Whenever you first encounter a creature, make a reaction roll of 2d6+ modifiers. Their attitude will be based on this roll:
- Dismissive 1 or less - Permits no social actions; will ignore, fight, or flee as determined by context
Disinterested 2 to 4 - Minor diplomatic action, such as intimidate or plead, before reversion to team behavior (villagers keep walking, monsters attack, etc)
Interested 5 to 7 - Enough time for standard diplomatic action before reverting to team behavior
Attentive 8+ - You are permitted multiple diplomatic actions, which includes being opted into long-term diplomatic scenes (like tomorrow's party)
This covers the scene as a whole, basically deciding how safe the subject feels. Note, it is possible to be worried in an environment normally safe. If an intruder takes the subject by surprise, they are still feeling the environment is safe. If the subject is warned of their coming, be it a note of warning or even breaking down the door downstairs; their mind will adjust their perceived security downward to accommodate.
- -3: Threatened: Safety is actively questioned, such as high stakes drug deal or an invasion site.
-1: Worried: Dangerous neighborhood, carrying high value items in public, exposed condition.
+0: Safe: Public, yet non-threatening
This covers how the party presents itself to the subject, indicating its desired outcome.
- -4: Assaulting: Direct attacks have been made.
-2: Threatening: Weapons are drawn, aspersions are cast, and is otherwise making their hostile intent clear.
+0: Terse: Isn't threatening, but is presenting the bare minimum of social niceties.
+1: Normal: Engaging in a non-hostile, friendly manner
+2: Aiding: Is actively improving their condition, offering gifts or aid
Personal prejudices and assumptions the subject has, including prior history with the specific person.
- -3: Enemy: Active dislike of target; be it prior history of violence, target of heavy racism, or even faction enemy.
-1: Distrust: Outsider (in an insular community), negative history, and similar negative prejudices.
+0: Stranger: Unremarkable, passive
+3: Innocuous: Friendly & familiar history, nonthreatening prejudice such as cute children or frat brothers
+6: Unguarded: Hold great personal fondness, feels secure with their presence
Minor Diplomatic Action Occurs in a single combat round.
- Negotiate inconsequential favour
- Diplomacy DC = 7 + Target's Level - Bias + 10 if in debt with target
- Gain attention - Gain option for standard diplomatic action
- Diplomacy DC = 7 + Target's Level - Reaction Roll modifier
- Demoralize
- Baseline business transaction
- As per Haggle, both sides Take 0
- Improve Bias - Maximum of one step, cannot exceed innocuous
- Negotiate Minor Favour or less
- Diplomacy DC = 12 + Target's Level - Bias + 10 if in debt with target
- Basic Haggle
- Opposed Diplomacy = Higher gains 10% price advantage per 5 points they exceed the other
- Prolong to Attentive
- Diplomacy DC = 12 + Target's Level - Reaction Roll Modifier
- Antagonize/Fluster
- Inconsequential Inconvenience, deliver message across town, give directions, 1 day's lifestyle or less
Minor Misprision of felony or accessory to crime, 1/4 lifestyle in gold
Moderate Accomplice to crime, risk from imprisonment, lifestyle in gold
Major Explicitly illegal act on behalf, risk lifestyle and status
Difficulty Checks
We want beggars to actually want to beg the rich, warlords to be convinced to sleep with local wenches, etc. We don't want the Dark Lord to kneel in defeat nor the king to sell their castle for frayed twine, at least we don't want this while ignoring the whole level system in regards to opposition. One conclusion is that so long as the favor is relatively innocuous or the request comes from someone very close (Dark Lord's little girl is not very high level), the DCs for Diplomacy checks and such should be relatively static and modified by circumstances rather than level. Once it becomes a means of defeat on the combat level, then it needs resistance to scale; level-based Will save loosely tied to the skill check being the easiest approach. Doing this will grant the diplomancer a reliable source of noncombat capabilities that eventually ignore extreme circumstances, but not surpass the enchanter when it comes to convincing them to accept Jesus Christ; especially in light of the difficulty in dispelling and near-infinite resource pool (not that it will lower the effects by a lot, but some).
Old Rules
- 4 or less - Initiate combat
5 to 8 - Hostile, will threaten/converse first
9 to 11 - Indifferent
12+ - Friendly
Posture Their environment will obviously influence things, whether they're expecting a fight.
- Hostile Territory: -2
- Neutral Ground: +0
- Safe Haven: +2
- Attacking: -4
- Weapons Drawn: -2
- Unarmed, Nonthreatening: +0
- Friendly: +2
- Blood Enemy: -4
- Unfriendly, Hostile: -2
- Unknown, Stranger: +0
- Ally, Safe: +2
- Own Faction: +4
- Nemesis: -4
- Violent Past, Asshole Neighbor: -2
- Stranger, Acquaintance: +0
- Friendly Past, Good Neighbor: +2
- Comrade, Boss, Shag Buddy: +4