in: Category: Systems

Endeavours

Conversations -

Conversations no longer just rely on a single success or failure, becoming an endeavour instead. During a risky or important conversation the following rules apply:

  • Conversations require three to six successes before the NPC backs down and/or (partially) agrees with you. Rolling a natural 20 will count as two successes. Charming a creature will also result in a success, unless the effects of the charm would end the conversation.
  • Conversations will reach a stalemate after three to six failures. After a stalemate the NPC will not agree with you, but you do not agree to backing down either, often resulting in an escalation. Rolling a natural 1 will count as two failures. A failure may also be obtained if a PC acts in a way that NPC is fully opposed to.
  • Conversations have no turn order and any player can take an action whenever they want. Suggestions for actions that can be taken are listed below.
  • After a PC makes a check to attempt to Influence one or more NPCs, one can use their reaction to respond. Except for when the conversation would succeed or reach a stalemate based on the result of the check. This response will often trigger a saving throw from one or more PCs. On a failure they can choose to be affected by its effect or back out of the conversation.
  • When a PC backs out of a conversation or their hit points are reduced to 1, they are considered Incapacitated until the end of the conversation. If their health is reduced to 0 through effects of the conversation, they are on 1 hit point instead.
  • If a PC makes an attack roll against a NPC, forces a NPC to make a saving throw against an effect that would stop the conversation, or otherwise deals damage to an NPC, it will typically start a combat encounter.

Conversation Actions -

These are the types of action you could take during a conversation. Each action and NPC reaction takes up to 1 minute of in-game time. Players don't all have to act, but should allow eachother to take the spotlight if they wish.

  • Influence. Make a Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion or other check using charisma against a DC set by the GM. Sometimes the GM may allow the use of another ability for your checks. For instance a Charisma (history) or Intelligence (persuasion) checks could be examples of the use of other abilities.
  • Seek Advantage. Make a check to give yourself or another PC advantage on an Influence check, often against the NPC's passive score of a skill. When making this check, choose who you will give advantage. If the check has risk associated with it, such as pickpocketing the NPC, then failing the check will instead impose disadvantage on that PCs Influence check.Examples of checks made to seek advantage are an Intelligence (history) check to recall an important historic fact that is useful to impress the professor; A Wisdom (insight) check to determine what the professor's precise intentions are; And a Dexterity (sleight of hand) check to snatch and skim read a book from the professor's shelf to get a topic of interest you can use in the conversation.
  • Help. If you are proficient in a skill another PC intends to use, you can use the Help action to give them advantage on their check.
  • Use Feature/Spell. Sometimes you might just want to cast a spell or use a feature that is helpful within the conversation. In a risky conversation, using a feature or casting a spell might require a check to not give disadvantage on the next Influence action.