Blather

Advanced, Interaction
Fellowship

When you make a Blather Test, you stall for time by running off at the mouth, spewing a stream of words and nonsense in an attempt to confuse and distract others. A Blather Test is always Opposed by your target’s Willpower (or Scrutiny). If you succeed and the target fails, the target is distracted by you and can do nothing for one Round, staring dumbfounded and wondering if you are drunk, crazy or both. For every degree of success, you dumbfound the target for an additional Round.
If your target succeeds and you fail, or if you both fail, your attempt at verbal acrobatics fails and the target may act normally. In the case where you both succeed, the character that had the most degrees of success determines the outcome.
You can also use Blather against multiple opponents. For similar opponents—those that have the same general Characteristics—make a Blather Test as normal, but the GM rolls just one Willpower Test. If you win the Opposed Test, you affect a number of targets equal to your Fellowship Bonus.
NPCs, while confused by your banter, are unaffected by your words if they are in obvious danger or if it is clear there are preparations being made to harm them. The target must understand the language you are speaking or the Test automatically fails—you cannot, for instance, use this Skill against animals.
A Blather Test is a Full Action.

Create Disturbance

You may spew inane and nonsensical banter to create a distraction to divert attention from some other ally or event. If you have allies nearby who might benefit from the distraction—sneaking past a guard or picking their pocket, you may make a Blather Test to help them out. You make a Blather Test as normal and, if successful, use your Blather skill to assist your ally. Your opponent is dumbfounded as normal, although if your ally fails their own Test then the opponent may realise what is going on.

Distract Opponent

You can attempt to distract your opponent and conceal your hostile intentions. So long as you are not in combat and have not exhibited any hostile or overly confrontational actions towards your opponent, you may make a Blather Test opposed by your opponent’s Willpower or Scrutiny. If you are successful you distract your opponent as though you had successfully feinted in combat, and so long as your next Action is a standard attack, it cannot be Dodged or Parried. If your next Action is anything other than a standard attack then this advantage is lost. You may only use this function of Blather once per encounter.