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  1. #1
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    I recently purchased a game called Armegeddon 2089, a game by Mongoose

    Publishing detailing battletech-like futuristic combat between giant walking

    war machines in a backdrop of international worldwar. So of course, one of

    my first questions about the main rulebook is, "How can this stuff be

    applied to Birthright?"



    Since all of the rules are OGL, I`m posting the negotiation rules from

    memory. If anyone wants more details, I`ll post it in detail once I get the

    book back but otherwise you may want to wait for my official Diplomacy

    Action conversion.



    ---



    In Armegeddon, player characters negotiate the contracts that their

    mercenary company recieves. It`s not just, "Will you do this for this

    much?" Basically, each "term" of the contract is negotiated for with each

    side placing their arguments on that term until one side wins. Thus, each

    term is an opposed diplomacy check. (don`t roll your eyes yet, it gets

    good...)



    First, you start off with the pre-negotiation. Decide any applicable skills

    such as knowledge skills. Roll a DC 10 for each of these; each success gets

    you a +2 bonus to the next pre-negotiation checks. (up to +10) The

    pre-negotiation checks are a Gather Information check to find information

    about your employer and his current situations and also an applicable

    profession or knowledge skill you may have. You can also hire an accountant

    to go over the initial offer first. Succeeding in these checks gives you

    bargaining chips to work with, in the form of negotiation bonuses for use

    later.



    Next, we have the initial meeting. This is a basic diplomacy check (DC

    around 15). Success gives you a +1 negotiation bonus. Failure gives you a

    -1 negotiation penalty.



    Next, comes the actual negotiation.

    You and the employer can both introduce terms into the contract. The terms

    are free-form and can be about anything you want, but there are some common

    examples in the book. You can introduce terms that are beneficial to you

    and terms that are harmful to you.



    Each term you introduce has a negotiation bonus or penalty. This is added

    or subtract to your diplomacy checks once the term is introduced. Good

    terms (for the PCs) give penalties, bad terms give bonuses.



    For example, if you introduce a bad term, say a secondary objective that you

    have to complete in addition to the primary mission, you recieve a bonus on

    future terms that you negotiate on (such as better pay). If you negotiate

    for better pay (each 10% increase is -1 to future negotiation checks), it

    becomes harder to get other things you may want (discounts, travel

    compensation, free repair, salvage rights, etc.),



    Each term is negotiated on with an opposed diplomacy check. The winner of

    the check has the term negotiated in their favor. Roleplaying bonuses

    apply, as well as other bonuses from feats and/or the pre-negotiation

    checks. You can re-negotiate a term if you lost the diplomacy check, but

    the opponent gets a comulative +5 bonus to their roll.



    A common tactic for employers is to bring up all the secondary objectives

    and "bad terms" later on in the negotiation process. This way, PCs get

    bonuses to diplomacy checks only after everything`s already been negotiated

    on and established, thus negating the benefit. Players who do their

    homework beforehand will know about these "bad terms" early on and will

    introduce them first, granting the benefits early, making it easier for them

    to negotiate for better pay, intel, support, and benefits.



    "We already know that this simple `recon mission` will involve an assault on

    a listening post. We found out already about the land mines in the area.

    And we know they`re expecting you to send in someone and they`ll be waiting

    for us. So now that we`ve got that out on the table, let`s talk about our

    payment..."



    Finally, one last diplomacy check is made for final impressions, which

    determines the likelihood of you getting a contract with that employer again

    and any bonuses that may apply next time.



    ---



    What do you think? Birthright-ey enough?

    Is this helpful to anyone`s campaign?



    -Lord Rahvin
    NOTE: Messages posted by Birthright-L are automatically inserted posts originating from the mailing list linked to the forum.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Osprey's Avatar
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    I like it! Nice step-by-step breakdown of a negotiation process. Translates well for merchant / trade route negotiations. I like the part at the end about each side "doing its homework." It's a really important aspect of skillful negotiation and diplomacy.

    -Osprey

  3. #3
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    Sounds exactly like the old BattleTech Mercenary's Handbook, in which the negotiation procedure was *exactly* like this....
    "It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion -- and usually easier."

    - R. A. Heinlien, from The Collected works of Lazarus Long

  4. #4
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    Athos69 writes:



    > This post was generated by the Birthright.net message forum.

    > You can view the entire thread at:

    > http://www.birthright.net/forums/ind...=ST&f=2&t=1985

    >

    > Athos69 wrote:

    > Sounds exactly like the old BattleTech Mercenary`s Handbook, in which the negotiation procedure was *exactly* like this....

    >



    I don`t own that book.

    Is there anything else in there that would be useful?

    (new rules for espianage..?)



    -Lord Rahvin
    NOTE: Messages posted by Birthright-L are automatically inserted posts originating from the mailing list linked to the forum.

  5. #5
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    Nope -- it was just info on negotiation of a mercenary contract...

    I *may* be able to dig up a copy -- I have no idea where to start to look in my archives...
    "It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion -- and usually easier."

    - R. A. Heinlien, from The Collected works of Lazarus Long

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