimilitude here makes a huge difference to successfully portraying a society. It wouldn't have had to have been more than a page or so. It doesn't have to be a document like Debrett's with the minutiae of the rules of modes of address and precedence. Rather it needs to warn DMs that in planning their settings they need to think about the society in which the adventurers are moving. I regard it as one of the weaknesses of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting that it doesn't bother discussing the societal structure aspects leaving FR to feel like a Hollywood version of Camelot.Looking more widely to the question that prompted this discussion: how do you persuade PCs to interact with the setting in ways that aren't dependent on their combat prowess? I have to agree that the cornerstone is the showing by doing approach. If you think that the players will be rather awkawrd with their dealings with the Duke, then play a little scene out before them where another NPC has an audience with the Duke. Use speech and mannerisms to portray the different sides and the respect due. Repeating this for a variety of social situations should help your players understand what's expected. Naturally, you may well want to make social skill rolls as well, modifying the reult with circumstance bonuses for the quality of the PC play. This encourages the players whilst assuring them that the social skills of their characters provide a secure foundation for their play. I found that in time I was unconsciously taking their social skills into account when playing the NPC roles, so there was no roll necessary. Others may disgaree.Of course, this begs the question: how do you as DM learn to do this? The easiest way has to be to play under a DM who already knows it naturally. If you can get the chance to watch other DMs at work, it can serve as a useful guide of what to do andwhat not to do! But I also think that a really valuable method is to watch good drama: on TV, cinema and at the theatre. Watch how good actors react to situations: body language and intonation. Look at how writes create dramatic situations, and have the characters interact. Historical drama, when well done, includes a wealth of information about the etiquette of social interaction in more stratified societies. And even when it's not well done, it might get your players to appreciate that you don't address the Queen as 'Babe!' (at least not outside her private chambers! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> ).Like all skills, it takes time to get good at societal construction and representation. But getting good at it makes the game feel so much more 'real'.</blockquote>

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