I'm very keen to assist with the development of this part of the ACR. Largely due to the fact that factions have a HUGE part to play in the Moonsea and I am a fan of doing things once only. I'd hate to have to reverse engineer the mod with something like this when I can start implementation from scratch.
Has anyone ever used this?
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Sc ... il&id=2400
documentation follows..
Code: Select all
I. Introduction
The Personal Reputation and Reaction (PRR) system is a set of scripts designed to enhance the sense of depth and consequence in your Neverwinter Nights module by adding the following optional capabilities:
- Allows Charm spells that will make NPCs friendlier.
- Allows NPCs to react dynamically to players actions, factoring in one-on-one interactions, faction standing, differences in alignment and charisma adjustments.
- Allows these reactions to affect other NPCs reactions, creating a true sense that player choices affect the world. This means that over the course of an adventure, player actions can push faction standings over the edge, causing open violence.
- Allows NPCs to own doors, chests and other containers, confronting players when they unlock, disarm, open or disturb these doors and placeables.
- Allows for these infringements on property to cause a shift in how that NPC feels about the player with continued offenses eventually resulting in hatred or violence.
- Allows for security creatures to be assigned to come and watch over a door or container if an owner calls for help, so that guards can deal with mischievous players instead of having poor unarmed farmers trying to single-handedly stop that beefy warrior who carries a huge axe.
- Allows personal reactions to affect skill checks on a creature, providing a situational penalty or bonus along with the d20 roll.
- Allows bards to attempt Perform checks to increase reactions on NPCs.
- Allows NPCs to provide the players with rumors, where better reactions mean better rumors.
- Allows module builders to flush all PRR variables to a standard Bioware Database for use in sequels or for use in a persistent world context.
Because this is all done with a collection of scripts, this system can easily be modified for custom uses. All of it is optional, and once installed, requires only basic scripting modifications to be used. The PRR system is not for every module, and not every module will use all of its features, but if you are looking for a way to increase the importance of role playing in your work, these scripts may be the answer.
This document will walk you through playing with and implementing the Personal Reputation and Reaction system in your module. It also contains appendices for working with the system.
II. Advantages of PRR
The key advantage of the PRR system over traditional scripting is that it is based on a matrix style of play. In a typical module, in order to get to the next plot point a series of if-then statements have to be satisfied. For instance, in a module that consists of two plot lines, or acts, the party must complete quest A, then quest B, then quest C in act I in order to get to act II of the module. Another example is that in order for the NPC to give the PC an important clue, a certain set of dialogue choices have to be correctly chosen. If there is an attempt by the module author to give a sense of free will, it usually comes in the form of a binary choice. For instance, you can take the pass or the plains; you can choose to be selfish or to be kind, etc.
This is usually a result of the module’s author only being able to provide a set number of options due to time and resource considerations. As a result, a macro-level set of choices is offered to the player. The problem is that due to the nature of standard if-then scripting techniques, players sometimes feel like their choices don’t actually matter that much, because the way has already been mapped out ahead of time by the module author.
The PRR system is an attempt to make decisions important on a micro-scale, where individual dialogue choices and quest completions adjust how an NPC reacts to you. This reaction is based on a number, where the higher the number the better the reaction. In an attempt to make the module seem more fluid and open, this numerical representation allows the order of these adjustments to become less relevant by allowing more options to base the if-then structure on. The PRR system is a set of tools to help module authors turn decision-making into a more cumulative effect on the story of their modules.
For example, an alternative to the A, B, and C quests can be offered so that the movement into act II happens when a certain other conditions have been met, be these faction standings, personal reactions, etc. Quests A, B, and C each becomes a means to and end, instead of the only way to propel the story. Additionally, choices such as whether to take the mountain pass or the plains, to act selfish or kind, etc., all become vehicles for meeting these conditions.
As a caveat, it is also important to note that a module cannot hinge completely on these reactions. The implementation of the charm line of spells provides a quick way to force these reactions to happen, and some characters may find it much more difficult to make these reaction changes happen than other characters.
In order to complete this sense of decision-making, these reactions must be able to get worse as well as get better. This lends itself to a certain style of module where there are multiple factions that the party can align themselves with and work for. Character creation choices, dialogue choices and quest choices will close some options to the party, meaning they must look elsewhere for support, but it will also open other options. There must also be a way to play the lone wolf who aligns with no faction or the diplomat who attempts to make all factions’ reactions remain at least neutral. As a result, the standard dungeon crawl will probably not use the entire PRR system.
III. Playing with the PRR system
There are several things to keep in mind when playing a module with the PRR system.
First, remember that every conversation choice could potentially be very important. Take your time with conversations and don't rush through them. You can tell how an NPC feels about you by paying attention to how they greet you and how they react during conversations. When the standard greetings and NPC gives you starts changing, he or she has probably shifted how they feel about you.
Second, remember to check for rumors from the NPCs you meet. There are three kinds of rumors, normal, good and excellent. NPCs with nuetral reactions to you will give you 2 normal rumors. NPCs who are warming up to you will give you up to 4 rumors of either normal or good quality, depending on the roll of the dice. NPCs who are friendly with you will give you up to 6 rumors of any type. NPCs who don't like you are usually not inclined to give you any information. As your reaction improves check to see if the NPC is willing to share more information.
Third, remember that chests other placeables may be owned by important people. If someone sees you damaging their property they will be more wary of you. By default, this will result in a -10 adjustment to your reaction with that person. If they think they caught you actually taking something of theirs, the default adjustment is a -20. Clearly, you can quickly ruin your relationship with the NPCs in a module if you run through looting every chest you see.
Additionally, security forces that get called in will not be happy with you. Word will start to spread that you are a causing them problems. In game terms, this results in a -2 reaction with the entire faction that the security forces belong to.
Getting spotted messing with someone else's property is dependent on a number of factors. The owner has to be in the area and has to actually perceive what you are doing. Even if they can see or hear you, if you take something out of a chest, a pick pockets check will be rolled against their spot check to see if you can get at the contents without being caught. Be warned, even if you don't get caught, stealing and destruction of others' property is an inherently chaotic act and will carry a minor alignment shift for you and your party.
Fourth, remember that the charm spells are a powerful way to manipulate NPCs. Casting charm on a friendly NPC results in a bonus of 100 to the PRR historical value. You will get the full +2 on all PRR skill checks, the maximum number of rumors (6), a possibility of getting the best grade of rumors, and any other rewards for having a friendly reaction with the NPC that the module author has put in the conversation file. The effect lasts as defined in the PHB, meaning that a 15th level enchanter with an extended Charm Monster spell could ensnare an NPC into his or her service for roughly a full month in game time. There is a risk in using the charm spells, however. Every time your target NPC makes a saving throw against the spell, that NPC will notice what you were trying to do and become a little more suspicious of you. This translates into a -5 PRR adjustment with each failure. Low-level casters should be careful how they use this spell. When casting on a hostile creature, charm spells use the standard Bioware code.
Finally, remember that your reactions with an NPC will affect skill checks. Try chatting up NPCs before rushing in to try a persuade. Be careful though, some NPCs are not what they seem. A duplicitous rogue may be agreeing with everything you are saying, all the while becoming more and more certain that he wants to burry his knife deep in your self-righteous back.
V. Conclusion and Contact Information
There are a lot of scripts in this package and a lot of functionality. Most of these scripts are meant to be placed in conversations and there are only a handful of core scripts. Even though you may not use all of it, I hope that there is something in here that will help your module. If so, please send me an email and let me know so that I can feel like the two years of playing with this on Saturday afternoons was worth it to someone besides myself. Also, if you have any suggestions, concerns or questions, don’t be afraid to email me and ask. I know how daunting it can be jumping in to a new system, and I want to make it as easy as possible for everyone.
Vendalus
sbf5000us@yahoo.com
Vendalus is working on a v3.0 for NWN2.
I was just wondering whether anyone has experienced it? It looks really good but I havent seen it in action in a module yet.
A couple of thoughts I had re: faction, reputation and rumours:
* A system like this would work well with an implementation of the knowledge(factions) and disguise skill. Consider Harpers or Purple Dragon Highknights on a mission to infiltrate or gather information on the Zhentarim (or vise-versa).
- Higher echelon members of a faction might be recognisable by other high echelon members of the opposing faction. A status within the hierarchy of a faction can be reflected in a faction reputation integer.
- Higher echelon members would have a greater knowledge of opposing faction operatives and activities. This can be reflected by the number of skill points placed in a knowledge(factions) skill.
- Lower echelon or rookie faction members would be more difficult to recognise by other lower echelon members of an opposing faction.
- Disguise skill could be used by higher echelon members to a faction to conceal their identities from other faction members. Disguise objects IG might include Disguise kits and Faction Uniforms for example. Disguise spells which could easily be implemented include change self, alter self, veil and polymorph, obviously trueseeing could ruin a magical disguise.
Anyways, these are just some thoughts I was having that would make life in 006 Moonsea, Zhentil Keep for example.. very interesting.
Imagine if you are outed as a known Harper, Highknight or escaped slave in Zhentil Keep. I'd love to have it scripted that there is a chance the guards recognise you and attack you, even if a DM isnt on
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