Social Combat

On Consent
As a note, many of the Social Combat rules can be used to enforce behavior on other characters. While IC actions are IC actions, you as a player should take your fellow players' wishes into account. Reports of abusing the Social Combat system will not be looked upon kindly.

Defense Values
Just as you have physical defense values to parry and dodge, you have social DVs to be used in the same way (though somewhat more metaphorically, either parrying or sidestepping the 'attacks' of those trying to undermine your arguments).


 * Parry Mental Defense Value:((Charisma or Manipulation) + (Investigation or Performance or Presence))/2
 * Dodge Mental Defense Value:(Willpower + Integrity + Essence)/2

Both of these values are always rounded down, even for Exalted.

Attacking
Instead of Dexterity or Strength, in social combat you use either Charisma (for "honest" attacks) or Manipulation (for "deceptive" attacks).

In social combat, your 'weapons' are your social skills. As such, you 'attack' with Investigation, Performance, or Presence.


 * Example:Truthfully pointing out that someone has violated a law would involve rolling Charisma + Investigation.

Effects of Attacks
There is no "damage" to social attacks. Instead they serve to compel behavior in some way. If an attack is successful (that is, it bypasses the target's MDV) then the target must either spend 1 point of Willpower or give in to the demands of the attacker. If the defender spends a total of 2 Willpower negating attacks on a single topic, they are immune to further attempts on that topic unless the attacker(s) can find a different approach (shifting from Presence attacks to Investigation, perhaps).

This expenditure of Willpower only applies to "natural" mental influence, namely argument. "Unnatural" mental influence in the form of magic has its own rules, usually stated within the effect itself.

Prayer
A prayer action outside of the usual social combat framework is needed to secure the attention of a god (or possibly even of a demon).

Roll (Charisma + Performance) at a difficulty of (7 - the Resources value of the sacrifice). Priests may reduce the difficulty by 1.

Sacrificing sentient beings has an effective Resources value equal to the combined permanent Essence of all victims (mortal humans have an Essence score of 1, even if they can't use it).

A successful prayer means that the deity understands the prayer and is inclined to provide subtle help. Possibly going so far as using Charms in the case of a terrestrial god.

Botching offends the god and requires a sacrifice with a Resources value of the god’s Essence (max 5).

Priests
Anyone officially ordained by a suitable temple (or directly by the divinity in question, if it happens)

Zenith, Midnight and No-Moon Exalts are considered priests by default.