General Breaking down SOC

[kilemall]

Perhaps, and I'm not addressing that. I'm only describing how the game rules treat it.

Also, there is no "management" skill*... probably because most of that happens at the meta level (between players and the referee).

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*personnel management, operations managment, etc. Nor logistics!

To me Admin does the logistics and operations, of which bureaucracy is just operationalizing org design and goals.

 

[kilemall]

Titles for social positions in hierarchies change, the deference those of a lower rank must pay to those of higher rank is baked into the system. Doesn't matter if it the civilian, military, religious or corporate authority, if there is a hierarchy you have a social rank.

Don't like it? Don't play in a setting with a hierarchical culture. Or have your characters join the Ine Givar... but I bet there is still a hierarchy.

That’s the core of the conclusion I came to- there is a hierarchy even in human orgs/polities that loudly proclaim there aren’t.

SOC can provide an easy ranking system to handle the overall society- I would tend to use career rank for sub orgs like military, megacorps or outlaws like the IG or pirates. That principle should handle something like a low SOC high rank entertainer.

 

[Condottiere]

You can handle Social Standing as a hard statistic, which means that they have a title tied to each tier.

That would mean that any influence these titles carry, only have an effect if the other party is aware of it.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Or have your characters join the Ine Givar... but I bet there is still a hierarchy.

That might be called a 'pecking order'.

 

[aramis]

I like this, but since Soc is also tied up with actual Social, and noble, status, it implies that all nobles are uniformly adept at Soc tasks. I imagine that's the case for most of them in any event, but I am not comfortable with saying every knight is a suave smooth talker. Then again, maybe the people who get knighthoods are the smooth talkers and the dorks just get Leters of Appreciation. *eyes his own pile of LOAs*

TTNE added Cha for dealing with the difference...

 

[Black Vulmea]

Reaction rolls- the greater discrepancy between SOC levels, the more negative the DM and the closer the more positive.

This is key to me: someone Soc 7 is okay interacting with someone between Soc 5 and Soc 9, but outside that range you incur a penalty. Streetwise and Liaison are your buffer against this.

And I don't have "Charisma" or "Charm" - that's what skills are for.