Diplomacy

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.

Debriefing: The diplomacy skill can be used to gain increased intelligence from friendly forces. Usually, when soldiers return from close contact with the enemy, they will be debriefed by intelligence personnel to make sure all relevant information makes its way to the commanders. On a successful Diplomacy skill check (DC 15), characters may re-roll any Spot check made for reconnaissance and take the best result (see the Spot skill for more information on the benefits of reconnaissance).This use of the Diplomacy skill takes a –4 penalty if the character does not have the Interrogation feat.

Friendly Interrogation: This use of the Diplomacy skill is resisted by a level check. The character convinces the subject that he really wants to talk, that it will be better for him to get his side of the story out, in his own words, before it can be perverted by things like legal representation. It may sound absurd, but police officers use this technique to gain confessions all the time. This use of the Diplomacy skill takes a –4 penalty if the character does not have the Interrogation feat. If the character does have the Interrogation feat, and uses this technique after another character has tried Hostile Interrogation (see the Intimidate skill), then the character gains a +4 bonus on his Diplomacy skill check. This technique is referred to in movies and television as“good cop, bad cop”.

 See also: epic usages of Diplomacy.

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.

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.