Conversation Gambles

Type of Inspiration

Mechanic  

Inspiration drawn from

Disco Elysium

Description

Conversation choices come in sets of 4, with 1 always being a play-it safe, low risk action with a high degree of acceptance and a low degree of impact. Other choices carry a higher risk, with proportionately higher reward if they succeed, and are targeted at specific areas of the nephesh

Example:

Brandt is trying to decide whether to obey orders and hunt down Anne.   Safe Choice: "Sounds like a needle in a haystack"
(Gentle discouragement that plays on natural laziness and justifications without making Brandt make a moral judgement about what he is doing - he is "trying" to find her, but more ok with failing after hearing your indirect justification of that failure.) He will accept this, but it will only move his Nephesh very slightly.
  Easy Gamble -75%: "A search like that could take hours. If it was me, I'd be searching for hours, and hours, at the tavern." (Appeal to Brandt's self-interest, without causing him to make a conscious decision to disobey.)  
Medium Gamble - 50%: "And you are helping with this? I thought better of you than that. Surely you can follow your orders, but make sure you don't succeed." (Appeal to Brand't righteousness, while offering him a non-confrontive solution)
  Hard Gamble - 25%: "You are a solider in God's army first, and your true duty is to protect the innocent, not persecute them, regardless of what your commandant here on earth orders." (Appeal to Brand't righteousness and faith, hammering home a no-holds-barred decision to follow God, not man.)

Problem this is trying to solve

Meaningful choices in conversations, with player agency but variable outcome