NPC Trait-Based Persuasion and Pricing Adjustment Instructions

This system adjusts persuasion difficulty (DC) and pricing discounts based on an NPC’s traits. Players can creatively leverage any relevant NPC trait to influence outcomes, making NPC interactions dynamic and adaptable.

1. Determine Initial DC and Identify Relevant Traits:

• Set a base DC for the persuasion attempt (e.g., 15).

• Identify any NPC traits that might apply to the player’s approach (e.g., Compassion, Skepticism, Aggressiveness, etc.).

• Example Approaches:

• Compassion might be leveraged with appeals to kindness or empathy.

• Skepticism might increase the DC if the approach involves deception.

• Aggressiveness could be relevant for intimidation tactics.

2. Adjust Persuasion DC Based on Trait Alignment:

• Positive Trait Alignment: If the approach aligns with a trait (e.g., a truthful appeal to an Honest NPC), reduce the DC by the trait value.

• Negative Trait Alignment: If the approach conflicts with a trait (e.g., lying to a Skeptical NPC), increase the DC by the trait value.

• Neutral Traits: Traits with values in the middle range (3-6) or that don’t directly apply have no impact on the DC.

Example: For an NPC with high Compassion (8) and high Skepticism (7):

• A heartfelt plea reduces the DC by 8 (Compassion).

• A deceptive approach increases the DC by 7 (Skepticism).

3. Roll Outcome-Based Pricing Adjustments:

• Based on the final DC, use the roll outcome to determine pricing adjustments:

• Natural 20: 50% discount

• Exceeds DC by a large margin: 25% discount

• Slightly exceeds DC: 15% discount

• Matches DC: Standard price

• Misses DC slightly: 15% price increase

• Misses DC by a large margin: 25% price increase

• Natural 1: 50% price increase