Henshin Sequence

This is Wisdom.

It is on the subject of how men can prevent rape.

You should read it.

http://cereta.livejournal.com/652008.html?page=7&view=13151976#comments

In beta.  Please critique.

NEW CONCEPTS AND ATTRIBUTES

Stakes: The goal of a character in any given scene.  What that character wants, expressed as a yes or no question ("Does the commander commit to a pincer attack?").  If an acting character wins at Social Combat, then the answer is yes: if the resisting character wins, the answer is no.

Conflict Resolution: Answering a Stakes question using the rules.  Compare to "task resolution," which is a single dice roll used as part of conflict resolution.

Composure (Skill, linked to Mind): The skill of resisting social pressure.  Used to defend against social attack.

Empathy (Skill, linked to Soul): The skill of understanding another persons emotions.  Used to gauge someone's energy point total and mental state.  By expending an action, on a succesful roll you receive information onhow close they are to agreeing with you, why, and thier energy point total ("He's suspicious, but inclined to agree with you anyway, and your last argument drove him deep into thought.  34 EP.")

STEP 1: DESCRIBE ACTION AND SET STAKES

Describe the acting character's action and the stakes of that action.  The GM and other players help to set those stakes, but the acting characters player gets final say.

In the middle of a raging battle, it's Faye's action.  Rachel, Faye's player, says: "Nightmare Rouser Faye screams, 'Alexander, this is cruel!  This is... this is pointless!  I love you, don't you realize that?'  She knows there's some good in him and thinks that her love can bring it out and end the fighting."

The GM Elliott says "Cool beans.  So, 'does he admit he loves you and lay down his arms?' as stakes?"

Rachel says  "Close, but needs more zing."

"How about his turning on the Foul Nightmares and fighting alongside us?" says Casey.  Rachel grins.

Elliott reiterates: "The stakes would then be, 'Does he fight alongside the Nightmare Rousers out of newfound love for Faye?' -correct me if I'm wrong."

Rachel nods.  "Yeah, that's right."

STEP 2: DETERMINE IF THE TARGET WILL RESIST

The target can elect to resist.  If the target does not resist, then the acting character gets the stakes (and the answer to the question posed by the stakes is therefore Yes).  If the target does resist, proceed to Step 3.

Nightmare Lord Alexander, played by the GM Elliott, will not admit his true feelings without one final battle of words and blades.  He will resist.

STEP 3: ACTING CHARACTER MAKES A SOCIAL ATTACK ROLL

The acting character's player rolls Soul + Social Skill + Modifiers.

Rachel's character Nightmare Rouser Faye has 6 Soul, and 3 Seduction with no relevant specilizations.  She also has Attractive: Cute at 3, which the GM rules is relevant, adding another 3 to the roll.  That's a 12.  She rolls a 9, for a total of 21.

STEP 4:  RESISTING CHARACTER MAKES A SOCIAL DEFENSE ROLL

The resisting character rolls Mind + Composure + Modifiers.  If this roll is lower than the Social Attack roll, then the social attack succeeds: proceed to step 5.  Otherwise it fails. 

Alexander has 7 Mind and 4 Composure with the specialization: Cold-Hearted, for an additional +1.  He therefore adds 12.  He rolls 4, for a total of 16.  The social attack suceeds.

STEP 5: ACCEPT STAKES OR DEDUCT ENERGY

The resisting character whose social defense roll failed has a choice: accept the stakes or lose energy points equal to the margin of failure of his roll.

Alexander has only 11 energy points left after having shot Bolts Of Crackling Dark Energy™ all over the battlefeild during the course of the battle, so Elliott decides that Faye wins this one, and therefore Alex will 'fight alongside the Nightmare Rousers out of newfound love for Faye.'   "Alexander draws his screaming black blade," Elliott says, "and lunges right at you - alongside you to peirce a shadowy Nightmare in the heart, or try to."

But if he had spent the energy, then he probably would have made a social attack of his own.  "Alexander draws his screaming black blade," Elliott might have said, "and, sneering, says 'prepare to have your heart broken then, o my enemy, o Nightmare Rouser.'  What's at stake is, do you flee the feild of battle?"

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What do y'all think?