Most RPGs rely on skills or powers to describe characters and their aptitudes. Some games will have detailed, tactical descriptions of what a skill or power does, while some might leave a lot to interpretation. Regardless, they are always described in mechanical terms, i.e. by their impact on the game world.
So far so good you might say. After all, what good is a skill or power if it has not mechanical impact?
That is of course correct. But it doesn’t mean we have to stop there. Could skills and powers also embed roleplay or story opportunities at their core?
My favorite example of what I have in mind comes from Exalted 3rd edition. Exalted has an extensive list of powers called Charms, which cover social, combat or even crafting situations. Among the combat Charms, players can choose martial arts styles such as Crane or Snake, each with different mechanical benefits.
The real magic happens for the Black Claw martial art style. In the Exalted setting, this style was first taught to the Exalts by a demon called Mara. Black Claw stylists use misdirection, misperception, and love as their primary weapons.
The first Charm in this style, “Open Palm Caress”, casts the stylists as innocents who suffer the strikes of callous brutes or sadistic madmen:
“A master of the style can pick up a fight against the most noble opponents, yet walk away beloved, while her foes feels the scorn of the crowd.” - Black Claw style, Exalted 3rd edition
Another Black Claw Charm, “Torn Defense Lotus”, instills an attacker with a positive tie - think respect, admiration or even unexpected love (ties in Exalted describes important relationships and constitute a core component of its social mechanics).
This is all insanely exciting. You immediatly get something different from your traditional “this power makes me a better melee or sorcerous” character. This kind of Charm shapes your character’s identity, behavior, and actions. What’s more, each confrontation becomes a roleplay opportunity by design: How will your opponent react to being cast as the bad guy? How will you build on your perceived ‘victim’ status afterwards?
Now, could we imagine a RPG where every skill or power has a similar, deep-layered impact on characters and roleplay opportunities? This is a massive design effort for sure. But one I might be tempted to undertake given the potential reward.
