vaelora/Rules/🎭 Social Intrigue.md

Intrigue in Vaelora is a battlefield of wit, will, and whispers. Whether maneuvering through courtly politics, interrogating a traitor, or seducing a reluctant ally, social conflict is handled with cinematic tension and tactical bite.

This chapter outlines the complete system for running structured social encounters—designed to mirror the intensity of combat while expressing emotional, reputational, and spiritual stakes.

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🌒 Social Intrigue Overview

"Not all battles are fought with blades. In the courts, temples, taverns, and whispered corners of Vaelora, the sharpest weapons are words, secrets, and resolve."

Social encounters in Vaelora follow a structured system of tactical roleplay, akin to combat—but focused on persuasion, deception, intimidation, and emotional resilience. These exchanges are designed to feel tense, consequential, and fluid, reflecting the high stakes of noble intrigues, spiritual debates, and personal confrontations.

Core Structure

A social intrigue is broken into rounds, just like combat—but the passage of time is flexible. While a combat round might represent just a few seconds of action, a single round of social interaction could encompass a few tense moments, a full conversation beat, or an entire volley of arguments and reactions.

Before the scene begins, the GM should establish the scale and tone of the encounter:

• Is it a brief exchange, like bluffing your way past a guard?
• A public trial, with the crowd watching and reputations at stake?
• A prolonged seduction, unfolding over an evening?

This context determines how long a round “feels” and whether the scene resolves in a few exchanges or plays out as a full duel of minds.

During the scene:

• Turn-Based Rounds
  Each character acts once per round. The scene progresses one beat at a time, with each participant deciding how to assert themselves, respond to pressure, or maneuver for position.
• One Action Per Turn
  On their turn, a character may take one meaningful action: launch a verbal attack, defend their stance, observe the mood, shift the conversation, or compose themselves. There is no flurry of minor actions—every choice matters.
• Resolution via Approaches Characters roll Attribute + Skill, using six-sided dice. Each die that rolls a 5 or 6 counts as a success. Rolls are made against either:
  • a static difficulty (typically 1–4), for general influence or resistance
  • or an opposed roll, when directly challenging another character’s resolve who is defending this round
• Successes Are Spent as Currency
  Successes are not a simple pass/fail—they are spent like currency to achieve specific effects, based on the approach chosen. For example, a Charm roll might be used to reduce Slights or form a Bond, while Deception might misdirect or plant falsehoods.
• Slights & Face
  Rather than injuries, characters track Slights—emotional and social blows. These accumulate when they are insulted, embarrassed, unnerved, or cornered. A character’s Face (equal to Spirit + Focus) defines how much social pressure they can take.
  When Slights exceed Face, the character Falter—forcing them to break down, withdraw, lash out, or submit.

🎭 The Round Structure

A social intrigue unfolds in structured rounds, each representing a meaningful beat in the exchange—be it a veiled threat, a heartfelt plea, or a silent act of defiance. Just like combat, rounds ensure clarity and fairness in high-stakes situations where emotions, reputations, and spiritual balance hang in the balance.

Each round follows this sequence:

1. Declare Intent

State what your character is trying to accomplish this round. Are they aiming to win sympathy, erode another’s resolve, uncover a secret, or simply maintain composure under pressure?

Intent doesn’t bind the outcome—it focuses the fiction. It also helps the GM determine target difficulties and potential effects.

2. Choose Action

Each character chooses one action from the following list:

Action	Description
Engage	Use a social approach to sway, deceive, command, or charm. Make a roll and spend successes for specific effects based on your approach.
Defend	Fortify your emotional, spiritual, or rhetorical stance. Roll your pool and spend successes to bolster your resistance DC or apply defensive effects.
Recover Composure	Take a breath, center yourself. Roll to remove Slights and regain your footing.
Observe	Read the social or emotional battlefield. Learn truths, weaknesses, leverage, or hidden tensions.
Shift Focus	Change your target, alter your tactic, or realign the emotional energy of the exchange. Clears active conditions you’ve applied.
Hold Silence	Say nothing. Sometimes silence speaks volumes. Gain +1 die on your next round’s roll. Cannot be used two rounds in a row.

3. Roll

Roll your Attribute + Skill dice pool (d6s).

• As always, each 6 is a success.
• Rolls are always made against a static DC (typically 2–4), even when targeting another character.
  • If the target is defending this round, they may increase their DC by spending successes from their defense roll.
  • If the target is not defending, they use their base resistance as DC (set by the GM or default to 2–3 for most NPCs).

There are no opposed rolls in standard intrigue scenes—success is measured by how well you overcome resistance, not by beating the target’s total.

4. Spend Successes

After rolling, you spend your successes like currency based on the approach you used.

Each approach—Charm, Deceive, Persuade, Command, Invoke—has its own effect table, offering both mechanical and narrative options.

You may spend multiple successes across several effects, or invest them all into one powerful shift.

5. Apply Effects, Conditions & Slights

Effects are now resolved:

• Conditions are applied (e.g., Entranced, Suspicious, Ashamed)
• Slights are inflicted (emotional or spiritual wounds)
• Targets may resist some effects if they spent successes on defense
• Narratively, the outcome of the exchange is described and felt

6. Update Bonds, Momentum, and Leverage

At the end of the round, track long-term developments:

• Bonds: Deepened or strained?
• Leverage: New secrets uncovered or spent?
• Momentum: Are you gaining control of the scene?

This phase represents the slow turning of the tide in extended intrigue—favor shifting in a courtroom, hearts swaying in a seduction, spirits reacting in a shrine.

🎬 Social Actions

In each round of social intrigue, characters may take one action. These are not abstract maneuvers—they represent a specific intent, method, and tone within the unfolding scene.

Some actions are aggressive—meant to shake your opponent's composure or sway the audience. Others are defensive, reflective, or tactical. Each choice carries narrative meaning and mechanical consequence.

Here’s a quick overview of the available actions:

🎭 Engage

The heart of social conflict. You actively try to change another character’s stance, mood, beliefs, or behavior using one of the five social Approaches (Charm, Deceive, Persuade, Command, Invoke).
You roll and spend successes to apply effects based on your chosen approach.

Use this when you want to: seduce, argue, intimidate, manipulate, spiritually dominate, or press any social advantage.

⚖️ Mechanics of Engagement

• Choose an Approach: One of the five core social modes: Charm, Deceive, Persuade, Command, or Invoke
• Roll: Your Attribute + Skill, based on the approach (typically Presence, Cunning, or Spirit)
• Successes: Each result of 5 or 6 is one success
• Spend Successes: Each approach has a table of effects you may purchase with your successes

The effects vary wildly—Charm might create Bonds or reduce hostility, while Deceive may redirect blame or implant false beliefs. Each approach is a unique playbook.

🌀 The Five Approaches

💕 Charm

Seduction, empathy, connection.
Charm builds rapport, melts defenses, and entangles the heart.

Pool: Presence + Seduction or Empathy
Typical Use: Disarm hostility, earn trust, inspire desire, lower guards
Ideal Target: Emotionally vulnerable, socially inclined, or uncertain characters

Cost	Effect
1	Remove 1 Slight from self or target (soothing influence)
1	Learn a detail about the target’s emotional state
2	Deepen or create a Bond (max once per scene)
2	Target cannot oppose your next Engage action
3	Apply Entranced or Swayed condition
3	Cause a neutral party to turn friendly for the scene

🐍 Deceive

Lies, manipulation, redirection.
Deceive clouds truth, plants doubts, and bends perception.

Pool: Cunning + Deception or Subterfuge
Typical Use: Mislead, hide motives, shift blame, fabricate
Ideal Target: Naïve, distracted, guilt-ridden, or under pressure

Cost	Effect
1	Conceal your intent; target suffers –1 die to Observe you
2	Misdirect blame or consequence to a third party
2	Apply Suspicious or Distracted condition
3	Implant a false belief or “misremembered” fact
3	Target’s next attempt to influence someone else suffers –2 dice
3	Create temporary false leverage (GM decides when/if it unravels)

🗣️ Persuade

Logic, sincerity, moral force.
Persuade appeals to reason, shared values, and well-framed arguments.

Pool: Presence + Persuasion or Etiquette
Typical Use: Shift beliefs, call on duty or conscience, build agreement
Ideal Target: Thoughtful, loyal, or wavering individuals

Cost	Effect
1	Reduce the DC of your next Engage action against this target by 1
2	Apply Inspired to an ally who hears your argument
2	Convince target to delay or hesitate in their current course
3	Create a shared goal or temporary alliance for the scene
3	Apply Ashamed if your argument exposes a hypocrisy
3	Improve the disposition of a neutral crowd or observer group

🧨 Command

Dominance, force of will, intimidation.
Command asserts control. It silences, coerces, and demands respect.

Pool: Presence + Command or Intimidation
Typical Use: Demand obedience, override discussion, shatter confidence
Ideal Target: Subordinates, those wracked with doubt, or brittle egos

Cost	Effect
1	Force the target to hesitate, skipping their next action unless they spend a Bond or Leverage
2	Cause a lesser NPC to obey or stand down immediately
2	Apply Flustered or Ashamed condition
3	Inflict 1 Slight even if the target resists the command
3	Take narrative control of a group’s reaction (guards stand down, crowd disperses, etc.)
4	Force a target to submit or Falter (only if they are already wavering)

🔮 Invoke

Spiritual presence, ritual binding, soul-deep authority.
Invoke uses mystical pressure, spiritual truths, or sacred weight to compel.

Pool: Spirit + Rituals, Theology, or Attune
Typical Use: Demand sacred obedience, expose spiritual truths, challenge taboos
Ideal Target: Superstitious, guilt-ridden, or Veil-bound characters

Cost	Effect
1	Target becomes uneasy; apply Unnerved (–1 die to Spirit or Focus)
2	Force a spiritual test (target rolls Spirit, failure applies Entranced)
2	Extract a verbal vow or oath, breaking it causes Slights or narrative consequences
3	Apply Distrustful or Fearful condition
3	Trigger a supernatural response (a spirit stirs, the Veil flickers)
4	Bind target to an oath, vision, or memory (GM approval; major leverage)

🛡️ Defend

Not every round is a verbal thrust—sometimes, survival means holding your ground. When you choose to Defend, you do not strike back. Instead, you reinforce your emotional stance, fortify your spirit, or mask your vulnerabilities.

You roll a relevant dice pool based on your chosen defensive approach, then spend your successes to increase your resistance DC or apply protective, misleading, or reactive effects.

Use this action when you expect pressure, wish to stay guarded, or want to hold the line until you strike.

🎭 Defensive Approaches

Each of the following is a valid form of defense. Choose one that fits your character’s demeanor, training, or current emotional state.

🧘‍♀️ Compose

Steadying breath, inward focus, spiritual centering.

Pool: Focus + Spirit
Tone: Stoic, patient, unshakeable
Effect: You draw inward to shield your emotions and thoughts.

Cost	Effect
1	Increase your resistance DC by +1 this round
1	Remove 1 Slight
2	Block 1 incoming Condition (e.g., Entranced, Flustered)
2	Gain +1 die on your next round’s roll
3	If you do not speak or engage next round, your resistance DC increases by +2 instead

🌀 Deflect

Misdirection, redirection, playing the fool.

Pool: Cunning + Deception
Tone: Slippery, evasive, ungraspable
Effect: You confuse, distract, or subtly twist the conversation to avoid being pinned down.

Cost	Effect
1	Increase your resistance DC by +1 this round
1	Conceal your motive (target cannot Observe you next round)
2	Shift narrative pressure or blame to another present NPC. Move 1 dealt Slight to your target
2	Gain temporary false Leverage against your attacker
3	Target’s next action suffers –1 die as they chase shadows

📢 Discredit

Shouting down, turning the crowd, eroding authority.

Pool: Presence + Intimidation or Command
Tone: Bold, aggressive, confrontational
Effect: You undermine the attacker’s credibility or presence in the room.

Cost	Effect
1	Increase your resistance DC by +1 this round
1	Cause attacker to lose 1 success on their next Engage roll
2	Apply Flustered to your attacker if they fail to influence you
2	Narratively silence the attacker (brief hesitation, crowd murmurs)
3	You may immediately follow with a free Observe or Shift Focus action

🌸 Soften

Compassion, empathy, emotional openness.

Pool: Empathy + Wit or Presence
Tone: Gentle, receptive, forgiving
Effect: You meet aggression with compassion, absorbing the blow and sometimes turning it into connection.

Cost	Effect
1	Increase your resistance DC by +1 this round
1	Reduce Slights taken this round by 1
2	Learn 1 emotional truth about the attacker (as if you Observed them)
2	Apply Swayed if the attacker had any Bond with you
3	Remove 1 Slight from both yourself and your attacker (peace offering)

🔮 Spiritual Guard

Invocation of spirits, silent ritual, soul-fortress.

Pool: Spirit + Rituals or Attune
Tone: Sacred, stoic, shrouded in unseen power
Effect: You call upon inner truths or bound spirits to defend against social intrusion, particularly mystical or soul-deep manipulation.

Cost	Effect
1	Increase your resistance DC by +1 this round
1	Your attacker suffers –1 die if they use Invoke next round
2	Block all spiritual conditions (Entranced, Unnerved, etc.)
2	Shield an ally within sight from 1 Slight this round
3	Create a Veil disturbance (minor spiritual backlash in scene)

🧠 Strategic Note

• Defending well is not passive—it sets the tone and forces your opponent to work harder or reconsider.
• Some defenses can counterattack indirectly (Discredit), others heal (Compose, Soften), and some create spiritual or narrative shifts (Spiritual Guard).
• Unlike combat, you are not locked into your defensive posture—you can shift styles scene to scene, round to round, even moment to moment.

🩸 Recover Composure

Sometimes, the best move is to pause—drop the mask, take a breath, and reassert control over your fraying self. When you take the Recover Composure action, you withdraw from rhetorical pressure and focus entirely on restoring your emotional stability.

You are not defending this round. You make yourself vulnerable—but the reward is the chance to heal, reflect, and rise stronger.

🎲 Mechanics

• Roll: Focus + Spirit
• For each success, you may:
  • Remove 1 Slight
  • Or Clear 1 minor Condition (e.g., Flustered, Ashamed, Swayed)

This makes Recover Composure the most effective way to reduce Slights—far superior to the minor relief that some defensive effects offer.

On 3+ successes, you may also regain narrative poise:
e.g., you stand tall again, regain the crowd’s attention, or lock eyes with your adversary.

🔁 Rejoining After Falter

If you’ve Faltered (because your Slights exceeded your Face), this is the only action you may take to re-enter the scene.

• Roll Focus + Spirit, DC 2
• On success:
  • Remove up to 3 Slights
  • Rejoin the encounter next round
• On failure:
  • You suffer Emotional Breakdown (see below)
  • Remain withdrawn and lose the next round as well

💔 Emotional Breakdown (Optional Rule)

If you fail to recover, you may suffer one of the following effects (GM or player’s choice):

Breakdown Result	Effect
Fractured	Cannot form or spend Bonds for the rest of the scene
Haunted	Your social rolls for the rest of the scene are made with –2 dice
Shattered Confidence	Automatically suffer 1 Slight when targeted next
Withdrawn	You cannot target or be targeted for the rest of the scene (narratively removed)
This adds weight to the choice of when to retreat, and whether it’s safe to push on emotionally battered.

🧠 Tactical Note

• Use this action when you're approaching the breaking point, or after a successful defense bought you breathing room.
• It’s also ideal in scenes where holding silence is not safe, but striking back would only worsen your position.
• If another character uses Observe on you while you are recovering, they may see a rare moment of emotional vulnerability.

👁️ Observe

Not every exchange is about what’s said. Sometimes, the most powerful move is to say nothing—and watch. With Observe, you take a step back from the conversation’s momentum to read the emotional terrain, uncover hidden motives, and identify opportunities for later influence.

You aren’t pressing or defending. You’re collecting information—and in Vaelora, that’s power.

🎲 Mechanics

• Roll: Wits + Empathy, Wits + Insight, or Cunning + Inquire (GM’s discretion based on flavor and method)
• You target a single character in the scene.
• Each success may be spent on one of the following:

Depending on which approach you have chosen to observe the target, you may gain different advantages by spending your successes. You can always spend 2 succsesses to Prepare a Shift (see below).

🌸 Empathy (Wits + Empathy)

You read emotions, tone, posture, and vulnerability.
Ideal for emotionally perceptive characters, diplomats, lovers, or mediators.

Cost	Effect
1	Learn target’s current emotional state (fear, guilt, envy, etc.)
2	Learn which Approach the target is emotionally susceptible to (e.g., they crave approval = Charm weakness)
2	Detect emotional contradiction (their words belie their feelings)
3	Create a one-way Bond (Rank 1)—you now affect them more deeply
3	Reduce their resistance DC against you by 1 for the rest of the scene

🕵️‍♀️ Insight (Wits + Insight)

You read patterns, inconsistencies, and mental state.
Ideal for scholars, interrogators, strategists, or lie detectors.

Cost	Effect
1	Learn if the target is being truthful this round
2	Uncover a falsehood or deception from earlier in the scene
2	Learn what they are trying to hide right now
3	Learn what topic or subject is most likely to make them Falter
3	Prepare a counter-rhetoric: Gain +1 success on next Persuade or Deceive roll vs. this target

🧩 Inquire (Cunning + Inquire)

You pry, bait, test, and exploit.
Ideal for spies, gossipmongers, spirit-hunters, or political players.

Cost	Effect
1	Ask a loaded question that forces a reaction—GM must reveal something
2	Spot an opportunity to gain Leverage (and create a token next round)
2	Detect what they fear being revealed in this setting
3	Reveal an ongoing connection or secret alliance (e.g., they serve another courtly power)
3	Cause the target to become Suspicious of another person you implicate (Deceive synergy)

[!info] Modularity You can keep these lists modular. For GMs, this makes it easier to reward roleplaying or allow players to create custom Observe styles (e.g., Spirit + Attune to read spiritual pressure in a shrine).

And from a balance perspective:

• Empathy favors social follow-up (Charm/Persuade)
• Insight favors defense and counterplay
• Inquire favors aggressive setups (Deceive/Command/Leverage)

🔁 Preparation & Stacking

The effects of Observe can stack across rounds, and Observing the same target multiple times may uncover layers of insight or deepen your leverage.

Additionally, some Conditions (e.g., Swayed, Ashamed) may make a target easier to Observe, lowering the DC or increasing your dice.

🎭 Examples in Play

• You Observe the high priestess during debate, gaining insight into her guilt over past sacrifices—later used to Persuade her into revealing the truth.
• You watch a cocky noble and note his performative bluster—making him vulnerable to Charm and Deceive but resistant to Command.
• You see a subtle flicker in a veiled woman’s gaze and realize she carries a spiritual scar—making her a prime target for Invoke.

🧠 Tactical Note

• Use Observe early in scenes to identify pressure points.
• Combine with Hold Silence for a devastating next-round read-and-strike combo.
• Observe is often best when your character is being targeted—you may not win the round, but you’ll know where to strike next.

🎭 Shift Focus

Every social encounter is a dance—and sometimes, the music changes. When you Shift Focus, you intentionally break from your current emotional posture, disengage from a target, or abandon your active social stance in favor of a new one. It’s a reset, but not without cost.

Use this when your tactic is stalling, your target proves too resilient, or the mood of the scene shifts unexpectedly.

🎲 Mechanics

• You may change one or both of the following:
  • Your current target (to another person in the scene)
  • Your social stance (e.g., switch from Engage to Defend next round, or swap to a new Approach)
• Cost:
  Shifting your emotional stance or redirecting your focus mid-scene causes strain:
  • Suffer 1 Slight, OR
  • Lose 1 success from your next roll (player’s choice)

This represents the vulnerability of breaking posture: your moment of silence, hesitation, or recalibration is noted by those watching.

• Effect:
  • Clear all active Conditions or effects you’ve applied to your previous target
  • Lose any Momentum or temporary bonuses (e.g., +1 die, Observed weaknesses, setup effects)
  • You may declare a new intent for the following round

Preparing a Shift

If you want to Shift Focus without penalty, you may preface it with an Observe or Defend action that rolls at least 2 successes.

This allows for smoother, more tactical repositioning—think of it like a feint, feigned withdrawal, or graceful transition.

🔇 Hold Silence

In the world of Vaelora, silence can be more terrifying than words. When you Hold Silence, you step out of the conversational flow. You speak no words, issue no rebuttal, and make no move—yet the weight of your gaze, your presence, or your stillness hangs heavy.

You’re not disengaged. You’re waiting.

Use this when you're biding time, feigning indifference, or preparing for a devastating return volley.

🎲 Mechanics

• You take no other action this round.
• You cannot be considered actively defending, though passive resistance (your base DC) still applies.
• Gain +1 die to your next round’s roll (any action).
• Cannot be used two rounds in a row—holding silence is only powerful when it’s a rare, deliberate tactic.

🧠 Tactical Note

• Best paired with Observe or Engage the following round—setting up a high-impact moment
• May be used to break rhythm, stall momentum, or let others Falter first
• Can serve as an intimidating posture in tense scenes (especially when combined with high Presence or Spirit

🛡️ Passive Defense

In a world of veiled truths and whispered power, even silence is a stance. Every character in a social encounter possesses a Passive Defense—a measure of their instinctive, unspoken resistance to manipulation, pressure, or emotional intrusion.

This DC (Difficulty Class) is always active, whether the character is engaged, distracted, or choosing another action. It represents your base resistance to influence and serves as the target number that others must overcome when using a social Approach against you.

If you choose to Defend actively during your turn, you may increase your Passive Defense by spending successes to fortify your emotional or spiritual guard.

🎲 Calculating Passive Defense

Each Approach targets a different kind of resistance. Depending on which Approach an opponent uses (e.g., Charm, Deceive, Invoke), your Passive Defense is calculated using a different combination of Attribute + Skill.

To determine your Passive Defense DC (round up any fractions):

Passive Defense = \frac{Attribute + Skill}{2}

This base DC usually ranges from 2 to 5 for most characters.

🎭 Defense Pairings by Approach

Dependng on which Approach an attacker uses to Engage you, a different Passive Defense is applied:

Attacker’s Approach	Defending Against	Resistance Pool Used
Charm	Emotional manipulation	Spirit + Empathy
Deceive	Lies and misdirection	Wits + Insight
Persuade	Rational or moral appeal	Wits + Rhetoric (or Discipline)
Command	Intimidation or pressure	Presence + Command
Invoke	Spiritual authority	Spirit + Theology

Note

GMs may approve alternate pairings if the narrative justifies them (e.g., Etiquette vs. Persuade in a courtly setting).

🛡️ Boosting Defense via Active Defend

When you take the Defend action, you may roll a pool tied to your chosen defensive tactic (e.g., Insight for seeing through lies, Discipline for emotional calm) and spend successes to fortify yourself. This system rewards defending just enough—not every round must be active defense, but choosing the right moment can make all the difference.

🧠 Why Passive Defense Matters

• Consistency & Clarity: There’s always a baseline to roll against—no guessing if someone is “paying attention.”
• Character Expression: A Spirit-heavy mystic shrugs off emotional lures, while a sharp-eyed spy sees through lies.
• Tactical Depth: Players who study their targets (via Observe) can select the Approach that hits weakest resistance.

🩸 Slights, Face, and Faltering

Words wound. A Slight is more than a misstep. It’s a fracture in your mask—a flush of shame, a stammer, a spiritual sting. Slights represent the emotional and social damage a character suffers during intrigue: embarrassment, self-doubt, exposed secrets, spiritual destabilization, or loss of control.

Every character has a Face, the threshold of how much pressure they can take before they break.

Face = Spirit + Focus

Each failed or resisted social action may inflict 1 or more Slights, depending on the outcome and the attacker’s approach. Conditions, marked dice, and certain effects may inflict Slights even on partial successes or defense failures.

When a character’s total Slights exceed their Face, they Falter.

🩶 Faltering: When the Mask Cracks

To Falter is to momentarily lose the thread—emotionally, spiritually, or socially. You can no longer keep playing the game at this moment. Your voice shakes. You look away. You snap. You break.

A Faltering character must choose one of the following reactions:

Falter Reaction	Description
Withdraw	You leave the scene, emotionally or physically. You may not act again unless you rejoin (see below).
Submit	You yield: to the pressure, the truth, or the will of another. Accept a demand, confess a truth, or cede the social ground.
Break Down	You lose control—tears, fury, numb silence. You are out of the scene until you recover.
Lash Out	You erupt—accuse, insult, strike a low blow. Inflict 1 Slight on your aggressor, but suffer 1 extra yourself.

These are not mechanical defaults—they are dramatic pivots. Lean into them. Roleplay them. Let them change the course of the scene.

Once you faltered, you may use the [[#🩸 Recover Composure]] action to gather yourself and be able to act again.

🧠 Social Trauma (Optional Rule)

For longer-term consequences, a GM may call for a Trauma Check if a character Falters multiple times in a single scene, or suffers an Emotional Breakdown under extreme stakes.

• Roll 1d6. On a 5 or 6, gain a Social Trauma—a lingering emotional scar.

Trauma	Effect
Anxious	You suffer –1 die when targeted by multiple characters in a scene.
Distrustful	You cannot form new Bonds unless deeply roleplayed.
Guilt-Ridden	Whenever you use a Bond to gain advantage, take 1 Slight.
Jaded	You can no longer gain Inspiration or benefit from Charm effects.
Shamebound	Whenever you Falter, the GM may whisper a remembered shame into the scene. It echoes. Others may sense it.

Social Trauma may be healed through deep rest, narrative catharsis, or spiritual intervention.

💥 Emotional Fallout

Social wounds don’t end when the words do. In Vaelora, the most dangerous exchanges aren’t between rivals—they’re between companions, lovers, and those who once shared trust. The Emotional Fallout system handles what happens when party members clash, betray each other, or speak truths too sharp to ignore.

This system adds narrative weight and mechanical consequence to inter-party conflict, moments of betrayal, or emotionally charged failures.

🔥 When to Trigger Emotional Fallout

An Emotional Fallout check is triggered when:

• One player character uses a social Approach directly against another
• A character Falters due to another PC’s action
• A character delivers a narrative betrayal, harsh truth, or emotional wound (GM’s discretion)
• Players agree that a scene demands it

🎲 Resolution

Each participant in the conflict rolls a relevant Engage action (usually Charm,Deceive, Command, or Persuade).

• Roll as if attempting a normal social action
• The character with fewer net successes must choose a Fallout Effect
• On a tie, both may choose to either:
  • Take a minor Fallout, or
  • Let the tension linger unresolved (the scene escalates later)

The goal is not to “win” the moment, but to define how it lands—what mark it leaves on your relationship.

💔 Fallout Effects

Players may choose to narrate their own fallout in place of this table if the GM approves and it fits the emotional arc of the scene.

Fallout	Effect
Bitterness	You gain +1 die to resist that character’s future social actions, but you cannot form or deepen Bonds with them until this Fallout is resolved.
Resigned	You lose 1 Bond with the other character. If no Bond existed, you gain 1 Slight instead.
Lingering Hurt	You gain 1 point of Social Trauma (see Trauma rules).
Denial	You suppress the moment. No immediate effect—but your next social conflict with this character has +1 DC.
Closeness Through Pain	If both players choose this effect, you each gain 1 Bond—but also take 1 Slight. Pain becomes intimacy.

🧠 Resolving Fallout

Fallout does not fade on its own. It must be confronted or healed:

• Through a heartfelt scene of apology, truth, or forgiveness
• Via ritual, shared danger, or intimacy
• By burning a Bond to close the wound (you both lose 1 Bond, but remove Fallout)

Until resolved, Fallout can limit social synergy, make conditions stickier, or open cracks for future failure.

🔗 Bonds & Leverage

Not all power is visible. Relationships are currency—some forged in fire, others slipped between the sheets or bound by spirit and shame. The Bonds & Leverage system represents the emotional, personal, or spiritual weight between characters. You can’t win every argument with words alone—but sometimes, it only takes a look… or a memory.

💞 Bonds (0–5)

Bonds reflect meaningful emotional ties—trust, affection, guilt, fear, or spiritual resonance. They can be mutual or one-sided, intense or unspoken, but once forged, they exert mechanical pull.

• Bonds are tracked on a per-target basis (character → character).
• Maximum Bond rating is 5.
• Most new Bonds begin at 1, and may grow through narrative moments or mechanical effects.

You can have Bonds with NPCs, enemies, lovers, allies—even spirits. Bonds don’t mean you like them. They mean they matter.

🌀 Gaining Bonds

You may gain a Bond when:

• You use Charm or Seduction with 2+ successes
• You suffer a Falter caused by another character
• You share a moment of deep emotional vulnerability
• You survive hardship or danger together
• You forgive or are forgiven

Some Conditions, Rituals, or Entanglements may also trigger automatic Bond creation.

🎲 Spending Bonds

Once per roll, you may spend a Bond with a character to:

Effect	Cost
Reroll 1 failed die	1 Bond
Add +2 dice to a social roll targeting them	1 Bond
Resist Faltering caused by them	1 Bond per scene
Automatically Recover Composure after a Falter (vs. them)	2 Bonds
Bonds are spent (not strained)—they are gone unless re-earned.

💔 Straining or Breaking Bonds

Bonds are delicate. If a character betrays, ignores, or wounds someone emotionally, the Bond may be:

• Strained: still exists, but cannot be spent until resolved
• Broken: removed entirely, potentially inflicting 1 Slight or triggering Emotional Fallout

GM may call for a Fallout scene or allow Observe to reveal the moment a Bond breaks.

🐍 Leverage

Leverage is the art of knowing just enough to ruin someone.

While Bonds represent connection, Leverage represents control—information, secrets, power, or pressure that can be used once to devastating effect.

Leverage is tracked as tokens, gained and spent per target.

🔍 Gaining Leverage

You gain a Leverage token when you:

• Use Observe or Inquire with 3+ successes
• Discover a character’s secret, oath, trauma, or forbidden tie
• Witness a moment of emotional breakdown or betrayal
• Fulfill a spiritual rite that binds another's soul or shame
• Invoke a political, magical, or religious debt

Each Leverage token must be narratively tied to a specific threat, secret, or vulnerability.

🎲 Spending Leverage

Each Leverage token may be spent once to activate one of the following:

Effect	Cost
Automatically trigger a social effect up to cost 2 (no roll)	1 token
Inflict 1 Slight (bypasses defense)	1 token
Reduce target’s Face by 1 for the rest of the scene	1 token
Force the target to Falter if they fail any roll this round	1 token (limit once per scene)
Once spent, Leverage is burned. However, tokens may be renewed if the secret remains potent or the pressure re-applied narratively.

💘 Romance & Love

Rromance is not a subplot. It is spell and scar, bond and battlefield. It shapes destinies, weakens resolve, strengthens souls—and sometimes, destroys them.

This system offers mechanical depth for romantic entanglements, turning longing and connection into mechanics as sharp and seductive as any blade.

🔐 Love Must Be Earned: The Bond Threshold

Before two characters may fall into formal romance—before lips meet, or vows are whispered under moonlight—they must first build something real.

To enter a Romantic Entanglement, both characters must hold at least 3 positive Bonds toward one another, or a shared pool of 6 total Bonds. These Bonds must not be strained, broken, or false.

They must be forged through vulnerability, shared hardship, seduction, or the slow ache of emotional proximity.

Once the threshold is met, the players may choose to define their Entanglement Type and become romantically bound.

💞 Entanglements: Defining the Relationship

Every romance has its rhythm—its risks, its rituals, its power imbalances. Choose (or evolve into) an Entanglement Type to define the shape of your connection:

Entanglement Type	Effect
Tender	You each gain 1 Bond. When using Charm or Empathy on one another, add +1 die.
Secret	+1 die when lying to others about the relationship. But if either of you Falter, the other takes 1 Slight.
Volatile	+1 die when acting from jealousy, lust, or rage. If one betrays the other, the betrayer suffers 1 Social Trauma.
One-Sided	One partner begins with 2 Bonds, the other with none. The Bond-holder gains +1 to Observe the other, but –1 die on any action that might hurt them.
Spiritual	You may borrow 1 Spirit die per scene to your partner. If one suffers a Breakdown, the other is affected by the same Condition.
These can change over time. Some loves soften. Others twist.

🌹 Romantic Bonds

Romantic Bonds follow the same rules as standard Bonds—but they resonate deeper. They are more volatile. More generous. More cruel.

You may spend Romantic Bonds as normal (reroll, add dice, resist Falter), or invoke the following special effects:

Effect	Cost
Share the effect of a Defend or Observe action with your lover	1 Bond
Resist Faltering for your partner	1 Bond
Rejoin the scene immediately after Breakdown if they are present	2 Bonds
Take a Condition in their place (once per scene)	2 Bonds
Trigger an automatic 3-success social effect in an intimate moment	2 Bonds (once per session)

🛏️ Downtime With Your Lover

When you spend downtime with your partner—whether entwined in a warm room, walking beneath spirit-lit trees, or exchanging letters laced with meaning—choose one:

Option	Effect
Soothing Touch	Remove 2 Slights or clear a minor emotional Condition
Shared Dreams	Gain +1 die on your next Spirit- or Focus-based roll
Whispers in the Dark	Ask one deep or dangerous question the other must answer truthfully (or symbolically)
Intimate Tangle	Regain 1 spent Bond between you (once per week/session)
Bound by Breath	Declare a shared vow. If both keep it through the next session, gain +1 Bond or temporary Leverage together
These are not transactions. They are rituals of intimacy—and they leave their mark.

🛡️ Love in Hardship

When the world turns cruel, lovers become each other’s shield.

Once per session, when facing despair, danger, or emotional collapse, you may invoke your romantic bond to endure:

Situation	Effect
You Falter	If your partner is present, you may roll Focus + Bond Level to recover, instead of Focus + Spirit
You Break	If you suffer Emotional Breakdown, you may pass one effect to your partner—and both roleplay its echo
You Suffer Alone	If apart, you may spend 1 Bond to reroll a failed defense or composure roll—drawing strength from memory or longing

💔 When It Breaks

If one partner betrays, abandons, or fully erodes the bond:

• The wounded partner suffers 1 Slight and gains a Fallout or Trauma at GM discretion.
• The betrayer must make a Recover Composure check immediately—or Falter.
• If both burn their Bonds in fury or sorrow, each gains a Social Trauma unless they narrate a painful reconciliation or formal severance.

Love, here, has teeth. And when it bites, it scars.

🧠 Optional Systems

These advanced rules add texture, tension, and consequence to social encounters. They don’t change the core system, but deepen the stage, stakes, and spectacle. Use them when you want the scene to truly sing—or sting.

🔥 Momentum Tracker

Social intrigue is rarely static—it swells, shifts, and spirals. The Momentum Tracker lets you represent this building pressure in multi-round scenes.

Track the net successes between two opposing sides across rounds (e.g., a PC group vs. a court faction, rival diplomat, or dueling lovers). Each success earned by one side subtracts from the other’s total.

Example: PCs gain 3 net successes in round one, lose 1 in round two = Momentum at 2.

🎯 Seizing Narrative Control

When a side reaches 6+ Momentum, they seize narrative control:

• The crowd shifts toward them
• The target visibly weakens
• The tone of the scene changes—emotionally, spiritually, politically

At this point, the GM may trigger a shift:

• An NPC concedes or escalates
• A third party intervenes
• A secret is revealed or a ritual concludes

Use Momentum to guide the tempo—not force outcomes, but tilt them. Let the pressure build until someone breaks or wins.

👁️ Audience Dynamics

You’re never alone in a social encounter. There are always watchers—courtiers, spirits, servants, lovers, soldiers. And their reactions can shift the balance.

Audience Dynamics come into play when social Conditions affect more than the immediate target:

Condition	Audience Reaction
Entranced	Nearby NPCs may become open to suggestion, seduction, or awe
Ashamed	Observers may whisper, mock, or distance themselves
Inspired	Allies gain +1 die to social rolls in the next round
Lash Out / Falter	Tension rises; audience may choose sides or grow restless
Submit	Crowd may see weakness or loyalty—depending on context

The GM may assign the audience a Mood Rating (e.g., Hostile 2, Sympathetic 1) that can shift based on who gains Conditions or Momentum.

🗺️ Social Terrain

Where you fight with words matters just as much as how.

Social Terrain provides modifiers and narrative flavor tied to the setting of the encounter. These locations affect both tone and mechanical outcomes.

Location	Terrain Effect
Sacred Ground	+1 die to Invoke, –1 die to Deceive
Public Stage	On failure: the moment becomes gossip. You suffer +1 DC on future rolls involving reputation
Royal Court	+1 die to Etiquette or Persuade; but failure inflicts Ashamed
Spirit Shrine	Failed Invoke or Spirit-based rolls may trigger Spiritual Trauma
The Garden at Dusk (optional poetic terrain)	+1 to Charm rolls, but emotional Conditions linger an extra round
Battlefield Campfire	+1 to Observe, –1 to Charm. Brutal honesty rules here.

GMs are encouraged to create custom Terrain Effects for major story locations. Social terrain can also shift mid-scene as the crowd turns, secrets spill, or spirits awaken.

Tables

Conditions

Condition	Effect
Entranced	Target cannot act aggressively toward you for the scene; vulnerable to Charm or Invoke.
Suspicious	+1 DC to social attempts targeting them; may react harshly to missteps.
Ashamed	Suffers –1 die on next action; audience may react negatively; vulnerable to Persuade and Command.
Inspired	Gains +1 die to social rolls for the next round; may uplift allies.
Flustered	Loses next action unless spending a Bond or Leverage. Vulnerable to pressure.
Unnerved	–1 die to Spirit or Focus rolls; may reflect spiritual or emotional discomfort.
Distracted	–1 die to Observe or Defend; cannot use Hold Silence next round.
Swayed	–2 DC against your next Engage action. May shift their stance or become open.
Fearful	Must Defend or Withdraw next round; cannot use Command or Invoke.
Distrustful	Cannot form Bonds with the source for the rest of the scene; +1 die to resist them.
Shamed	Loses standing in group; social roles against them gain +1 die; causes strain on Bonds.
Inspired (Ally)	Ally gains +1 die when acting against the same target; often applied via Persuade.
Condition Blocked	A result of active defense (e.g., Compose or Spiritual Guard); negates one condition that round.

Offensive Social Approaches

Approach	Attribute + Skill	Typical Use
Charm	Presence + Seduction or Empathy	Build rapport, seduce, inspire, soften hostility
Deceive	Cunning + Deception or Subterfuge	Lie, redirect, conceal motives
Persuade	Presence + Persuasion or Etiquette	Argue values, negotiate, appeal to logic
Command	Presence + Intimidation or Command	Dominate, pressure, override
Invoke	Spirit + Theology, Rituals, or Attune	Call upon spiritual authority, taboo, destiny

Passive Defense Pairings

Your Passive Defense DC (rounded up) is:

(Attribute + Skill) ÷ 2

and depends on which approach is targeting you:

Attacker’s Approach	Passive Defense Pool
Charm	Spirit + Empathy
Deceive	Wit + Insight
Persuade	Wit + Discipline or Rhetoric
Command	Presence + Command
Invoke	Spirit + Theology

🛡️ Defensive Approaches

Defense Style	Pool	Tone	Spend Successes To…
Compose	Focus + Spirit	Stoic, inward, steady	Raise resistance DC, remove Slights, block Conditions, gain future bonus, intensify silence
Deflect	Cunning + Deception	Evasive, slippery, unreadable	Conceal intent, redirect harm, confuse attacker, gain false Leverage
Discredit	Presence + Intimidation or Command	Bold, aggressive, confrontational	Weaken attacker’s success, apply Flustered, silence or override presence
Soften	Empathy + Wit or Presence	Gentle, disarming, emotionally open	Reduce Slights, learn truths, shift attacker’s heart, offer peace
Spiritual Guard	Spirit + Rituals or Attune	Sacred, mystic, fortified	Block Invoke, null spiritual trauma, apply supernatural resistance