Social Trees
Diplomacy, Leadership, Performance.
3 trees5 advancements + 1 ultimate1 skill point each, 2 for the ultimate
Diplomacy
Etiquette, Negotiation, Reading People
- 1
Etiquette 1 pt
You know the rules others only guess at.
Core: Know basic forms of address for the culture you're in. Avoid obvious faux pas. Recognize when someone is being deliberately rude versus ignorant.
Advantage: Unfamiliar cultures (1 hour observation), subtle protocol violations, navigating complex hierarchies, recovering from social missteps.
- 2
Read Intentions 1 pt
People reveal more than they mean to.
Core: Read obvious emotional states (angry, nervous, pleased). Notice when someone is uncomfortable or evasive. Identify who seems to be in charge.
Advantage: Detecting deliberate deception, reading trained/masked individuals, identifying hidden power dynamics, spotting specific emotions being concealed.
- 3
Negotiator 1 pt
You find terms everyone can accept.
Core: Identify obvious interests in a negotiation. Propose reasonable compromises. Remain neutral when mediating simple disputes.
Advantage: Hidden agendas, hostile parties, complex multi-party negotiations, finding creative solutions to deadlocks.
- 4
Cultural Fluency 1 pt
You belong everywhere.
Core: Adopt basic mannerisms of a culture after a few days. Know major historical events and heroes. Avoid the most obvious outsider markers.
Advantage: Rapid cultural adoption (1 day), deep cultural knowledge, passing as a native, navigating taboo subjects.
- 5
Parley 1 pt
Even enemies will hear you out.
Core: Request a truce that reasonable opponents will honor briefly. Recognize when negotiation is obviously pointless. Stall through discussion.
Advantage: Hostile/enraged opponents, alien minds, buying significant time, parlaying from a position of weakness.
- 6
Ultimate: Peace Maker 2 pts
Prerequisite: 3+ other Diplomacy advancements
You see the path to agreement.
Core: Identify minimum acceptable terms for each party. Know which concessions seem valuable but cost little. Recognize bad faith negotiation.
Advantage: Seemingly impossible agreements, reconciling blood enemies, multi-faction treaties, negotiations with inhuman entities.
TOTAL: 7 points
Leadership
Organization, Morale, Coordination
- 1
Organizer 1 pt
You keep groups functioning.
Core: Coordinate a small group (3-5 people) on a task without confusion. Divide labor sensibly. Keep basic schedules and supply lists.
Advantage: Large groups (10+), complex multi-step tasks, maintaining efficiency under pressure, long-term project management.
- 2
Clear Orders 1 pt
Your instructions leave no room for confusion.
Core: Give simple orders that people can follow. Communicate basic plans clearly. Ensure subordinates know their immediate role.
Advantage: Complex orders to untrained people, rapid communication (1 minute vs 10), orders that anticipate contingencies.
- 3
Morale 1 pt
You understand what keeps people going.
Core: Recognize when a group is obviously struggling. Offer encouragement that helps in simple situations. Tell exhaustion from fear.
Advantage: Groups near breaking, inspiring people facing impossible odds, addressing loss of faith, rallying after defeat.
- 4
Delegation 1 pt
You multiply your effectiveness through others.
Core: Train subordinates to handle routine tasks. Brief lieutenants on your general intentions. Organizations continue basic functions in short absences.
Advantage: Autonomous decision-making, extended absences, organizations that adapt to new situations, training leaders.
- 5
Battlefield Awareness 1 pt
You see the whole picture.
Core: Track positions of your immediate group in combat. Notice when allies need help. Spot obvious dangers developing.
Advantage: Tracking 20+ individuals, chaotic multi-front situations, spotting hidden dangers, coordinating across distances.
- 6
Ultimate: Legendary Commander 2 pts
Prerequisite: 3+ other Leadership advancements
You lead armies, not just parties.
Core: Coordinate hundreds without losing track. Create command structures that function at distance. Plan operations with dozens of contingencies.
Advantage: Armies of thousands, campaigns across continents, operations spanning months, commanding diverse forces.
TOTAL: 7 points
Performance
Performance, Storytelling, Crowd Work
- 1
Performer 1 pt
You know how to work an audience.
Core: Perform competently for a friendly audience. Read obvious crowd reactions. Recover from minor mistakes without losing the audience.
Advantage: Hostile or distracted audiences, reading subtle reactions, adjusting on the fly, recovering from disasters.
- 2
Storyteller 1 pt
Your tales are remembered.
Core: Tell engaging stories that hold attention. Make information memorable through narrative. Know common stories that resonate broadly.
Advantage: Stories people repeat to others, embedding hidden messages, adapting stories to unfamiliar cultures, creating lasting legends.
- 3
Voice Work 1 pt
You can sound like anyone.
Core: Mimic voices you've studied (10+ minutes of listening). Project your voice to fill a room. Whisper clearly to a specific target nearby.
Advantage: Brief exposure mimicry (1 minute), throwing voice 30 feet, battlefield projection, perfect mimicry under pressure.
- 4
Crowd Reading 1 pt
You feel the audience's pulse.
Core: Sense when a crowd is becoming bored or restless. Identify obvious troublemakers. Know when to wrap up.
Advantage: Predicting hostile turns, shifting crowd mood, spotting hidden agitators, reading massive crowds.
- 5
Emotional Arc 1 pt
You control the journey, not just the moment.
Core: Build performances with intentional emotional progression. Know when to push and when to pause. Create satisfying conclusions.
Advantage: Complex emotional sequences, leaving audiences changed, performances that alter beliefs, art that inspires action.
- 6
Ultimate: Legendary Performer 2 pts
Prerequisite: 3+ other Performance advancements
You perform at the highest level.
Core: Perform in any style after seeing it once. Adapt any performance to any audience instantly. Audiences react exactly as you intend.
Advantage: Creating new art forms, performances that change history, entertaining inhuman audiences, art as magic.
TOTAL: 7 points