OSR with more Social Interaction

[Venger Satanis]

A lot of OSR games focus on combat, some focus on exploration. I'm trying to find new ways (or those currently unknown to me) to make social interaction the dominant pillar.

Here's what I don't want - social interaction mechanics that actually replace social interaction and roleplaying with a bunch of dice rolls.

Here's what I'm currently doing to get there - using Divine Favor (kind of like 5e's inspiration) as a meta-currency. Players get Divine Favor when they interact socially between encounters + roleplay elements of their background.

What else am I missing? What can I do to further juice social interaction in my OSR game? Are there other OSR games that make social interaction the primary pillar and I just don't know about it?

Thanks,

VS

 

[Fenris-77]

I've used a reputation 'stat' in OSR play to help add some depth to social interaction. The PCs gained Rep as they completed great (or just notorious) deeds and that number was then used comparatively for certain kinds of social interactions.

 

[xanther]

I use a reputation stat as well. It is a general hallmark of how PCs are viewed and what ask is reasonable or outrageous depending on how they are viewed.

Rep can be positive or negative and have a simple chart for different levels. The larger the absolute number the further away you are known. A massive positive reputation means the rulers keep an eye on you and will likely offer you a fief etc. (got to keep you close). A massive negative reputation and they will spare no expense to send teleporting assassins to get you.

I tend to get a bit granular, different Rep with different peoples and nations and social strata. Players loved it and never had a problem tracking those numbers.

The Fallout karma system is a good inspiration. I have it if your Rep is positive enough people give you things, buy you drinks, etc. If negative enough they make your life hard if not outright refuse you entry.

My approach to the actual social interaction is the player makes the case for what they want. We can role play this out but some players prefer to do it out of character.

Depending on their Rep and the ask it may be an automatic yes, or automatic no. But in general somewhere in between.

When in between I do use dice rolls. Set a target for "success" and roll based on a relevant stat. In OSR would use Charisma and modify as needed. In OSR would give bonus for a social profession like Bard. Also if OSR might call it level and treat it like class where you get xp to go up in level.

Then it is a lot of knowing the NPC. If the roll is close or PC loved the NPC may have a counter proposal to try to make it work.

 

[Venger Satanis]

A nice idea for some... unfortunately, this is pretty much the opposite of what I'm looking for. To be more clear, I'm looking for ways (besides incentivizing players with meta-currency) to get more roleplaying out of the PCs. I do appreciate your taking the time to respond, though.

 

[Moracai]

A debatably silly advice to make immersion and roleplaying (talky stuff) go forwards, that I saw on teh youtubes today, is for the DM to ask the players how their characters feel at some given moment. Granted, this is more of a tool to make paid streaming rpg actors to have a better presence on screen, and I personally would use this lever very rarely, if at all... But somehow I gather that you're asking this to gain inspiration for mechanics instead of general DMing advice.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

In the Between (and spin off games) you get exp by solving mysteries and roleplaying. The day is divided up into cycles and every dawn phase a series of questions are asked and if the answer is "yes" the player gets an exp point. 6 points and they can advance. The point is those question prompts show the players how they will be rewarded for roleplaying. Each character class has 4 to 6 questions to choose from so the player gets to pick how they intend to roleplay. Many of these include social interactions.

So for my game, Ghosts of El Paso here are the dawn questions that are specific for the Charlatan character class:

• Did you blame someone else for your mistake/crime?
• Did you convince other hunters to do something nefarious?
• Did you successfully draw someone into a scheme?
• Did you help the downtrodden to make yourself feel better?
• Did you tell the truth and pay a price for it?

The player picks two before playing and then those are the two that are asked during the dawn phase. They can also swap them out after answering them.

For the Two-gun Kid character class they are different:

• Did you test to see if your reputation is spreading without naming yourself?
• Did you protect your sibling without them knowing about it?
• Did you get in a fight with your sibling?
• Did you show off with a firearm?
• Did you stick up for the little guy?

 

[xanther]

A nice idea for some... unfortunately, this is pretty much the opposite of what I'm looking for. To be more clear, I'm looking for ways (besides incentivizing players with meta-currency) to get more roleplaying out of the PCs. I do appreciate your taking the time to respond, though.

I see...you are looking to incentivize players to interact in character. In my view, the most common barrier to more role playing are discomfort around doing so, be it from personality (I am more in this camp than out) or discomfort/fear of embarrassment (people won't just come out and say this). Habits (like they never played this way before and haven't seen it) to the situation.

If people are all friends then a discussion could be had but suspect you wouldn't ask if this worked.

In short, your question is psychological in my mind and so it really depends on the people.

An example of one OSR game thing that allows people to get over their social inhibitions is alignment. We all likely have tales of some a**hat player excusing their a**hat behavior by claiming my alignment made me do it.

What often overcomes the barriers is for people to get out of their heads so to speak. In social circles a drink is a pretty common way. Now you could weave an intriguing tale and scene that gets people to forget their inhibition and interact. The other way is to build it into the game, this is what you call a meta-currency. However things like Rep are not a meta-currency (there is no spending and they are not abstract geared to the rules) rather Rep is more like xp (though even less meta) and/or more like a stat like STR, etc. If you are OK with the meta-ness of xp and hp then Rep is less meta and is a numerical representation of your relationship with others. It's just social instead of physical (hp).

Rep though won't necessarily get players to interact in character, but will get them to interact with the world in a way other than murder hobo and likely get themselves, and you, what the NPCs want. That is a first step to get them to role playing as understand it. To get into having a conversation as PC to NPC and not player to GM.

People respond to rewards or it at least helps them overcome barriers. Rep is a reward just like xp, and in my view far less meta and not a currency (as in you don't spend it). As to PC creation having Charisma mean something in how you run the game keeps it form being a dump stat which in turns up the success of social interactions and people will do them more. So you get the incentivizing CHA help you gain Rep which helps you gain stuff/allies...parallel to the physical STR, CON, DEX help you sneak or fight which helps you gain xp which improves your PC.

Now thinking of xp....another way is just to give players xp for interacting in character. Some may find that too much of the GM telling them how to play. hence my move over the decades to a Rep. approach (OK I''ll be honest initially having Rep on the PC sheet saves me from keeping notes and answers any player questions about where they stand). It has worked for me for even players on the spectrum....just takes a bit to ease into it.

caveat: I never had the murder-hobo issue in my regular games, have seen it many times and have had a few players start down that path, but I don't play that.