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Alfryd
2007-07-24, 10:24 AM
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Here's one for all you mother-blaming-Freudians, validation-starved paragons of victimhood, and tightassed Role-Play-determinists in the audience! No longer need you ponder lengthily over the agonizing moral dilemmas faced by your character, when a roll of the dice and a failed Will saved suffice to virtually guarantee their descent into madness! Despair no more, for the precise mechanics of love, hate, anger, greed and jealousy are hereby extolled in exquisite yet infuriating detail below.
Before you jump in, a bit of terminology- A's Relation TO B means 'how A feels about B,' whereas A's Relation WITH B means 'how B feels about A'. Use common sense if confusion arises, or, alternatively, tell me to get off my ass and clarify.
Law and Chaos have particular associations in the Majesty setting that allow for assymetry in impressions.

Enjoy!



Attitude and Relations

Relation-
Relation modifiers describe the degree of intrinsic trust or affection a given character has developed towards another. Relation modifiers stack- (or, rather, accumulate-) but cannot exceed the following range from +10 to -10:

{table=head]Status|Modifier|Description
Soulmate|+9/+10|A close and inseperable understanding- a lover, dear friend, close relation.
Confidence|+6/+7/+8|A regular, enjoyable long-term companion whom you trust extensively.
Ally|+3/+4/+5|A person of matching affiliation or allegiance whom you are well disposed toward, or someone who has aided and obliged you freely in the past.
Acquaintance|0/+1/+2|A person whom you have no great reason to like or dislike, or to whom you feel ambivalent.
Slighted|-1/-2/-3|A person who has generally rubbed you the wrong way but isn't a clear threat.
Enemy|-4/-5/-6|A person whom you have taken a visceral dislike toward, either through reprehensible associations or consistent personal injuries done.
Malice|-7/-8/-9|A long-running and sustained destructive rivalry, often on private grounds.
Nemesis|-10|Utter detestation and loathing that can only end in one party's death or extended suffering.
[/table]

Attitude-
Attitude modifers describe a person's superficial demeanour and pattern of behaviour toward others. They have 2 components:

Conduct-
{table=head]Status|Modifier|Description
Benefactor|+5/+4|Will make great personal sacrifices to ensure your safety or aid in your plans.
Friendly|+3/+2|Will lend basic aid and helpful information, or usually assists your endeavours.
Neutral|+1/0/-1|Conveys mundane information, not strongly disposed toward either help or hindrance.
Unfriendly|-2/-3|Not liable to convey help or useful information, or persistently thwarts your goals.
Hostile|-4/-5|Likely to attack you on sight, seeks your death, pain or forced captivity.
[/table]
Manner-
{table=head]Status|Modifier|Description
Magnetic|+5/+4|Wit, grace, humane, thoughtful, appreciative.
Affable|+3/+2|Mild or genial, humorous, deals sincere compliments.
Indifferent|+1/0/-1|Civil, deferent or respectful, occasionally mixed.
Irritant|-2/-3|Brash or inconsiderate, commonly critical and hurtful.
Repulsive|-4/-5|Caustic, scathingly vindictive, offensively crude.
[/table]

Attitude is the sum of Conduct and Manner over a given time period. Total Attitude modifier can never exceed +/-10. Manner generally persists over time but can be altered with extensive effort or depending on the circumstances.

* By default, Good characters are at least Friendly and no worse than Irritant.
* By default, Evil characters are never Benefactors.
* Good characters will generally weigh treatment of strangers and enemies, and Neutral characters of friends or relations, as seriously as they do treatment of themselves (characters with Confidence or better are included for this purpose.)

Bear in mind that there is no neccesary relation between a character's Attitude and Relation to a given subject. A Hostile character determined to best and vanquish the subject may nonetheless have strong emotional ties to them, conversely, subjects who hate the character but nonetheless appear to help and advise are classified as Friendly. A character's treatment of friends and family may be radically different from their treatment of detested enemies or total strangers. There may even be differences between one subject's perception of Attitude and another's, or their own. All relationship mechanics are to be considered consistent guidelines rather than binding rules.

First Impressions
By default, following peaceful introduction, two characters have mutual Relation modifiers depending on an initial Seduce check, together with those based on estimated Attitudes- Benefactor or Magnetic behaviour confers a +2 bonus to Relation, Friendly or Affable +1, Unfriendly or Irritant -1, and Hostile or Repulsive -2.
Discerning subject alignment typically confers the following further Relation modifiers:

{table=head]Alignment|Lawful|Chaotic|Good|Evil
subject Lawful|+2|-1|+1|-1
subject Chaotic|-2|+1|0|+1
subject Good|+1|0|+2|-2
subject Evil|-1|0|-2|0
[/table]

Modifiers stack normally. Journeying together without some kind of physical restraint precludes Hostile Action and requires a minimum Attitude modifier of -5.

By default, 1 full day's company will disclose characters' mutual Relations, but you can attempt to conceal your true dispositions and counterfeit an Attitude for your true Relation to the subject. Doing so is considered a daily Bluff check, with a penalty for every point of mismatch between Relation and expressed Attitude.
If successful, the character will perceive your Attitude or last known Relation as if it were your true Relation, but you can't Bluff further for 1d10 days if true feelings are revealed. (Of course, there's no guarantee anyone else will be fooled.)
The stress of maintaining Attitude different from true Relation at all imposes a -1 morale penalty to saves and skill checks, but a DC 10 + subject Relation Will save negates this penalty for 24 hours.

Love and Hate
If a person maintains your consistent Confidence for 1 full year, they gain a permanent +1 Relation bonus (max. +5.)
Conversely, if a person maintains your consistent Hatred for 1 full year, they gain a permanent -1 Relation penalty (min. -5.)

Characters may be in Love with one subject at a time, which confers a +3 bonus on Relation to and Seduce checks by the subject. He or she gains a +2 morale bonus to all saves and skill checks if both parties maintain Confidence or better, whilst being Enemies applies a similar -2 morale penalty to saves and skill checks. Characters are permitted a daily Will save, (DC = 10 + subject Relation modifier,) to resist these effects, including their initial Fall (see the Seduce skill.)
Characters gain a permanent +3 bonus on Relation to or Seduction by any of their offspring, whether born naturally or adopted.

Forgiveness
Subjects may always perform a (DC = 15 - Relation) Will save to resist reduction of their Relation to another.

Betrayal
If a character has developed an open Confidence or better in, and yet become willingly Hostile to, a given subject, they suffer a permanent -3 Relation penalty unless and until Confidence or better is restored. Characters are allowed a (DC = 15 + Relation) Will save to resist.



Seduce(Cha)
Action
Seduce makes others about you warm to you through charm, affectations of rapport and sheer force of personality. The check DC matches your subject's Will save, Sense Motive check, or 10 + subject Levels, whichever is highest.
Attitude modifiers are applied to the check, as and gifts and flattery go a long way, but both positive and negative Relations are applied as penalties: Characters expect increased efforts to win further affection, while lingering reservations will undermine your best efforts.
In general, for every 1d10 days' company spent, you may attempt Seduction. If you succeed by 5 points or more, you improve the subject's Relation to you by 1 point. It the subject was unwilling and the check instead fails by 5 points or more, subject Relation lowers by 1.

Air of Confidence
A character is always taken as having ranks in Seduce matching their Character Level +1, if this would be greater than Seduce ranks + Cha modifier.

Court
For 12 hours, after an hour's conversation, Seduce can also be used to provide a +2 bonus to your Gather Information, Diplomacy and Performance checks with the subject, or improve subject Manner by 2.
Courting requires at least an hour's conversation, and you get a +1 bonus to the check against subjects with a sexual preference toward you.

Falling
Characters with a suitable sexual preference have a % chance of falling in Love with a given character following successful Seduce checks.
The likelihood matches ((Attitude +10) x (Relation +10) / 10) %.
Being in love generally lasts 2d4x100 days.

Try again
No.


Intimidate(Cha)
Action
Intimidate allows you to use threats and bluster to improve a character's Attitude toward you (in both Conduct and Manner) by 2 points, for 1 hour, at the subsequent price of 2 points in Relation. The check DC matches your subject's Will save, an opposed Intimidate check, or 10 + subject Levels, whichever is greatest at the time.
Positive Attitude modifiers are applied as a penalty to the check- being pleasant and helpful does nothing to strike fear into others' hearts- and both positive and negative Relations are applied as penalties- characters who have come to trust you do not believe you will harm them, and those with misgivings are less likely to help. Of course, there is nothing to guarantee that a superficially Friendly and Affable character will actually supply the assistance you need, merely that they will give the appearance of doing so- however, any subject Bluff checks made under your influence will suffer a cumulative -4 penalty.

Intimidate itself is a fear effect and may be negated accordingly.

Demoralise
Intimidate checks may be used in combat to apply a -2 morale penalty to attack rolls upon opponents for the duration of an encounter.

Mass Intimidate
You can try to daunt or rebuff entire gatherings of subjects toward you and your allies simultaneously at a -10 penalty to the check. Mass Intimidate has no effect on Relations.

Dauntless
Every 4 ranks in Intimidate grant +1 to your saving throws againt fear (max +5.)

Try again
Yes, after current benefits elapse, or at a -5 penalty and immediate Relation costs.

Brutal[General]
Prerequisites
5 ranks Intimidate, BAB +4, Str 15+.

Benefit
A successful Grapple check with a subject allows you to make a free Intimidate check using Strength instead of Charisma modifiers, and you gain a +1 bonus on the check. In addition, subsequent Intimidate attempts suffer no -5 penalty when doing so.



Gather Information(Int)
Action
Gather Information allows you to consult any Knowledge skill possessed by the subject through verbal traps, shrewd deduction, and leading inquiry.
The check DC matches their Sense Motive check, or information DC according to the desired Knowledge skill, whichever is highest at the time. Subjects can attempt an opposed Bluff check to repel your inquiry, but Bluffs may be countered normally in their turn. Recent or notable events are considered to fall under Knowledge(local) checks- untrained, if neccesary.
Relation modifiers are applied normally to the check- being on good terms makes an acquaintance more likely to venture useful facts or anecdotes, and negative Attitude is applied as a penalty, since browbeating or abuse will simply cause them to clam up. If more than one subject possessing ranks in a requisite Knowledge skill can be interviewed, your best check result so far is kept. If you succeed, your subject's Knowledge skill check is then used against the information DC.
Gather Information requires 1 minutes' interview time for every point of check DC, for every subject, and checks must be repeated every 15 minutes for success.

Sleuthing
Gather Information can also be used to expose prior Bluffs, with a check DC matching the subject's prior Bluff result. Calling someone's Bluff in this fashion costs you 1 point of Relation, whether successful or not, as they resent an implication of falsehood, and you may only counter Bluffs that succeeded by 10 points or less.
If more than one subject is party to a given Bluff, seperate interviews may be performed in each case, and any can confer success. However, each party forewarned to your interview allows conspirators close ranks or prep alibis, imposing a cumulative -2 penalty to checks made.
Bear in mind that parties subject to lengthy interviews are always considered 'forewarned' by prior checks, and forced incarceration can easily impact Attitude.

Try again
No, a given fact is either known by a subject or not, or you fail to find evidence of self-incrimination and the subjects now know what questions to avoid. However, different suspected Bluff attempts or Knowledge skills can be tackled afterwards.


Sense Motive(Wis)
Action
Sense Motive is typicallly taken as a defensive measure against potentially false or misleading moves made by subjects that you do not trust. The check DC is normally determined by an opposed Bluff or Gather Information check, but other uses may be listed below.
Any positive Relation to the subject is applied as a penalty to the check, as characters are loathe to suspect those they trust, along with any positive Attitude modifiers, as characters are inclined to take the word of those who aid and humour them. This latter penalty may be negated by a Will save of matching DC with a +5 bonus.
Success by less than 5 points will not reveal the subject's true motives but still exposes lies, half-truths or conspicuous omissions.

Successful use of Detect Thoughts or similar mind-revealing spells upon a subject confers a +3 bonus on Sense Motive checks for 1 hour. Creatures of the same species as the subject confer a +2 bonus to the check, those of a different Type confer a -4 penalty.

Posture & Openings
Every 5 ranks in Sense Motive applies a cumulative -1 penalty to Feint or Trip checks by opponents in combat (min. -4.) In addition, every 15 ranks in Sense Motive grant a +1 attack roll and +2 damage bonus during any Attacks of Opportunity (max. +4/+4.) There is no check DC required.

Try again
Once per day at a -5 penalty, but only if you failed the check by 5 points or less.

Intuitive Counterspell[Metamagic]
Prerequisites
10 ranks in Sense Motive, 5 ranks Spellcraft, caster level 6.

Benefit
A successful Sense Motive check against incoming spells' save DC + target Cha modifier allows you to perform Counterspells even if you did not prepare a readied action or declare the subject in advance. You must identify the spell through a Spellcraft check.

Stilled or Silenced spells each apply a -2 penalty to your Spellcraft check in this case, and you may not Counterspell more than once per round.



Bluff(Cha)
Action
Bluff alllows you to argue the veracity of statements that a person may not be readily disposed to accept. You can always convey false, misleading or incomplete information to a subject if desired, but bear in mind obscured or unlikely truths could take just as much advocacy on their behalf as whole-cloth fabrications.
Any negative Relation to you by the subject is applied as a penalty to the check, as those who dislike you are not inclined to take your word, but Attitude has no significant effects. The basic DC is the subject's Will save (max. 10 + subject Level,) or opposed Gather Information or Sense Motive checks, (as detailed under their skill descriptions, whichever is highest at the time.)
Check results vary greatly with circumstances, but are most often subject to the following cumulative modifiers (note many are dependant on the subject or Bluffing character's perspectives):

{table=head]Circumstance|Check modifier
Supporting testimony|+2 if witness Bluffs successfully with +10 bonus
A preponderance of incontrovertible favouring evidence|+10
Entirely plausible or minor fabrication|+5
Significant supporting evidence|+5
Absolute, complete, unvarnished truth|+4
No pertinent fact omitted|+3
Conforms to subject's wishes and beliefs|+2
No outright lies involved|+2
In line with prior evidence|+1
Known as Lawful|+1
Known as Chaotic|-1
Contradicts subject's wishes and beliefs|-2
Suspicious activities|-2
Known liar|-3
Distinctly improbable|-3
Contradictory or inconsistent|-5
Direct evidence of falsehood|-5
Logically/physically impossible|-5
Outrageously unlikely, truly bizarre|-12
Overwhelming, mutually supportive, firsthand evidence of falsehood|-20
Contradictory testimony|-4 if witness Bluffs successfully with +5 bonus
[/table]

Creatures of the same species as the subject confer a +1 bonus to the check, those of a different Type confer a -2 penalty. Bluff checks take 10 rounds, or 1 round with a -5 penalty. If the check succeeds, the subject believes what you are saying and will thus act accordingly.

Honesty and Dishonesty
If the check fails by less than 5 points, or fresh circumstances indicate you lied, you must repeat the Bluff check at cumulative -4 penalties, or the subject's Relation to you will lower by 1 and you will not be further believed. Checks failed by 6 points or worse end Bluff attempts.

However, if Blufing fails and you are subsequently vindicated as truthful by the circumstances, subject Relation will improve by 1 point.

Try again
Not on the same topic.

Impassive[General]
Prerequisites
6 ranks in Intimidate, 1 rank Bluff, Wis 12+.

Benefit
You may perform Bluff checks using a Will save. You cannot convey any deliberate and outright false impression, but you may withhold or phrase information in a misleading fashion for your benefit.



Diplomacy(Cha)
Action
Diplomacy allows you to cool tempers or smooth disagreements through tact, grace, etiquette and protocol, allowing you to boost the Attitude (Both Conduct and Manner) of affected parties toward eachother and yourself by 2. The check DC matches the subject's Will save (max. 15 + subject Levels). All subjects must be successfully affected in order for Diplomacy to complete, and only negative attitudes may be improved in this fashion.
Diplomacy initially takes 1 round, but each successive round of diplomacy takes 5 times longer than the last.

Subject Relation modifiers are applied normally to the check, as trust is the key to negotiation, along with cumulative negative Attitude modifiers from every subject toward yourself. If any check fails, you must attempt a fresh Diplomacy check with all subjects in question. If any check fails by 5 points or more, Diplomacy must be abandoned.

Opening Talks
If the check succeeds by 5 points or more with all subjects, you may then attempt a Collective Bargain check to seek concensus and arrive at a useful accomodation. Bargaining may last up to 1 hour. If Bargaining fails, subjects become impatient and a fresh round of Diplomacy checks must be made. If Bargaining prevails by at least 5 points, an accomodation has been reached, benefits become lasting, and all negative Relations toward you improve by 1 point.

If Diplomacy is abandoned before peaceful agreement is reached, negative Relation with any subject involved is reduced by 1, as they suspect your efforts to be simply a ruse, distraction, or waste of time.

Mass Diplomacy
You can attempt Diplomacy with entire gatherings of creatures at a -10 penalty. Relations are unaffected when doing so, and only individual Attitude modifiers are taken as affecting the check. Bargaining may not be attempted during Mass Diplomacy, but benefits apply for as long as you maintain successful checks, up to 1 hour. At the end of this time, you may be able to draw out appointed leaders for private talks.

Try Again
Not for 1 hour.


Bargain(Cha)
Action
Bargain allows you to haggle or negotiate with characters for needed goods, advantages or services in exchange for some other benefit, whether tangible or intangible, to themselves. The check DC matches the subject's Will save, 10 + subject Levels, or opposed Bargain check, whichever is highest at the time.

Opening negotiations
Each side during Bargaining will formulate an offer they expect the other side to accept, even if the offer in question is no more than 'I am sworn to aid the needy, and will serve unto death!' (Appealing) 'Could one of you comfort my teenage niece?' (Tempting) 'Here, have some gold.' (Irresistable) 'Take off and leave me be.' (Insulting) 'I'll want to hear your offer first...' (Marginal) or 'Give me half up front and I'll consider it.' (Repugnant).
Both Relation and Manner modifiers apply normally to the check, and if successful the other party will accept your proposed offer without further stipulations. The other side will evaluate the offer in question and apply a suitable modifier to your Bargain check roll. A rough guide to an offer's appeal and appropriate adjustment follows:

{table=head]Offer|Modifier|Description
Irresistable|+10|Nominal cost and tremendous benefit- a jade diadem in exchange for worn footwear.
Appealing|+6|Reasonable cost and a generous benefit- 200 gold if you overlook a minor offence.
Tempting|+2|Some cost but a reasonable benefit- food and lodgings for capable hired hands.
Marginal|-2|Some benefit but at an unreasonable cost- slavery under threat of death.
Insulting|-6|Miserly benefits at a very considerable cost- two acres of land for your daughter's dowry.
Repugnant|-10|Negligible benefit at a tremendous cost- your Kingdom for a horse.
[/table]

Modifiers worse than -10 are generally considered to make bargaining impossible, while none exceed +10.

The relative Conduct approach
An alternative way to determine modifiers is to consider 2x the difference between a subject's current Conduct and what you expect of them, compared with the change in your own proposed Conduct toward them. (Note, however, that asking a subject to worsen Conduct toward yourself normally confers no benefit, as most subjects see no intrinsic benefit from harming others- indeed, the opposite may apply.)

Offer: "I will slay your beloved, then you will become my slave." Neutral to Benefactor in exchange for Neutral to Hostile = -20, impossible.
Offer: "Just knee me in the gut, then you can have all my jewelry!" Neutral to Unfriendly in exchange for Neutral to Benefactor = +8 (+10, -2 as the subject finds his end distasteful.) Between irresistable and appealing.
Offer: "Spare our lives and you need never see us again." Hostile to Neutral in exchange for Neutral to Neutral = -10, repugnant.
Offer: "Give me the doorkeys and I won't slit your throat." Neutral to Friendly in exchange for Hostile to Neutral = +6, appealing.
Offer: "Devote 10 years' service and I'll give you a good position." Neutral to Friendly in exchange for Neutral to Friendly = +0, fair.
Offer: "Just let me stay the week and we can stop bothering eachother." Unfriendly to Friendly in exchange for Unfriendly to Neutral = -4, between marginal and insulting.
Offer: "Take me- take me hard- I know you want to!" Neutral to Friendly in exchange for Friendly to Friendly = +4, between tempting and appealing.
Offer: "Come, and I'll help you save your parents." Neutral to Neutral in exchange for Neutral to Benefactor = +10, irresistable.

Naturally, this assumes that the other side believes you can actually deliver on your promises, no more nor less, and what one person considers merely Friendly may require great relative sacrifice on another's behalf.

If a given side's Bargain check succeeds by 5 points or more, their offer is accepted. If a check fails by 15 points or more, the subject's Relation to you worsen by 1 point and you may not make further proposals- the last offer made stands, take it or leave it. Up until this point you may repeat checks and vary offers as desired, each Bargain check taking 10 minutes.

An offer considered Appealing or better by both sides, if accepted, will generally improve mutual Relations by 1 point, while offers considered Insulting or worse by both sour Relations by 1. A subject Will save of DC matching the accepted Bargain result negates this effect if desired.

The margin of successful Bargain check results will generally affect the cost of items in a given price range sold by merchants, as indicated below (the price you offer is then automaticallly considered fair):

{table=head]Haggle margin|1-9 cp|1-9 sp|1-9 gp|10-99 gp
failed|275%|235%|200%|170%
1-10|80%|85%|90%|95%
11-20|45%|80%|85%|90%
21-30|20%|45%|80%|85%
31-40|10%|25%|45%|80%
41-50|1%|10%|25%|45%
[/table]
{table=head]Haggle margin|100-999 gp|1000-9999 gp|10,000-99,999 gp|100,000-999,999 gp
failed|145%|125%|110%|100%
1-10|96%|97%|98%|99%
11-20|95%|96%|97%|98%
21-30|90%|95%|96%|97%
31-40|85%|90%|95%|96%
41-50|80%|85%|90%|95%
[/table]

Bear in mind that most merchants will take badly to charging half price or less, and persistently cajoling them to do so constitutes Unfriendly behaviour.

Collective Bargaining
If more than 2 characters are involved in a particular Bargaining process, all parties must be satisfied to a particular party's offer before agreement can be reached. However, large groups will commonly appoint representatives to hear out an offer on behalf of an assembly.

Try Again
Yes, unless you offend the subject badly enough to worsen Relations.
.