Communication Talents

Communication talents are available to player characters of all classes.

Animal Training
''You have a way with animals, and know how to train them. Fereldans commonly train mabari war dogs, Dalish often train halla, while Rivainis and Orlesians prefer birds.''

Novice: You know the basics of handling animals. You may attempt to befriend an animal with the Communication (Persuasion) or Communication (Animal Handling) focus (difficulty at the DM's discretion, with larger and wilder animals being more difficult to tame). You can perform an advanced test of Communication (Animal Handling) to teach an animal to follow a simple one-word command like “heel,” “follow,” or “attack” in a limited period of time, or you can spend a week training it without a test. You can teach a single animal a number of commands equal to your Communication. If the animal sustains more than 50% damage during a battle and survives, it will leave.

Journeyman: You can train animals to follow more complex commands, like “guard this place” or “return to me when strangers approach.” Teaching a complex command takes 2d4 days of training. The number of commands a single animal can learn is equal to your Communication +3.

Master: Your training improves the animal’s fitness. After being bonded with an animal for a month, you can increase an animal’s Dexterity or Strength by 1, and its Willpower increases by 1 as well. It also gains the Willpower (Morale) focus. An animal can receive such training only one time.

Grandmaster: You can train your animal simple commands more easily, and complex commands in 1d4 days. The advanced tests to teach your animal commands have a lower threshold for success and higher threshold for failure. You can now learn a number of commands equal to double your Communication.

Carousing
You take your fun seriously.

Novice: You can drink other people under the table. Whenever you make a Constitution (Drinking) roll, you can add +1. When making Constitution (Drinking) tests as part of an advanced test, your +1 bonus is added directly to the result of each Dragon Die. This allows you to reach the success threshold faster.

Journeyman: When you’re having a good time, (you think) you’re invincible! Choose one of the following roleplaying stunts: Flirt or Tower of Will. You can perform that stunt for 3 SP instead of the usual 4 SP and you gain a +1 bonus to the opposed roll for that stunt. Thus, if you choose Tower of Will, your bonus on opposed tests is +2 instead of the usual +1.

Master:  The tavern is your second home. Choose one of the following Communication focuses: Gambling, Drinking, or Seduction. If you fail a Communication test with your chosen focus, you can re-roll it but you must keep the result of the second roll.

Grandmaster: Being Drunk gives you +2 Strength and +2 Willpower.

Command
You are a natural leader.

Novice: Your presence inspires your allies. If you take a Major Action during an encounter to make a heroic gesture (raise your sword, shout a battle cry, wave a flag, etc.), your allies gain a +1 bonus to Willpower tests for the rest of the encounter.

Journeyman: Your allies follow your lead. Any NPCs that you lead gain a +1d4 bonus when rolling for Initiative.

Master: When you stand firm, your allies stand with you. When you lead NPCs in an encounter, they do not have to take a Willpower (Morale) test until more than two-thirds of your side’s combatants are out of the fight (dead or incapacitated). If you leave the fight or fall in battle, this benefit is lost.

Grandmaster: You learn the Defensive Maneuver ability. When you are under 50% health, you can roll Communication (Leadership) TN13 as a Minor Action for 10 Stamina Resources. If successful, your allies and all NPCs under your command gain +2 Defense until the top of your next turn.

Contacts
You know people, sometimes in the unlikeliest places.

Novice: You can attempt to make a contact out of a NPC with a successful Communication (Persuasion) test. The GM will set the target number based on the likelihood of you knowing the NPC or having mutual friends. The more distant the NPC’s homeland or social class from yours, the more difficult the test will be. A contact will be friendly to you, but won’t go out of the way to help you without additional motivation. You can’t make a contact out of an NPC who already dislikes you or is an enemy.

Journeyman: Once you’ve established a contact, you can try to get a favor with another successful Communication (Persuasion) test. The target number is based on the nature of the favor and whether it puts the contact in any danger.

Master: You can turn an acquaintance into an ally with a show of loyalty. If you do a significant favor for a contact, they will treat you as a friend when you ask them for favors. They will go out of their way to help you and will be willing to put themselves in danger for you.

Grandmaster: When you establish a contact, roll 1d6. If you roll a 3, 4, 5, or 6, they are already your loyal friend. If you roll a 1 or 2, they are merely an acquaintance.

Guidance
You are able to inspire your allies with a few well-chosen words.

Novice: Once per short rest, you may give a word of inspiration or wisdom to a willing target before they attempt an ability test. Roll Communication (Leadership) TN13. If you succeed, your ally gains +1d4 to one ability test, attack roll, or saving throw of their choice within the next 15 minutes.

Journeyman:  Your guidance now affects up to three willing targets (within earshot) of your choice and gives them all +1d4 one ability test, attack roll, or saving throw. You can include yourself as one of the three.

Master: Your guidance now bestows up to three willing targets of your choice and bestows +2d4 one ability test, attack roll, or saving throw.

Grandmaster: Your guidance now gives +4d4 to one ability test, attack roll, or saving throw to three willing targets within the next 15 minutes.

Intrigue
You are skilled at playing The Game.

Novice: You know how to play the Game. Gain one of the following Communication focuses now: Etiquette, Disguise, Deception, Investigation, or Seduction (if you have all 5 you may choose another Communication focus). Then, choose one of these five focuses as your specialty. You have a permanent  +1 bonus to your speciality focus (so +3 instead of the usual +2).

Journeyman: You gain the Communication (Ridicule) focus. Once per encounter, you may roll Communication (Ridicule) roll against the foe’s Willpower (Morale) to throw a well-timed insult at a foe as a Major Action, damaging their morale. Upon success, your target has disadvantage on all tests for the next round (or 15 seconds). At the DM’s discretion, roleplay may improve chances of success, as a well-said insult may earn you advantage on your Ridicule roll, while a very poorly delivered insult may give you disadvantage.

Master: You are very hard to read. Once per short rest, if someone is about to resist or see through one of your ploys or deceptions, you can force them to doubt themselves and re-roll.

Grandmaster: Whenever you stunt using any Communication focus, you gain an additional +3 Stunt Points that you can use as you see fit.

Music
Classes: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior.

Requirement: You must have the Communication (Performance) focus or the Cunning (Musical Lore) focus.

You have a natural musical talent, and have worked hard to develop it further.

Novice: You know how to play an instrument, sing, and write and read music. You learn one new song immediately.

Journeyman: You can play a total number of instruments equal to your Communication. You can add +1d4 to one Performance roll once per long rest.

Master: You are truly a master of your art. You have a permanent +1d6 bonus to Communication (Performance) rolls while performing music. Also, take the Cunning (Musical Lore) focus now, or add +1 if you already have it.

Grandmaster: Whenever you fail a performance roll while playing music, you can re-roll but must keep the result of the second roll.

Oratory
Classes: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior

Requirement: Communication (Persuasion) focus.

You are a skilled public speaker who can sway others with your words.

Novice: You know how to work a crowd. If you fail a Communication (Persuasion) test when trying to convince a group, you can re-roll it, but you must keep the results of the second roll. You can’t take this re-roll when trying to persuade less than 3 people.

Journeyman: When you perform the “Sway the Crowd” roleplaying stunt, you affect a number of targets equal to your Communication, instead of just one. Also, whenever you step in to support an ally who is attempting to persuade a crowd, you grant them advantage on their roll.

Master: You know how to agitate a crowd. You may now attempt Advanced Test of Communication (Persuasion) when addressing a group, to rouse them to immediate action. You can’t necessarily control what they do after they've been roused, though you can try with Communication (Leadership) tests.

Grandmaster: You know that making a good first impression is key to winning them over. When speaking to groups of 3 or more, you always make your first Communication roll (of any type) with advantage. If you make an attempt to deceive the group at any point during your speech, all attempts by listeners to detect your deception are at disadvantage against you.

Swindling
Classes: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior.

Requirement: You must have at least 2 Communication, and the Dexterity (Legerdemain) focus

You are practiced in the ways of confidence artistry.

Novice: If you fail while using the Dexterity (Legerdemain) focus, you may re-roll but must keep the results of the second roll.

Journeyman: Gain the Communication (Gambling), Communication (Deception), or Dexterity (Forgery) focus now. Once per long rest, you can add +1d4 to any ability test used in the service of tricking or deceiving someone.

Master: You have mastered the art of suggestion. Once you have successfully persuaded or deceived someone once in an encounter, their confidence in you grows. For the remainder of the encounter, you gain +1d4 to all subsequent Communication tests against them.

Grandmaster: You are hard to catch in the act. This upgrades your Journeyman Level ability: instead now, you may add +1d10 to any test used in the service of trickery or deception TWICE per long rest.