characterscunning

Characterscunning is a concept used in literary analysis and game design to describe a character's aptitude for strategic thinking, deception, and social manipulation required to achieve goals. It focuses on how a character plans, improvises, judges risk, and exploits others' assumptions rather than brute force or raw knowledge alone.

In narrative analysis, characterscunning explains plot dynamics where plans unfold through clever schemes, misdirection, and negotiations, often driving twists. It is not the same as general intelligence, which covers memory and problem solving; cunning emphasizes social understanding and deception, and improvisational skill under pressure.

In role-playing or video games, characterscunning can be modeled as a stat or trait that influences outcomes of schemes, negotiation, or intrigue-related challenges. It may be combined with charisma, stealth, or perception to simulate how a character navigates factions, traps, and rival plans.

Typical archetypes include the mastermind who orchestrates others' actions, the social engineer who reads people, and the trickster who thrives on misdirection. A high characterscunning value can create dramatic tension by enabling unexpected solutions, but may risk portraying unethical behavior if not bounded by narrative ethics.

Criticisms include conflating cunning with positive values or misusing it to justify manipulation. In analyses, it's important to distinguish cunning as a tool from the character's moral stance.

See also: cunning, social intelligence, Machiavellianism, deception, character development.