I tried this in another section, with little response. My interest in the subject being what it is, I decided to try again here to get some advice.
What do you think the proper way is to initiating diplomacy? I don't want to just shout DIPLOMACY! at my DM, there's no roleplaying in that and thus not very fun for me or the DM. Is diplomacy considered just being nice? Buttering up and complimenting the target of diplomacy? Is it more just trying to see eye to eye? Not complimenting but telling them you understand sort of feel.
If I were to go to a shopkeeper and try to use Diplomacy to possibly get better prices or just information, would I just generally be a nice guy for it to count as diplomacy?
Just interested really. Kind of trying to figure out how diplomacy is portrayed and started.
Thanks.
I would interpret diplomacy as speaking in a fashion that attempts to cajole an individual that does not rely on aggression or deceit. Basically haggling, using honeyed words, maybe polite debate.
While some of these things can be done aggressively, haggling and debate for one, the point is more to convince people rather than scare them or make them believe something that is patently untrue.
Depending on how good you are at the above there's no shame in copping out of actually say, haggling, by saying you, "try to negotiate a better price through diplomatic discourse and haggling" as an announcement to your diplomacy roll, or if you do RP out the dialogue, let the DM know you're rolling diplomacy as an extension of the dialogue and not as a simple, "....DIPLOMACY +12".
Generally, my players talk to the NPCs, butter them up with a bunch of bandied words, roleplaying it out as they go. Then, at the end of it, I say "make a Diplomacy check." Players who aren't as comfortable acting it all out generally say less, or describe their intent with little to no acting. (Everyone has their own comfort level.)
That's how it works in our groups.
As a GM, I allow Diplomacy played in two ways, based upon the player. If they just wish to do the die roll, they can do so. In real life, they may not be a diplomatic sort, able to role-play such an intercourse well; their character, however, may be a master of it.
On the other hand, if the player wishes to role-play the interaction out, I rule on their points and modify their rolls with a bonus or negative based upon the NPCs personality and traits that i have written and how closely the PCs point interact. If the PC's do some homework on a NPC and use that information to tailor their Diplomacy, they may get a better bonus to the check. The player above (first paragraph)may get the same bonus if they did the research and state I am using Diplomacy, tailoring the information I learned about them to try and get a better response.
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ouch. Ummm not meaning to be rude, but do you know how to be diplomatic in real life?
Shopkeepers expect haggling so diplomacy is just regular old haggling, not necessarily just being nice. Barkeeps can be chatted up with focused questions. Guards can be questioned with a beer, a shoulder to lean on and a sympathetic ear to their complaints.
It's just like real life. Every single situation is different.
There is some really useful advice here. Thanks. We play over Skype, so I will more than likely start using the (aiming for Diplomacy) notification after my role played sentences. I hadn't really thought about doing homework on people, I suppose Knowledge: local would be useful there, if it were a normal merchant I'm talking too.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I guess I'll just stick with the normal be friendly and act like you care that I suppose Diplomacy implies.
I start talking, and if I'm not lying or bullying, but I have a purpose to speaking, then I am asked for a diplomacy roll.
Every dm does it different.
As a GM, I allow Diplomacy played in two ways, based upon the player. If they just wish to do the die roll, they can do so. In real life, they may not be a diplomatic sort, able to role-play such an intercourse well; their character, however, may be a master of it.What?!?!
Well clearly if the characters player has neither the experience, the constitution, nor the dexterity to be considered an avid connoisseur of carnal knowledges one would assume he wouldn't be able to emulate that with their character in roleplay, that and it would make those at the table uncomfortable.
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Well clearly if the characters player has neither the experience, the constitution, nor the dexterity to be considered an avid connoisseur of carnal knowledges one would assume he wouldn't be able to emulate that with their character in roleplay, that and it would make those at the table uncomfortable.As a GM, I allow Diplomacy played in two ways, based upon the player. If they just wish to do the die roll, they can do so. In real life, they may not be a diplomatic sort, able to role-play such an intercourse well; their character, however, may be a master of it.What?!?!
Ah. I believe I have encountered such individuals.