Diplomacy check [Archive] - Wizards Community

Diplomacy check [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Goldrak
03-09-07, 10:58 AM Hi!

The following issue came up in our group:

If a character makes a Diplomacy check and succeeds, say from indifferent to friendly and another character comes up next and makes a new check about the same issue does he rolls against the inicial attitude (since the attitude of the target changed to another character) or he rolls against the new attitude (since the attitude of the target regarding the same issue already changed)?

Thanks
Steevo
03-09-07, 11:49 AM A character's attitude toward your character is a relation between him and you, and has nothing to do with a particular issue at hand. If your diplomacy check makes the NPC friendly towards you, then he is friendly towards you regardless of what subject you are discussing.

If another character come sup and rolls Diplomacy versus the same NPC, it changes the NPC's attitude toward that character and has no bearing on the NPC's attitude towards you. The NPC is still friendly towards you.

Now, if you and this other character are both trying to convince the NPC of opposing viewpoints on a particular subject, then the DM needs to examine how friendly the NPC is toward each of you to see who he favours more. If the NPC is friendly toward you but helpful towards the other character, he'll probably choose that guy's side. If he's friendly toward both of you, I would probably rule the higher Diplomacy check breaks the tie.

Of course, Diplomacy is not brainwashing. If the NPC is friendly toward both of you and put in a difficult position where he is hard pressed to make a choice between you two, he might well say "I don't care, but thanks for asking" and walk away from both of you. Likewise if he's helpful towards you and you ask him to go buy you some eggs when he's already late for an important meeting at the town hall, he'll probably tell you go buy them yourself because he's busy.
ClementWillowbreaker
03-09-07, 12:58 PM The second character would only use the new attitude if he was affiliated with the first character. He would then get the benefits, but also wouldn't be able improve the NPC's attitude further- you only get one check to improve it. "You" in the sense is effectively your entire party, since they all would benefit from the first character's check.

So yeah, your bard and rogue can't tag-team NPCs. Either they are both working independently from scratch, or count as the same faction and only one gets to be the party face for the check. After all, how often does a bard say, "Please don't kill me, you would like me if you got to know me (but you can kill the people I am with, I don't like them because you don't like them)"?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Goldrak 03-09-07, 10:58 AM	Hi! The following issue came up in our group: If a character makes a Diplomacy check and succeeds, say from indifferent to friendly and another character comes up next and makes a new check about the same issue does he rolls against the inicial attitude (since the attitude of the target changed to another character) or he rolls against the new attitude (since the attitude of the target regarding the same issue already changed)? Thanks
Steevo 03-09-07, 11:49 AM	A character's attitude toward your character is a relation between him and you, and has nothing to do with a particular issue at hand. If your diplomacy check makes the NPC friendly towards you, then he is friendly towards you regardless of what subject you are discussing. If another character come sup and rolls Diplomacy versus the same NPC, it changes the NPC's attitude toward that character and has no bearing on the NPC's attitude towards you. The NPC is still friendly towards you. Now, if you and this other character are both trying to convince the NPC of opposing viewpoints on a particular subject, then the DM needs to examine how friendly the NPC is toward each of you to see who he favours more. If the NPC is friendly toward you but helpful towards the other character, he'll probably choose that guy's side. If he's friendly toward both of you, I would probably rule the higher Diplomacy check breaks the tie. Of course, Diplomacy is not brainwashing. If the NPC is friendly toward both of you and put in a difficult position where he is hard pressed to make a choice between you two, he might well say "I don't care, but thanks for asking" and walk away from both of you. Likewise if he's helpful towards you and you ask him to go buy you some eggs when he's already late for an important meeting at the town hall, he'll probably tell you go buy them yourself because he's busy.
ClementWillowbreaker 03-09-07, 12:58 PM	The second character would only use the new attitude if he was affiliated with the first character. He would then get the benefits, but also wouldn't be able improve the NPC's attitude further- you only get one check to improve it. "You" in the sense is effectively your entire party, since they all would benefit from the first character's check. So yeah, your bard and rogue can't tag-team NPCs. Either they are both working independently from scratch, or count as the same faction and only one gets to be the party face for the check. After all, how often does a bard say, "Please don't kill me, you would like me if you got to know me (but you can kill the people I am with, I don't like them because you don't like them)"?