As part of their initial request to an NPC in a negotiation, a hero makes an argument as to why the NPC should give the heroes what they want. The hero might offer to do something in exchange as part of their argument, such as clearing bandits from a forest, handing over a piece of treasure, or slaying a dragon for the NPC. Or instead of offering something, the hero could attempt to convince the NPC that it’s in their own best interest to help—or even that it’s a moral imperative. For example, a hero could appeal to a knight’s sense of duty, the potential wealth a mercenary could make, or the final wish of a queen’s dearly departed grandmother as part of an argument. NPCs who admire the heroes are more likely to respond to compliments and buttering up, while those who fear the heroes are more likely to respond to intimidation and awe.
Arguments need a justification as to why they’re true. “Helping us defeat Lord Saxton is good for you in the long run,” is half an argument, but the hero also needs to explain why this is the case. “Helping us defeat Lord Saxton is good for you in the long run, because we know he’s coming for your kingdom after Bedegar falls!” If a hero makes half an argument, the NPC might follow up with questions such as, “Why do you say that?” or “What makes you think that’s true?” to get the full argument from them.
One hero makes an argument to an NPC, but the players can discuss the details of the argument out of character beforehand. It’s up to the group to decide how much discussion to have before making an argument, and to decide what argument the players think will best sway the NPC.
This is a good topic for discussion before a group actually gets into a negotiation, so everyone knows the other players’ thoughts. Some groups have the most fun without any around-the-table discussion, while others prefer being able to strategize as often as possible.
Appeal to Motivation
If an argument doesn’t include a pitfall and appeals to one of the NPC’s motivations that hasn’t already been appealed to, the hero making the argument can make an medium test to attempt to sway the NPC with the argument. Depending on the argument, this can be a Reason, Intuition, or Presence test using any applicable skill—most commonly a skill from the interpersonal skill group. The test has the following outcomes:
Power Roll + Reason, Intuition, or Presence:
- ≤11: The NPC’s patience decreases by 1.
- 12-16: The NPC’s interest increases by 1, and their patience decreases by 1.
- 17+: The NPC’s interest increases by 1, and their patience doesn’t change.
At the Director’s discretion, a particularly well-roleplayed or well-reasoned argument automatically counts as a tier 3 outcome without a test. Good roleplaying should be rewarded!
If the heroes attempt to appeal to a motivation that’s already been appealed to, the NPC’s interest remains the same and their patience decreases by 1.
Appealing to Multiple Motivations
If a hero makes an argument that appears to appeal to more than one of an NPC’s motivations, the Director can ask for clarification. After listing the motivations it seemed as though the player was trying to appeal to, they can ask the player to pick one from the list. If the player had another motivation in mind, it’s up to the Director whether the argument appealed to that specific motivation or not.
No Motivation or Pitfall
If an argument doesn’t include one of the NPC’s motivations or pitfalls, the hero who makes the argument must make a more difficult test to appeal to the NPC. The test has the following outcomes:
Power Roll + Reason, Intuition, or Presence:
- ≤11: The NPC’s patience decreases by 1, and their interest decreases by 1.
- 12-16: The NPC’s patience decreases by 1.
- 17+: The NPC’s interest increases by 1, and their patience decreases by 1.
Effect: On a natural 19 or 20, the NPC’s patience remains the same.
If the heroes try to use the same argument without a pitfall or motivation twice, the test automatically obtains a tier 1 outcome.
Caught in a Lie
If a hero lies to an NPC with an argument that fails to increase the NPC’s interest, the Director can decide that the NPC catches the lie and is offended by it. The NPC’s interest decreases by 1, in addition to any decrease imposed by the failure.
Everyone Can Participate
Since Reason and Intuition with creatively applied skills can be used to make arguments, all heroes can actively participate in the process of negotiation. The hero with the highest Presence who has the Persuade skill doesn’t automatically have to be the one who makes all the tests.
Pitfall Used
If an argument uses one of the NPC’s pitfalls, it automatically fails and the NPC’s interest and patience each decrease by 1. The NPC might also warn the heroes not to treat them in such a way again.
Renown and Negotiation
Renown determines whether a hero’s fame (or infamy) has any sway over an NPC. A hero’s reputation can make a negotiation easier, provided that hero knows how to capitalize on it.
During a negotiation, an NPC has an Impression score that determines the amount of Renown needed to influence them with fame alone (see Renown in Chapter 13: Rewards). This score matters only if the NPC knows of the heroes. A dragon who slumbered away the last hundred years and was just woken up to negotiate can’t be influenced by a hero’s Renown. (By the way, it’s a terrible idea to wake a dragon, even if they do know you’re famous.) If the NPC does know of the hero and has an Impression score that is equal to or lower than the hero’s Renown, the NPC can be influenced by that hero’s reputation.
The higher an NPC’s Impression score, the harder they are to influence with Renown. A small-time brigand has a lower Impression score than a monarch who meets with powerful and famous people all the time. The NPCs and Impression table provides examples of different archetypical NPC Impression scores. If a creature has a level, then their Impression score equals their level unless the Director deems otherwise.
Fame or Infamy?
If a hero has enough Renown for their score to influence an NPC during negotiation, the Director decides if the hero is famous or infamous to the NPC. If the NPC appreciates a character’s deeds and views them as a hero who makes the world a better place, that hero is famous to them. If the NPC believes the hero’s accomplishments make the world worse and views them as an enemy, the hero is infamous to the NPC.
NPCs and Impresion Table
| Impression | Example NPC |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brigand leader, commoner, shop owner |
| 2 | Knight, local guildmaster, professor |
| 3 | Cult leader, locally known mage, noble lord |
| 4 | Assassin, baron, locally famous entertainer |
| 5 | Captain of the watch in a large city, high priest, viscount |
| 6 | Count, warlord |
| 7 | Marquis, world-renowned entertainer |
| 8 | Duke, spymaster |
| 9 | Archmage, prince |
| 10 | Demon lord, monarch |
| 11 | Archdevil, archfey, demigod |
| 12 | Deity, titan |
Influencing Tests
If a hero is famous to an NPC, they gain an edge on tests when making arguments to which the Flirt, Lead, or Persuade skill could be applied. If they are infamous to the NPC, they gain an edge on tests when making arguments to which the Brag, Interrogate, or Intimidate skill could be applied. A hero gains this edge even if they don’t have the appropriate skill.