Romance Rules

[GMMichael]

Alright, it's debatable whether O'Doyle had the hots for Billy, but it's not debatable that O'Doyle gave Billy some good attention.

For the characters whose relationships are just as indeterminate, making the determinations is one of the most popular plot points in movies. And novels. So why not RPGs? Where is D&D's romance system? Does Daggerheart include one?

This is for GMs and PCs:

• GMs, if you include romances in your games, do you use rules for it, just wing it, or something in between? What do those rules look like?
• PCs, when do you decide that your character is sweet on another? Do you have a rubric to follow?

 

[payn]

This is for GMs and PCs:

• GMs, if you include romances in your games, do you use rules for it, just wing it, or something in between? What do those rules look like?

There was romance rules in Paizo's Jade Regent AP, though problem was if you didnt have a good charisma forget it. What was a home run though was the Ultimate Intrigue social rules developed later and used in the War for the Crown AP. UI rules were more of a social encounter system where you had to work towards

• PCs, when do you decide that your character is sweet on another? Do you have a rubric to follow?

Typically, Ive left this up to something that has stakes. For example, in the Kingmaker AP, my PC was the leader of our upstart kingdom. It was important to have a significant other to lead. So, that was a process was finding the right NPC, courting them, and eventual marriage.

 

[aco175]

I do not use them. If the players want something I might come up with something or just roleplay it. Things at my table generally go with some sort of players saying that they drop 5gold on the table for drinks and some food. Then I ask if they want to do anything in the tavern or move onto the next day. Something might be said about spending some coin on a wife for the night and crossing off 5 more gold. I guess we might have rolled something to find out what kind of escort level we were talking about before, but not now.

 

[Koloth]

Most guidance on in game romance tends to discourage it, at least between PCs. Too much chance of Real Life issues between the players blowing up an In Game affair between characters. Add in a chance of an in game blowup("I am doing what my character would do...") blowing up a RL relationship between two players. I saw the first in a game I was in. A RL fiancee player of another player had some out of game issues, called off the wedding and both players left the game rather suddenly. It all happened between sessions. One session everything was great. Next session, we got the "I am not sure what is going on" story from the GM, who was a co-worker with the male half of the couple.

I can see some fun with PC-NPC romances. Assuming there is no RL romantic relationship between GM-Player.

 

[Gorgon Zee]

This is for GMs and PCs:

• GMs, if you include romances in your games, do you use rules for it, just wing it, or something in between? What do those rules look like?

Obviously, system-dependent. PENDRAGON has a very explicit and complex romance system where there is a certain amount of opposition that must be overcome by performing quests for the object of your affection. At various stages the target person will then allow increasing intimacy (holding hands, seeing ankles, even .. eventually ... a kiss).

MY LIFE WITH MASTER is nothing but relationships, so the entire set of rules there are typically used.

DRAMASYSTEM (HILLFOLK) is also all about relationships, with a focus on power struggles, so romance is part of your toolkit of strategies.

Any of these systems require strong player buy-in. Rules for romance often require a forced attitude in a player character and many players are uncomfortable with losing any degrees of mental volition. So for most systems, there are no rules by design. Wing it.

• PCs, when do you decide that your character is sweet on another? Do you have a rubric to follow?

The same rubric as for any other decision: Will it make the game more fun for everyone and (secondarily) would it make sense for my character to do so.