Diplomacy

(Cha)

You can use this skill to persuade others to agree with your arguments, to resolve differences, and to gather valuable information or rumors from people. This skill is also used to negotiate conflicts by using the proper etiquette and manners suitable to the problem.

Check: You can change the initial attitudes of nonplayer characters with a successful check. The DC of this check depends on the creature's starting attitude toward you, adjusted by its Charisma modifier. If you succeed, the character's attitude toward you is improved by one step. For every 5 by which your check result exceeds the DC, the character's attitude toward you increases by one additional step. A creature's attitude cannot be shifted more than two steps up in this way, although the GM can override this rule in some situations. If you fail the check by 4 or less, the character's attitude toward you is unchanged. If you fail by 5 or more, the character's attitude toward you is decreased by one step.

You cannot use Diplomacy against a creature that does not understand you or has an Intelligence of 3 or less. Diplomacy is generally ineffective in combat and against creatures that intend to harm you or your allies in the immediate future. Any attitude shift caused through Diplomacy generally lasts for 1d4 hours but can last much longer or shorter depending upon the situation (GM discretion).If a creature's attitude toward you is at least indifferent, you can make requests of the creature. This is an additional Diplomacy check, using the creature's current attitude to determine the base DC, with one of the following modifiers. Once a creature's attitude has shifted to helpful, the creature gives in to most requests without a check, unless the request is against its nature or puts it in serious peril. Some requests automatically fail if the request goes against the creature's values or its nature, subject to GM discretion.Gather Information: You can also use Diplomacy to gather information about a specific topic or individual. To do this, you must spend at least 1d4 hours canvassing people at local taverns, markets, and gathering places. The DC of this check depends on the obscurity of the information sought, but for most commonly known facts or rumors it is 10. For obscure or secret knowledge, the DC might increase to 20 or higher. The GM might rule that some topics are simply unknown to common folk.

Action: Using Diplomacy to influence a creature's attitude takes 1 minute of continuous interaction. Making a request of a creature takes 1 or more rounds of interaction, depending upon the complexity of the request. Using Diplomacy to gather information takes 1d4 hours of work searching for rumors and informants.

Try Again: You cannot use Diplomacy to influence a given creature's attitude more than once in a 24-hour period. If a request is refused, the result does not change with additional checks, although other requests might be made. You can retry Diplomacy checks made to gather information.

Special: If you have the Persuasive feat, you gain a bonus on Diplomacy checks (see Feats).

Haggle: This skill check is used to convince one character to sell you something at less than his asking cost, or to buy something from you for more than he’s initially willing to pay. Your Haggle result is opposed by the target NPC’s Haggle result.

After a Haggle check, each character agrees that the asking price is fair as modified by the check. Player characters need not move forward with the transaction, but NPCs do, unless they can’t afford the modified asking price determined by the table below.

Buying/Selling Multiple Items: When you want to buy and/or sell multiple items as a lot, you make only 1 Haggle check with a –1 penalty per item beyond the first. The buying or selling price of each item is set by the one Haggle check made.

Selling Possessions and Mission Gear: Selling items that are to be returned at the end of the mission hurts the character’s Reputation with his organization or his Net Worth within his Freelance network.

Restricted Items: When the characters try to sell one or more Restricted items, they must first make a Diplomacy check opposed by the potential buyer’s Sense Motive skill. The characters suffer a –5 penalty per Category of gear they’re trying to sell (minimum –5). Only the highest Category gear among all restricted items is factored into this penalty. Non black market merchants will never knowingly purchase a restricted item.

Table: Haggle Results

With success, the characters may attempt the Haggle check with the final asking price is determined by the Haggle check result, as shown on Table 2.46.

With failure, the characters cannot attempt a Haggle check with the current buyer.

Special: When selling items to NPC shops the baseline value of an item is 50% of its actual value. Normally a shop owner will not buy an item for actual market value as they would take a loss to their business. A player owner of a store has a baseline cost of items that is dependent on their Knowledge (Business) check. When buying items from an NPC shop, generally only market stalls and pawn shops will haggle with you. A shop owner will never sell an item to you for less than the cost to make the item.

Cooperative: No.

Retry: No.

Threat: If the seller, the final asking price is doubled. If the buyer, the final asking price is reduced to 1/2 standard (rounded down).

Critical Success: If the seller, the final asking price is quadrupled. If the buyer, the final asking price is reduced to 1/4 standard (rounded down).

Error: If the seller, the price is the final asking price is reduced to 1/2 standard (rounded down). If the buyer, the final asking price is doubled.

Critical Failure: If the seller, the final asking price is the price is reduced to 1/4 standard (rounded down). If the buyer, the final asking price is quadrupled.