I love the move-directed design of DW over, say, Fate, but Fate is a lot more amenable to conflicts of arbitrary type.
So… how would one handle social conflicts? I don’t want to just add compendium classes or specialty classes, because you then force players to severely choose between different spheres (which can lead to things like the Decker problem).
Isn’t that what Parley is for?
I suppose… I was thinking something more involved. Mm
Personally I like to keep it simple. Make each type of interaction its own move, or make it all one more using different + depending on what you are doing. on a hit the player get get 2 hold actions to spend on a list of stuff they can make the target do or they have discovered. On a complication they only get 1, and have the target get one action back at the PC. on a miss the target gets 2 actions back at the PC. Maybe even let the PC’s pick what they gave up to the target. Loose lips and all of that.
I’d do something like that. Give all the power to the PC’s and let them decided what it is that they want, and have them understand that the target can get stuff out of them as well.
If social conflict is important to your fantasy world, you’ll need to design some social conflict moves. Specifically, you need to identify what kind of social conflict your fantasy world is about — courtly politics like gossiping and deal-making? Or is it more about honor-bound blood-brothers so its all calling on vows and cursing your neighbor? Or do you just want a really dramatic version of “hey help me” “no” “screw you”?
That’s your first step.
Parley is definitely not a social conflict system in and of itself. It’s a way to resolve one specific element of a pretty narrow range of social conflicts. It tells you how NPCs respond to manipulation when you have leverage. I like to think of it as giving me (the GM) guidance on how reasonable my NPCs are.
Making a generic “social conflict” move isn’t the right way to do it, either. There’s no single “combat” move; H&S, Volley, DD, and Defend all apply at different times depending on what you’re doing.
What you’d want to do (if this is something you do want to do) is make moves for the other sorts of tense, social interactions you might have with someone. Off the top of my head, you’d want something like Read a Person from Apocalypse World (roll +WIS, get hold, spend hold to ask questions like “are you lying” or “what do you really want”), Shut Someone Down from Monsterhearts or maybe a more general Abuse move (roll +CHA , on a 10+ they must pick one, on a 7-9 they can pick from a less bad list instead).
I imagine Apocalypse World Dark Ages will have something close to what you’re looking for.
NPCs seek to complete their goals and abide by their motivations. Arguments that seem likely to aid them in their endeavors are embraced, ones that run contrary to their goals are rejected. When there are mutually exclusive motivations between people one side pushes until the other compromises in a way that ends the pushing or reacts with a counterattack (sometimes in an attempt at delivering ‘social damage’, often [in high fantasy politicking] with violence)
Which is to say, my group doesn’t roll for social situations (unless it’s a Parlay to force someone’s hand or a CHA Defy to laugh off a treasonous statement or other verbal misstep as a joke)
I made these moves for the time my group was trying to convince the lords to elect them. Think they went pretty well and other people could probably change them to be more general.
When you first meet the Head of a Noble House, Roll +CHA to make a good first impression. On a 10+ You charm with ease and they open up to you telling you what they want in a new Lord. On a 7-9 They are listening to you but you will have to do something more to learn about what they want. On a 6- You made what they consider a social faux-pa and they are offended and will not talk to you without strong convincing.
Use your charm and social grace so they open up to you. Roll +CHA On a 10+ They tell you what they want done if you want their vote. On a 7-9 Choose 1
They open up but your rival also overhears
They open up but they doubt you. You will have to give them something extra as well.
They only give you a few clues about what it is they might want.
On a 6- They feel much more comfortable with your rival and start chatting to them instead.
Use your Towering Presence and Intimidate skills. Roll +STR On a 10+ They are very much intimidated by you and meekly tell you what they want. On a 7-9 Choose 1
They tell you but run off to the other side scared
They don’t back down and challenge you to a duel for the answer
They tell you but the other Nobles see this and are disgusted by the barbarism -1 Forward on the party’s next dealing with a noble.
On a 6- They are completely frightened and run off to the other side scared
Use your ability to read body language and hear subtle speech cues. Roll +WIS On a 10+ You catch the body language and what they are saying perfectly you know what they want. On a 7-9 Choose 1
You get what they are saying but the Nobles find you lack caring -1 Forward on the party’s next dealing with a noble
Your only able to focus on a few tells and words. You only get a partial view on what they might want.
You get what they are saying but then they add another thing that you will have to do.
On a 6- They find that you are staring and thinking to much and you are completely rude. They find solace on the other side.
You search through their belongings to find out what they might want. Roll +DEX On a 10+ You find exactly what you were searching for and you are not seen. On a 7-9 Choose 1
You find what you want but the other side catches you and takes it off your hands
You find what you want but the owner catches you and demands some payment in return for this breach
You find what you want but quite a few of the Nobles have noticed -Forward on the party’s next dealing with a noble