Use this skill to persuade the bouncer to let you go into the exclusive club, to negotiate peace between feuding gangs, or to convince an enemy agent to release you instead of killing you. Diplomacy includes etiquette, social grace, tact, subtlety, and a way with words. A skilled character knows the formal and informal rules of conduct, social expectations, proper forms of address, and so on. This skill represents the ability to give the right impression, to negotiate effectively, and to influence others.
Check: A character can change others’ attitudes with a successful check (see the table below). In negotiations, participants roll opposed Diplomacy checks to see who gains the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve cases where two advocates or diplomats plead opposing cases before a third party.
Diplomacy can be used to influence a GM character’s attitude. The GM chooses the character’s initial attitude based on circumstances. Most of the time, the people the heroes meet are indifferent toward them, but a specific situation may call for a different initial attitude. The DCs given in the accompanying table show what it takes to change someone’s attitude with the use of the Diplomacy skill. The character doesn’t declare a specific outcome he or she is trying for; instead, make the check and compare the result to the table below. For example, attempting to change the attitude of a hostile street thug fails on a result of 19 or lower; on a result of 20 or higher, the thug’s attitude changes.
| Attitude | Means | Possible Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile | Will take risks to hurt or avoid you | Attack, interfere, berate, flee |
| Unfriendly | Wishes you ill | Mislead, gossip, avoid, watch suspiciously, insult |
| Indifferent | Doesn’t much care | Act as socially expected |
| Friendly | Wishes you well | Chat, advise, offer limited help, advocate |
| Helpful | Will take risks to help you | Protect, back up, heal, aid |
| Initial Attitude | Hostile | Unf. | New Attitude Indif. | Friendly | Helpful |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostile | 19 or less | 20 | 25 | 35 | 45 |
| Unfriendly | 4 or less | 5 | 15 | 25 | 35 |
| Indifferent | – | 0 or less | 1 | 15 | 25 |
| Friendly | – | – | 0 or less | 1 | 15 |
Bribery and Diplomacy
Offering money or another form of favor can, in the right situation, improve a character’s chances with a Diplomacy skill check. Bribery allows a character to circumvent various official obstacles when a person in a position of trust or authority is willing to accept such an offering.
An illegal act, bribery requires two willing participants – one to offer a bribe and the other to accept it. Business isn’t normally conducted in this fashion, but you can sometimes find someone in authority who is either willing to accept a bribe or actually demands a bribe to perform a normal function of his or her position. Of course, if you offer a bribe to an unwilling participant, you run the risk of punitive action, including fines, imprisonment, or both.
Tipping a waiter to get a better table or to circumvent a reservation line is an example of a minor bribe. Slipping money to a bouncer to gain entry to an exclusive nightclub, offering cash to expedite processing by a bureaucrat, and paying an informant for information are other examples of bribes.
In all cases, getting help from another character that requires either a change of attitude or a nudge to get things moving on a time frame other than the one the character normally works on, demands a Diplomacy check. You want to change the character’s attitude to helpful to get the character to let you skip ahead in a line, to expedite your passport or customs check, to let you off without submitting an official report, or to provide you with information that you couldn’t otherwise lay your hands on. Sometimes, you can do this with just a Diplomacy check. Other times, a bribe must be included to get the ball rolling.
When a corrupt official requires a bribe to render services, then a character’s Diplomacy check automatically fails if a bribe isn’t attached to it. If the official isn’t necessarily corrupt, you can add a bribe to get a bonus on your skill check. This can backfire, as some officials will be insulted by a bribe offer (their attitude changes one step for the worse) and others will report the hero to the proper authorities.
To make a bribe, decide how many points you want to reduce your current Wealth bonus by. Each point by wich you reduce your current Wealth bonus provides a +2 bonus on your Diplomacy check when making the bribe. The maximum bonus you can buy is +10, which requires a reduction of your Wealth bonus by 5 points.
Examples of persons in position of trust or authority follow.
Bouncer: This is the typical muscle stationed outside an exclusive nightclub or similar establishment. bouncers are often willing to accept bribes to provide information about the guest list, to allow access to the location, or to deny admittance to another. A bouncer typically has an indifferent attitude.
Bureaucrat: This official works for some government or corporate agency. Some bureaucrat are willing to accept a bribe, and a few demand it to expedite their services. Customs officials, tax collectors, license and registration providers, clerks, and other minor functionaries fall into this category. A bureaucrat typically has an indifferent attitude, though some customs inspectors can have unfriendly attitudes.
Law Officers: Corrupt officers of the law might be willing to ignore a minor infraction, let a potential suspect slip away from the scene of a crime, or cause key bits of evidence to “disappear” – for the right price. Corruption is uncommon among law officers. Corrupt law officers, if they can be found, typically have an unfriendly attitude, though some can have indifferent attitudes.
| Bribe Target | Purchase DC |
|---|---|
| Bouncer | 6 |
| Bureaucrat | 10 |
| Informant | 7 |
| Police officer | 10 |
Try Again?: Generally, trying again doesn’t work. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be persuaded so far. If the initial check fails, the other character has probably become more firmly committed to his or her position, and trying again is futile.
Special: A character can take 10 when making a Diplomacy check, but can’t take 20.
A character with the Trustworthy feat gets a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy checks.
Time: Diplomacy is at least a full-round action. The GM may determine that some negotiations require a longer period of time.