Fast Talking

Reasoned argument may work with a typical noble or educated clergyman but for most people on the street where a quick wit and a faster mouth make the difference between a pleasant encounter and the end of a guardsmen’s spear. Whether truth, lies or something in between the goal is to convince (or baffle) the target.   The speaker makes a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll opposed by the victim’s Willpower or Wits + Empathy whichever is higher. The difficult is normally six, but unusual circumstances can modify the roll for either or both. It’s easier to convince a guard to open the town gate if you look like a respectable nobleman as compared to if you are dressed in tattered rags spattered with blood.   If both sides get the same successes, the discussion continues. If the speaker botches, they go too far, usually getting caught in a lie. If the target botches, they will accept the speaker’s words as truthful even if given evidence to the contrary later.