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What Skill for Lying/Deceiving?


Paul_Va

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I'm running a CoC campaign, and one of the NPC's is being dishonest with my player, so I was wondering if my player rolls a psychology check, if it should be opposed by a skill. But what skill? Persuade is the only skill that seems like it could be interpreted as such. Is lying something intended to be handled with RP only in the system?

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I'm running a CoC campaign, and one of the NPC's is being dishonest with my player, so I was wondering if my player rolls a psychology check, if it should be opposed by a skill. But what skill? Persuade is the only skill that seems like it could be interpreted as such. Is lying something intended to be handled with RP only in the system?

Err, Fast Talk?

More seriously, I'd look at the specific context. If it's a general, momentary bluff I'd go with Fast Talk; if it's a long term subtle deception not dependent on specific domain knowledge, maybe Psychology. If it's dependent on specific domain knowledge (saying trying to deceive a pharmacist) I might involve that skill as well. So lying to the pharmacist would be the lower of the two skills Pharmacy and Psychology, opposed by the lower of the pharmacists skills.

Cheers,

Nick

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You could always just make up a skill such as "Lying"...ever since I read the King of Chicago adventure with skills such as Frenzied Flailing, Flirt, Pose as Priest, and Fake Latin...my group and I decided that pretty much anything can be made a skill...base chance = 1d20%

-STS

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Yes, for habitual, well-practised liars then I'd have a skill for it. However, for of the cuff lying, then I'd use Fast Talk, as that has an element of lying built in, otherwise nobody will be able to tell a believable lie.

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...otherwise nobody will be able to tell a believable lie.

I always thought of it the other way around. NPCs can make outrageous lies and either they are caught out by inconsistencies in their story or the PC makes an appropriate roll to detect the lie. In BRP that'd be an insight skill roll, or some kind of Perception roll.

I don't really think an NPC needs to make a roll, in fact I would go as far as to say that an NPC shouldn't make a roll to lie. It's a give away to the players... NPC says "I am the king of Atlantis" GM rolls dice and says "he seems to be telling the truth". When have you ever had to make a roll to tell the truth? My players would become immediately suspicious... However, NPC says "I am the king of Atlantis" Player says "Really!? Is that right..." GM offers the player an Insight/Psychology/Perception/Human Lore roll to 'read' the NPC.

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