The reaction roll: Social initiative

[dd.stevenson]

I think the OP's problem can/should be addressed by providing helpful tips in the DMG on how to facilitate a group. Seriously, this (one person dominating the discourse) is a problem that teachers and event organizers have been coping with for thousands of years now. While no solution is perfect, most DMs should be able to find some techniques that work for them.

But the social initiative thing sounds a bit too invasive for my tastes.

 

[Frostmarrow]

I think the OP's problem can/should be addressed by providing helpful tips in the DMG on how to facilitate a group. Seriously, this (one person dominating the discourse) is a problem that teachers and event organizers have been coping with for thousands of years now. While no solution is perfect, most DMs should be able to find some techniques that work for them.

But the social initiative thing sounds a bit too invasive for my tastes.

The social initiative can even be expanded upon. Say for instance that we have social initiative to see who gets to be addressed first (right of first refusal, as the queen would say) in social encounters, we could also have "city initiative" for making errands in town or even "search initiative" for clearing out a room. Sometimes I just want to get a turn to do something without having to enter a shouting match.

But, as the I'm OP, it goes both ways, sometimes I'm the guy who talks all night going on and on without letting anybody else in. It's hard to stop when your on a roll. On such nights I wouldn't mind having a roll to spread the gaming turns around.

 

[Sadras]

Great topic. This certainly should get spotlight within the DMG on how to level the social-playing fields amongst the players. Usually the DM has to come up with the reason (storyline) why a specific NPC would talk to the "non-social" PCs to get them involved. This idea definitely has potential - reaction rolls for PCs.
I wouldnt call on it everytime as that would definitely feel a bit heavy handed, and less die rolls are obviously more welcome than not, but it could assist in balancing the social roleplaying.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Maybe there is a subcategory of skills here, you know the ones worth talking about, that can be resolved by role-playing and the candidate to do so is chosen by skill contest.

Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate
Gather Information
Search
Decipher Script
Identify Magic Item
Navigate Dungeon/Wilderness

The winner of the contest gets to interview the DM about the topic at hand, such as the properties of a newly found wand, the winding pahs of Mt. Doom, or the secretive barkeep that sees everything.

 

[Mallus]

What do you think? Is it preferable that social encounters are free for alls or could the gameplay be improved with a social initiative roll?

I prefer the free-for-all. During in-game conversations, both as a DM and as a player, I'm much more interested in the interesting things said in-character than the results of die rolls and mechanics.

I like what you're trying to do here, ie create a simple rule-of-thumb to guide social interactions, but it runs contrary to what I personally want out of social interaction scenes; organic conversations that frequently meander or stumble into awesomeness.

Also, I don't mind socially adept people from dominating certain parts of the game. In the same way I don't mind tactically adept/rules-savvy people from dominating other parts of the game.

(though I do try to encourage --relatively-- equal participation when I DM)

 

[Libramarian]

I initially had a strongly negative reaction to this idea. I like allowing the players to plan amongst themselves naturally. But now that i think about it, the player of the highest Cha character dominating social encounters is something that could be addressed with rules. I would prefer something more on the DM's side, rules or advice to develop social encounters that involve all the PCs. Not a bad line of thought.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Well, it's certainly an option if you want to build a rules module around "social combat". I don't see it as strictly necessary, per se, as I think it's the sort of thing a DM can adjudicate pretty when on his/her own. Other play styles could find this mechanic quite fun, though.