Is it necessary to make a circles test to find NPCs that are Named and important, but that you don’t have a relationship with? What about hostile (or friendly, for that matter) NPC FoNs?
Circles is a mechanic that allows the players to bring personalities into the game that they feel are necessary. It’s not required to do anything.
If a player wants to go see the mayor, and you think that’s appropriate, SAY YES and move on.
Also, check out the BW One on One sessions for different ways to use Circles.
-L
We haven’t started playing yet, so this probably doesn’t matter too much.
The situation: Mike and I were speculating that his PC might want to get all violent with one of the Vaylen FoNs. I said, “He’d have to circle her up first.” He said that you could have a scene with another FoN if you wanted to.
Though I could see many other tasks that would achieve that intent. Yeah, now that I think about it, I’m just making him roll for it, so maybe a circles test wouldn’t be the right mechanic. However he wanted to do it would be fine with me. It would be the same if she was using Inconspicuous or something. You want to find her? She doesn’t want to be found. Versus test.
By scene, I meant Intersital, not building or conflict. Building or conflict scenes, you may need to roll to get into firing range. But if I’m just going to meet her at a party, or call her on the phone, it shouldn’t really be necessary to roll, no?
That’s up to the GM. A relationship guarantees your ability to meet or talk with an NPC as you wish. Without a relationship, the GM gets to decide whether the NPC is readily available or not (i.e., Say Yes or Roll Dice). The GM either decides that you can meet with the NPC without a problem, or will require you to make a Circles roll to get ahold of them.
Especially if the last two times you’ve met, it’s been on opposite ends of a crater-strewn battlefield. 