Diplomacy [Cha]
Check
You can change the attitudes of others (nonplayer characters) with a successful Diplomacy check; see the Influencing NPC Attitudes sidebar, below, for basic DCs. In negotiations, participants roll opposed Diplomacy checks, and the winner gains the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve situations when two advocates or diplomats plead opposite cases in a hearing before a third party.
Action
Changing others' attitudes with Diplomacy generally takes at least 1 full minute (10 consecutive full-round actions). In some situations, this time requirement may greatly increase. A rushed Diplomacy check can be made as a full-round action, but you take a -10 penalty on the check.
Try Again
Optional, but not recommended because retries usually do not work. Even if the initial Diplomacy check succeeds, the other character can be persuaded only so far, and a retry may do more harm than good. If the initial check fails, the other character has probably become more firmly committed to his position, and a retry is futile.
Special
A half-elf has a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks.
If you have the Negotiator feat, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
If you are from a radically different background, culture, or civilization from the person you're interacting with, it can have a significant impact on your Diplomacy checks. For example, if you're from a modern world and the person you're dealing with is from a primitive frontier world, she might be impressed or even awed by your technologically advanced culture. Of course, she may also react with hostility and fear.
The DM can apply the following situational modifiers when representatives of markedly different cultures are interacting. The modifier should always be applied to the active character's Diplomacy check.
| Situation | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Subject is impressed by you or people like you | +2 |
| Subject is awed by you or people like you | +4 |
| Subject is wary of you or people like you | -2 |
| Target is hostile to you or people like you | -4 |
Synergy
If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), or Sense Motive, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
Influencing NPC Attitudes
Use the table below to determine the effectiveness of Diplomacy checks (or Charisma checks) made to influence the attitude of a nonplayer character, or wild empathy checks made to influence the attitude of an animal or magical beast.
| Initial Attitude | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostile | Unfriendly | Indifferent | Friendly | Helpful | |
| Hostile | Less than 20 | 20 | 25 | 35 | 50 |
| Unfriendly | Less than 5 | 5 | 15 | 25 | 40 |
| Indifferent | — | Less than 1 | 1 | 15 | 30 |
| Friendly | — | — | Less than 1 | 1 | 20 |
| Helpful | — | — | — | Less than 1 | 1 |
| Attitude | Means | Possible Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile | Will take risks to hurt you | Attack, interfere, berate, flee |
| Unfriendly | Wishes you ill | Mislead, gossip, avoid, watch suspiciously, insult |
| Indifferent | Doesn't much care | Socially expected interaction |
| Friendly | Wishes you well | Chat, advise, offer limited help, advocate |
| Helpful | Will take risks to help you | Protect, back up, heal, aid |