Advance and Retreat

And This is?

This is about the matter of promotion and demotion in society in Dangerous Journeys.

Mechanism

Essentially the player of JM keeps track of a Persona’s Social Status during the course of play; should Status increase the the Persona’s Social Class will improve, should Status fall then the Persona’s Social Class will decline.

Increase and decrease will come about through one of two methods. The first is through the Persona’s own efforts. He may act to improve his own Standing and Reputation, resulting in an increase or a decrease depending on whether he succeeded or failed.

The second is through conflict with another party, a sort of Social Combat. But, unlike the other types of combat, Social Combat is not waged between the two parties, but through an audience. Here’s how it works;

1. The parties address an audience, doing their best to convinced that audience that their opponent is what they say he is.
2. On a success the defender suffers a loss to his Social Status
3. On a special success the attacker gains a bonus to his Social Status along with the defender suffering loss
4. On a failure the attacker suffers a loss to his Social Status.
5. On a special failure the defender gains a bonus to his Social Status

When an attacker or a defender suffers harm to his Social Status that social injury does not heal, it has to be repaired. Social Damage can be repaired by either attempts to better it, or by taking action to damage the other’s Standing and Reputation.

In addition, when the attacker or defender gains a bonus to his Social Status that bonus is permanent and will only be reduced when either the Persona in question or another takes action to reduce the subjects Social Status. Please be aware that social combat can be vicious, and his been known to take lives.

There is more to say, but at the moment I can’t think of a dang thing. We’ll get back to this later.