Page 83 - World of Darkness

Success: Your character makes progress against his Cutting a Deal
opponent.
Exceptional Success: Your character makes dramatic Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + equipment
progress with his opponent. versus Manipulation + Persuasion + equipment
Suggested Equipment: For interrogator: Law enforce- Action: Extended and contested (3-10+ successes
ment or government credentials (+1), interrogation room required; each roll represents an hour of negotiation)
(+1), torture implements (+2), interrogation drugs (+3); Negotiating terms for legally binding arrangements
For subject: Airtight alibi (+3), lawyer on the way (+2), such as contracts, settlements or treaties is a long and com-
important cause (+3) plex process, with both parties fighting hard to gain every
Possible Penalties: For interrogator: Language bar- possible advantage. The Storyteller must assign a required
rier (-2 to -3), lack of evidence against subject (-3); For number of successes for negotiations as a whole, relative
subject: Denied food and/or water for extended period (- to the complexity of the terms under discussion. An en-
3), loved ones threatened (-1), loved ones harmed (-3) tertainment contract might require only three successes,
while a class-action lawsuit might require six. Major ne-
Persuasion gotiations, such as cease-fires between nations or the draw-
ing of national borders could demand as many as 10 or
Melissa put on her best “Please?” face, the one that more successes to resolve.
always worked on her father. She needed access to the stacks Once the success value has been determined, both
in the basement library, the old archives that were reserved parties lay out their positions and the rolling begins. Make
for “special studies.” She now recognized that meant “the a contested Manipulation + Persuasion + equipment (if
coven’s rituals,” but she couldn’t let on. any) roll between the leaders of the two parties. Successes
earned are added to their respective totals. Discussions
She found the head librarian Mister Richards in the end when one party hits the success value set. That par-
Humanities section and pleaded her desperate case. “If I ticipant is the winner, but must make some concessions
don’t do well on this paper, I’ll flunk Philosophy. Professor to the competitor based on the difference between the
Ingram talked about some first editions in the archives. If I two parties’ success totals. If the winner has three times
can quote them, maybe I’ll get extra credit.”
the competitor’s successes, no concessions are required. If
The kindly old librarian’s eyes seemed to soften with the winner has double the competitor’s successes, the win-
pity. “All right, my dear. Let me get the key,” he said. In ner must concede to a quarter of the competitor’s demands.
truth, it was Melissa’s physical assets that impressed him. If the winner has only a simple majority of successes, he
Persuasion is the art of inspiring or changing minds must concede to half of the competitor’s demands. The
through logic, charm or sheer, glib fast-talking. Though it winner of negotiations gets to choose which concessions
can be taught to varying degrees of success, most charac- to make, but the Storyteller is the final arbiter over every
ters with the Skill possess a natural talent and have honed aspect of the process.
it over years through trial and error, practicing their de- Example: Gwen negotiates a new contract with her
livery until it rolls effortlessly off the tongue. Persuasion employer, Carstairs Industries. She wants a pay increase,
is the Skill of convincing others by force of personality better benefits, her own parking spot and a key to the
alone, making one’s point through carefully chosen words, executive spa. The company wants to give her none of these
body language and emotion. things, declaring that she should be happy with her current
Possessed by: Con artists, executives, generals, law- contract. The Storyteller determines that the negotiation
yers, politicians, salesmen, sexual predators requires five successes to settle. Gwen’s Manipulation is 4
Specialties: Fast-Talking, Inspiring Troops, Motiva- and her Persuasion is 3. She has no pertinent equipment to
tional Speeches, Sales Pitches, Seduction help her in the talks. The company rep’s Manipulation is 3
and his Persuasion is 3. He has no equipment, either. Six
Roll Results rolls (and six hours) later, Gwen wins the negotiation with
Dramatic Failure: Your character not only fails to five successes to Carstairs’ two. Since Gwen’s total is more
persuade someone, she actively inspires a negative opin- than double the company’s, she has to concede to a quarter
ion in her subject. Not only does she fail to sell the car, of the company’s demands. Since Carstairs doesn’t want her
for example, the customer is encouraged to shop elsewhere. to have anything, a concession in this case means giving up
Failure: Your character does not convince her subject. one of her four objectives. After some consideration, Gwen
Success: Your character convinces the subject to ac- declares that she’ll give up her claim to the employee parking
cept her assertions. space and take the money, the benefits and access to the spa.
Exceptional Success: Your character convinces the If opponents achieve their required number of suc-
subject completely, to the extent that the target trusts your cesses simultaneously, they remain at loggerheads. Both
character’s opinion implicitly and accepts further asser- must conceded at least one point of contention to the
tions on faith. Not only is the customer eager to buy the other if talks are to continue. The process then begins
car, he trusts your character to fill out the terms of the again from scratch.
contract and signs without reading them.

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Chapter 3- SKILLS