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Message: <blockquote data-quote="willpax" data-source="post: 74666" data-attributes="member: 1602">A different side of this problemI have this problem from a slightly different angle. I have a player who is a second son of a local duke and a miracle worker ( most religious functionaries can't perform miracles, so the few who can are quite notable). Given this one-two punch, he should expect and get deference and consideration from many of the NPCs in the area. Quite a few of the other characters are members of the Duke's household (elite guards-in-training, assistants to advisors, and so on--none of them are truly commoners, who wouldn't have had access to specialized training anyway). My problem is that the player doesn't have his character use the power at his disposal! (talk about an ununsual situation). I continually have NPCs bow and scrape and offer to do him favors, but he rarely takes the initiative. I think the main problem is a poor fit--the character is the linchpin of some larger plot hooks, but the player isn't up to the job. But perhaps some of the issues that have been brought up in this thread would be relevant. To make the social system of a campaign world relevant and interesting to players, shouldn't potential power (the ability to call in favors, get bureaucracy circumvented, get your court cases thrown out, etc.) be used as a carrot to go with the stick of punishment for uppity behavior? And what if the carrots don't work?</blockquote>