Comment on “Schmoozing and Rules for DM's”

I am pleased to hear another DM who thinks it makes sense to apply rules to NPC interactions. So often, it seems, DMs I've asked about this have been very resistant. It's funny that the combat rules apply to everyone equally*, but any player-NPC interactions rules somehow don't. It makes me immediately think of the potential for automation of a certain level of NPC interaction. I could imagine a kind of "circuit design," reading a bunch of outcomes of NPC interactions and providing an outcome for a larger entity, say, a branch of government.

*Although of course (invincible "DMPC" anyone?)