Intrigue

Intrigues have two essential components: the exchange and Influence. Exchanges are the framework in which the intrigue unfolds, while Influence describes the objective of each participant in each exchange.

The Exchange

Much of what happens during an intrigue occurs without need of the rigorous framework found in other parts of this game; players play the parts of their characters and roleplay through the negotiations, making their cases, bribing, or intimidating as the situation warrants. That said, intrigues do follow a loose structure to ensure that each player has a chance to affect the outcome and simulate the expertise found in characters who excel in these environments.

Effectively, an intrigue is broken up into loose units called exchanges. An exchange is not a fixed amount of time: one exchange might last just a few seconds, while another might extend for hours. The Narrator assesses the time that passes based on the amount of time spent roleplaying while also accounting for the circumstances surrounding the intrigue.

During an exchange, each participant has a turn to act. On a turn, the player rolls ability tests or performs some other maneuver to shift the intrigue in their favor. Once each player has had a turn, the exchange ends, and either the intrigue resolves or a new exchange begins.

Influence

The aim of every intrigue is to gain enough Influence to compel your opponent to say, reveal, do, or act as you want. Whether you're trying to change a person's mind, pass yourself as someone or something else, or even just get them into bed, the process is the same.

In a way, Influence functions a lot like combat. As with combat, you roll a conflict test, using Deception or Persuasion, against your opponent's Intrigue Defense. A success generates an amount of Influence that applies against your target's Composure. Once you reduce an opponent's Composure to 0, you defeat him or her and decide the consequences.

Intrigue Structure

Whenever a social situation arises that cannot be resolved through roleplaying alone, an intrigue occurs. Such encounters can include negotiations and interrogations but can also represent seduction, forging alliances, provoking attacks, and a variety of other actions. All intrigues follow the same steps, which are described in detail throughout the rest of this chapter:

1. Type
2. Scene
3. Objective
4. Disposition
5. Initiative
6. Technique
7. Roleplaying
8. Actions and Tests
9. Repeat
10. Resolution

Step One: Type

An intrigue is a conflict of words, a careful exchange of negotiations, persuasion, and subterfuge. Intrigue is the process of modifying another character's behavior to convince or compel an opponent to act or believe in a specific way. Through an intrigue, you might cultivate an alliance, seduce a withdrawn noblewoman, smear a rival's name, or intimidate a dire enemy. At first blush, an intrigue may not seem at all dangerous, but a critical negotiation can be every bit as deadly as the sword.

All intrigues fall into one of three types: simple, standard, and complex. Each type reflects the nature of the challenge, the number and types of participants involved, and finally, the intended outcome. Intrigue types and the conditions for them to occur follow.

Simple Intrigues

The most common and easiest to use, simple intrigues handle all the basic interactions between the PCs and minor Narrator characters. Simple intrigues are useful for bluffing your way past a guard, pretending to be someone other than you are, or ferreting out information in a relaxed environment. Generally, simple intrigues are used when the intended outcome (what you hope to achieve or what you want your opponent to do) is not out of character for your opponent. For example, if you were trying to seduce a woman that's already attracted to you, a simple intrigue will suffice to see if she'll give in to your advances.

Simple intrigues are also used to resolve exchanges between characters with large disparities between their Status abilities. Whenever you try to influence another character whose Status is 3 or more ranks lower than yours, you may use a simple intrigue to handle the exchange.

Simple intrigues have the following characteristics:

• Usually involve two participants.
• Occur in a single exchange.
• Involve a single test.
• Have short-term consequences.

Standard Intrigues

Standard intrigues arise when a simple intrigue won't suffice. Usually, standard intrigues come into play when PCs and major Narrator characters try to influence each other. These exchanges can involve convincing another character to do something potentially dangerous or out of character, to bargain for a much better price, or to intimidate someone into coughing up guarded information. As a good rule of thumb, standard intrigues occur whenever your intended outcome is dangerous for your opponent or out of character. For example, trying to seduce a noble's wife would require a standard intrigue.

Standard intrigues have the following characteristics:

• Involve two or more participants.
• Occur over the course of several exchanges.
• Involve several conflict tests.
• Have long-term consequences.

Complex Intrigues

Above standard and simple intrigues stand complex intrigues. These exchanges are challenging, involving convoluted negotiations, cunning interplays, and usually a variety of opponents. A complex intrigue consists of several standard intrigues whose outcome influences the outcome of the complex intrigue. In a way, these standard intrigues represent the battles, and complex intrigue describes the war. You use complex intrigues whenever your outcome has far-reaching consequences, when your objectives involve several Narrator characters, or when the outcome is particularly dangerous. A good example of complex intrigue is the building of alliances to help support your house's invasion of a neighboring lord. To prevent other houses from rallying toward your rival's cause, you likely have to treat with other lords to gain their assistance or at the very least their noninterference. As well, you'll probably deal with merchants, negotiating to get a better price for weapons, horses, and materials, to say nothing of trying to appease your own lord to make a case for the attack in the first place.

Complex intrigues have the following characteristics:

• Involve several participants.
• Occur over the course of several standard intrigues.
• Involve numerous conflict tests.
• Require a number of victory points to achieve final success.
• Have far-reaching consequences.

Victory Points

Victory points are a feature of complex intrigues, those engagements where defeating an opponent is not enough to achieve the overarching objective. Before a complex intrigue begins, you must decide what it is you're after. Your Narrator may decide the objective can be attained with a standard intrigue, but in complex plots, you're likely to have to defeat multiple foes in several intrigues to set up the events in a way that realizes your plan.

To track your progress in a complex intrigue, your Narrator sets a number of Victory Points required to complete your agenda. Three points are typical, but extremely complex plans may require six or more. Each time you defeat a foe in an intrigue that relates to the complex intrigue, you resolve the consequences of intrigue as normal and earn a Victory Point. Each time you fail to defeat a foe in an intrigue, you make no progress, and if you are defeated, you lose a Victory Point. Once you have accumulated the requisite number of Victory Points, your intrigue is complete, and your plans are enacted.

Step Two: Scene

Once the type of intrigue is determined, the Narrator sets the scene by describing the location and identifying the participants involved.

Location

Location can be a critical factor in deciding the outcome of an intrigue. Certain environments are more conducive to an intrigue than others. For instance, trying to seduce a pious noblewoman inside a sept is far more difficult than seducing an enthusiastic serving girl in the shadows of a darkened hall. The appropriateness of the venue may bestow a bonus to a character's Intrigue Defense, usually a +3 bonus for awkward environments, +6 for inappropriate locations, and +12 or more for wildly inappropriate settings. An awkward environment might be bargaining for a sellsword's service in front of a current employer. An inappropriate location would be trying to intimidate a young noble while his father looks on, and a wildly inappropriate setting would be trying to seduce a Silent Sister on a battlefield littered with the dead and dying.

Participants

Most intrigues are between two characters at a time, though multiple intrigues can occur simultaneously between multiple pairs. When a character addresses a large audience, that audience usually looks to a leader to represent their interests, so even though there are numerous individuals involved, the intrigue can be settled between two opponents. On the other hand, an intrigue may feature participants who are supported by allies and advisors. Such periphery characters can modify the intrigue's outcome by encouraging or mollifying the primary negotiator—bolstering his resolve or deflecting the influence of his opponent.

Step Three: Objective

The core of every intrigue is your objective—what you hope to achieve by engaging in the intrigue in the first place. An objective is your motivation; it's what you want your opponent to do or say, as well as what action you want him to perform or a development you want to prevent. Without an objective, you don't have an intrigue—you're just roleplaying, which, of course, has a place in the game but doesn't often advance the story in significant ways.

Objectives tend to live in the background of the intrigue, unrevealed until you or your opponent are defeated. Objectives don't correspond to abilities but arise from the needs of the story and the scenario in which you are currently involved. Your objective colors your roleplaying and gives you a position from which you can argue. What follows is a broad selection of normal objectives that prompt intrigues. This list is by no means complete, but it gives you a good foundation for coming up with objectives relevant to your situation in the game.

Friendship

Many intrigues involve cultivating alliances and forging friendships, whether for the short-term or long. Your expected outcome is to foment feelings of kinship with your target to make future exchanges easier or even unnecessary. Friendship, obviously, covers a lot of ground, and with this objective you might seduce a man, arrange a marriage, build an alliance, or simply gain a new friend.

Information

Knowledge is power, to cite a cliché, and information stands as one of the most common objectives for engaging in an intrigue. With this objective, you hope to acquire guarded or secret information, to learn rumors, gossip, and anything else you might need to get the edge against your enemies. Information might involve maneuvering in the court of King Robert or trawling the streets of King's Landing listening for useful whispers. Regardless, information is a valuable commodity and vital for navigating the perils of the game of thrones.

Service

When a service is your objective, you want your opponent to do something for you. What that something is can be just about anything, from loaning you a few gold dragons to spying on the queen, from giving you a good deal on a new sword to sparing your life when your opponent has every right to it.

Deceit

You may also engage in intrigues to dupe your opponent, feeding false information, setting up your foe for a potential double-cross, and masking your true intention behind a deceptive façade. When deceit is your objective, you gain Influence by rolling Deception tests instead of Persuasion tests.

Changing Objectives

There are bound to be times when you enter an intrigue hoping to come away with one thing and discover something much more interesting after the first or second exchange. At the start of a new exchange, you may change your objective, but if you do, your opponent automatically recovers an amount of Composure equal to his Will rank.

Step Four: Disposition

A disposition describes a particular outlook as it relates to a character's opponent, describing whether the character sees you in a good light or bad, whether he intends you harm or wants to help you. Dispositions are useful roleplaying devices, establishing parameters about how you might play your character during the intrigue and helping to frame your responses and reactions. Moreover, disposition also acts as a form of "armor," protecting you from your opponent's influence. It's far more difficult to convince a person who hates you to help than a person who loves you. Thus, whenever your opponent would apply his or her Influence to your Composure, you first reduce the amount by your Disposition Rating (or DR).

Disposition also interacts with your efforts at Deception and Persuasion, by providing bonuses or imposing penalties to your test results. It's rather difficult to mask your disdain when trying to befriend a long-time enemy, just as it's hard to dupe a person you love. The effects of disposition on your words, body language, and other elements of the intrigue can't be understated. You might armor yourself in scorn but find yourself powerless to change the thinking of those around you.

There are seven types of disposition. Three are favorable, three are unfavorable, and the seventh is indifference, neither favorable nor unfavorable. Descriptions of each follow and include the relevant Disposition Rating and modifiers to Deception and Persuasion tests. All of this information is also summarized on Table 8-1: Dispositions.

Affectionate

DR: 1 — Deception Modifier: −2 — Persuasion Modifier: +5

Affection implies love and adoration, feelings of obligation and strong loyalty such as that shared between most spouses, parents and their children, and so on. A character of this disposition gives in to most requests even if the request is to their detriment. Affectionate characters are likely to overlook faults in the person they adore, and they would give their lives for that person.

Friendly

DR: 2 — Deception Modifier: −1 — Persuasion Modifier: +3

A Friendly disposition suggests feelings of kinship and goodwill and is found in most siblings, long-time allies, and members of the same household. Friendly can also serve to define the relationship between knights bound to a common cause and the ties that bind the closest members of the Watch to each other and their commanders. Friendly characters are willing to do you favors and may take risks on your behalf. They won't betray you, and that's what counts most.

Example: Jeor Mormont is friendly with Jon Snow.

Amiable

DR: 3 — Deception Modifier: +0 — Persuasion Modifier: +1

Amiable characters see you in a positive light and consider you an acquaintance—but not necessarily a friend. Such characters are unlikely to put themselves at risk for you, but they are helpful if it benefits them. A character with an Amiable disposition may betray you if given a good reason.

Example: Renly and Robert are on amiable terms.

Indifferent

DR: 4 — Deception Modifier: +0 — Persuasion Modifier: +0

An indifferent character has no strong feelings toward you, one way or the other. He may be convinced to help you, following orders out of duty, and he may consent to other favors if he gets something in return. Indifferent characters won't take risks to help you unless suitably compensated.

Dislike

DR: 5 — Deception Modifier: +1 — Persuasion Modifier: −2

Dislike indicates a general unfriendliness, a certain uncomfortable frostiness. Whether this disposition originates from distrust, reputation, or some past misdeed, the character will not take risks for you and may entertain conspiracies against you.

Example: Cersei feels dislike for her brother Tyrion.

Unfriendly

DR: 6 — Deception Modifier: +2 — Persuasion Modifier: −4

Unfriendly characters simply do not like you. These feelings may be grounded in good reason or not, but regardless, they hold you in disdain. Such characters will not seek to actively hurt you, but they won't interfere with those who would and can be easily convinced to conspire against you.

Example: Gregor Clegane is unfriendly toward his brother Sandor.

Malicious

DR: 7 — Deception Modifier: +3 — Persuasion Modifier: −6

Malicious characters actively work against you, doing what they can to harm you, even if it means putting themselves at risk. Malicious characters would wage war against you, harm your family, and do just about anything else they can to destroy or discredit you. Such characters are your dire enemies.

Starting Dispositions

At the beginning of an intrigue, all participants must set their starting disposition. The default is indifferent when dealing with new characters, but player characters are free to choose whatever disposition they like.

Managing Dispositions

A good way to manage your dispositions is to keep a list of the NCs you meet over the course of the campaign. Record your disposition from your last encounter, along with any relevant notes. Then, when you meet the character again, you'll know how you last left this character and can pick a good disposition based on your prior dealings.

The choice of disposition should always be based on what the character knows about their opponent, past encounters with the Narrator character, and their feelings regarding the character's behavior.

While it may be tempting to think in game terms, weighing the mechanical benefits of each disposition, avoid doing so. Your disposition may have unforeseen consequences that could affect how a scenario unfolds. For example, if a representative of another house engages you in an intrigue, and you automatically set your disposition to Malicious, you're bound to make an enemy of that character by your rudeness and hostility. Conversely, defaulting to Affectionate when trying to persuade another character is risky, as it leaves you open to manipulation. In short, consider how your character ought to feel about the NC (Narrator character) and pick a disposition that best fits your character's perspective.

Unknown Quantities

Whenever you engage a character in an intrigue for the first time, your character should usually start at Indifferent (unless you are abrasive or trusting by nature). The reason is simple: you haven't had any prior dealings with the character and likely know nothing about the character's personality, history, or motivations. Of course, some characters are public figures, and such individuals' reputations can color how others see them. A figure's image can very much shape how you see them, and when dealing with such an individual, your disposition should change accordingly. Similarly, your opponents may also inform their dispositions based on your reputation, which can be a boon or a bane depending on your previous deeds and actions.

Dispositions by Circumstances

As mentioned, most intrigues between people who do not know each other begin at Indifferent. However, circumstances may modify dispositions, such as the identity of the individual, tales about the character, and other factors. Table 8-2: Dispositions by Circumstance offers suggestions to modify starting dispositions—all modifiers are cumulative. These modifiers apply for the first exchange, and characters may modify their dispositions as normal.

Table 8-2: Dispositions by Circumstance

Factor	Modifier
Opponent is attractive	+1 step
Opponent is known for honor	+1 step
Opponent is known to be just	+1 step
Opponent is from allied family	+2 steps
Opponent is a member of the Night's Watch	−1 step
Opponent is a bastard	−1 step
Opponent is ugly	−1 step
Opponent is known for decadence	−1 step
Opponent is known for cruelty	−1 step
Opponent is hideous	−2 steps
Opponent is known for treacherousness	−2 steps
Opponent is from enemy family	−2 steps
Opponent is from a distant land within Westeros*	−1 step
Opponent is from the Free Cities	−1 step
Opponent is from beyond the Free Cities	−2 steps

*A Dornishman dealing with a Northman, for example.

Option: Recognition

The default assumption is that players and Narrators will pick appropriate dispositions based on the story elements in the game. While perfectly suitable, it can sometimes be hard to assess the effect notoriety has on an individual character's reputation. To address this potential complication, you can introduce a Status test before the intrigue begins to help characters pick the most appropriate disposition for NCs they have just met.

When you use this system, all intrigues involving characters who have just met set the starting dispositions at Indifferent. Participants may draw upon their knowledge and the reputations of their opponents to modify their disposition appropriately. Each character rolls a Formidable (12) Status test, taking a penalty to their result equal to their opponent's rank in Knowledge—more knowledgeable characters are less likely to be impressed by the legends and deeds attributed by other characters. A success improves or worsens the opponent's disposition by one step per degree of success. The character decides whether to improve his opponent's disposition or worsen it, based on his reputation and that of his house.

Evolving Dispositions

Over the course of the intrigue, a character's disposition is bound to change. The events of an exchange coupled with roleplaying allow players and Narrators to adjust their characters' dispositions in response to what happened during the previous exchange. At the start of every new exchange, each participant may improve or worsen their disposition by one step.

The only exception to this rule is when a character was successfully influenced during the previous round. Such a character cannot worsen their disposition during the next exchange.

Step Five: Initiative

To determine who tests when, each participant in the intrigue rolls a Status test (bonus dice from Reputation apply). The Narrator records each result and arranges them in order from highest to lowest. The highest result goes first, followed by the next, and then the next highest until everyone has acted. Note that the test result does not require a character to act in their order; it merely describes the earliest they can act. A participant may wait and see what other participants do before acting.

Step Six: Technique

If dispositions are armor, techniques are the weapons. Techniques describe the tactics a character employs during the intrigue, but more than just provide descriptive features, techniques inform how much influence a character gains with a successful test and the consequences of defeat. That the various techniques presented here correspond to the specialties of the Persuasion ability is no coincidence.

Deception

You may substitute Deception for Persuasion tests to simulate any of the following techniques. You may only do so when trying to deceive your opponent, such as charming under false pretenses or bargaining with no intention of making good on your promises. You make this decision when you decide your objective. When testing Deception, you roll bonus dice from one of your Deception specialties most appropriate to the technique you're trying to simulate. If you have bonus dice in the Persuasion specialty, you may use those dice or the listed Deception specialty, whichever is greater.

Using Techniques

Whenever you roll a Deception or Persuasion conflict test to influence your opponent, you may roll bonus dice from a specialty that corresponds with the technique. The Difficulty is equal to your opponent's Intrigue Defense. A successful test influences an amount determined by the technique you used (usually equal to your rank in an ability) times your degree of success.

Techniques Defined

On your turn, you may use any of the following techniques during an intrigue. You need not choose the same technique each exchange and may select a different technique that best matches how you portrayed your character during the exchange. Each entry describes the technique, the amount of Influence a successful conflict test generates, applicable specialties, and finally, the consequences gained when you defeat your opponent. For a summary of these features, see Table 8-3: Techniques.

These techniques are fairly broad and open to some interpretation, based largely how to achieve the desired effect of the intrigue: so if you are offering an exchange, it's likely a bargain, whereas if you are making a reasoned argument, then it's an effort to convince, and so forth. Work with the Narrator to agree upon which technique suits your approach to the intrigue and the desired outcome.

Table 8-3: Techniques

Technique	Influence	Persuasion Specialty	Deception Specialty
Bargain	Cunning rank	Bargain	Bluff
Charm	Persuasion rank	Charm	Act
Convince	Will rank	Convince	Act
Incite	Cunning rank	Incite	—
Intimidate	Will rank	Intimidate	Act or Bluff
Seduce	Persuasion rank	Seduce	Bluff
Taunt	Awareness rank	Taunt	—

Bargain

Influence: Cunning rank — Persuasion Specialty: Bargain — Deception Specialty: Bluff

When you Bargain, you are asking the target to do something in exchange for recompense in some form. Bargain can be used to bribe a guard, form an alliance, attain services, and so on, but it only works so long as you live up to your side of the deal.

Consequences of Defeat: Bargain is used to negotiate a service in which the target does something for you in exchange for you doing something for the target. This exchange can be as simple as a transaction, exchanging gold dragons for some good or service, or it could be some other form of arrangement. The quality of the deal depends on the target's disposition at the end of the intrigue, as shown on the following chart.

Disposition	Bargain Effect
Affectionate	Target gives you the goods or service for nothing in exchange.
Friendly	Target gives you the goods at discount (Cunning × −10%) or for some minor service in exchange.
Amiable	Target gives you the goods at discount (Cunning × −5%) or for a very easy service in exchange.
Indifferent	Target gives you the goods at discount (Cunning × −2%) or for a service in exchange.
Dislike	Target gives you the goods at discount (Cunning × −1%) or for a service in exchange. The target may renege on the bargain if the demanded service is dangerous.
Unfriendly	Target gives you the goods at normal price or for an equal service in exchange.
Malicious	Target sells you the item at normal price but foists off a shoddy or damaged good. Target may perform the service but may renege if he can get away with it.

Charm

Influence: Persuasion rank — Persuasion Specialty: Charm — Deception Specialty: Act

Use Charm whenever you would cultivate a friendship, improving the target's disposition to make him or her more amenable to your position in future intrigues. When you use this technique, you ply your target with compliments, empathizing with their plights and conditions, and work to adapt yourself to your subject's desires.

Consequences of Defeat: Charm is the simple act of cultivating friendships and alliances, or to reason with enemies and avoid conflict. When you defeat an opponent using charm, you improve the target's disposition by one step. The target's improved disposition lasts until circumstances would worsen their disposition against you—such as a betrayal on your part or a rival inciting the opponent against you. In addition, you gain +1D on all Deception and Persuasion tests during your next intrigue against this opponent.

Convince

Influence: Will rank — Persuasion Specialty: Convince — Deception Specialty: Act

Sometimes a forceful argument can get your point across where charm or seduction might fail. Convince imparts your position or idea by simply putting the idea out there in a reasoned and logical manner. Convince is a stated desire that stands on its merits alone. It is often less effective because it isn't backed up by a threat, and there may not be something in it for the subject. Thus, it often takes longer to persuade a subject to your position, especially when they are ill-disposed against you.

Consequences of Defeat: Whenever you defeat an opponent using Convince, you are honestly trying to get the target to assist you or to agree with your position. Using Convince does nothing to improve the target's disposition; instead, Convince gets them to support your position or grant you assistance. Even dire enemies can be persuaded to help, provided they have sufficient cause, though there's nothing to say the enemy won't use the opportunity to betray you later. A convinced target assists you through the particular trial but no further.

Incite

Influence: Cunning rank — Persuasion Specialty: Incite — Deception Specialty: Bluff

Incite is used to make your subject angry, to fill them with loathing or rage against someone or something. Incite is risky because the unchecked emotion created can cause the subject to react brashly.

Consequences of Defeat: Inciting a target involves turning the opponent against another opponent, usually by producing evidence of betrayal, vile acts, or revealing any other sordid details your opponent might find repugnant. Incite is often powerful, but it produces short-term effects. An incited target's attitude to the individual, organization, or house you indicate shifts a number of steps downward equal to your rank in Persuasion. Each day after you use Incite on the target, his attitude toward the target improves by one step until it returns to its starting disposition. Typically, only targets whose disposition is worsened to Malicious attack the individual or members of the house or organization you indicate.

Intimidate

Influence: Will rank — Persuasion Specialty: Intimidate — Deception Specialty: Act or Bluff

You use Intimidate to scare others and make them think twice before crossing you, or impeding your actions. Intimidating a target temporarily improves his or her disposition for a short period, thus forcing the target to back down, divulge information, cooperate with you, or generally become pliable.

Consequences of Defeat: One of the most powerful techniques, Intimidate is bluster and threats used to frighten or cow your opponent. A successful use of Intimidate either drives off the target—if he can flee—or improves his disposition to Amiable or one step better if already Amiable for as long as you remain in the target's presence if the target cannot flee. The target does as you ask, reveals information, and possibly lies if he believes he has no other recourse to escape your presence. An intimidated target's disposition in future intrigues is always Unfriendly or worse.

Seduce

Influence: Persuasion rank — Persuasion Specialty: Seduce — Deception Specialty: Bluff

Of all the techniques, seduction is the most subtle. Use of this technique requires patience and practice, as well as a keen eye for body language and innuendo to guide your own words and behavior. If you defeat an opponent using Seduce, you fill the subject with feelings of desire—or at the very least the willingness to give into your advances.

Consequences of Defeat: By playing to your opponent's lust and desires, a defeat using Seduce usually results in some carnal act of passion or at the very least a temporary increase to the target's disposition. Seduction instills feelings of pleasure and affection in the target, blinding them to your faults and ulterior motives. You improve the target's disposition by a number of steps equal to your rank in Persuasion. If the target is attracted to your gender, is capable of physical love, and is at least Friendly, he or she gives in. As such, it may take several intrigues to seduce a target properly.

Each day after the encounter, the target's disposition shifts down one until it falls to one step below his or her starting disposition. You can sustain the feelings of attraction by courting the individual and by using Charm to create a more permanent disposition. Characters with dispositions that started at Dislike or worse but who are seduced pretend to be attracted and even go so far as to engage in lovemaking or some other act of passion. They only follow through if they believe such an act will advance their position or give them some advantage over you—whether it's to plant a bastard in the womb or a knife in the throat.

Taunt

Influence: Awareness rank — Persuasion Specialty: Taunt — Deception Specialty: Bluff

Taunting is risky. You goad another character into action based on your barbs and insults. You can use Taunt to provoke a character to do something you want—at the cost of worsening his or her disposition toward you.

Consequences of Defeat: Taunting pushes your opponent to act. An opponent who has an Amiable or better disposition does what you want, but when he has completed the task, his disposition falls by one step. An opponent whose disposition is Neutral or Dislike may or may not perform the task based on the danger posed to him. Again, his disposition worsens by one step. Finally, opponents with dispositions worse than Dislike attack you or flee if attacking is not an option.

Step Seven: Roleplaying

Roleplaying is the heart of intrigues. During this step, the players argue and debate, connive and negotiate, discuss their options, and make their case. The character acts out exactly what he or she wants from a target in accordance with his or her technique and disposition. There is no clear order of action here; rather, this step is intended to be freeform and loose, lasting as needed until the Narrator opts to move toward the next step, usually occurring at a dramatic moment when a player makes clear his or her desires but before the answer to that desire is revealed.

Of course, not all groups are comfortable with improvised acting and may prefer a more mechanical approach to resolving these scenes. If such is the case, or if the intrigue is particularly small and insignificant to the larger scenario, the Narrator may skip the roleplaying step and move onto the next.

The Effects of Roleplaying

SIFRP is a roleplaying game, and therefore, strong portrayals of your character, as well as convincing arguments, can and do have an effect on intrigues. Good roleplaying modifies your chances by granting bonus dice, usually one or two, but sometimes as many as three for extremely convincing performances. Naturally, some roleplaying sequences will result in saying the absolute wrong thing at the wrong time, which may affect a character's efforts by removing bonus dice or imposing a flat penalty of −1 to −5, depending on the seriousness of the gaffe.

Not all groups include thespians or aspiring actors, and some players may be reluctant to participate in such an immersive roleplaying scene. The Narrator should not penalize such players if they are not suited for this sort of game. Players may modify their chances by using Destiny Points and bonus dice drawn from specialties as normal.

Step Eight: Actions and Tests

During each exchange, participants choose actions to advance their objectives, testing as needed to determine the outcome of their efforts.

Assist

Trigger/Action: Support an ally's arguments during an intrigue.

Test: Challenging (9) Persuasion test.

Effect: On a success, add half your Persuasion rank (rounded down) as a modifier to your ally's next conflict test result.

Consider

Trigger/Action: Give up your action for the current exchange.

Test: None required.

Effect: Gain +2B on any single test taken during the next exchange. Bonus dice cannot exceed your rank in the tested ability, and any unused excess bonus dice are lost after the roll.

Fast Talk

Trigger/Action: Distract an opponent with a stream of nonsense.

Test: Persuasion test vs. target's passive Will result.

Effect: On at least 2 degrees of success, the target subtracts their Cunning rank from their Intrigue Defense until the end of the next exchange.

Influence

Trigger/Action: Core action used to modify an opponent's behavior/Composure.

Test: Deception or Persuasion test (apply technique bonus dice).

Effect: On a success, calculate Influence generated (Technique Rating × Degrees of Success). Subtract the target's Disposition Rating from total Influence; remaining damage reduces the target's Composure. Reducing Composure to 0 defeats them.

Manipulate

Trigger/Action: Goad an opponent into using a specific technique.

Test: Persuasion test vs. target's passive Will result (must meet or beat).

Effect: Choose your opponent's technique on the following round.

Mollify

Trigger/Action: Repair damage to Composure for yourself or an ally.

Test: Formidable (12) Persuasion test (modified by target's disposition as normal).

Effect: On a success, restore Composure equal to your Persuasion rank. Each additional degree of success restores +1 point of Composure.

Effects of Language

Language can be as sharp a weapon as any blade in an intrigue. Two factors govern the ease with which you can press your case across a language gap.

Language Barrier Penalty: Taking an action against a target who does not speak your language imposes a −3D penalty on all Persuasion tests. If this penalty exceeds your test dice pool, you cannot target them in an intrigue.

Shared/Rare Language Bonus: Speaking a rare language, native tongue, or culturally impressive dialect (e.g., Valyrian with House Targaryen, Dothraki with Dothraki) grants +1B on influence tests if the target would be impressed by the shared background or education.

Quit

Trigger/Action: Flee or end the intrigue provided an avenue of escape exists.

Effect: The intrigue immediately ends, though the Narrator may apply social or plot repercussions (e.g., loss of face before witnesses or raised suspicions).

Read Target

Trigger/Action: Analyze an opponent's disposition and current strategy instead of attacking/coercing.

Test: Awareness test vs. target's passive Deception result.

Effect: On a success, you reveal the target's current disposition and the technique they are using for the exchange. You also gain a permanent +1D bonus on all Deception and Persuasion tests for the remainder of the intrigue.

Shield of Reputation

Trigger/Action: Leverage your status and notoriety to shift an opponent's attitude.

Test: Status test vs. target's base Will result.

Effect: On a success, the target's disposition automatically improves by one step. Can only be used once per intrigue.

Switch to Combat

Trigger/Action: Abandon social discourse on your turn to physically attack.

Effect: The intrigue immediately ends and combat begins, though doing so may carry heavy non-combat narrative consequences (such as imprisonment or loss of status).

Withdraw

Trigger/Action: Shore up your defenses against an opponent.

Test: Will test (apply bonus dice from Dedication).

Effect: The total result of this roll replaces your Intrigue Defense until the end of the next exchange.

Taking Influence

Trigger/Action: Taking incoming influence from an opponent's successful test.

Effect: Any Influence exceeding your Disposition Rating reduces your Composure. Composure loss carries no operational penalties until reduced to 0 or less, at which point you are defeated.

Frustration

Trigger/Action: Voluntarily accept frustration to mitigate incoming Influence.

Effect: Each point of frustration absorbed negates Influence equal to your Will rank.

Penalties & Limits: Every point of frustration imposes a −1D penalty on all Deception and Persuasion tests for the remainder of the intrigue. If total accumulated frustration exceeds your Will rank, you are immediately defeated.

Recovery: All accumulated frustration is cleared at the end of the intrigue, regardless of outcome.

Defeat

Conditions: Occurs when your Composure drops to 0 or less, or when your total accumulated frustration exceeds your Will rank.

Outcome: You are defeated, and the victor achieves their stated goal for the intrigue.

Yielding

Trigger/Action: On your turn during an exchange, you can offer a compromised outcome rather than facing total defeat.

Resolution: The opponent may accept, make a counter-proposal, or refuse. If you reject their counter-offer, the intrigue continues and you forfeit the ability to yield during that attempt.

Destiny & Defeat

Trigger/Action: Spend/burn a Destiny Point upon defeat.

Effect: Allows you to choose an alternative outcome to the opponent's original stated goal (subject to Narrator approval).

NPC Rule: Unimportant characters rarely absorb influence through frustration and tend to yield quickly when the tide turns.

Step Nine: Repeat

Looping Process: If no victor is determined by the end of an exchange, return to Step Two: Scene.

Actions: Participants reaffirm or adjust their objectives, choose techniques, roleplay, and resolve actions until all opponents yield or are defeated.

Step Ten: Resolution

Finalizing Outcomes: Specific results depend on the victor's chosen technique and the defeated character's disposition. Reckless techniques and the order of actions used heavily influence final consequences.

Joining an Intrigue

Trigger/Action: A new participant enters an ongoing intrigue.

Effect: All existing participants remove all accumulated Influence, and the intrigue resets to start anew.

Faster Intrigues

Purpose & Usage: Intrigue emulates complex narrative politics, but not every conversation requires a full intrigue encounter. Narrators should reserve formal intrigues for high-stakes conversations and major conspiracies.

Routine Directives: Standard orders—such as a noble commanding their sworn swords into action—do not require an intrigue, as subordinates follow orders to the best of their abilities.

Rule of Thumb (Bypassing Intrigue): If your Status rank is equal to or greater than the target's Disposition Rating (DR), you can bypass the intrigue entirely and influence the target directly.