MFU #3 — NEGOTIATIONS · Mercer Falls Underground

FROM THE COUNTER AT
PANELSNEW & BACK ISSUES · MERCER FALLS, O.

MERCER FALLS

A PLAYER'S SURVIVAL SERIESISSUE #3SUMMER '96

10¢
OR
TRADE

NEGOTIATIONS

a player quick-reference
when a conversation has real stakes, it runs on this

photocopy freely — knowledge wants to be free. — eds.

Sometimes a scene is more than a single roll. When there's something specific you need from an NPC who could genuinely go either way, the talk becomes a structured back-and-forth: you make arguments, and you're steering two dials — how interested they are and how much patience they have left.

When You're Actually Negotiating

Yes: high-stakes asks of important people — an item, a service, an ally, a plot-turning piece of information — from an NPC with real internal tension (they want to consider it but have real reasons not to).

No: low-stakes stuff stays a single roll (a Lie / Intimidate / Flirt check) or just plays out as roleplay. The DM calls which mode a scene is in.

Two hard limits. Negotiation is not mind control — you can't push someone into acting wildly out of character; you can only make behaving differently feel in character. And threatening violence exits the negotiation entirely.

The Two Dials + Two Lists

each motivation works ONCE!!

The DM assigns each negotiable NPC four things:

Interest (0–5) — how eager they are to deal. Hits 5 → best possible offer, done. Hits 0 → no deal, and they turn hostile.
Patience (0–5) — how long they'll keep talking. Hits 0 → their next offer is final.
Motivations (at least 2) — appeal to one honestly and it's an easier push toward Interest. Each motivation works only once.
Pitfalls (at least 1) — hit one and your argument auto-fails, dropping both Interest and Patience.

The twelve traits — the same trait can be a motivation for one person and a pitfall for another:

BENEVOLENCEDISCOVERYFREEDOM GREEDHIGHER AUTHORITYJUSTICE LEGACYPEACEPOWER PROTECTIONREVELRYVENGEANCE

You find out which is which by doing your homework — diaries, friends, reconnaissance. That legwork is itself a Time-Points investment (see the Town-Time sheet for more info on spending TP).

MFU #3 · NEGOTIATIONS– 2 –

Making an Argument

One hero makes each argument (the table can huddle and strategize first), and it needs a justification — a reason it's true. Then roll:

Appealing to a fresh motivation — the easier test:

ROLL	EFFECT
≤ 11	Patience −1
12–16	Interest +1, Patience −1
17+	Interest +1, Patience unchanged

No motivation and no pitfall — the harder test:

ROLL	EFFECT
≤ 11	Interest −1, Patience −1
12–16	Patience −1
17+	Interest +1, Patience −1
Nat 19–20	(as above, but) Patience unchanged

Penalties & Special Cases

don't get caught lying!!

Genuinely great roleplay can count as an automatic 17+.
Caught in a lie: an extra Interest −1.
Hit a pitfall: auto-fail — Interest −1 and Patience −1.
Re-use a spent motivation: Patience −1, no Interest change.

MFU #3 · NEGOTIATIONS– 3 –

Where They Start (Attitude → dials)

ATTITUDE	INTEREST	PATIENCE
Hostile	1	2
Suspicious	2	2
Neutral	2	3
Open	3	3
Friendly	3	4
Trusting	3	5

The Offer (read off current Interest)

Patience 0 or Interest 5 = FINAL

INTEREST	OFFER
5	"Yes, and…" — everything you asked, plus a bonus
4	"Yes." — everything you asked
3	"Yes, but…" — what you want, plus a small extra ask of you
2	"No, but…" — a lesser substitute
1	"No." — rejected, no counter (press for better only if patience remains)
0	"No, and…" — refuses and turns hostile

The offer is final the moment Patience hits 0 or Interest hits 5. You can walk away at any time.

QUICK PLAYBOOK

Scout first — learn a motivation or two, and any pitfalls, before you walk in.
Lead with your best fresh motivation while Patience is high.
Don't lie unless you can sell it — getting caught costs you Interest.
Watch Patience — when it's low, get to your real ask before the offer locks.

Table companion to the Town-Time and Dungeoneering sheets.

THAT'S THE SET → MFU #1: DUNGEONEERING · #2: TOWN-TIME · #3: NEGOTIATIONS. Photocopy freely, trade with friends. Ask Russ what else is behind the counter.

MFU #3 · NEGOTIATIONS– 4 –