Negotiation¶

Negotiation is an optional framework for high-stakes social encounters where the outcome genuinely matters.

Not every conversation requires negotiation. A merchant selling supplies, a guard asking for papers, or a contact sharing rumors can be resolved through simple roleplaying or a single skill check.

Negotiation is for moments when:

The NPC has something the party needs and isn't easily convinced
Multiple approaches exist, each with different outcomes
Failure has real consequences
The GM wants structure for a complex social encounter

Negotiation treats important NPCs as people with their own priorities, limits, and tolerance for being pushed.

When to Use Negotiation¶

Use negotiation when:

Convincing a lord to lend their army
Persuading a merchant guild to break a contract
Negotiating safe passage through hostile territory
Securing an audience with someone who doesn't want to see you
Bargaining for information, resources, or favors that matter

Skip negotiation when:

A single skill check would suffice
The outcome is already determined by the fiction
The NPC has no reason to resist or cooperate
Time at the table would be better spent elsewhere

The GM decides when to invoke negotiation rules.

Core Mechanics¶

Negotiation tracks two values for the NPC, each ranging from 0 to 5:

Interest¶

Interest represents how much the NPC wants to help, agree, or cooperate.

Interest starts at 1 for neutral NPCs
Interest starts at 0 for hostile or opposed NPCs
Interest starts at 2 for friendly or sympathetic NPCs

Interest increases when the party makes compelling arguments.
Interest decreases when the party offends, threatens, or missteps.

Patience¶

Patience represents how long the NPC will continue negotiating.

Patience starts at 3 for most NPCs
Patience starts at 2 for busy, irritable, or distracted NPCs
Patience starts at 4 for patient, curious, or invested NPCs

Patience decreases each time the party makes an argument.
Patience can increase through exceptional persuasion or by honoring the NPC's preferences.

When Patience reaches 0, negotiation ends immediately with the NPC's current offer based on Interest.

When Interest reaches 0, the NPC refuses to negotiate further and may actively oppose the party.

When Interest reaches 5, the NPC agrees enthusiastically and may offer more than asked.

NPC Motivations and Pitfalls¶

Every NPC worth negotiating with has at least two Motivations and one Pitfall.

Motivations¶

Motivations are what the NPC cares about deeply.

Arguments that appeal to a Motivation are easier to make successfully.

Examples of motivations:

Authority - respecting hierarchy, law, or tradition
Benevolence - helping others, easing suffering
Discovery - learning, curiosity, understanding
Freedom - independence, choice, avoiding control
Greed - wealth, profit, material gain
Justice - fairness, punishment, balance
Legacy - being remembered, family honor, lasting impact
Peace - avoiding conflict, harmony, stability
Power - control, influence, dominance
Protection - defending loved ones, territory, values
Revelry - pleasure, excitement, entertainment
Vengeance - settling scores, punishing wrongs

This list is not exhaustive. The GM creates motivations appropriate to the NPC and setting.

Pitfalls¶

Pitfalls are things the NPC reacts poorly to.

Arguments that trigger a Pitfall are harder to make successfully and may decrease Interest or Patience.

Pitfalls often mirror motivations (someone motivated by Freedom hates being controlled; someone motivated by Authority hates disrespect).

Examples of pitfalls:

Disrespecting their authority or status
Suggesting they abandon their principles
Threatening those they care about
Insulting their intelligence or competence
Wasting their time with irrelevant arguments
Appealing to motivations they don't share

Pitfalls don't need to be secret. A visibly impatient noble clearly values efficiency. A priest who bristles at blasphemy clearly values reverence.

Making Arguments¶

Each party member may make one argument per round of negotiation.

An argument is a specific attempt to convince the NPC through:

Logic - appealing to reason, self-interest, or consequences
Emotion - appealing to values, relationships, or identity
Evidence - presenting facts, proof, or credible testimony

The player describes their argument, then rolls:

Argument Check:

Logic-based arguments: Cunning + Diplomacy or Reason + Persuade
Emotion-based arguments: Presence + Persuade or Intuition + Empathy
Evidence-based arguments: Reason + Lore or Intuition + Awareness

Target Difficulty depends on the argument's relevance:

Argument Type	Target Difficulty
Appeals to a known Motivation	12
Relevant to NPC's situation	14
Neutral or generic	16
Triggers a known Pitfall	18

The GM may adjust TD based on:

Quality of the argument as presented
Previous arguments establishing context
NPC's current mood (influenced by earlier results)
External pressures or distractions

Outcomes¶

Success (meeting or exceeding TD):

NPC's Interest increases by 1
NPC's Patience decreases by 1
Exceptional success (exceeding TD by 5+): Patience does not decrease

Failure (missing TD by 1-4):

NPC's Patience decreases by 1
Interest remains unchanged

Dismal Failure (missing TD by 5+):

NPC's Interest decreases by 1
NPC's Patience decreases by 1

Discovering Motivations and Pitfalls¶

If the party doesn't know an NPC's Motivations or Pitfalls, they can attempt to discover them during negotiation.

Discovery Check:

Intuition + Awareness (reading body language, tone)
Intuition + Empathy (understanding emotional state)
Reason + Lore (recalling reputation, history)

Target Difficulty: 14

Success: The character learns one Motivation or Pitfall (player's choice).

Failure (missing by 1-4): No information gained.

Dismal Failure (missing by 5+): No information gained, and the NPC realizes they're being analyzed. Patience decreases by 1.

Discovery attempts can only be made once per negotiation per character.

Characters can also discover Motivations and Pitfalls outside negotiation through:

Research and investigation before the encounter
Conversations with people who know the NPC
Observing the NPC in other contexts
Using Effort to trigger a Flashback ("I spoke with the captain's steward yesterday...")

NPC Responses¶

The GM should make the NPC's response to each argument clear through roleplaying.

Positive Response (Interest increased)¶

The NPC signals agreement, reconsideration, or softening:

"That's... a fair point."
"I hadn't considered it that way."
"You may be right about that."
Nodding, leaning forward, lowering defenses

Neutral Response (Patience decreased, Interest unchanged)¶

The NPC signals they're listening but unconvinced:

"I've heard that argument before."
"You'll need to offer more than that."
"Go on."
Folded arms, noncommittal expression

Negative Response (Interest decreased)¶

The NPC signals offense, frustration, or distrust:

"How dare you suggest—"
"You've wasted enough of my time."
"I thought better of you."
Anger, dismissal, stepping back

Running Out of Patience¶

When Patience is low (1-2), the NPC warns the party:

"Make your point quickly."
"I'm losing interest in this conversation."
"This is your last chance to convince me."

Ending Negotiation¶

Negotiation ends when:

Interest reaches 5 ("Yes, and...")
Interest reaches 0 ("No, and...")
Patience reaches 0 (current offer based on Interest)
The party accepts the NPC's current offer
The party withdraws from negotiation
Combat or other interruption occurs

Final Outcomes by Interest Level¶

Interest 5 - "Yes, and..."
The NPC agrees to everything requested and offers something extra. This is the best possible outcome. The NPC may waive costs, provide additional support, or become a lasting ally.

Interest 4 - "Yes"
The NPC agrees to the request as presented. No additional concessions, but no penalties either.

Interest 3 - "Yes, but..."
The NPC agrees but with conditions, delays, or reduced scope. "I'll lend you the army, but only for thirty days" or "You can have the artifact, but you'll owe me a favor."

Interest 2 - "Maybe"
The NPC doesn't commit. They may offer partial help, suggest alternatives, or ask the party to prove themselves first.

Interest 1 - "No"
The NPC declines. No hostility, but the answer is no. The party may try again later under different circumstances.

Interest 0 - "No, and..."
The NPC refuses and becomes hostile. They may spread rumors, deny future access, or actively oppose the party's goals.

Special Circumstances¶

Multiple Party Members¶

When multiple party members make arguments in the same round, resolve them in any order the party prefers. Each argument affects Interest and Patience independently.

This means a strong argument can be followed by a weaker one, or vice versa. The party should coordinate their approach.

Threats and Intimidation¶

If the party threatens violence or makes ultimatums, negotiation ends immediately.

The relationship has changed from negotiation to coercion. The GM determines the NPC's response based on:

Whether they believe the threat
Whether they have alternatives
Their personality and values

Most NPCs do not respond well to threats. Some fold. Some fight. Few forget.

Bribes and Incentives¶

Offering concrete incentives (gold, favors, services) doesn't require a roll.

Instead, the GM decides if the offer is sufficient to:

Increase Interest by 1 (small incentive)
Increase Interest by 2 (significant incentive)
Increase Interest by 3 (extraordinary incentive)

Bribes bypass argument checks but still consume Patience (unless the NPC explicitly welcomes them).

Using Effort¶

Effort can be spent during negotiation to:

Reroll an argument check (standard Effort use)
Gain advantage on a Discovery check (1 Effort)
Prevent Patience from decreasing after a failed argument (1 Effort, once per negotiation)
Invoke a Flashback to reveal prior preparation ("I researched the marquis's family history...")

GM Guidance¶

Creating NPCs for Negotiation¶

When designing an NPC for negotiation:

Determine starting Interest and Patience
- Neutral NPC: Interest 1, Patience 3
- Adjust based on NPC's relationship to party 2. Choose 2-3 Motivations
- What does this NPC care about?
- What would change their mind? 3. Choose 1-2 Pitfalls
- What offends them?
- What do they refuse to tolerate? 4. Decide what they're willing to offer at each Interest level
- Interest 1: Nothing
- Interest 2: Minimal help
- Interest 3: Conditional agreement
- Interest 4: Full agreement
- Interest 5: Full agreement + bonus 5. Consider what happens if negotiation fails
- Do they become hostile?
- Can the party try again later?
- Are there consequences?

Running Negotiation at the Table¶

Telegraph Motivations and Pitfalls through roleplaying
A devout priest clearly values faith. An impatient warlord clearly values efficiency.
Make the NPC's responses clear
Players should know if they're making progress or digging a deeper hole.
Don't hide the mechanics
Players can see Interest and Patience values. This creates tactical tension ("We're running out of time").
Let players coordinate
Allow brief discussion between arguments so the party can strategize.
End negotiation when the fiction demands it
If the party's arguments become absurd or the NPC has clearly made up their mind, don't force more rounds.

Adjusting Difficulty¶

If negotiation feels too easy:

Start Interest lower (0 for hostile NPCs)
Start Patience lower (2 instead of 3)
Add more Pitfalls
Increase base TDs

If negotiation feels too hard:

Start Interest higher (2 for sympathetic NPCs)
Start Patience higher (4 instead of 3)
Make Motivations more obvious
Decrease base TDs

Examples¶

Example 1: The Reluctant Merchant Prince¶

Setup: The party needs a merchant prince to break a trade contract with a rival house.

NPC: Merchant Prince Tavik

Interest: 1 (neutral)
Patience: 3
Motivations: Greed, Legacy
Pitfalls: Disrespecting his reputation, wasting his time

Round 1:

Argument: "If you break the contract now, you'll position yourself as the primary supplier when the rival house collapses."
Check: Cunning + Diplomacy, TD 12 (appeals to Greed)
Result: Success! Interest → 2, Patience → 2

Round 2:

Argument: "Your family's name will be remembered as the house that destroyed House Carrick."
Check: Presence + Persuade, TD 12 (appeals to Legacy)
Result: Success! Interest → 3, Patience → 1

Round 3:

Argument: "Besides, we'll make it worth your while." (offers 500 gold)
Incentive: GM rules this is worth +1 Interest
Result: Interest → 4, Patience → 0

Outcome: Patience hits 0. Tavik agrees (Interest 4 = "Yes") and breaks the contract.

Example 2: The Skeptical Guard Captain¶

Setup: The party needs the city watch to ignore their activities in the warehouse district for one night.

NPC: Guard Captain Mira

Interest: 0 (she suspects they're up to no good)
Patience: 2 (busy, doesn't trust them)
Motivations: Justice, Protection (of citizens)
Pitfalls: Lawbreaking, threats

Round 1:

Argument: "We're tracking a smuggling ring. If you let us work tonight, we'll bring you proof."
Check: Cunning + Diplomacy, TD 12 (appeals to Justice)
Result: Success! Interest → 1, Patience → 1

Round 2:

Argument: "If we don't stop them, they'll flood the district with dangerous alchemicals."
Check: Presence + Persuade, TD 12 (appeals to Protection)
Result: Success! Interest → 2, Patience → 0

Outcome: Patience hits 0. Mira makes a conditional offer (Interest 2 = "Maybe"). "I'll look the other way tonight. But if you're lying, I'll throw you in a cell myself."

Design Intent¶

Negotiation exists to:

Give structure to high-stakes social encounters
Make NPC motivations matter mechanically
Create tactical decisions during social scenes
Prevent "one roll decides everything" outcomes
Reward parties who investigate, prepare, and coordinate

Negotiation should feel like:

A puzzle to solve (what does this person want?)
A resource management challenge (how much Patience do we have left?)
A team effort (multiple party members working together)

Negotiation should not feel like:

A replacement for roleplaying
A mandatory system for every conversation
A way to force NPCs to act against their nature

Use negotiation when it adds to the story.
Skip it when it doesn't.