Guile
Mind Skill
Guile is a Mind Skill that governs lying, manipulation, and general deception and subterfuge. Characters with a high Guile Rank think quickly on their feet and are usually clever and witty in conversation.
The most common use of Guile is to lie convincingly. Lying with confidence and spinning believable yarns has many applications, of course, ranging from convincing a guard you have the right security clearance but left your ID at home to fooling a cop into thinking they saw someone else breaking into that house.
Aside from the obvious application, Guile also covers a range of acting skills, from faking emotions to pretending to be someone else entirely. Someone armed with a high Guile Rank and a spare Team Rocket uniform could probably bluff their way into a secret hideout or learn the secrets of the criminal organization. This application of Guile goes beyond blunt deception into subtle manipulation as well, allowing a smooth talker to use carefully worded half-truths and targeted prods at a victim’s beliefs and passions to get what they want.
Whereas Stealth would be used to hide from someone’s vision or hearing, Guile is often used to “hide in plain sight”, such as when blending into a crowd to tail someone through a busy city. Even when there’s no hiding place around, someone with high Guile might be able to pose as an innocuous passerby or fast-talk their way out of suspicion.
Guile can also be thought of as a streetwise Skill, representing how well a character can read into situations on the street, gather information, and cut deals. Guile can help someone haggle on the black market, tell the difference between an undercover cop and a real seller or buyer of illicit goods, and realize when they’ve stepped somewhere they really don’t belong.
Uses of Guile aren’t limited to just human interactions either. Faced with a hostile wild Pokémon that won’t be scared away, a Trainer with a high Guile Rank may attempt to trick it into a trap or distract it long enough to mount an escape.
Opposed checks pitting Guile against Guile might be used in a duel of wits, but far more common is when Guile is rolled against Intuition to decide whether or not someone sees through another’s lies. Perception may also be rolled against Guile when attempting to see through a disguise.
Prerequisites: Novice Charm, Command, Guile, Intimidate, or Intuition
Effect: Your Pokémon may consume and benefit from 2 more Poffins each. If this Pokémon is traded to a Trainer without the Grace feature, these extra dice from additional Poffins are not lost, but a Trainer without Grace may not benefit from more than 6 Dice gained from Poffins. You may always use any of the Skills that are prerequisites for Grace in the Introduction Stage of a Contest to roll for Contest Stat Dice of any kind.
Flustering Charisma
Prerequisites: Adept Charm or Guile
Effect: When you hit with a Move with the Social keyword, the target takes a -2 penalty to Save Checks against Volatile Status Afflictions for 1 full round.
Dynamism
Prerequisites: Novice Guile
Effect: Your Initiative is increased by your Guile Rank.
Expert Manipulator
Prerequisites: Adept Guile
Effect: You gain a +2 Opposed Checks with all Manipulate Maneuvers Maneuvers. The “Once per Scene per Foe” Limitation of each Manipulate Maneuver is expended only upon successfully affecting a foe with that Manipulate Maneuver. Confidence Artist
Prerequisites: Novice Guile
Effect: You learn the Move Confide.