Diplomacy

Epic Path \ Skills \

• Ability Score Used: Charisma
• Usable Untrained? Yes
• Armor Check Penalty Applies? No

You can use this skill to persuade others to agree with your arguments, to resolve differences, and to gather valuable information or rumors from people. This skill is also used to negotiate conflicts by using the proper etiquette and manners suitable to the problem.

You can change the initial attitudes of non-player characters with a successful check. The DC of this check depends on the creature's level or CR, and is adjusted by its starting attitude toward you. If you succeed, the character's attitude toward you is improved by one step. You cannot use Diplomacy against a creature that does not understand you or has an Intelligence of 3 or less. Diplomacy is generally ineffective in combat and against creatures that intend to harm you or your allies in the immediate future. Any attitude shift caused through Diplomacy generally lasts for 1d4 hours, but can last much longer or shorter depending upon the situation (GM discretion).
Action Required:	Improving the attitude of a creature requires at least a few minutes of conversation, and can take hours or days.
DC of Check:	Requires an Average DC check based on the target creature's level or CR. If your result is equal to or greater than a Hard DC for the creature's level or CR, the character's attitude toward you increases by two steps, instead of one. A creature's attitude cannot be shifted more than two steps up in this way, although the GM can override this rule in some situations. The possible attitudes, in order from worst to best are: Hostile: The creature wants you dead, and will take actions to make that happen. Most monster encounters assume an attitude of hostile. Unfriendly: The creature wishes ill upon you, but may not go out of its way to make that happen. Certainly, it will take opportunities to see your social status and/or physical health degraded, if they are easy to exploit, but mostly just takes pleasure in your suffering as a concept, rather than needing to make it a reality. Indifferent: The creature doesn't care about you, particularly. Most NPC's have an assumed attitude of indifferent when you first meet them. Friendly: The creature sees you in a positive light, and thinks your an acceptable member of your species, all things considered. This is the attitude an acquaintance might have if things went well the first time you met. Helpful: The creature wants you to succeed, and is willing to expend some effort to assist you, assuming it doesn't require the creature to act totally out of its own character to do so. The creature considers itself your friend, but won't take on suicidal tasks to help you, or break laws (if the creature normally cares about laws, anyway), or otherwise cause itself lasting harm in your service. Devoted: A devoted creature will get in trouble for you, take an injury for you, and pretty much do anything for you, up to the point of permanent injury, total loss of social status, or death. Zealot: The creature loves you beyond any healthy limits, and will gladly die in your stead, would kill kings to rescue you, or even take on tasks it would never consider doing for anyone else. The only limit to what a zealot will do for you is what the zealot is actually capable of doing. A zealot might want to give you the moon, but may not be able to. It would certainly try, though. (Be careful what you ask for!)
Modifiers to Check	Starting Attitude DC Modifier Hostile +20 Unfriendly +10 Indifferent - Friendly +5 Helpful +10
Take 10? / Take 20?	{{{Take10-Take20}}}
Allows Assists?	{{{Assist}}}
Results of Success	{{{Success}}}
Consequences of Failure	If you fail the check by 4 or less, the character's attitude toward you is unchanged. If you fail by 5 or more, the character's attitude toward you is decreased by one step.
Retry Allowed?	No
Provokes AOO?	No

If a creature's attitude toward you is at least indifferent, you can make requests of the creature. Once a creature's attitude has shifted to helpful, the creature gives in to most requests without a check, unless the request is against its nature or puts it in serious peril. Some requests automatically fail if the request goes against the creature's values or its nature, subject to GM discretion.
Action Required:	Varies; it can be a free action for a simple request (e.g. "help me!"), or several minutes for something involved (e.g. "give me directions to the nearest bank").
DC of Check:	No roll is possible if the creature isn't at least Indifferent. Hard DC for the target creature's CR or level, if the creature is indifferent Average DC for the target creature's CR or level, if the creature is friendly No roll is necessary if the creature is at least helpful.
Modifiers to Check	Request Diplomacy Modifier Give simple advice or directions -5 Give detailed advice +0 Give simple aid +0 Reveal an unimportant secret +5 Give lengthy or complicated aid +5 Give dangerous aid +10 Reveal secret knowledge +10 or more Give aid that could result in punishment +15 or more Additional requests +5 per request
Take 10? / Take 20?	{{{Take10-Take20}}}
Allows Assists?	{{{Assist}}}
Results of Success	{{{Success}}}
Consequences of Failure
Retry Allowed?
Provokes AOO?

Gather Information

You can also use Diplomacy to gather information about a specific topic or individual. To do this, you must spend at least 1d4 hours canvassing people at local taverns, markets, and gathering places. The DC of this check depends on the obscurity of the information sought, but for most commonly known facts or rumors it is 10. For obscure or secret knowledge, the DC might increase to 20 or higher. The GM might rule that some topics are simply unknown to common folk.

Action

Influence Attitude

Using Diplomacy to influence a creature's attitude takes 1 minute of continuous interaction.

Make Request

Making a request of a creature takes 1 or more rounds of interaction, depending upon the complexity of the request.

Gather Information

Using Diplomacy to gather information takes 1d4 hours of work, searching for rumors and informants.

Try Again

You cannot use Diplomacy to influence a given creature's attitude more than once in a 24 hour period. If a request is refused, the result does not change with additional checks, although other requests might be made. You can retry Diplomacy checks made to gather information.

Epic Skill Uses

Note: All uses below require a minimum of 21 Ranks in the skill to use.

fanatic

(75 DC (if starting attitude is 'indifferent'), they become 'fanatic', which means 'would give life to help serve you')

second check

(adds +10 to DC) - can retry a diplomacy check in the same 24 hour period. A third try is +20 to DC, etc.