(Apologies on the formatting, but I originally wrote this in my word processor, as my Internet service was down for a week. I don't know why it has chosen to appear this way, and I'm trying to fix it.)
One
of the biggest complaints a lot of Game Masters have is that players will always
try to solve problems with spells or steel, rather than using their
wits or their words. However, while that is a valid complaint to
have, it is important to first look in the mirror before assigning
all the blame to the players sitting around the table.
In
short, did you give them a reason to believe that rolling for diplomacy or persuasion would actually work? Or has that always led to the enemy
getting the first shot in, putting the party at a disadvantage for the coming combat?
 |
| Now, stick with me here, I want you to NOT roll initiative just yet... |
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If Words Don’t Work, Players Won’t Use Them
Generally
speaking, players understand there are non-combat options to solve
issues… but that understanding seems to only exist when their
characters are in locations where combat is frowned upon. If they’re
in a town, for example, they’ll try to barter for goods, sweet talk
their way out of trouble, or threaten their way past a couple of
street toughs… but as soon as the PCs step outside of the
designated “friendly” zone, it’s like all their non-combat
options get grayed out.
Your
job, as the Game Master, is to show that just because the party is
venturing through the depths of a forest, or they’re entering a
dungeon, that doesn’t mean their social skills are no longer
viable. And to do that, it pays to sprinkle in some encounters where
players can see this in action.
 |
| Let's have a conversation, shall we sweet ones? |
For
example, say your players encounter a flitting fey creature (like one
of the ones you might find in 100 Encounters in a Fey Forest, for
instance) while they’re moving through the woods. They could attack
it and drive it off, yes, but does doing so mean they find the forest
ahead of them is now filled with traps? If they speak cordially with
the creature, will it offer them guidance through the woods? Or
perhaps tell them the location of a buried treasure, in exchange for
a promise to take on a small task for it? If they’re merely
pleasant, and offer it some of their rations, will the creature watch
over them while they’re in its part of the forest, looking for some
way to pay back the “gift” it was given?
Expand
this idea out in other ways. Do the ogres guarding the wicked
sorcerer’s fortress actually dislike the role they’ve been forced
into, and they would love to see the spellcaster killed, as long as
they get the gold they were promised? Do the rank-and-file members of
the Mistwood Raiders think their war leader has gone too far in
kidnapping people for ransom, and killing people who weren’t even
resisting? If so, could they be persuaded to offer the party
information, or even help, if they promise to end the bandit king who
wears the bone crown taken from the forgotten tomb of the Mad King?
Could they go so far as to open talks with a vampire who seems to be
attacking a nearby town, or to engage with a dragon to establish an
agreement between it and the terrified people who have lived in its
shadow?
 |
| Parley? Well, I suppose... |
Now,
obviously, social skills won’t solve every situation. Clockwork
automatons, mindless undead, and territorial magical beasts don’t
respond to social overtures, and they will do what their programming,
orders, or instincts urge them to do. There will always be
antagonists whose goals are directly counter to what the PCs want,
and so reaching any kind of agreement will be impossible. And there
will always be enemies who think themselves too powerful to bend even
an inch to the demands of others, no matter how soft the silk those
demands are wrapped in. However, if you want your players to embrace
a variety of tactics to solve problems, then it’s important to show
them that there are reasonable creatures in the setting who will at
least hear them out when they try to be diplomatic.
Lastly,
it’s important to consider how this can affect the reputation of
the party. If the sorcerer is known for an uncanny ability to bargain
with fey creatures, does he earn the name Silvertongue among them (or
Ironjaw for those who end up on the worse end of the agreements)? If
the dwarven fighter sealed a pact with an orc clan, and upheld his
end of that bargain, does that earn him respect among other members
of that clan or nation? Perhaps opening doors that would have
remained shut to him if he and his allies had merely slaughtered
those who got in their way? And if the party takes prisoners, accepts
surrender, and treats those who opposed them with honor, that’s
something that should also be known to others after a time. On the
other hand, if the party breaks promises, lies, cheats, and steals,
then they’re going to find those bad decisions catching up with
them, and their reputations are more of a weight around their necks
than anything else.
For
more on this, check out the article Character Reputation in Fantasy RPGs: The Small Legend.
And
if you’re looking for more ways to incorporate social encounters
into your next campaign, consider checking out some of the following
supplements:
- 100 Random Encounters For On The Road Or In The Wilderness (general fantasy RPG)
- Social Encounters For Old School Revival (OSR system)
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