Social Interaction
******************

Exploring dungeons, overcoming obstacles, and slaying
monsters are key parts of D&D adventures. No less
important, though, are the social interactions that
adventurers have with other inhabitants of the world.

Interaction takes on many forms. You might need
to convince an unscrupulous thief to confess to some
malfeasance, or you might try to flatter a dragon so that
it will spare your life. The DM assumes the roles of any
characters who are participating in the interaction that
don"t belong to another player at the table. Any such
character is called a nonplayer character (NFC).

In general terms, an NPC’s attitude toward you is
described as friendly, indifferent, or hostile. Friendly
NPCs are predisposed to help you, and hostile ones are
inclined to get in your way. It's easier to get what you
want from a friendly NPC, of course.

Social interactions have two primary aspects:
roleplaying and ability checks.

Roleplaying
-----------

Roleplaying is, literally, the act of playing out a role.
In this case, it’s you as a player determining how your
character thinks, acts, and talks.

Roleplaying is a part of every aspect of the game,
and it comes to the fore during social interactions.
Your character’s quirks, mannerisms, and personality
influence how interactions resolve.

There are two styles you can use when roleplaying
your character: the descriptive approach and the active
approach. Most players use a combination of the two
styles. Use whichever mix of the two works best for you.

Descriptive Approach to Roleplaying
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

With this approach. you describe your character’s words
and actions to the DM and the other players. Drawing on
your mental image of your character, you tell everyone
what your character does and how he or she does it.

For instance, Chris plays Tordek the dwarf. Tordek
has a quick temper and blames the elves of the
Cloakwood for his family’s misfortune. At a tavern, an
obnoxious elf minstrel sits at Tordek's table and tries to
strike up a conversation with the dwarf.

Chris says, “Tordek spits on the floor, growls an
insult at the bard, and stomps over to the bar. He sits
on a stool and glares at the minstrel before ordering
another drink.”

In this example, Chris has conveyed Tordek’s mood
and given the DM a clear idea of his characters
attitude and actions.

When using descriptive roleplaying, keep the
following things in mind:

- Describe your character‘s emotions and attitude.
- Focus on your character’s intent and how others
  might perceive it.
- Provide as much embellishment as you feel
  comfortable with.

Don’t worry about getting things exactly right. just
focus on thinking about what your character would do
and describing what you see in your mind.

Active Approach to Roleplaying
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If descriptive roleplaying tells your DM and your fellow
players what your character thinks and does, active
roleplaying shows them.

When you use active roleplaying, you speak with your
character’s voice, like an actor taking on a role. You might
even echo your character’s movements and body language.
This approach is more immersive than descriptive
roleplaying, though you still need to describe things
that can’t be reasonably acted out.

Going back to the example of Chris roleplaying Torde
above, here's how the scene might play out if Chris used
active roleplaying:

Speaking as Tordek, Chris says in a gruff, deep voice,
“I was wondering why it suddenly smelled awful in here.
IfI wanted to hear anything out of you, I'd snap your
arm and enjoy your screams.” In his normal voice. Chris
then adds, “I get up, glare at the elf, and head to the bar.”

Results of Roleplaying
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The DM uses your character’s actions and attitudes to
determine how an NPC reacts. A cowardly NPC buckles
under threats of violence. A stubborn dwarf refuses to
let anyone badger her. A vain dragon laps up flattery.

When interacting with an NPC, pay close attention to
the DM’s portrayal ofthe NPC’s mood, dialogue, and
personality. You might be able to determine an NPC’s
personality traits, ideals, flaws, and bonds, then play on
them to influence the NPC’s attitude.

Interactions in D&D are much like interactions in
real life. If you can offer NPCS something they want,
threaten them with something they fear, or play on their
sympathies and goals, you can use words to get almost
anything you want. On the other hand, if you insult a
proud warrior or speak ill of a noble’s allies, your efforts
to convince or deceive will fall short.

Ability Checks
--------------

In addition to roleplaying, ability checks are key in
determining the outcome of an interaction.

Your roleplaying efforts can alter an NPC’s attitude,
but there might still be an element of chance in the
situation. For example, your DM can call for a Charisma
check at any point during an interaction if he or she
wants the dice to play a role in determining an NPC’s
reactions. Other checks might be appropriate in certain
situations, at your DM’s discretion.

Pay attention to your skill proficiencies when thinking
of how you want to interact with an NFC, and stack
the deck in your favor by using an approach that relies
on your best bonuses and skills. If the group needs to
trick a guard into letting them into a castle, the rogue
who is proficient in Deception is the best bet to lead the
discussion. When negotiating for a hostage’s release,
the cleric with Persuasion should do most of the talking.