Base Explanation to be added.

Doors

Doors is \(min(Resolve,Composure) + 1\) if acting against Virtue.
Doors must be opened one by one. Exceptional Successes open 2 Doors.

First Impressions

First (and later) impressions determine the time required between rolls. The Storyteller sets the first impression based on any past history between the characters, the circumstances of their meeting, the nature of the favor being asked and any other relevant factors.

Vice

If offer tempts that Vice, move the interaction one step up on the impression chart. As a rule of thumb, if by agreeing to the tempta-tion the target character stands to gain Willpower, then the temptation is a valid form of influence.

Soft Leverage (Gifts and Bribes)

Make the offer. If the recipient agrees, move the impression up once on the chart.
Mechanically, this can be represented by certain Merit dots. By default, these bribes give the recipient use of the Merit for a designated amount of time.

Impressions

Opening Doors

At each interval, you may make a roll to open Doors to move closer to your character’s goal.
Failed rolls impose a cumulative -1 penalty on further rolls. These penalties do not go away after successful rolls. When the player fails a roll, the Storyteller may choose to worsen the impression level by one. If she does so, the player takes a Beat. If this takes the impression level to hostile, the attempt cannot move forward until it improves.

Aspirations

Aspirations are quick routes to influence. Find out a character’s goals, wants, and needs, and they can help move interactions forward. If your character presents a clear path and reasoning for how they’ll help a character achieve an Aspiration, remove a Door.

Failure

• The player rolls a dramatic failure on an attempt to open a Door (the player takes a Beat as usual).
• The target realizes he is being lied to or manipulated. This does not apply if the target is aware that the character is trying to talk him into something, only if the target feels betrayed or conned.
• The impression level reaches hostile, and remains so for a week of game time. The character can try again during the next story.

Resolution

Once your character opens the final Door, the subject must act. Storyteller characters abide by the intended goal, and follow through as stated.

Go with the Flow

If the character does as requested, and abides by the intended goal, his player takes a Beat.

Offer an Alternative

the subject’s player chooses, he may offer a beneficial alternative, and the initiator’s player can impose a Condition on his character.

Forcing Doors

When forcing Doors, state your character’s goal and her approach, then roll immediately. The current number of Doors apply as a penalty to the dice roll. The subject contests as normal. If successful, proceed to resolution as normal. If the roll fails, the subject is immune to further efforts at social maneuvering from your character.

Hard Leverage

Hard Leverage represents threats, drugging, intimidation, blackmail, kidnapping, or other heavy-handed forms of co-ercion. It drives home the urgency required to force open a character’s Doors.
Hard Leverage that requires that the victim suffers a breaking point removes one Door (if the modifier to the roll — not considering the character’s breaking points — is greater than -2) or two Doors (if the modifier is -3 or less).

Influencing Groups

Influencing a group works in the same way, using the same system. This generally means that influencing a group requires at least an excellent level impression, or forcing their Doors, unless the group meets regularly. The infernal engines -dramatic systems84 Storyteller determine Doors using the highest Resolve and Composure scores in the group. She also determines three Aspirations, a Virtue, Vice, and relative Integrity score for the group. When resolving the influence, most members will abide by the stated goal. Individual members may de-part and do as they will, but a clear majority does as your player suggests.

Successive Efforts

After opening all Doors and resolving the action’s goal, your character may wish to influence the same person or group again. If successful, successive influence attempts begin with one fewer Door. If failed, or if hard leverage was employed, successive influence attempts begin with two more Doors. These modifiers are cumulative. No matter what, a character will always have at least one Door at the outset.