Diplomacy

Use **Diplomacy** to persuade the bouncer to let you into the exclusive club, to negotiate peace between rival 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.

**:** Charisma

**T:** No

**AP:** No

**:** Acolyte, Field Medic, Negotiator, Personality, Telepath, and Charismatic Hero.

## Checks

**Table: Attitudes**
 Helpful | Will take risks to help you | Protect, back up, heal, aid

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.

**Special:**
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.

**Table: Bribery**
 Police officer | 10

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. When a character requires a bribe to render services, then a hero's Diplomacy check automatically fails if a bribe isn't attached to it. If a bribe isn't required, a hero can add a bribe to get a bonus on his or her skill check. This can backfire, as some characters 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, players must make a Wealth check against a DC set by their GM. Several typical DCs are given in the Services section. If successful in the check, players gain a +5 bonus on their **Diplomacy** check when making the bribe. For every point by which they beat the Wealth check DC, the bonus increases by +1, to a maximum bonus of +10. They may take 10 on the Wealth check, but not 20.

**Special:**
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.

**Table: Feats**