New Motivations and Pitfalls (Patreon)

It’s a game about fighting monsters, but that’s not the extent of what you do in it. Time to look at some of the updated rules for negotiation.

James here. I’m back to talk about some of the changes we’ve made to our old negotiation rules after looking at feedback from the first patreon survey. Folks really liked the way interest and patience worked, but they didn’t love the current implementation of motivations and pitfalls. The survey comments revealed that people really liked the idea behind motivations and pitfalls, but they thought motivations and pitfalls were too specific. This specificity made creating them a lot of work for the Director and figuring them out felt more like puzzle-solving than roleplaying an intriguing negotiation. Negotiation felt a little stilted to some folks, since these specific pieces of the game required a lot of referencing, discussion, and deeper explanations that inhibited the flow of conversation.

When discussing this problem with Matt, he had an instant idea for motivations. “What if we had a list of broad motivations, like vengeance and greed? Then heroes would know that an NPC must have motivations from that list.” This would make it easier for Directors to come up with motivations during prep or on the fly, and determining if an argument appeals to a motivation would be far easier. For example, instead of Queen Bargnot having this wordy motivation, “Money can’t buy everything, but it can buy power—and power can get you a lot. Money and power are what I value most in this world,” we can give the bandit leader two broader motivations that cover this sentiment: greed and power. The Director doesn’t have to compare every player argument to a series of long statements. Instead they can just look at a few words and make an instantaneous judgment.

Broader motivations are also easier for the heroes to figure out. Just the way the Director roleplay’s Bargnot could reveal that she’s greedy and power-hungry. Players might naturally try to appeal to those motivations while talking to her without even realizing it. If they make a test to attempt to learn her motivations, it’s easier for a Director to hint at a broad motivation like greed than a more specific one. “She wants to make some money on this deal” is a lot easier to come up with naturally and raises fewer questions than “She knows money can’t buy everything, but she still likes it because it can buy most things, including power.”

With this development, we resolved to broaden pitfalls in a similar manner. Pitfalls were so specific that they were difficult to discover through natural conversation, just like motivations. That also meant that heroes basically never stumbled upon pitfalls, so they didn’t pose as much of a threat to negotiation as wanted them to. Pitfalls should be like conversational landmines that you might hit in any negotiation!

Instead of pitfalls being personally prohibited topics, we changed them to be approaches to making arguments. Each NPC has at least two pitfalls which are skills in the game. For instance, if you try to intimidate someone during an argument and one of their pitfalls is intimidate, then the attempt automatically fails as the NPC gets angered, upset, or offended by the hero. Just like motivations, these are a little easier to prep, figure out, and stumble upon than longer and more specific pitfalls.

With that in mind, I’d love to preview our new motivations and pitfalls for you below. Because of the way pitfalls work, this is going to give you a tiny insight into the new way we’re playing around with skills in the game. Don’t read into it too much! There are a lot of new skills, but that’s because the way they’re used has totally changed. It also may not survive these initial phases of testing, so don’t get too attached to anything you see.

As ever, we’re not looking for suggestions here. We’re just showing you all our progress and process. What follows is a small part of the negotiation rules. There is a lot more, including advice, in this chapter of the book.

Motivations

Each NPC has at least two motivations the heroes can appeal to with their arguments. Arguments that appeal to an NPC’s motivation require an easier power roll to increase their interest. Arguments that don’t appeal to a motivation require a more difficult power roll. See Making Arguments for more information.

Each motivation can be successfully appealed to only once during a negotiation. To successfully appeal to a motivation, the heroes must use the motivation in an argument without mentioning one of the NPC’s pitfalls or being caught in a lie.

An NPC can have any of the following twelve motivations.

Benevolence

An NPC with the benevolence motivation believes in sharing what they have with others. For NPCs in a negotiation, their charity is limited (otherwise they’re likely to just give the heroes what they need). It may only extend to a specific group of people. A benevolent pirate captain might share their plunder freely with the rest of their crew, but they’re still plundering! It could be that the NPC’s charity is limited by the fact that they don’t have much to give. A benevolent NPC might be hesitant to give the heroes help because they believe their limited resources are more necessary or could do more good somewhere else.

Arguments that appeal to a benevolence motivation contend that if the NPC strikes a deal with the heroes, the people the NPC cares about will benefit from the deal. “If you lend us the Sword of Agathor, we will actually make Capital safer for your guild by using it to lay low your enemies.” “If you can teleport us into the dragon’s cave, we’ll give you half the wyrm’s hoard once we cut off the creature’s head. That could benefit generations of students at your academy!”

Discovery

An NPC with the discovery motivation wants to learn new lore, explore forgotten places, break ground with new experiments, or uncover artifacts buried in time. Their curiosity and quest for knowledge might be driven by a specific goal, such as seeking the cure for a rare disease or a portal to a specific, far-off world, or it could be that they are a naturally inquisitive person who just wants to understand all they can about the timescape.

Arguments that appeal to a discovery motivation contend that striking a deal with the heroes will allow the NPC to gain new knowledge or acquire unique property. “Allow us to use your cipher to translate the only copy of the Codex Mortis, and then we’ll let you read the book when we’re done.” “We know the journey to Decant Isle is dangerous, but we’re going into uncharted territory. We thought that your crew of sailors might want to be among humans to lay eyes on the place.”

Freedom

An NPC with the freedom motivation wants no authority above them, and desires no authority over others. They might already have personal freedom and wish to maintain that status quo, or they may wish to liberate themself or others from another authority.

Arguments that appeal to a freedom motivation contend that helping the heroes maintains or grants freedom to the NPC or other people. “I know you want to see the queen’s authority revoked forever. She has no heirs. Give us the key to her study so that we can prove her corruption and give you a chance to topple the monarchy henceforth.” “If you promise to give us ten vials of Assassin’s Kiss, we’ll see to it that the baron’s prison is emptied.”

Greed

An NPC with the greed motivation desires wealth and resources above most anything else. Sometimes these NPCs are misers, like wyrms who hoard coins and gems never to spend or donate. Others flaunt their wealth, viewing it as a sign of their station in life. Greed-driven NPCs might even share their wealth with a select group of people they love, such as a noble lord who indulges his children’s every desire. Some NPCs may be greedy for resources other than money, such as a demon who wants to collect and devour souls or a troll lord who hungers endlessly for the flesh of others.

Arguments that appeal to a greed motivation contend that helping the heroes will increase the NPC’s wealth or assets. “You should help us battle the overmind. Xorranox’s wealth is legendary, and we’ll see to it that you get your fair share.” “Give us a week to do research among your private collection of books, and we’ll give you another ten unique tomes we found in an ancient star elf sanctuary.”

Higher Authority

An NPC with the higher authority motivation remains staunchly loyal to a person or force they see as above themself. This higher authority could be an organization, a deity or being of great power, a formal leader (such as a noble or monarch), a mystical presence or force the NPC does or does not fully understand, or a person the NPC sees as an authority figure but lacks the formal title, such as an older sibling or a personal, idolized hero.

Arguments that appeal to a higher authority motivation contend that it’s in the interest of the higher authority for the NPC to strike a deal with heroes. “All great creations honor your god, Malus. If you teach me to forge the Hammer of Azdul, that will be a great honor to bestow upon your god.” Alternatively, a hero could appeal to this motivation by telling the NPC that if the higher authority were in the NPCs position, they’d take the deal. “You know what Jarith the Bold would do? He’d guide us through the vast wasteland of the desert to reach the tower. Will you be our Jarith?”

Justice

An NPC with the justice motivation wants to see the righteous rewarded and the wicked punished, however their definition of who or what is good and evil are subjective. A priest who venerates a god of nature may believe that all who protect plants and animals at any cost are righteous, and that those who harvest natural resources, like miners and lumberjacks, must die. Having a justice motivation doesn’t make you a kind or charitable person.

Arguments that appeal to a justice motivation position the heroes on the good side of the NPC’s sense of right and wrong. “You despise those who steal from nature. Allow us peacefully into your wode so we may bottle the Blessed Spring’s water. We’re going to use it to stop an army from felling every tree and tearing up the earth wherever they go.” “You think nobles are lazy barons who get rich off the backs of peasants. We want to dethrone Lord Saxton. Lend us you crew of thieves, and we’ll see to it that when Saxton falls, the people choose their own leaders.”

Legacy

An NPC with the legacy motivation desires fame while alive and acclaim that lasts long after their death. They hope others will know and remember their deeds, great or terrible. Some of these NPCs might even seek immortality through deification or undeath, so that their mortal coil doesn’t prevent them from being entered into history.

Arguments that appeal to a legacy motivation contend that striking a deal with the heroes will increase the likelihood that people will talk about the NPC for centuries to come. “If you give us the vizier’s itinerary, I’ll compose a song about your brave risk and sing it in every tavern from here to Ix!” “Yes, losing the battle is a possibility. If we do, the gnolls will still come for you eventually. But if we crush our foes, imagine the honors, the histories, the poems, the statues—all of it created for you because your siege engines turned the tide.”

Peace

An NPC with the peace motivation wants calm in their life. Under normal circumstances, they want to be left alone to run their business, farm, kingdom, criminal empire, or whatever small slice of the timescape is theirs. Some don’t have peace and need help obtaining it, while others simply want their current status quo to be maintained.

Arguments that appeal to a peace motivation contend that helping the heroes will earn the NPC some peace … at least for a little while. “You have a good thing going here. A little burglary of nobles, some alcohol smuggling, and some illegal gambling dens. No one’s getting hurt, but Constable Cofax is closing in on you. We could redirect him to some real community dangers, if you can help us set a trap for the Watchmaker.” “I know you don’t sell to outsiders, but we need that helm. I’m going to use it to turn back a group of hobgoblins marching this way. They’re not going to be as friendly.”

Power

An NPC with the power motivation covets the authority of others. They want to increase their influence, no matter how great it already is, and maintain their domain. They might seek power through conquering others, the collection of artifacts, or through the infusion of supernatural rituals—though why choose one method when all three together achieve the best results. Some are world-traversing tyrants, and others are petty secretaries of village organizations and shrines.

Arguments that appeal to a power motivation contend that working with the heroes will increase or protect the NPC’s power. “Everyone knows you should be running the watch, Percy. The old lady’s retiring, and our friend Baron Kuglar is naming the replacement. Now, you let us into the restricted armory, and we’ll put in a good word.” “We know he’s your brother, your highness, but he’s older—first in line for the throne. If you help us prove he’s in a cult, you become the favorite son.”

Protection

An NPC with the protection motivation has land, people, information, items, or an organization they want protected above all else. Keeping their charge safe is a duty they hold dear. Threatening that which the NPC protects doesn’t go very far in a negotiation, but aiding in the protection from threats does. Almost everyone has friends or family they wish to protect, but an NPC with the protection motivation believes it is their job above all else to keep their charge safe.

Arguments the appeal to a protection motivation contend that helping the heroes better protects the NPC’s charge. “Dead soldiers grow the necromancer's ranks. Total annihilation is the only way to defeat it. March with us now, while her army is small, and we’ll defeat her. Or you could gamble that someone else tries, fails, and suddenly she’s at the border, ready to overrun your kingdom with an army tenfold what it is now.” “I see your grandchild is hellbent on joining the service. I happen to have a magic suit of armor that could better ward off the blows of monsters and ruffians. I’d be happy to give it to you, in exchange for borrowing your griffons for a few days. After all, I won’t need the armor if I can simply fly over the marsh’s monsters.”

Revelry

An NPC with the revelry motivation just wants to have fun. They enjoy socializing through parties, thrill-seeking, or indulging in other hedonistic activities. Getting pleasure out of life while spending time with people they like is paramount to them.

Arguments that appeal to the revelry motivation contend that striking a deal with the heroes will help the NPC get back to partying sooner, longer, or harder. “How would you like to have the most exclusive songs for your exclusive birthday celebration next week? I’ll write you a whole original set list, free of charge … provided you give me and my band here some invitations.” “I know you don’t want to forge five Chronokinesis Crowns. How’s this? You do that for me, and I’ll give you the fourteen kegs of whiskey we found in a steel dwarf ruin. This stuff is old, unique, and forget-your-first-name potent. You can crack a keg with your friends to celebrate a job well done.”

Vengeance

An NPC with the vengeance motivation wants to harm another who has hurt them. Their desire for revenge could be proportional to the harm that was inflicted upon them, or it could be that they wish to payback the pain with interest. In many cases, the desire for vengeance is also a desire to deal death upon another, but it could be that the NPC wishes to pay back embarrassment, career failure, or some other pain without murder.

Arguments that appeal to the vengeance motivation contend that the NPC can payback their pain by helping the heroes. “The servants of Ajax killed your sister as she scoured the city for his cults. The Black Iron Pact works for the Overlord. Give us her diaries, and we might uncover the pact’s hideaway and deal a great blow to your hated foes.” “That prankster Huckable made your trousers tear at the last council meeting. Don’t you want to pay him back? We can arrange a delicious prank at the next gathering, but we need you to guarantee the safety of the orc refugees.”

Pitfalls

Pitfalls are methods of making arguments that spark ire, discomfort, shame, fear, or some other negative response in an NPC. Using a pitfall in a negotiation causes an NPC’s interest and patience to wane. Each NPC has at least one pitfall, and many have two or more.

Some NPCs get angry when someone tries to intimidate them. Others become uncomfortable if you flirt with them. Still others get bored while listening to braggadocious blowhards.

Related to Skills

Each NPC pitfall shares the name of a skill that could be used while making an argument during negotiation (see Making Arguments). If the skill applies to the argument, whether or not the hero making the test has the skill, the NPC reacts poorly to the argument (see Pitfall Used). For example, if an NPC military general has Intimidate as a pitfall and a hero claims that the NPC must provide them with troops to battle a distant army of undead or watch their people die at the hands of zombies in the future, the Intimidate skill applies to the test. The NPC reacts poorly, insulted that the hero is trying to use fear tactics to get help.

The Negotiation Pitfalls table lists common pitfalls and the narrative reasons that NPCs might have a negative reaction to the use of arguments that could use these skills.

Deceive

You may have noticed the Deceive skill isn’t listed on the Negotiation Pitfalls table—that’s on purpose. Deceive is a pitfall that most NPCs would have—no one likes being lied to, especially when it comes to negotiations. However, this pitfall isn’t listed because it doesn’t work like bragging, flirting, or intimidation. When a hero successfully lies to an NPC, the NPC doesn’t realize that tactic has been employed! It doesn’t make sense that the Deceive skill would work the same way as other skills in negotiation. Instead, lies and deception during negotiation only have a penalty for a hero if the hero gets caught. See Caught in a Lie for more information.

Caught in a Lie

If a hero lies to an NPC with an argument that fails to increase the NPC’s interest, the Director can decide that the NPC catches and is offended by the lie, and their interest decreases by an additional 1.

That’s It For Now!

We’ll have more for you soon. Lots of writing and testing is happening over here at MCDM.

As a reminder, if you’re a member of the MCDM Discord channel, you should link your Patreon and Discord accounts. You can read about how to do so here. Linking your accounts will give you access to our #mcdm_rpg-patrons channel on Discord. It’s a great place to discuss the MCDM RPG!

—James