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Social Skills
Dice rarely need to get involved when characters need
to solve problems between one another. Dealing with
NPCs isn’t always so easy. Social skills give characters
the ability to problem-solve without expending bullets
or mana. These skills tend to be linked to the Charisma
attribute.
Social skills are intended to be used to complement
good role-playing, not replace it. The Social Test should
come either at the end of a well-role-played scene to
wrap it up, or in place of a social situation that would be
less interesting to actually play through to get through it
quickly. The gamemaster can provide modifiers on this
test based on how well you make your point, or how
much bulldrek you’re able to pile up without flinching.
Bigotry in the Sixth World
Even after half a century of living with various
metatypes, prejudice is still a factor in social situations.
Social, cultural, and racial differences have defined how
we act toward one another for all of history. As the world
shot into the 21st century, the “us vs. them” dichotomy
burst into bright contrast with the return of magic, the
rise of technomancy, and most obviously the evolution
of metahuman races. As in the past, proponents of
prejudice justify their feelings with claims of necessity.
Magic users, they say, are uncontrolled menaces that,
with one strand of your hair, can murder you from a
distance. Technomancers slip unseen through the digital
world stealing your wealth and destroying your life. Orks
and trolls are monsters of nightmare that know nothing
but violence. Elves and dragons seek to rule our planet,
making us their slaves. The pre-Awakening prejudices
are still not dead, either, just slightly puckered and faded
in the presence of a batch of new “others.”
Using Social Skills
At the core of Shadowrun is the idea that the characters
are outsiders trying to survive in the shadow of the old
boys’ network of corporate suits, elven princes, government
interests, wageslaves, street gangs, etc. These
kinds of people know who belongs and how to deal
with one another. Social skills are your ticket into these
social networks. They start when you walk into the
room and continue as you interact with other people.
Using Social Influence Skills
Most of the Social skills are used to influence people.
The specific test to make is based on the skill you’re using—
check out the Social Skill Tests table for specifics.
When you’re trying to influence a crowd, the gamemaster
will use the leader of that crowd to oppose you,
even if you’re not addressing the leader directly. The
leader has an “ace in the hole” for this test—the crowd
is on his side—so he gets a +2 dice pool bonus. He also
gets a limit bonus equal to the number of people backing
his side of the Social skill test.
Social Modifiers
Anyone can be swayed, given the right place, right
time, and right conditions. Social modifiers represent
the conditions that affect your interaction with NPCs.
Smells, crowd noise, attire, distractions, and even an
NPC’s state of mind can play a factor in the interaction.
For example, you’d be hard pressed to convince
Mr. Johnson of your professionalism if you show up to
the meet in ripped jeans and a blood-spattered longcoat,
and that would make your chances of negotiating
a better fee for the run kinda harsh. The gamemaster
should assess each social situation and apply modifiers
as he feels appropriate. Unless otherwise noted, Opposed
Test modifiers affect one character or the other.
A few modifiers affect both characters.
| Social Skills |
Attribute |
Can Default |
Skill Group |
| Con |
Charisma |
Yes |
Acting |
| Etiquette |
Charisma |
Yes |
Influence |
| Impersonation |
Charisma |
Yes |
Acting |
| Instruction |
Charisma |
Yes |
None |
| Intimidation |
Charisma |
Yes |
None |
| Leadership |
Charisma |
Yes |
Influence |
| Negotiation |
Charisma |
Yes |
Influence |
| Performance |
Charisma |
Yes |
Acting |
Con
Con governs the ability to manipulate or fool an NPC
during a social encounter. This skill covers a range of
confidence games as well as the principles behind
those cons.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Acting
Specializations: Fast Talking, Seduction
Etiquette
Etiquette represents the level of understanding and
awareness of proper social rituals. The skill works as a
sort of social version of Sneak, allowing you to move
unimpeded through various social situations. Etiquette
also serves as a social safety net in case a player botches
a social situation in a way a skilled character would
not.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Influence
Specializations: By culture or subculture (Corporate,
High Society, Media, Mercenary, Street, Yakuza, etc.)
Etiquette is about blending into the social fabric. Skilled
characters can move through a social situation without
anyone realizing that they don’t belong. It’s more than
knowing the right mores (you could look those up on the
Matrix), it’s about trained instinct.
You can use Etiquette to ease suspicions, so that people
might trust you more than they would an outsider.
Make an Etiquette + Charisma [Social] Test against the
other person’s Perception + Charisma [Social] Opposed
Test. If you get any net hits, they’ll accept you. If you get
3 or more net hits, their attitude toward you will improve,
moving up a line on the “NPC’s attitude” section of the
Social Modifiers table.
The skill is not meant to replace role-playing, but it
can save you from a social blunder that you (the player)
make when your character probably wouldn’t have.
When this happens, make an Etiquette Test against a
threshold equal to the severity of the blunder (set by the
gamemaster using the Success Test Thresholds table,
p. 45). A successful test means your character recovers
from the misstep.
When making Etiquette tests with a group of NPCs,
use the same rules for influencing groups (Using Social
Skills, p. 139).
Etiquette & Glitches
A glitch on an Etiquette Test is treated the same as a
social blunder—the temporary annoyance could give
you a –2 dice modifier on your next social test. Critical
glitches result in major social gaffes that have a lasting
effect on the relationship your character has with
others—the NPC’s stance towards your character could
move one step toward Enemy. This is the stuff of which
long-time grudges and major feuds are made, the
words of disrespect that set street armies into motion.
Impersonation
Impersonation is the ability to assume the identity of
another person, including voice and physical mannerisms.
The skill is limited by the physical abilities of the
character. A dwarf might be able to impersonate a troll
over a commlink, but the illusion shatters when he is
face to face with his target.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Acting
Specializations: By metahuman type (Dwarf, Elf,
Human, Ork, Troll)
Instruction
Instruction governs the ability to teach people. The skill
level helps determine how comfortable the instructor
is delivering new material as well as how complex of a
skill may be taught.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: None
Specializations: By Active or Knowledge skill
category (Combat, Language, Magical, Academic
Knowledge, Street Knowledge, etc.)
From virtual instructors to how-to vids, there are numerous
ways to learn skills. There is no substitute, however,
for a flesh-and-blood instructor. In order to teach someone
a skill, a character must have the skill at Rating 4 or
higher. The teacher can only teach up to their own Instruction
Rating. Teaching is an Instruction + Charisma
[Social] Test. Every hit on the Teaching Test reduces the
time for the student to improve their skill by a day (Character
Advancement, p. 103).
Instruction is also used to teach spells, complex
forms, rituals, and various other techniques. The rules
for using Instruction are a bit different in these cases and
are explained in the appropriate sections of this book.
Intimidation
Intimidation is about creating the impression that you are
more menacing than another person in order to get them
to do what you want. The skill may be applied multiple
ways, from negotiation to interrogation. Intimidation is
an Opposed Intimidation + Charisma [Social] Test against
the target’s Charisma + Willpower, modified by the appropriate
entries on the Social Modifiers Table (p. 140).
Default: Yes
Skill Group: None
Specializations: Interrogation, Mental, Physical,
Torture
Leadership
Leadership is the ability to direct and motivate others.
It’s like Con, except rather than using deception you’re
using a position of authority. This skill is especially helpful
in situations where the will of a teammate is shaken
or someone is being asked to do something uncomfortable.
The Leadership skill is not meant to replace or
make up for poor teamwork. When using Leadership
make an opposed test Charisma + Leadership. See Using
Social Influence Skills, at right, for test modifiers.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Influence
Specializations: Command, Direct, Inspire, Rally
The Leadership skill is about coaxing, convincing,
threatening, or challenging your subordinates, or getting
people to accept you as a superior. If you lead
people who accept you as their (lone) superior, even
temporarily, you can take a Complex Action to make a
Simple Leadership + Charisma [Social] Test. How this
helps depends on what you choose to do.
Command: The target resists with a Leadership +
Willpower [Mental] test (with Social Modifiers, p. 140).
For every net hit you get, the target accepts you as their
leader for 1 Combat Turn. This doesn’t work if you’ve
failed on this target before.
Direct: Your hits act as a Teamwork Test for one subordinate’s
skill or Composure Test that they perform on
or before their next Action Phase.
Inspire: Your hits act as a Teamwork Test for your subordinates’
Surprise Test for the rest of the Combat Turn.
Rally: Your subordinates add 1 to their Initiative
Score for every 2 hits you get.
Negotiation
Negotiation governs a character’s ability to apply their
charisma, tactics, and knowledge of situational psychology
in order to create a better position when making deals.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Influence
Specializations: Bargaining, Contracts, Diplomacy
Performance
This skill governs the ability to execute a performing
art. Performance is to the arts what Artisan is to craft.
The performer uses her skill to entertain or even captivate
an audience. See Using Performance, p. 141.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Acting
Specializations: By performance art (Presentation,
Acting, Comedy, specific Musical Instrument, etc.)
Performance is a Simple Test with a Social limit—the
gamemaster can use your hits to gauge the artistry of
your performance. If you’re trying distract a target, or
sweep them up in your performance, the generic modifiers
on the Social Modifiers Table (p. 140) apply, and
your target(s) use their Charisma + Willpower to oppose
your test.