Experiences with Social Engineering

[Sindri]

What have your experiences been with Social Engineering in actual play? Which parts did you use, what worked, what didn't, what felt significantly different than the Basic social rules, what strongly impacted the campaign, which areas would you like to see more attention paid to, what tweaks have you made and of those which worked and which didn't?

[Mailanka]

You mean the Social Engineering book?

My experience is that it is to social stuff what GURPS MA is to combat: A giant pile of detailed rules that you should never try to implement in their totality. Instead, you sift through the material, trying to find something that works for your particular campaign, what you want to focus on, and then use those sections of SE as the basis for your rules.

You'll need different parts of Social Engineering for a High School Soap than you'll need for a Conspiratorial Spy Drama, for example.

[weby]

Funny thing is, social skills and reaction rolls is one of the areas where I have diverged most from base rules(basically rewriting whole reaction bit) and yet I have found the book useful in really many ways in coming up with things like modifiers and what to do when.

[Sindri]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

You mean the Social Engineering book?

Of course.

Originally Posted by Mailanka

My experience is that it is to social stuff what GURPS MA is to combat: A giant pile of detailed rules that you should never try to implement in their totality. Instead, you sift through the material, trying to find something that works for your particular campaign, what you want to focus on, and then use those sections of SE as the basis for your rules.

So what sections have you used in different campaigns?

Originally Posted by weby

Funny thing is, social skills and reaction rolls is one of the areas where I have diverged most from base rules(basically rewriting whole reaction bit) and yet I have found the book useful in really many ways in coming up with things like modifiers and what to do when.

Have you posted your reaction roll rewrite?

[weby]

Originally Posted by Sindri

Have you posted your reaction roll rewrite?

No but it is on our campaign wiki with most of it on the reactions page: https://hups.kivinen.iki.fi/k2011:reactions, though parts like buying the advantages are scattered around, but basically in our rules you average a bit more in total base reaction bonus than in basic game due to easier to buy charisma and such.

It is not complex.. just just wanted to have a system where low rolls are good and you roll both reaction and a skill to modify a starting level.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Sindri

So what sections have you used in different campaigns?

Hmmm. It would be hard for me to separate bits out. I tend to take pieces and mold cohesive systems until I can't really see the seems anymore, but let me think.

My captain-and-crew space opera dealt heavily with things like first contact, negotiations, trials and lots of politics (in a very broad view, since the heroes are rarely around long enough to fuss with the details) and I also borrowed a lot of stuff dealing with talking people into switching sides, duels of wit, and other "social combat" elements to give the commanding, charismatic captain-types something unique to do in combat.

In my Cabal game, I focused more on infiltrating and manipulating organizations, with lots of emphasis on brainwashing and blackmail.

Both ended up using a lot of of Pulling Rank, but only the latter really made use of the Organizations book.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Sindri

Which parts did you use, what worked, what didn't, what felt significantly different than the Basic social rules, what strongly impacted the campaign, which areas would you like to see more attention paid to, what tweaks have you made and of those which worked and which didn't?

Running Dungeon Fantasy, mostly I keep it open for the Reaction Roll table, and go hunting for modifiers or tasks based on what the players do. I use that Reaction Roll table a lot, borrowing from the old school. :)

[GM Joe]

I recently bought GURPS Social Engineering, and after my first read-through I can see lots of uses for this material. But I also wonder what other people have used it for, and how it's worked out in actual play.

So, if you've run a game using GURPS Social Engineering, please post your experiences. Thanks!

[weby]

There was a discussion not long ago: http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=136100

[GM Joe]

Ah! Apologies. My Google-fu failed me.

I will assume based on the responses that Social Engineering is something popular as reading material, rather than as gaming material.