Community

A combat encounter has begun, or is about to begin, between the  PCs and monsters that the PCs can communicate with.  The PCs must defuse  the combat encounter, earn the creatures' trust or respect, then  negotiate an end to the creatures' hostile actions.

Level: PC Level +0 (or as needed)

Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures).

Primary Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate.  The  use of each skill depends upon the stage of the encounter.

Stages: This challenge has three distinct stages.  Progressing from one stage to another is determined by the number of  successes achieved. The number of total successes required to progress  to the next stage is listed in parenthesis after the name of the current  stage. DMs, feel free to vary the number of successes required  depending on their party's style of play or the personality of the  party's foes.

Defusing Combat (2 successes)

Diplomacy (Moderate DC): The PCs persuade their foes that  talking could be more beneficial than fighting. This can only be  attempted by PCs who have not dealt any damage to their foes. A failed  check angers the PCs foes, granting them a +2 damage bonus (per tier)  for the next full round. A successful check averts or stops the fight.

Intimidate (Moderate DC): The PCs menace their foes,  making them think they've bitten off more than they can chew. A PC that  has struck a critical hit or has done maximum damage with an attack gets  a +2 bonus to their check. A failed check renders the foes unafraid of  the PCs, making them immune to fear effects for the rest of the  encounter. A successful check averts or stops the fight.

Earning Trust (7 successes)

Sheathing Weapons: If the PCs sheathe their weapons they  get an automatic success.  If they do not sheathe their weapons the next  failure restarts the fight.

Eating Together: The PCs break bread with their foes,  treating them with respect and equality. The PCs gain an automatic  success if they also eat the food they're sharing with their foes.  If  they do not also eat the same food they offer their foes the PCs get an  automatic failure (see Diplomacy & Bluff below).

Drinking Together: The PCs bond with their foes over  drinks, usually alcoholic beverages. The PCs gain an automatic success  if they also drink what they're sharing with their foes.  If they do not  also drink the same beverages they offer their foes the PCs get an  automatic failure (see Diplomacy & Bluff below).

Perform a Task: Actions speak louder than words. The  party's foes request that the PCs undergo a test or otherwise perform  some task for them before they agree to trust the party. Each task  counts as one minor quest. A successful quest earns one success for the  party while a failed quest results in a failure for the party. These  failures cannot be negated with Bluff or Diplomacy (see below).

Diplomacy (Moderate DC): The PCs make themselves seem  sympathetic to, or otherwise endear themselves to, their foes.  This  skill is good for one success in this stage of the challenge.  This  skill can also be used to negate one failure from an improper gesture  during this stage of the challenge.

Bluff (Moderate DC): This skill can also be used to  fast-talk the party's way out of a failure from an improper gesture  during this stage of the challenge.

Heal (Moderate DC): If the party's foes were injured by  the party before combat was defused, mending their wounds will help  build their trust for the party.  This check is good for only one  success during this stage, and it can only be attempted after one  success has already been earned during this stage.

Intimidate: Attempting an Intimidate check will result in  an automatic failure during this stage of the challenge.

Negotiations (final stage)

Diplomacy (Moderate DC): Persuading the party's foes that  continuing hostile actions offers more risk than reward.

Bluff (Moderate DC): The PCs trick the foes into  believing the level of risk will increase (more guards in the area,  etc.) or the level of reward will decrease (goods sent via a different  route).

Concessions: The PCs must agree to concessions to get  their foes to stop their hostile actions. This works just like the  “Performing a Task” option in stage two.

Intimidate: Attempting an Intimidate check will result in  an automatic failure during this stage of the challenge.

Jun 2, 2010 -- 4:32PM, Centauri wrote:

Normally I tend not to like very linear or mechanical skill challenges, but this one seems pretty good.

It looks to me as though you intend the PCs to do the "Perform a Task" portion of "Earning Trust" as I don't see another way to earn seven successes in that part of the challenge. I guess since the foes will be requesting the tasks specifically there's no chance of the PCs not realizing this option. What sorts of tasks did you have in mind.

What in-game rationale would you give for Diplomacy not being good for more than one success in certain sections?

Have you run this? How has it gone?

I have not run this.  I am actually without a gaming group at the moment, so it's all theoretical at this point.

If you consult the OP again, the "stages" section states: "The number of total successes required to progress  to the next stage is listed in parenthesis after  the name of the current  stage."  Since you need 2 successes to get through the first stage, you only need 5 more to get through the second stage (a total of 7 successes).

I can see that the language there might me a bit confusing.  Please review it and let me know if you feel it needs to be more explicit.  If so, I will amend it so that each stage's heading shows the number of successes you need "in that stage" to progress.

As for your Diplomacy question, that is a very good point.  My original intent was to limit Diplomacy to one success per PC.  Looking at the challenge, you can see that (assuming a party of 5 PCs) the party would be able to get through that stage on Diplomacy alone.  I was actively trying to avoid that. I wanted the PCs to have to mix in gestures of trust with their Diplomacy.  That being said, I think I should ramp it up to a maximum of 2 or 3 successes from Diplomacy so that Diplomacy and gestures have approximately equal weight.  What do you think?

As the language is know, before any edit, the challenge can still be viable. Used in this way, I can see the challenge itself as a framework for PC quests over one or more levels. If we were to keep the Diplomacy limit to one success, I could see this challenge working well for international politics, highly xenophobic groups, and groups that have been betrayed in past treaties (like Native Americans were). If I were to use it in that way, I would amend the challenge so that the PCs meet with a representative of the group, or other nation, once they proceed to the second stage.

As for an in-game rationale to limits on Diplomacy, that is relatively simple.  Words will only take you so far before you have to start showing that you can be trusted.  A limit of one Diplomacy success (which now seems heavier than it should be for a group with average-level trust) is viable for groups that don't trust easily, and for groups that are acting out of desperate need.  Using Diplomacy to convice barbarians to stop raiding will do little good if they are doing it because they are starving to death.

Thanks for your questions and interest.