TEXT: The 5e side to Intrigue
  How to use the Intrigue from ASOIAF in Dungeons and Dragons 5E
  By Dimitri Lambermont and Remko van der Heul
  1
  
  The 5e Side to Intrigue
  E
  very RPG-system brings a new chance to
  invent a game mechanic which has not
  been used before. Or use it in a new way.
  The ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ RPG had a
  nice focus on intrigue. I have always liked
  the mechanic. Intrigue is not so strange if
  you read the Game of Thrones books or
  watched the series. Intrigue is as much a part of the world of
  roleplaying as is battle. With that in mind we tried to convert
  the Intrigue System of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ RPG to the
  world of Dungeons and Dragons 5e.
  What is an Intrigue?
  In every D&D game, roleplay is as important as combat.
  However for combat many rules have been decided. For
  roleplay this is different. Basically you ask your player
  character to act out what he or she wants to achieve. A roll
  helps in defining the outcome.
  By introducing the Intrigue System from the ASOIAF-rpg
  rules to D&D we can approach Role Playing in a more
  Combat-styled fashion. In an intrigue every spoken exchange
  in an encounter can be seen as a game of attack and defense.
  Just as in a debate one speaker can be declared the winner
  and the other the loser. With an intrigue you do not simply
  converse with an NPC but use words to the best of your
  ability to change the mind of the NPC or the way they view
  you. They on the other hand can decide to do the same to
  you.
  You can try to warm an unfriendly shopkeeper to bargain
  for a better price. You can persuade a city guard to let you
  pass. You can seduce one the ladies of court to give you
  important information. Or intimidate a goblin warrior to drop
  his weapons before combat even starts. An intrigue is every
  time you use words instead of Weapons to resolve an
  encounter.
  WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE?
  The core of every intrigue is your objective, what you hope to
  achieve. An objective is your motivation, what you want your
  opponent to do, say, or a development you want to prevent.
  Without an objective, you don’t have an intrigue.
  What is the objective?
  1. Friendship
  2. Information
  3. Service
  4. Deceit
  Friendship
  Many intrigues involve cultivating alliances, 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.
  Information
  Knowledge is power, and information stands as one of the
  most common objectives for engaging in an intrigue. With
  this objective, you hope to acquire information, learn rumors,
  gossip, or anything else you might need to gain an edge over
  your enemies.
  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 to spying on the
  Queen, giving you a good deal on a new sword, or sparing
  your life when your opponent has every right to take 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.
  With a clear goal in mind, both you and the NPC will enter
  into the battle of words. Next you have to decide on your
  disposition. The DM will do so for the NPC.
  WHAT IS THE
  DISPOSITION OF THE
  NPC YOU INTERACT
  WITH?
  Any NPC you interact with will basically look at you in three
  ways:
  1. Unfriendly
  2. Indifferent
  3. Friendly
  The disposition of the NPC is the basis for your Intrigue.
  Before you choose to battle there is always the possibility to
  resolve the matter trough talking or gently influencing,
  nudging and pushing an NPC in your desired direction. You
  try to move the NPC from Unfriendly to at least Indifferent
  and optimally to Friendly. The other way around a Failed
  Attempt can mean an Indifferent NPC becomes Unfriendly.
  A game of attack and defense
  The DM decides on the disposition of the NPC you are trying
  to influence. You also decide on your disposition on entering
  the Intrigue. An intrigue is a game of attack and defense. So
  you must decide how best to attack the NPC. With what
  disposition will you enter the Intrigue? With what disposition
  will the NPC enter the Intrigue?
  2
  
  Disposition Table
  Unfriendly
  Indifferent
  Friendly
  Malicious
  Unfriendly
  Dislike
  Neutral
  Amiable
  Friendly
  Affectionate
  Steps
  -3
  -2
  -1
  0
  1
  2
  3
  This information remains hidden at the beginning of the
  Intrigue. The DM might drop hints to the general demeanor
  of the NPC but will not give away it’s Disposition. The goal of
  the Intrigue is your Objective: Friendship, Information,
  Service or Deceit. In game terms the goal is to move the
  disposition of the NPC in a direction that is favorable to your
  desired outcome.
  UNFRIENDLY NPC
  Some NPC’s you meet just don’t like you. Either they are
  inherently angry as evil characters or maybe they are wary of
  new faces in town. The town guard that is on watch might
  have a disliking of you. The shop owner might have bad
  experiences with traveller’s ripping him off. On the left side of
  the spectrum we have the Unfriendly NPC’s. The Unfriendly
  mindset of your NPC can be outed in three varying degrees.
  They might simply Dislike you. They might be openly
  Unfriendly. Or they might be Malicious. The Unfriendly
  Disposition is warry, closed and maybe a bit paranoid.
  Unfriendly NPC / Malicious
  A malicious NPC is simply out to hurt you. They have evil in
  mind and will start off any encounter with a large mistrust or
  are looking for an opportunity to do you harm. This is the
  worst disposition to start from. Basically at any given
  moment the encounter can turn into combat, but through
  clever use of words and persuasion there might still be a
  chance that things end up alright and you can maneuver the
  NPC to a friendlier disposition.
  Unfriendly NPC / Unfriendly
  An unfriendly NPC might not go so far as to actually want to
  do you harm, they are simply unfriendly. They do not trust
  you. They do not trust your kind or have had bad dealings
  with your race. Whatever the reason, these NPC’s have a chip
  on their shoulder. Entering into an encounter will offer a
  chance that things turn from bad to worse. Or they might
  soften up to you if you offer the right kind of incentive.
  Unfriendly NPC / Dislike
  The disliking NPC simply has no really warm feelings for you
  at the beginning of an encounter. They will not go so far as to
  be openly unfriendly or hostile but you can expect them to be
  cold and uncaring in their answers. Given the right incentive
  they might warm up to you to the point where they are simply
  indifferent about you and your wellbeing. NPC’s with the
  dislike disposition can be city guards that are naturally weary
  of new faces and just do not like the look of you. They might
  be a barkeeper that has had a bad experience. Or might be
  someone you know from another time whom you apparently
  harmed in some manner.
  INDIFFERENT NPC
  Many NPC’s will be indifferent about you and your party. You
  are just another band of adventurers passing through town.
  One of the many on the road. They can just as easily warm up
  to you with a few kind words as turn you in with the city
  watch if you step out of line. One of the many visitors to a
  well-known shop, one the patrons of a famous inn, you will be
  met with a neutral disposition. They have had no dealing with
  you before and will happily forget you afterwards.
  FRIENDLY NPC
  On the other side of the disposition spectrum is the Friendly
  NPC. Maybe it is in their nature to be open and friendly to
  newcomers or maybe you have had dealings with them in the
  past. Whatever the reason these NPC’s already have warm
  feelings for you or a kinder disposition can be developed.
  These NPC’s are open and willing to listen to what you have
  to offer. They might simply be Amiable – meaning they are
  generally warm and trusting individuals to begin with.
  Secondly they might be Friendly. And finally they might have
  real warm feelings and care for you. These NPC’s have an
  Affectionate disposition.
  Friendly NPC / Amiable
  At the basis of the friendly spectrum of dispositions we find
  the Amiable NPC. This NPC basically is a good hearted soul,
  friendly to most folk and you just happen to be one of those
  folks. It is the good-hearted barkeeper with an easy laugh, the
  friendly bard wishing to share a story or the amused gnome
  shop owner. In the basis these NPC are open, warm and trust
  easily. This does not mean they are gullible however.
  Friendly NPC / Friendly
  Next on the Friendly Disposition is the Friendly NPC. This
  may be an NPC that has seen you more than once, did good
  trade with you or maybe your party did them a service and
  completed the task to satisfaction. Either way you are no
  longer a random face to these NPC but they have a genuine
  liking of you that goes beyond professional courtesy.
  Friendly NPC / Affectionate
  When you and the NPC have been together for a longer time,
  the NPC might even develop an affectionate disposition to
  your character. This means the NPC is genuinely concerned
  about your wellbeing. With some, even romantic feelings
  might be involved. These NPC’s will be easy to convince to
  join in a cause or will help you along the way to help you
  reach your goals.
  3
  
  Disposition versus Charisma Checks
  Malicious
  Unfriendly
  Dislike
  Neutral
  Amiable
  Friendly
  Affectionate
  Malicious
  D/I= +3 P = -6 D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +0 P = -2 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -2 D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +3 P = -6
  Unfriendly
  D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +1 P = -2 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +1 P = -3 D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +2 P = -4
  Dislike
  D/I= +0 P = -2 D/I= +1 P = -3 D/I= +1 P = -2 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -2 D/I= +1 P = -2 D/I= +1 P = -2
  Neutral
  D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= +0 P = -0
  Amiable
  D/I= +0 P = -2 D/I= +1 P = -3 D/I= +0 P = -2 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= 0 P = +1 D/I= -1 P = +3 D/I= -2 P = +5
  Friendly
  D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +1 P = -2 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= 0 P = +1 D/I= -1 P = +3 D/I= -2 P = +5
  Affectionate D/I= +3 P = -6 D/I= +2 P = -4 D/I= +1 P = -2 D/I= +0 P = -0 D/I= 0 P = +1 D/I= -1 P = +3 D/I= -2 P = +5
  Charisma versus Wisdom
  and Intelligence
  Charisma Checks
  A Charisma check might arise when you try to influence or
  entertain others, when you try to make an impression or tell a
  convincing lie, or when you are navigating a tricky social
  situation. The Deception, Intimidation and Persuasion Skills
  reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Charisma Checks. For the
  purpose of the Intrigue we will focus on only three skills.
  Deception, Intimidation and Persuasion.
  Deception
  Your Charisma (Deception) check determines whether you
  can convincingly hide the truth, either verbally or through
  your actions. This deception can encompass everything from
  misleading others through ambiguity to telling outright lies.
  Typical situations include trying to fast-talk a guard, con a
  merchant, earn money through gambling, pass yourself off in
  a disguise, dull someone’s suspicions with false assurances,
  or maintain a straight face while telling a blatant lie.
  Intimidation
  When you attempt to influence someone through overt
  threats, hostile actions, and physical violence, the GM might
  ask you to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check. Examples
  include trying to pry information out of a prisoner, convincing
  street thugs to back down from a confrontation, or using the
  edge of a broken bottle to convince a sneering vizier to
  reconsider a decision.
  Persuasion
  When you attempt to influence someone or a group of people
  with tact, social graces, or good nature, the GM might ask
  you to make a Charisma (Persuasion) check. Typically, you
  use persuasion when acting in good faith, to foster
  friendships, make cordial requests, or exhibit proper
  etiquette. Examples of persuading others include convincing
  a chamberlain to let your party see the king, negotiating
  peace between warring tribes, or inspiring a crowd of
  townsfolk.
  Disposition and your
  Charisma Skills
  The Disposition of your target has an effect on your
  Charisma Roles and the skill you use. As can be seen in the
  table below. Deception and Intimidation will give you an
  advantage on the left Unfriendly side of the Disposition,
  Persuasion will have a disadvantage on this side. On the
  other hand Persuasion will be easier on Friendly NPC’s and
  Deception and Intimidation will be harder. In the exact
  middle, you will find Neutral. This will give you neither an
  advantage or a disadvantage regardless of the Skill you wish
  to use.
  DECIDING ON THE TECHNIQUE, SKILL AND
  SPECIALTY YOU WISH TO USE.
  From your Charisma Skills – Deception, Persuasion or
  Intimidate – you can specify which special technique you
  want to use. There is more than one way to try to change
  someone’s disposition. Do you wish to charm the NPC by
  acting or lying? Or do you wish to Incite the NPC into action
  by Bluffing, Intimidating or Inciting the NPC? There are
  subtle nuances in how you achieve your goals as you can see
  in the table below. There are seven basic techniques. These
  can be approached in one of three ways: through deception,
  persuasion or intimidation. Choosing the skill and the
  technique gives you the way you will change the disposition of
  the NPC.
  4
  
  DECIDE ON THE TECHNIQUE
  Bargain
  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 alliances, attain services, and so
  on, but it only works so long as you live up to your side of the
  bargain. Bargain is used to negotiate a service in which the
  target does something for you in exchange for something you
  provide. This can be as simple as a monetary transaction,
  exchanging money for some good or service, or it could be
  some other form of arrangement.
  Charm
  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 complements,
  empathizing with their plights and conditions, and work to
  adapt yourself to your subject’s desires. When you defeat an
  opponent using charm, you improve the target’s disposition
  by one-step. The 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.
  Convince
  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. 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 convince a
  subject of your position especially when they are ill-disposed
  against you. A use of convince does nothing to improve the
  target’s disposition, but instead gets them to support your
  position or grant you assistance. Even dire enemies can be
  convinced 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
  Incite is used to make your subject angry, to fill them with
  loathing or rage against someone or something. Incite is risky
  since the unchecked emotion created can cause the subject
  to react brashly. 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
  powerful but it produces short-term effects.
  Intimidate
  Intimidate uses 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
  Of all the techniques, seduction is the most subtle. Use of this
  technique requires patience and practice, 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. If the target is
  attracted to you, capable of physical love, and as it 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 their starting
  disposition. You can sustain the feelings of attraction by
  courting the individual and using charm to create a more
  permanent improvement in 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
  Taunting is risky. You goad another character into action
  based on barbs and insults. You can use taunt to provoke the
  character to do something but at the cost of worsening their
  disposition toward you. An opponent who has an amiable or
  better Disposition does what you want but after completing
  the task, Disposition worsens by one step. An opponent
  whose Disposition is indifferent or dislike may or may not
  perform the task based on the danger posed to them. Again,
  their Disposition worsens by one-step. Finally, opponents
  with dispositions worse than dislike attack you, or flee if
  attacking is not an option.
  DECIDE ON THE SPECIALTY
  Act
  You play at being interested or understanding what the
  opponent is going through.
  Bargain
  Coming to an agreement between two or more people or
  groups as to what each will do for the other.
  Bluff
  Your objective is to let the other think you hold the right cards
  or are telling the absolute truth while it’s damn sure you
  don’t. \pag
  Bully
  To use strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who
  are weaker then you to get what you want.
  Charm
  You try to act very pleasant or attractive (likeable).
  Incite
  You try to encourage or to stir up (usually unlawful behavior)
  or even to get someone (or a group) to act in a violent way.
  5
  
  Lie
  The act of imposing a distorted reality which entitles you to
  something otherwise not deserved.
  Seduce
  Entice (someone) into sexual activity or entice (someone) to
  do or believe something inadvisable or foolhardy.
  Taunt
  You use insults, provocations or challenges in order to anger,
  wound, or provoke someone.
  THE NPC CAN COUNTER YOUR
  ATTEMPTS WITH INTELLIGENCE
  AND WISDOM CHECKS.
  Intelligence Checks
  An Intelligence check comes into play when you need to draw
  on logic, education, memory, or deductive reasoning. The
  Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion Skills
  reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Intelligence Checks. For
  the purpose of Intrigue we will only focus on Investigation.
  Investigation. When you look around for clues and make
  deductions based on those clues, you make an Intelligence
  (Investigation) check.
  Wisdom Checks
  A Wisdom check might reflect an effort to read body
  language, understand someone’s feelings, notice things about
  The Environment, or care for an injured person.
  Insight
  Your Wisdom (Insight) check decides whether you can
  determine the true intentions of a creature, such as when
  searching out a lie or predicting someone’s next move. Doing
  so involves gleaning clues from body language, speech habits,
  and changes in mannerisms.
  Perception
  Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you spot, hear, or
  otherwise detect the presence of something. It measures your
  general awareness of your surroundings and the keenness of
  your Senses.
  FOUR OUTCOMES
  When you roll the dice, either you’re going to fail, tie, succeed,
  or succeed with style. Every roll you make results in one of
  four outcomes, generally speaking. The specifics may change
  a little depending on what kind of action you’re taking, but all
  the game actions fit this general pattern.
  Fail
  If you roll lower than your opposition, you fail. This means
  one of several things: you don’t get what you want, you get
  what you want at a serious cost, or you suffer some negative
  mechanical consequence. Sometimes, it means more than
  one of those. It’s the GM’s job to determine an appropriate
  cost.
  Tie
  If you roll the same as your opposition, you tie. This means
  you get what you want, but at a minor cost, or you get a lesser
  version of what you wanted.
  Succeed
  If you roll higher than your opposition by 1 or 2 shifts, you
  succeed. This means you get what you want at no cost.
  Succeed with Style
  If you roll higher than your opposition by 3 or more shifts,
  you succeed with style. This means that you get what you
  want, but you also get an added benefit on top of that.
  SERIOUS COST VS. MINOR COST
  When you’re thinking about costs, think both about the story
  in play and the game mechanics to help you figure out what
  would be most appropriate.
  A serious cost should make the current situation worse
  somehow, either by creating a new problem or exacerbating
  an existing one.
  A minor cost should add a story detail that’s problematic or
  bad for the PC, but doesn’t necessarily endanger progress.
  It’s okay if the minor cost is mainly a narrative detail, showing
  how the PC just barely scratched by.
  Fail or success table
  Fail
  Tie
  Succeed
  Succeed
  Malicious
  End of
  Intrigue;
  Combat
  or Worse
  Nothing
  changes;
  Cost just
  went up
  Halfway
  to
  succes
  move up
  +1 step
  Succes move
  up +2 steps
  (dislike)
  Unfriendly
  -1 step
  Nothing
  changes;
  Cost just
  went up
  Halfway
  to
  succes
  move up
  +1 step
  Succes move
  up +2 steps
  (neutral)
  Dislike
  -1 step
  Nothing
  changes;
  Cost just
  went up
  Halfway
  to
  succes
  move up
  +1 step
  Succes move
  up +1 steps
  (neutral)
  Neutral
  End of
  Intrigue
  Nothing
  changes
  Succes
  move up
  +1 step
  Succes move
  up +1 steps
  (amiable)
  Amiable
  -2 steps
  (dislike)
  Success
  at a cost
  Succes
  move up
  +1 step
  Succes move
  up +1 steps
  (friendly)
  Friendly
  -2 steps
  (neutral)
  Success
  at a cost
  Succes
  move up
  +1 step
  Succes move
  up +1 steps
  (affectionate)
  Affectionate -2 steps
  (amiable)
  Success
  at a cost
  Succes
  move up
  +1 step
  Succes + bonus
  effect
  (information,
  service,
  discount etc.)
  6
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Homebrew/The 5E Side to Intrigue.pdf