Do you ever treat social conflict as a versus test?

[jchokey]

There are two primary mechanisms outlined in the BW rules for resolving social conflict.

The first-- and simpler-- method is to do a basic test of the relevant social skill (e.g. Suasion, Persuasion, Falsehood, etc.) using the Will of the person you're trying to influence at the target obstacle. This, it seems, is to be used primarily when one character is trying to manipulate another-- but the attempt to manipluate is not reciprocal-- e.g. I'm trying to persuade you to do X, but you're not trying to persuade me to do Y.

The second, of course, is to do a Duel of Wits. This is, it seems, the preferred method when two characters are both trying to manipulate each other or a third party. (I want us to do X, you want us to do Y.)

But it seems to me that there is a third possible approach, which is to treat social conflict of the Duel of Wits type (e.g. two characters are both trying to persuade each other or a third party to different ends) as a straight versus test. (Essentially, this would stand in relationship to DOW, the way doing a bloody versus test stands to Fight!-- a very quick way to resolve social conflict, where there are two competing agends, but where you don't want to go into a full-fledged scripting of action).

Does anyone ever do this? If so, how often, when, and why?

[Kublai]

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me, though I haven't done it as far I as remember.

[luke]

Interestingly, I see that social conflict is more fraught with tension than any other conflict. We either do targeted tests against an NPC's Will or a DoW. Never a versus test!

[kensanata]

In my first game session last week using a versus test just seemed the natural thing. The priest of Ares walks past the soldiers guarding the city hall and decides to address them, wanting to impress upon them that to respect him and to do his bidding was to serve Ares, the god of war that they all dependend upon. The commander of the troops was inside the building, and quickly steps up to greet them and to deflect the priest's words. We picked the skill to use, the forking we wanted, the help we accepted, rolled those dice, and determined that the commander's quick steps, the tone of his voice, and his reminder that the first duty of a soldier was to his superiors, was enough to thwart the priest's attempt.

It just didn't seem like a situation where a lot of arguing would happen.

[Mordaith]

We do it often in our group. That is probably because of all the head-butting that happens between characters. The train of thought normally escalates. Player A wants to beat Player B socially. Player B says well I retort with my skill! They set their victory conditions, typically if too much gets put on the line (read as it's turned in to a grand dramatic even and not a petty on the side conversation-of-interest) we upgrade to Duel of Wits.