Adventurers may:

• Make a persuasive or deceptive statement or claim during a discussion, debate, or argument.
• Command others.
• Try a “pickup line” or topic in a Romance or Seduction encounter.
• Make a threat in an attempt to intimidate or terrorize someone.

Special Effect (SFX) abilities may grant Adventurers or their Opponents to detect the veracity of claims, or the intent of a statement or action as either persuasion, manipulation, or deception.

Detecting an attempted manipulation or intentional deception typically leads to negative reactions.

Social conflict primarily erodes the Will to continue the discussion, debate, or argument, as well as resist manipulative situations such as seduction or intimidation.

When the Will Reserve depletes, sustaining resistance becomes progressively harder until the Adventurer or their Opponent concedes the point.

Using truth and charm to persuade your audience.

☐ Persuasion Example

Marline, an Adventurer, attempts to persuade Deeana, a bartender, to share information about a recent event.

Deanna does not feel particularly talkative after a long shift.

Marline attempts to persuade her, making a Charisma/Persuasion check with a 2d6-2d6 roll to get a Degree of Success of +2.

The Guide modifies an Awareness/Sense Motive check with a 2d6-2d6 roll for Deeana's reaction.

Deanna's Degree of Success is -3 which is 5 points lower than Marline's persuasion attempt.

Marline's successful opening persuasive request lowers Deanna's Will Reserve by 5 points, slightly convincing her toward sharing the story.

Back and forth the verbal exchange goes, until one side concedes or run out of Will Reserve to keep negotiating.

Already depleted after a long shift, Deanna's Will Reserves quickly run out.

Sensing Marline has at least an honest intent or interest, Deanna sighs in resignation and begins sharing the story Marline asked for.

Using deception and calculation to mislead your audience.

☐ Deception Example

Detective Wyatt questions Nicky, a smuggler, about the source of illegal weapons captured during a warehouse raid.

Detective Wyatt attempts to trick Nicky into giving up what he knows with a Charisma/Deception check and 2d6-2d6 roll resulting in a Degree of Success of +1.

The Detective hopes telling Nicky that the others captured in the raid have already started cooperating will loosen Nicky's tongue.

Unfortunately for the Detective, Nicky's long history of smuggling aids his Awareness/Streetwise check and with the 2d6-2d6 roll results in Degree of Success of +4.

Nicky easily figures out the Detective's bluff, and smirkingly replies that Wyatt's “got nothing.”

Detective Wyatt's Will Reserve to press the investigation suffers a 3 point drop for his failed ploy.

The interrogation continues on back and forth until Wyatt or Nicky concede.

▲ Chronology