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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8951506" data-attributes="member: 42582">It is a 5e thread, but the question was asked What is a social challenge?I mean, we could answer that, as 5e is widely played, the answer is either (i) there are none, or (ii) it's a type of puzzle that the players solve by learning what they have to say to/offer to/do for the NPC who will then give them the &lt;insert desired benefit here&gt;.But I take it to be legitimate to point out that, within the same general ballpark as 5e D&amp;D, there are approaches to understanding what a social challenge can be, and how it is to be resolved, that are different from (i) and (ii).Going back to OA, p 26 tells us that &quot;Wu jen speak the language of tengu and oni. In fact, their contact and commerce with these creatures gives the wu jen a +20% modifier on the reaction dice roll when he encounters any of these creatures.&quot; Page 32 tells us that &quot;A character gains a +10% bonus to reactions from NPCs belonging to a family that is related to him by marriage.&quot; And there are many further, similar modifiers scattered throughout the rules for PC building, families, etc.It's not earth-shattering social conflict resolution. But it clearly shows us that the OA authors envisaged social dealings between PCs and NPCs to be something that might matter in play, and that would be resolved by something other than just GM decision-making.I don't think it would be unreasonable for someone to think that 5e D&amp;D, more than 30 years on, is capable of offering as much if not more.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 8951506, member: 42582"] It is a 5e thread, but the question was asked [I]What is a social challenge?[/I] I mean, we could answer that, [i]as 5e is widely played[/i], the answer is either (i) there are none, or (ii) it's a type of puzzle that the players solve by learning what they have to say to/offer to/do for the NPC who will then give them the <insert desired benefit here>. But I take it to be legitimate to point out that, within the same general ballpark as 5e D&D, there are approaches to understanding what a social challenge can be, and how it is to be resolved, that are different from (i) and (ii). Going back to OA, p 26 tells us that "Wu jen speak the language of tengu and oni. In fact, their contact and commerce with these creatures gives the wu jen a +20% modifier on the reaction dice roll when he encounters any of these creatures." Page 32 tells us that "A character gains a +10% bonus to reactions from NPCs belonging to a family that is related to him by marriage." And there are many further, similar modifiers scattered throughout the rules for PC building, families, etc. It's not earth-shattering social conflict resolution. But it clearly shows us that the OA authors envisaged [i]social dealings between PCs and NPCs[/i] to be something that might matter in play, and that would be resolved by something other than just GM decision-making. I don't think it would be unreasonable for someone to think that 5e D&D, more than 30 years on, is capable of offering as much if not more. [/QUOTE]

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