Debate
Characters with the debate proficiency can hold their own during heated discussions, remaining quick-witted and cool-tempered. They do not gain the ability to convince guards or holy warriors of their viewpoints, however. Nor can they sway the thinking of unruly hordes or skeptical masses. This proficiency does allow them to engage in meaningful arguments, impressing others with their mental faculties. As a result, debaters gain a +2 bonus to encounter reactions. When they’re attempting to smooth ruffled feathers, the bonus is subtracted from the result on the dice. When they’re attempting to enrage another character with cheek and guile, the bonus is added to the dice roll.
An individual with the debate proficiency is quite engaging. As a result, a character verbally battling one-on-one with such a debater is less watchful of his or her surroundings. Pickpocket attempts against that character are at +5 percent, the character’s initiative is at +3, and the character’s ability or proficiency checks are at -3. (The debater does not suffer these penalties unless doing battle with another debater.) Debaters cannot automatically preoccupy others, however. An individual must be willing to talk in the first place before a debater can use this proficiency. Further, the proficiency doesn’t work unless the targeted individual is at least cautious toward the debater (if they saw eye to eye, there would be nothing to debate). Assuming these conditions are met, the debate begins. It continues until the target makes a d20 roll higher than his or her Intelligence score. (The smarter the individual, the livelier the debate, and the harder it is to end it.) Debate also ends if a sudden action or activity interrupts it - for example, a failed pickpocketing attempt, a sudden attack or magical explosion, a scream from the harem, and so forth. As soon as the debate ends, so do the penalties noted above (to initiative, ability and proficiency checks, and the likelihood of being robbed by a pickpocket). Two individuals with the debate proficiency can seek to best each other in verbal sparring. In this case, both make proficiency checks each round until one fails. Both characters are preoccupied during the debate; they suffer the penalties noted above while engaging each other in debate.
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