Social Combat notes
Social combat is an abstraction of the process of argument, debate, and negotiation. It's for folks you're generally friendly (or at least not interested in brutally killing like the murder hobos you adventurers probably are) with but with whom you have a disagreement. Social combat ends not in death but in one side generally agreeing to the terms or requests of the other side, usually at some sort of middle ground, closer to one side or another depending on how effective each side of the social combat was at wearing down the other. A skilled negotiator arguing against a merely competent one will likely turn the terms of the resulting contract somewhat in his or her favor, while a silver-tongued bard might convince an uneducated peasant off the street to trade a cow for some "magic" beans. While social combat is generally described here in the context of two parties going head to head with each other in negotiation, it can just as easily represent two sides of a case being argued before a third party using the same mechanics.
Dissolving Into Violence: It's worth noting that social combat is not the endpoint of conflict. That would be actual conflict. A party on trial, seeing the judge's favor turning against them, can still demand trial by combat, or force the issue by drawing swords regardless. Generally, once physical combat has begun, social combat is impossible; violence usually becomes the last recourse. Social combat can only begin again once all parties are willing to, at least momentarily, stop trying to stab each other.
Note: These are just some really basic notes so far. The general idea is to have the basic framework of D&D combat that everyone's generally familiar with (except grappling which everyone seems to have trouble with) upon which the same sort of tactical options, resource management, and character choices can be built.
Basics and Ability Scores
- Int mod for offensive (like Str): Your modifier on argumentation (attack) rolls and {social damage} rolls.
- Wis mod for defense (like Dex): Your modifier on Will saves (opposes Intimidate), for the Sense Motive skill (opposes Bluff), and for your Stubbornness Class (AC equivalent, opposes argumentation rolls).
- Cha mod for general goodies (like Con): Your modifier on {social hp} per level, for the Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Intimidate checks.
Skills
Skills enhance your options, but do not replace the meat of social combat.
Bluff (feint): Distracts your opponent from the real issue, leaving them flabbergasted (Wisdom denied to Stubbornness Class) against your next argument. Just like feinting in combat, except with base argumentation bonus instead of base attack bonus.
Concentration: Resists interruptions.
Diplomacy (disarm): A Diplomacy check opposed by your opponent's argumentation check finds an apparently satisfactory solution to their currently wielded argument, disarming them of it. A disarmed argument is dropped. The thread of a dropped argument can be picked up again, but doing so provokes a point of order.
Gather Info (trip): A Gather Information check opposed by your opponent's argumentation or Sense Motive check (whichever is better) goads them into revealing more information than they care to, leaving them exposed. An exposed character suffers a -4 penalty to his or her Stubbornness Class. An exposed character can recover as a move action, but doing so provokes a point of order.
Intimidate (demoralize): Demoralize your opponent, rendering them shaken for 1 round (-2 on all the usual stuff, plus also argumentation rolls). Exactly the same as normal demoralization, but without the need to threaten in melee combat.
Knowledge: A high Knowledge check allows you to recognize creatures and their common tactics.
Sense Motive: Resists Bluff and Gather Info.
Terminology
Point of Order (PoO): Attack of opportunity
Stubbornness Class (SC): Armor Class
Exposed: Prone
Flabbergasted: Flatfooted
Base Argumentation Bonus (BAB): Base Attack Bonus
Argumentation roll: Attack roll
{social damage}: Damage (TODO: Needs a name)
{social hp}: Hit points (TODO: Needs a name)
Argument: Weapon
Classes
I don't know if existing classes should have social combat features added to them, or if a new set of social classes should be designed to be taken alongside existing combat classes, gestalt-like. Probably some combination of the two, where all classes just give you some basic stats and you get some basic social combat abilities by level sorta like feats, with a few extra goodies by class.
Barbarian: d8 hp, +3/4 BAB
Rage: Not compatible with social combat. See dissolving into violence.
Will of Strength (Ex): Beginning at xth level, you can use your Strength modifier in place of your Intelligence modifier for argumentation and {social damage} rolls.
Stoic (Ex): Beginning at xth level, you can use your Constitution modifier in place of your Charisma modifier for {social hp}.
Bard: d12 hp, full BAB
Most bardic music abilities are compatible with social combat.
Cleric: d10 hp, +3/4 BAB
Druid: d8 hp, +1/2 BAB
Empathy (Ex): Beginning at xth level, you can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Intelligence modifier for argumentation rolls.
Fighter: d8 hp, +1/2 BAB
Stoic (Ex): Beginning at xth level, you can use your Constitution modifier in place of your Charisma modifier for {social hp}.
Monk: d12 hp, +3/4 BAB
Empathy (Ex): Beginning at xth level, you can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Intelligence modifier for argumentation rolls.
Paladin: d10 hp, full BAB
Justification (Ex): Beginning at xth level, you can use your Charisma modifier in place of your Intelligence modifier for {social damage} rolls.
Ranger: d8 hp, +1/2 BAB
Empathy (Ex): Beginning at xth level, you can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Intelligence modifier for argumentation rolls.
Rogue: d8 hp, full BAB
Uncanny Recovery: Beginning at xth level, you retain your Wisdom bonus to SC (if any) even if your are flabbergasted or are blindsided by an unexpected argument. However, you still lose your Wisdom bonus to SC if {immobilized}.
Fallacious Debating: (Sneak attack for social combat. +1d6 {social damage} per odd level when opponent is denied Wis to SC.)
Sorcerer: d6 hp, +3/4 BAB
Wizard: d6 hp, +1/2 BAB
... You've got full prepared spellcasting. What more do you want? Just charm the sucker and be done with it.
Conditions
Fascinate: Fascinated creatures also suffer a -4 penalty to their SC.
Shaken: Shaken creatures also suffer a -2 penalty on argumentation rolls.