Social Means
Social Means are about your accumulated knowledge, wisdom, and force of personality. A provocateur is adept at moving within and through society using their skills with language (words and body) and understanding of human foibles to politic or persuade, seduce or subdue, becalm or belittle. Rather than studying the sword to be a better killer or toiling over dusty parchments to learn esoteric secrets of the universe, the provocateur studies the humans around them, the logic and reason inherent in the world, the power of character to influence others, and the use of emotional appeals to manipulate behaviors. While those who profess to magical powers try to alter the laws reality directly, trading their souls in response, the provocateur is more concerned with how those laws are interpreted or exercised around them, and uses their wiles in a more subtle, and often more effective, manner.
Level 1 - Persuasion - You have spent most of your life so far living studying, formally or not, how people interact in social situations. Haggling for lower prices, enticing with physical pleasure, dazzling with technical brilliance, carrying posture to portray confidence; these are all aspects of the social atmosphere of the world and most successful people have become adept in one area or another. Those who have not especially honed their social skills are far more often to have to give and take in equal measure, but the provocateur who has deliberately sharpened their tool kit can often make out ahead. While those who are untrained in Persuasion must either provide equivalent value or roll a Rule of 7, those who are trained in Persuasion have wider Measures. When using any mental ability to convince others to do as you wish without physical force or exchange of goods, your Measures with your Social Abilities are all widened by 1. Your specific training (below) also allows you to add the relevant Social Ability rank to your window.
When you learn Persuasion, Choose 1:
- Educated - Your Intellect Measures widen by 1. You favor Logos over Ethos and Pathos and attempt to get others to see the reason and logic in doing as you wish, but you are more susceptible to feeling righteous or correct. Insight Measures taken against you widen by 1.
- Inspiring - Your Insight Measures widen by 1. You favor Ethos over Logos and Pathos and attempt to get others to see the honor and righteousness in doing as you wish, but you are more susceptible to emotional manipulation. Allure Measures taken against you widen by 1.
- Charismatic - Your Allure Measures widen by 1. You favor Pathos over Logos and Ethos and attempt to get others to feel the emotional weight of doing as you wish, but you are more susceptible to reason. Intellect Measures taken against you widen by 1.
While Persuasion might convince others socially, when engaged in a repartee or conflict, people often get more entrenched in their opinions, and conversation becomes adversarial. Social encounters can be combative, but physical combat is also rife with social posturing.
Offensive
Level 1 - Barb (requires Persuasion) - Choose 1 target within Medium Range. Take the Measure you are trained in (Educated/Intellect, Inspiring/Insight, or Charismatic/Allure). On a Hit, deal 1 Nerve damage.
Level 3 - Provoke (requires Barb) - When using Barb, on a Hit, target is also knocked Off-Balance.
Level 6 - Invective (requires Provoke) - When using Barb, on a Hit, target is also Exposed.
Evasive
Level 1 - Misdirect (requires Persuasion) - Choose 1 target within Medium Range. Take the Measure you are trained in (Educated/Intellect, Inspiring/Insight, or Charismatic/Allure). On a Hit or Complication, Measures that would target your social training shrink by 1 until the start of your next turn.
Level 3 - Deceive (requires Misdirect) - When using Misdirect, if a target rolls a Complication against you, it automatically turns to a Miss until the start of your next turn.
Level 6 - Dodge (requires Deceive) - When using Misdirect, if a target rolls a Hit against you, it automatically turns to Complication until the start of your next turn.
Supportive
Level 1 - Embolden (requires Persuasion) - Choose a target other than you within Melee Range. Take the Measure you are trained in (Educated/Intellect, Inspiring/Insight, or Charismatic/Allure). On a Hit or Complication, target gains 1 Grit for up to 5 rounds.
Level 3 - Inspire (requires Embolden) - When using Embolden, choose 1:
- Inspiring Aura - Take the Measure you are trained in (Educated/Intellect, Inspiring/Insight, or Charismatic/Allure). On a Hit or Complication, all allies within Melee Range gain 1 Grit for up to 5 rounds.
- Revitalize - Take the Measure you are trained in (Educated/Intellect, Inspiring/Insight, or Charismatic/Allure). On a Hit or Complication, target within Melee Range gains 2 Grit for up to 5 rounds.
Level 6 - Rally (requires Inspire) - When using Inspire:
- Inspiring Aura range increases to Medium Range.
- Revitalize increases to 3 Grit for up to 5 rounds.