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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8318591" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Blades action resolution is as follows:Position (Desperate > Risky > Controlled) governs threat level/consequences.Effect (Limited > Standard > Great) governs what you can accomplish.1-3 = Failure4/5 = Success w/ Complication6 = Success6 * 2 = Critical Success————-If the players were to be in a social conflict with a Supernatural entity like Sauron, several things would intersect:1) He would be Magnitude 6 (so tops). If your Crew Tier + other stuff that would amplify your relative Tier doesn’t equal 6, then you’re Position is going to be Desperate (meaning consequences on a 1-3 are going to be catastrophic and on a 4-5, they will be significant). Effect is Factored with several features (Scale, Potency, Quality) so you can uptier in more ways, but you’d still start as Limited Effect unless you can marshal Factors.Players can make Setup moves and have abilities that allow them to increase Position or Effect. One can be negotiated/traded for the other as well (assuming you’re not sitting at Desperate/Limited).2) Supernatural means that engaging him is going to create a Supernatural Complication right off the bat (think Ancient Dragon Fear Aura).You can Resist Complications (which means throttling them back by 1 or 2 phases) via Prowess (if physical), Resolve (if mental/will), or Insight (if deception/understanding) at the risk of Stress (subtract 6 from your highest roll…Crit = clear 1 Stress or get a boon). Stress is the engine of amping stuff up/marshaling resources.3)  Sauron would be a Master level Threat.  In D&D terms, this would mean he is like a 4e Solo.  His action economy is amped up big time and I'm just straight inflicting Consequence, no action roll to deal with it.  You can Resist the Complication though.  And because the PCs are likely in a Desperate Position much/most of the time, these Consequences would be significant.4)  Tug of War Clocks or Linked Clocks are how you resolve complex social conflict.  Or it might be both.  It might be a Mission Clock to even open up the Tug of War Clock to convince Sauron of whatever.The Clock setup really depends upon the context of the situation overall and the specifics of what you want and what Sauron doesn't want to give up.In Blades, the only way a Crew would undergo something like this is if (a) they either (i) had means to shut down (2) entirely (this could be gear they acquired via spending Downtime Activities or it could be through PC Special Abilities) and (ii) if they were at least a Tier 4 Crew (MUCH MORE LIKELY a Tier 5 Crew...this is endgame).The Stress going around to make Setup moves to amplify Effect and/or downthrottle Position and to Resist Complications would be huge.  9 Stress and you're out of a Score and you endure a Trauma (4 and your character is retired).  PCs often go into Scores with 1-2 Stress.  Getting improved Effect increases your Ticks of Clocks on successful moves.  Having better Position decreases the Ticks of Clocks against you when you endure a Consequence.  Inevitably, a PC would use a Flashback (which is 0-2 Stress and then an Action Roll to resolve) which opens up their move-space during a Score.  A PC would likely accept a Devil's Bargain (which gives them +1d on a move for some sudden or looming thematic complication that they'll have to spend Downtime or a Score to resolve) at some point.It is going to take significantly skilled play and marshalling everything you've got to win.I've run 5 Social Scores against +1 or +2 Magnitude (above Crew Tier) Master Threat Demons (one was a Split Score w/ Occult to set up - summon - and Social to parley).  Success rate has been 40 % thus far or 2/5.  Even on the successes though, the downstream effects perturb play (both the Setting and the Crews + Allies + Enemies machinations) dramatically.ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY PARLEY WITH DEMONS<img src="https://media4.giphy.com/media/smW5FBep69d3q/200.gif" alt="One Does Not Simply Lord Of The Rings GIF" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></blockquote>

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