Sharper than any Blade

Rules for Social Combat in 7th Sea

Not every hero kills with a blade. Words have power and the right ones can topple princes and drive the
most confident into despair. This system adapts the dueling rules to allow battles of wits that might do
more damage than any duel of steel.

by Andrew Peregrine

Explorers Society, 7th Sea and all related marks are © and ™ 2016 John Wick Presents. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be duplicated without express permission from the
Author. Other stock images from Dreamstime.

Simon Godsn (orde #140357)

 Are You Speaking to Me?
In the salons of Théah, words can be as dangerous
as steel. Those unarmed with wit can often find
themselves the targets of scorn and derision. This
may seem inconsequential; after all, it’s only words.
Surly anyone can deal with a few insults, brush them
off and get on with adventure. However, the crafted
insults of the masters and mistresses of social
dueling are not designed just to put an upstart in
their place. They use their insight to mock
uncomfortable truths and uncover secret
weaknesses. These jibes strike the very heart and
confidence of even the strongest swordsman. When
applied with skill there is no way to respond without
appearing rude or making it obvious how deeply you
have been hurt. Those on the receiving end of these
remarks can find themselves cast from society, made
to doubt their abilities, and in the worst cases,
perhaps even driven to suicide.
Deadlier than Steel
For some, social combat is just a way to relieve
boredom, for others it is an intellectual game of wit,
but for a few it is a way to destroy their enemies with
a few well chosen words. Social combat involves
duels of insight and insult, usually with an audience.
It is a chance to show off, prove your panache
against an adversary, and maintain a social pecking
order. The rules of the game are as simple as they
are difficult to master. The art of the insult is to cut
to the nerve without appearing overly rude or
uncivilized. Responding with base insults rarely
impresses an upper class audience (although pirates
adore a good insult). It shows a lack of wit and fails
to entertain with its cleverness. If it appears that the
two combatants were simply conversing, the one who
loses appears all the weaker for having run from the
room in tears.
Social combat is not for the feint hearted. The
wounds it delivers are just as real as any sword
thrust and take longer to heal. Social damage strikes
at the heart of a Hero’s confidence, and makes them
doubt themselves in every way. It can lead to
depression and even suicide if they cannot find a way
to recover from the appalling truths they have been
made to face. This effect is not because the victims of
social combat are weak willed or especially sensitive.
The art of social combat is to open old wounds,
reinforce the target’s real or imagined failings and
really get inside their head. It makes them think that
their deepest secrets and shames are the gossip of
those around them, no one cares for them, and that
everyone is laughing behind their back.
Simon Godsn (orde #140357)
Using the Dueling System
Social combat uses the same system as dueling in
7th Sea. It has maneuvers just as in sword play, and
some masters and mistresses of social combat even
have Dueling Styles like master swordsmen. However,
social combat is very different in terms of skill to
dueling. So regardless of your ability with a sword,
and how similar the systems are, you cannot apply
any swordsmen’s abilities to social combat, and vice
versa.
Just as Heroes take wounds and Dramatic Wounds in
combat, so there are taunts and Social Wounds in the
game of words. This damage leaves no marks but
affects skill rolls as it destroys confidence. Usually,
taking a Social Wound is enough to send you running
out of the room and leaving the exchange.
As with sword combat, social duels are Action
Sequences where each combatant takes it in turn to
spend raises from the results of their approach. The
approach can vary depending on the style of insult
each combatant is intending to use (but all use
Panache as the active Attribute). There are many
weapons in the arsenal of wit and selecting the right
blade can be crucial. The following approaches are
all equally useful, and each grants an additional
bonus depending on who you are in conflict with.
Each offers a free raise to add to your pool, although
it is lost if not spent during the round. The free raise
must be spent on an action that it could reasonably
be used for. So if Eloise uses Panache + Tempt when
engaged in a social duel with Helene and Pierre she
will gain a free raise as Pierre is interested in her.
However, she couldn’t use that free raise to attack
Helene.
Panache + Convince – Gain a free raise if you are of a
higher social station than your opponent
Panache + Empathy – Gain a free raise if your
opponent has ever shared a confidence with you
Panache + Intimidate – Gain a free raise if you have a
higher Brawn than your opponent
Panache + Perform – Gain a free raise if you have an
audience not engaged in the social combat
Panache + Tempt – Gain a free raise when dueling
someone who may be attracted to you
If the Game Master thinks a Hero’s reputation may be
useful, it may also add its value in dice to their
approach.
 Social Combat Maneuvers
In running social combat duels, the following
maneuvers are available to any duelist, just as they
might be to any swordsman. Unlike dueling, those
without a Social Combat Style can use some of the
available Maneuvers, but only Slash, Bash and Parry.
This allows them to take part in social combat
although it makes them highly predictable as they
have to alternate the only three abilities they have.
The following maneuvers work statistically in social
combat exactly the same way they do in a sword duel,
as found on p235 of the Core Rulebook. So the detail
we offer here describes their effects in terms of role
playing the scene.
Slash
“Are so many feathers on a gown really necessary for
a creature that does not fly?”
A slash is an opening remark, a jib or insult designed
to seek out a weakness or make a general attack on
the target. The taunt damage done is equal to the
rank of the skill being used as the approach rather
than Weaponry.
Simon Godsn (orde #140357)
Parry
“Great Theus, what is that apparel you are wearing.”
“Thank you my lady, it was made by the same
seamstress that I believe you engaged for your
dress.”
Using Parry you try to turn an insult into a
compliment or laugh it off to make it seem as if it
had no effect. The amount of taunt damage that can
be prevented are equal to your rank in the skill being
used for the approach.
Bash
“Well, I don’t know what you…”
“Do be quiet dear boy; the clever people are trying to
talk.”
A Beat is an attempt to dominate the conversation
with intimidation. Often you speak over them or but
into their conversation. This is very tricky to pull off
without appearing rude, but does allow you to take
control of the duel. This maneuver reduces the taunts
done by the next attacker by your rank in the skill
you used for the approach, not Weaponry.
 Feint
“That lovely dress must have taken ten maidservants
to get you into it; of course I hear it only takes one
stable boy to get you out of it.”
A feint appears to be a compliment, but at the last
moment it switches into an insult. It usually takes the
target by surprise, and gives them less time to
formulate a response.
Lunge
“Good Lord isn’t that the same dress I gave to my
serving girl last week. Ah yes, here is the damaged
hem that meant I couldn’t wear it. Really my dear,
are you sure you are fit for such company as this?
Nobody else is wearing a servant’s cast off.”
A Lunge is an all or nothing attack that insults your
opponent with something unspeakably rude, but
difficult to disprove. This leaves them flustered by the
cruelty and crudeness of your attack and rather
exposed. As they need evidence to refute your claim
they are often left badly socially damaged. However,
your own overt rudeness leaves you open to a
multitude of attacks over your own wit and social
grace.
Riposte
“Darling, that wig is so last season.”
“Oh you are so right; I should never have copied your
style.”
This move allows you to take an insult thrown at you
and use it to insult your attacker. It is an especially
prized skill given it makes you appear a lot cleverer
and wittier than your opponent. Instead of using
Weaponry, you must use the ranks you have in the
skill you used for your approach.
Simon Godsn (orde #140357)
Additional Maneuvers
Social Combat also offers a few more maneuvers,
which you may like to adapt for your sword wielding
companions. These are only available to those with a
Social Dueling Style:
Bind
“I’m sure that as men of good taste, such rude
conversation is unseemly”
Although you cannot disarm your opponent very
easily, you can force them into such a position that it
becomes difficult for them to attack. The best way to
do so is to suggest that trading insults is deeply
unseemly. However, this binds you to the same
situation, until one of you can think of a more subtle
witticism with which to renew the battle.
Using this Maneuver, you can spend 1 Raise to
remove 1 Raise from your opponent’s remaining
pool.
Disarm
“You can leave now; everyone has tired of your
pointless prattling.”
Disarm is an attempt to end the conversation for all
parties. It leaves no clear winner but does mean the
conflict can end without a loss of reputation for
anyone.
You must spend an amount of raises equal to the
highest Panache among your opponents. If you do
the round is over, but your opponents are free to
begin the duel again. If you wish to leave with your
dignity before they do, you must also make a
Panache + Athletics roll. If your opponents had any
raises left, they may use these to make your escape
more difficult. Each raise they spend becomes a
complication your roll must overcome to leave
without taking any damage. Each raise you cannot
beat becomes 1 taunt unless you remain.
Double Attack
“I’m so glad you chose to wear that awful wig today,
it distracts me from the horror of the dress you have
chosen.”
Here you are attempting to use two insults at the
same time. It is very tricky to find two good ones that
fit, and both are usually a little more crass than
usual, making them easier to fight off.
Using this maneuver you can spend a raise
immediately after you perform a Slash maneuver to
perform another Slash maneuver immediately.
 Stop Thrust
“That jacket…”
“…uses the finest silk. So much in fact there were
obviously only the cheaper materials available for
that sack you are wearing.”
With this knack you simply get your insult in first. It
is a daring attack that can leave you open to insults if
you cannot make a telling blow.
Spend 1 raise when it isn’t your turn to act. You
immediately get the chance to act. This maneuver
cannot be interrupted once it is announced (such as
by another Stop Thrust).
Wall of Steel
“What lovely weather we are having this time of year,
did you see that play recently…”
The use of this maneuver means you simply do not
stop talking. Your constant babble makes it tricky to
get an insult in. The truly skilled keep changing
subjects as well to further confuse the opposition.
However, in this mode it is very tricky to level an
attack yourself.
Social Damage
Just as physical conflict results in wounds and
Dramatic Wounds, so does social conflict result in
taunts and Social Wounds. However, the two things
are completely separate and so social damage is
never entered on the Death Spiral.
Where a dueling maneuver would usually offer a
wound, instead it does taunt damage. These are
minor jibes that can built to real hurt but are easily
shrugged off after combat with a moment’s rest. Just
like ordinary wounds, taunts are ‘healed’ at the end
of the scene the social combat occurred.
Just like Dramatic Wounds, Social Wounds are
another matter entirely. Social Wounds can be just as
dangerous to a character as physical ones. These
wounds represent the damage done to the victim’s
self-confidence and standing during the repartee.
They do not vanish after a night’s rest, if anything
they get worse as the Hero mulls over what was said
to them and tries hard not to believe that their worst
fears about themselves are actually true after all.
Where you would normally suffer wounds, you
instead suffer taunts. These add up and each time
you take a fifth taunt you suffer a Social Wound (just
as your fifth wound is a Dramatic Wound). A Hero
can opt to take a Social Wound as soon as they suffer
taunts, but in general there is no advantage to doing
Simon Godsn (orde #140357)
If you use this maneuver, you cannot do any damage
to anyone else this round. But you can spend an
amount of raises up to the maximum of your Panache
to create a form of armor. Any damage you suffer
during this round reduces the armor (on a point for
point basis) instead of giving a taunt wound until it is
gone. If the armor is not gone by the end of the
round, it vanishes.
Whirl
“What do you think you are staring at in that awful
dress, and You! How dare you look at me that way. I
can’t see what you are laughing in that ridiculous
hat, as for you…”
This ability is designed to get rid of an audience, and
is especially effective against Brutes (who can appear
in social combat as easily as physical combat!). To
use this maneuver you spend a raise and each
person nearby who is observing the duel but not
participating suffers a taunt wound. In the case of
Brutes this is enough to send them packing. It is a
good way to get rid of someone’s entourage.
so. Unlike Dramatic Wounds, Social Wounds do not
offer any additional abilities, good or bad. So while
you don’t get a bonus die if you have 1 Social Wound,
you are also not Helpless after suffering 4.
When you suffer a Social Wound, the battle may well
be over for you. The blow is so telling and cuts so
deeply that you may be forced to just run from the
room before you burst into tears. To avoid doing so
you must make a Resolve + Empathy roll and get as
many raises as you have social Wounds, plus the
Panache of the person who did the damage that just
gave you a Social Wound. For instance: Henri is
dueling with Sophie and Nathalie. Sophie has been
delivering some scathing attacks and done many
taunt wounds, but a jibe from Nathalie adds the extra
taunt to deliver Henri a Social Wound. Henri needs to
roll to see if the hurt forces him to leave the duel. As
this is currently Henri’s only Social Wound and
Nathalie’s Panache is 3 he must score 4 raises on a
Resolve + Empathy roll to remain in the duel.
If you succeed in the roll you may remain in the duel,
but that is inadvisable as you are already losing. If
you fail the roll you must withdraw and are clearly
flustered and possibly tearful, making it obvious to
all how hurt you have been. Furthermore, if you fail
the roll by 3 or more raises, the ridicule you receive
 as you retreat makes you suffer another Social
Wound!
Where we mentioned above it is possible to choose to
suffer a Social Wound when you take damage, there
is only one advantage. If you do, you need not make
the Resolve + Empathy roll to leave the duel. Instead
you may choose to remain or leave with grace.
Remaining is dangerous as the Social Wound will put
you at a disadvantage. If you leave the duel is over
for you, but you manage to leave with your head held
high to weep later in privacy. As such you suffer no
reputation loss or further Social Wounds from
leaving the duel.
Effects of Social Wounds
Social Wounds are devastating as they make the Hero
doubt everything they know to be true about
themselves. They make them dwell on their
weaknesses and destroy their self-confidence.
Consequently, each Social Wound adds the additional
complication to any and all tests of ‘I’m just not good
enough’. This complication stacks up, meaning that
you need to overcome your Social Wounds in Raises
to fully succeed at any action. Even if you do manage
to succeed but not overcome the damage to your self-
confidence, you have lost the élan that allows you to
be truly dynamic.
There is no limit to the amount of Social Wounds you
can suffer. This often means the only thing standing
in the way of success for the Hero is themselves
when they have been so thoroughly broken. However,
the Game Master may rule that with the 4th Social
Wound, the depression the Hero suffers renders them
helpless. They are unable to face their peers or the
world and refuse to participate in anything.
Simon Godsn (orde #140357)
In the case of NPCs, such depression can even lead
to suicide. Players may wish to role play the
experience of their character falling into such a dark
place, but we advise you to use a certain amount of
sensitivity if you do. Depression is very real for many
people, some of whom may be at your gaming table,
and it shouldn’t be treated lightly. A morose Hero is
also not very swashbuckling or adventurous.
However, breaking out of depression and finding new
confidence and a connection to the world is as heroic
a battle as any swordfight with a major villain.
Healing Social Wounds
Healing Social Wounds takes time. In most cases,
after a while, the Hero will be able to shake off the
taunts of others and move on. But they can also be
healed with counselling and support from their
friends. There are three ways Social Wounds can be
removed:
 Time – If a Hero doesn’t receive any social
damage for a month, they may remove 1 of
their Social Wounds.
 Overcoming Challenges – If a Hero succeeds
at a task that has at least 2 additional
complications (not including those for their
Social Wounds) and has 1 raise to spare to
do something awesome, they restore some of
their confidence. Fate proves to them what
they can achieve and so they may remove 1
Social Wound.
 Counseling – A true friend can try to help by
supporting the Hero and reminding them of
their abilities and virtues. They must make a
Panache + Empathy test and the Hero must
make a Resolve + Intimidate roll. If the friend
gets more raises on their roll the Hero may
lose 1 Social Wound.
However, the damage goes quite deep,
making it very hard to talk someone out of
their fugue. So the Resolve + Intimidate roll
gets a bonus die for each Social Wound,
which do not add their usual complications.
A Hero may benefit from Counseling once per
week. Multiple attempts may be made if they
fail, but each carries the complication ‘We
tried and failed’ for each failed attempt that
week.
 Social Dueling Schools
As we mentioned before, just as there are Dueling
Styles for the blade, so are there Styles for social
dueling. The masters of verbal battle are found in
Montaigne, Vodacce and Castille, and they each have
developed schools of wit. Avalon has one too, but
primarily for defense against such attacks. These are
not developed formally in the same sense as Duelist
Styles and are not taught in any school.
Instead, these Styles represent the ways certain
courtiers teach their students to use their wit to best
effect. There are many masters who can teach a
young courtier how to deliver telling blows and
defend himself at court. In such a way the Styles are
taught, even though no one would consider them to
have a set curriculum of training.
Social Duelist (4pt Advantage)
You have learned to duel with your wit and
may choose a social dueling style. If you
purchase this advantage again, you may pick
an additional social dueling style.
Where a country has a Dueling Style, different
courtiers through the ages have refined various
styles of verbal repartee in the same way that
swordsmen have. So it is perfectly permissible to
create more Dueling Styles for social combat using
this model. Take the various swordsman Duelist
Styles as your model, and with a bit of lateral
thinking, many can be adapted for social dueling.
Avalon
“Sir, I would love to trade insults with you, but I fear
I would not get a fair return for my investment.”
The Avalon practice a style designed to repel the
attacks of others and remain calm and reserved.
Years of domination by the Montaigne helped them
develop this ability to accept overblown remarks with
stoicism and refute them with politeness. The polite
refusal to be drawn into a contest is difficult to
break. However, when the attacker is in no danger of
reprisals, the weakness of the style becomes
apparent. The opponent need only keep attacking
until he gets through, as he is in little danger
himself.
Style Bonus: Polite Indifference
An Avalon duelist may add 2 to their approach skill
rank when they use the Parry maneuver.
Simon Godsn (orde #140357)
Castille
“Sir, I may be a liar, a cheat and a scoundrel, but I
am also an excellent swordsman and a passable shot,
so I suggest you take that remark back.”
The Castillians like to show off, and words are no
different to steel. Castillian word play is loud and
expressive; such duels often gather large crowds and
can be quite entertaining. The Castillian word master
knows how to use the crowd’s scorn to attack their
opponent. The weakness of the school is the use of
long and unusual words. They can make the duelist
seems very well read and clever, but also make him
more obtuse. Many opponents may not understand
the insult and so are not affected; also the Castillian
may use words they are not as familiar with as they
think they are.
Style Bonus: Play to the Crowd
As long as there is a crowd of two or more people
watching (and not participating in) the duel, a
Castillian duelist does 2 extra taunt wounds when
they do damage.
Montaigne
“So shall we fight with blade or wit? I suggest for
your sake we choose steel, as you can at least borrow
a blade.”
The Montaigne school is a nasty and vindictive one.
Nothing is too low for a Montaigne duelist, and every
word they utter is barbed with poison. They excel at
sending their enemies in tears from the ballroom
with only a few offhand remarks. However this also
forms the weakness of the school, making them
appear rude rather than clever which opens them to
attack.
Style Bonus: Twist the Knife
A Montaigne duelist may spend a Hero Point to
double their taunt damage when performing a Lunge
maneuver.
 Vodacce
“I would take you on in a battle of wits, but as a
gentleman I could not attack an unarmed man.”
The Vodacce are masters of the making clever and
underhand attacks, masking insult within
complement and normal conversation. This can lead
to the school’s weakness, as only a clever opponent
can understand the subtle insult implied in the
words.
Style Bonus: Veiled Insult
When a Vodacce duelist performs the Feint maneuver,
they may immediately follow it with another maneuver
(but not a Feint).
The Limits of Social Combat
The ability to drive someone to the depths of
depression may sound very powerful, and it is, but
social combat is limited in ways physical combat is
not. For a start, you need to engage an intelligent
opponent, in a language they understand. After all,
no one can be truly insulted if they don’t understand
how they are being attacked. So, the GM may apply
the complication ‘Lost in Translation’ to any test
when not dueling in the Hero’s native language.
They may also insist that anyone with a higher Wits
than their opponent suffers the complication ‘Too
clever by half’ to all their rolls, as their opponent
doesn’t always understand how cleverly they are
being insulted!
Simon Godsn (orde #140357)
Courtesan
“Why don’t you come upstairs with me? That way my
other guests won’t have to bear your company.”
The courtesans of Vodacce practice their own school
of social combat, which involves seduction as well as
insult. The courtesan draws her opponent in with the
implied promise of her wiles, and then attacks her
enemy when his guard is down. It can be devastating,
but anyone who remains cynical of the lady’s sudden
attachment often fails to take the bait.
Style Bonus: Seductive Distain
If a courtesan uses Tempt as her approach skill, she
gains bonus free raises equal to her Panache
Pirate
“I like the front of your coat. Shame I never get to it
when there’s a fight.”
Pirates may not use the same gentile words as the
Montaigne court, but social combat is just as
important to them. In a world where reputation
counts for all, no one likes to be insulted in public.
Those who lose such pirate banter sessions often
resort to fighting to restore their honor and respect,
but the damage is still done. Pirate social combat is
far more raucous and obvious than more refined
versions, but no less telling. However its lack of wit
allows the opponent to write off the insult as just the
ravings of a drunkard.
Style Bonus: Bigger than You
A Pirate social duelist may add their Intimidate ranks
to their total raises after rolling their approach.
Reputation can also be won and lost, but only if there
is an audience. If a character loses a duel, the Game
Master may reduce any Reputations they have by 1 if
they describe the character to be particularly brave
or self-possessed. If they win a lot of public duels
they may gain a Reputation – for better or worse!
We should also point out that while this sort of
bitchiness and verbal dueling might seem to suit
female characters at court, men are just as bad.
There is no reason for a social duelist to be male or
female, and either gender can be reduced to tears.
 Role play not Roll play
To finish, we should point out that this system is
designed as an aid to role play rather than a
replacement. So when using this system, it is vitally
important that you do not reduce it to pure dice
rolling. As each player makes an attack or defends
themselves, the player should try and at least offer a
suggestion for what their character is saying. If the
suggestion includes the right mixture of insult and
intelligence then the GM should allow a free raise to
their roll. This encourages them to role play as much
as possible during such encounters.
Conversely, you shouldn’t penalize a player for not
being as witty as their character. If a shy player
wants to play a devastating wit, they should be
allowed to without penalty. We don’t penalize the
swordsmen because their player knows nothing about
a blade. In this case they need not come up with
direct insults, but the Game Master might encourage
them to describe the sort of attacks they are making.
Do they try to insult their opponent’s choice of
clothes, or suggest their skills are lacking in some
area? The more you can describe, the better, but at
the same time, let the player enjoy playing their
character!
If you already play a game of verbal dueling with a
group adept at word play and banter, then don’t
change a thing. There is no need to add rules where
you don’t need them! However, it is often the case
that players create characters with far more wit than
they themselves possess. Even the few players who
occasionally manifest the wit of Oscar Wilde or Jane
Austen can rarely manage to maintain such a level
for each game session. So for times like these this
system is there to even the balance.

Story Hooks
Social Revenge
A social duelist is impressing the local court, but the Heroes have already been on the receiving end of their
tongue. They are looking for revenge, but how can they embarrass the wit without taking them on is a battle of
words? Perhaps they can find others who have been chastised by the social duelist and pool their resources? But if
they do, who can they trust not to turn the tables?

Public Challenge
The Heroes challenge someone to a duel, but when they ask them to choose a weapon, they reply “words!” It is
decided that such a duel is acceptable, but difficult to decide on a winner. So both sides are charged with gathering
a crowd who can make the decision. The Heroes have only a day to find people who can be convinced to vote for
them, otherwise they will have to rely on their wit to win the day!

Teenage Emo
A young man or woman has been horribly ridiculed at court. They appear to be suffering from dreadful depression
and refuse to eat or leave their room. The Heroes are charged with helping them shake off their gloom. However,
the patient is actually not that depressed at all. Instead they are enjoying the drama of being the center of attention
and plan to milk it for all it is worth. Perhaps a few tormented suggestions of ‘ending it all’ and then sneaking away
will really stir things up…

A Dish Served Cold

Having won a few recent social duels, the Heroes are feeling pretty pleased with themselves. But a friend tells them
they may have gone too far, and there is a rumor that one of their previous opponents seeks revenge. The problem
is, who can it be? They’ve taken down a few different rivals, and each will come for a different type of revenge. How
can they check up on the feelings of those they have insulted without opening up old wounds? If they don’t
ascertain who is after them, how can they protect themselves?

Simon Godsn (orde #140357)

 Other Explorer’s Society titles from me
 Mirage – A new sorcery involving mirrors, where secrets might be stolen as long as you do not lose your
soul to the glass
 Vergogne - A guide to the most romantic place in Montaigne, if not Théah! Includes a host of people and
places as well as notes on adding a little romance and fashion into your game.
 Hearts and Harlots – Detail on the Jenny’s Guild and life as a Jenny, including a look at Brothels across
Théah, the Guild as a ‘secret society’ and new advantages and story ideas.
 Razor Sharp Dalliance – The history and use of the fan in Théah, including the mysterious fan code and
a new dueling style.
 The Wine List – A guide to the vintages and drinking habits of the nations of Théah (and its free!).
Coming next – Not quite sure! Maybe an adventure.

Simon Godsn (orde #140357)