LordRahvin
Mongoose
My first negotiation happened today. The negotiator was working for a corporation, but I was assuming he had resources similiar to that of a government, through a close (temporary) relationship with certain U.S. departments. This corporation was a mining company (one of the Resource Extraction companies out of Japan) looking to expand its holdings into certain areas in Mexico. (I don't have a map handy.) The negotiator had 6 ranks in Diplomacy with a total of +10, and 4 ranks in Bluff for a total of +8.
It's a typical Recon mission, searching for data about the local rebel resistance within the area. It's not expected to take longer than four weeks, including travel time. Apparently, a few towns in this particular area near the Mexico/US border think they're pretty safe now that they have a few ratpacks to defend themselves with, complete with Warmeks and all. The PCs are to find out the composition and deployment of the rebelluous forces.
The pre-negotiation was almost completely successful and the PC negotiator rolled a 23 on a DC 15 gather info check. The client wasn't trying to hide anything, so the PCs discovered that rebels are in the area and know the PCs are coming. The civilians will be helping to hide the rebels. They learned of light guerilla resistance, and the recent establishment of a listening post created by these rebels who know the corporations are interested in this area for mining purposes.
During the negotiations, the PCs had a warm welcome for the client and vice-versa. The PCs threw out the information they had onto the table, and I as GM established how many terms needed to be negotiated. Here is what I came up with:
Objective: Basic Recon in area [non-negotiable, pre-defined term]
Objective: Advanced Recon (discover background elements)
Objective: Detailed Recon (determine identity and motives of rebels)
Objective: Destroy the Listening Post
Objective: Engage and destroy all "light resistance" encountered.
Final Price [pre-defined term]
The first objective was fixed. Nothing the PCs could do about that. The Advanced and Detailed Recons were opposed Diplomacy checks, and the client lost meaning that beyond military information, the PCs weren't obligated to investigate. "Destroy the Listening Post" and "Engage light resistance" was also both opposed, and the PCs won on both accounts.
The PCs asked for a 10% increase in pay. This was opposed. The PCs got it.
The PCs attempted to add the term, "infantry support" to deal with infantry in the hostile towns. This was an opposed diplomacy check and the client won. No infantry. The PCs tried again at +5 DC, and failed.
The PCs attempted to add the term, "armour support", but again the client won. The PCs were now racking up diplomacy penalties, so they stopped.
The PCs next offered to, in fact, destroy the Listening Post in exchange for a 10% increase in pay. I said that this would be an opposed Diplomacy check, but with no modifiers from the negotiation process. The PCs succeeded and recieved a second 10% pay increase and had the objective added to their mission priorities.
Finally, upon closing the deal, the PCs used the Expert Negotiator feat to gain a 10% pay increase. So in the end, the PCs needed Basic Recon and to Destroy the Listening Post, recieved no support, but recieved a 30% increase over the starting base offer.
Apparently the last part of the deal, the final price, needs to be rolled for according to the book but I'm not sure what happens as a result of this war. Since the client won, I figured that the infantry/guerilla resistance and the listening post would not be factored into the offer beyond what was already negotiated (so they didn't get the normal Complication increase).
Finally, the PCs recieve a +1 bonus to Diplomacy checks made with this client in the near future. (Which is good because they'll probably be hired in the upcoming Assault on the rebel towns.)
It's a typical Recon mission, searching for data about the local rebel resistance within the area. It's not expected to take longer than four weeks, including travel time. Apparently, a few towns in this particular area near the Mexico/US border think they're pretty safe now that they have a few ratpacks to defend themselves with, complete with Warmeks and all. The PCs are to find out the composition and deployment of the rebelluous forces.
The pre-negotiation was almost completely successful and the PC negotiator rolled a 23 on a DC 15 gather info check. The client wasn't trying to hide anything, so the PCs discovered that rebels are in the area and know the PCs are coming. The civilians will be helping to hide the rebels. They learned of light guerilla resistance, and the recent establishment of a listening post created by these rebels who know the corporations are interested in this area for mining purposes.
During the negotiations, the PCs had a warm welcome for the client and vice-versa. The PCs threw out the information they had onto the table, and I as GM established how many terms needed to be negotiated. Here is what I came up with:
Objective: Basic Recon in area [non-negotiable, pre-defined term]
Objective: Advanced Recon (discover background elements)
Objective: Detailed Recon (determine identity and motives of rebels)
Objective: Destroy the Listening Post
Objective: Engage and destroy all "light resistance" encountered.
Final Price [pre-defined term]
The first objective was fixed. Nothing the PCs could do about that. The Advanced and Detailed Recons were opposed Diplomacy checks, and the client lost meaning that beyond military information, the PCs weren't obligated to investigate. "Destroy the Listening Post" and "Engage light resistance" was also both opposed, and the PCs won on both accounts.
The PCs asked for a 10% increase in pay. This was opposed. The PCs got it.
The PCs attempted to add the term, "infantry support" to deal with infantry in the hostile towns. This was an opposed diplomacy check and the client won. No infantry. The PCs tried again at +5 DC, and failed.
The PCs attempted to add the term, "armour support", but again the client won. The PCs were now racking up diplomacy penalties, so they stopped.
The PCs next offered to, in fact, destroy the Listening Post in exchange for a 10% increase in pay. I said that this would be an opposed Diplomacy check, but with no modifiers from the negotiation process. The PCs succeeded and recieved a second 10% pay increase and had the objective added to their mission priorities.
Finally, upon closing the deal, the PCs used the Expert Negotiator feat to gain a 10% pay increase. So in the end, the PCs needed Basic Recon and to Destroy the Listening Post, recieved no support, but recieved a 30% increase over the starting base offer.
Apparently the last part of the deal, the final price, needs to be rolled for according to the book but I'm not sure what happens as a result of this war. Since the client won, I figured that the infantry/guerilla resistance and the listening post would not be factored into the offer beyond what was already negotiated (so they didn't get the normal Complication increase).
Finally, the PCs recieve a +1 bonus to Diplomacy checks made with this client in the near future. (Which is good because they'll probably be hired in the upcoming Assault on the rebel towns.)
