AG-Skill

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Impression[edit | edit source]

Calculation: Aristocrat level + Spirit modifier
Use Time: 10 Minutes (60 Rounds)
Effect: The higher the result of the check, the more likely the target NPC will be inclined to be cooperative.

Explanation[edit | edit source]

The purpose of this check is to determine how refined your aristocratic manners and behavior are, and how great an impression you can make on others by doing so.
This check is primarily for PCs against NPCs, and is not the other way around, except in special cases.
If the result of the Impression check is good, the NPC's attitude may soften, they may become more favorable to the PC, they may become more obedient, or they may become more emotional and reveal their true feelings, which will help the session progress smoothly.
As an exception, there is no definite success or failure in this check, and no target number is set. The following is a rough guide to how much you can achieve in impressions and how NPCs will react.

Suggested Success Values and NPC Reactions for Impressions[edit | edit source]

Values NPC Reaction Summary
0〜10 No interest. Did not make a good impression at all.
No attempt at a friendly conversation from the target if they have not been acquainted before.
11〜15 Minimal social contact Target thinks it's okay to at least say hello to the PC.
16〜20 Interested parties Interested in PCs and think that they can exchange useful information.
21~25 Willing to make acquaintance Appreciate the PC's qualities, skills and talents, and want to deepen mutual acquaintance.
26-30 Willing to pay the price You are willing to pay a certain amount of money for the benefit of the PCs in order to gain their acquaintance.
31+ Enraptured by the other Fully approves of the PC's actions and behavior, and is willing to help to the best of his/her ability.

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Changes in NPC behavior based on the results of impressions[edit | edit source]

If an NPC is impressed or awed by a PC, he or she will take actions that are beneficial to the PC, or consider giving the PC useful information. The GM will ultimately decide how the NPC's behavior will change based on the results of the impression.
For more details, see " How to Use Impression Checks" (page 110).

Basic Principles of Impression checks[edit | edit source]

As a general rule, impressions are made on a single NPC. You may only attempt to make one check on an NPC in the same session (you may not retry a check (=>"I", page 122)).
Some noblesse (=page 55) can be used to retry or to gain a bonus to the check.

Automatic success and failure of impression checks[edit | edit source]

The automatic success or failure of impressions is different from normal, and does not determine the success or failure of the check.
If you succeed automatically, the success value is calculated assuming that the roll is a 17 (you get a +5 bonus to the roll of 12).
If you automatically fail the impression, the success value is treated as if it were 0, regardless of the base value. You can still gain 50 experience points for automatic failure.

GM Guide: How to Use Impressions[edit | edit source]

Impression checks are used to make the PCs feel that they are important people who cannot be ignored, and to give them an advantage in negotiations, interrogations, and so on.
At the same time, it is a check that supports characterization and role-playing.
In terms of application, they are used to make the session progress smoothly, and basically nothing bad will happen even if the success value is low.
In terms of helping players who are stuck in a dead end, the use of the Investigation check (=>"EX" page 122 "CG" 63M) is also helpful. The GM may want to use it as a helping hand to the players when the PCs are stuck for lack of information and the session progress is stalled, by having an NPC appear and give useful information based on the results of the impression check.
Players may also ask the GM to perform impressions when role-playing, such as writing a letter or sending a poem to seduce a noblewoman.
You may ask the GM to make an impression to measure its completeness. The GM has the final say on whether or not to do so.
GMs are encouraged to use impressions to enhance the interaction between the nobles and the royal court.

Impression check Categories[edit | edit source]

Impression checks are divided into the following seven categories, depending on how you behave toward the NPCs you are trying to impress and how you want them to see you.

Intimidation[edit | edit source]

This is a classification that makes you appear superior to the other person and makes them think that antagonizing or opposing you will be detrimental. It makes people think that power, such as violence, power, or financial power, is directed at them. It is useful against characters who usually rely on power, or who fear it or want to be subordinate to it.


Singing[edit | edit source]

This is a category in which you sing a song and make the other person fall in love with hearing it with your charm.
In addition to singing, it is also possible to imitate the murmur of a river or the singing of birds to recreate a specific situation or environment. It is highly effective with characters who are knowledgeable about the arts and people who might be attracted to you.

Etiquette[edit | edit source]

This is a classification that demonstrates your civility and education through proper courtesy and behavior according to the environment and situation. Detailed knowledge of ceremonial arrangements, staffing, decorations and costumes are also important.
It is effective on characters of high status or those with a public position.

Dancing[edit | edit source]

This is a category in which one gains interest by becoming proficient in the movements and styles of the dances performed at so-called court balls, either by dancing them oneself or by teaching them. They also have knowledge of court music and the movements of people at the ball.
This is effective on characters who are attending a ball, or who want to attract the attention of someone they like at court.

Prestige[edit | edit source]

This is a category unlike "dignity" in that it makes the other person aware of the quality of your upbringing and the weight of your family history, and makes them think that you are superior.
It is mainly effective for low status people and commoners, and can convey the depth of knowledge and education to the other person without saying anything.
It is effective on characters who think of their family as a sign of power, or characters who have a sense of obligation.

Seduction[edit | edit source]

This is the category where you make yourself attractive to the other person, or make the other person want your position, money, or specific situation. It is useful for those who want to form a special emotional bond with someone (love, respect, etc.), and also for building such a relationship. It is useful in situations where charisma, sexual attraction, etc. are useful, and also works well on characters with strong desires.

Speechcraft[edit | edit source]

Explain your thoughts and reasoning in an easy-to-understand manner by delving deeply into a wide variety of topics, matters of interest to the other person, and current events. Make the other person want to hear more of what you have to say, and make it easier for them to converse with you. You can also improvise lyrics and word play.
This is useful in situations where the other person doesn't want anything from you, and is also effective on characters who want knowledge and are interested in many things.

Categories other than the above[edit | edit source]

The GM may prepare other categories for impressions, and the PCs may base their check on them. If there is a change in the standard values, it is a good idea to notify the pc of the different categories before the impressions are made so that they can be prepared.
It is also a good idea to set up favorable and unfavorable rolls in case there is no noble character to handle them.

Earning Reputation through Impressions[edit | edit source]

If you make an impression, you will receive an additional honor point at the end of the session. This represents the reputation you have earned through impressions.

Take note of the success values[edit | edit source]

In order to memorize the number of Reputation earned, each time you make an impression, check the success value and note down your maximum value for the session.
At the end of the session, at the same time as experience points are earned and other Reputation are earned, take the average (rounded up to the nearest whole number) of the achievement values that all PCs wrote down in their impressions, and all PCs will earn Reputation equal to that value.
Any PC who did not make an impression during the session should be credited with a success value of "0".

Only one success value is referenced per person
Even if you have made multiple impressions, only the highest success value will be taken into account (as the source of Reputation).
Remember that an automatic success will add +5 to your score.

Handling of Impression Checks[edit | edit source]

This section describes the actual way to run impression checks.

Target of the impression Check[edit | edit source]

When attempting to make an impression, the GM must determine which NPCs will be the target of the impression, and the GM must confirm which NPCs the PCs will make impressions on before making the impression.

Determine the category of impression[edit | edit source]

The PC who will be making the impressions check decides which category of impression will be used. Even if there is more than one PC participating in the skill check, each PC can decide their own category.

Confirmation of Effective Category and Non-Effective Category[edit | edit source]

NPCs that are the subject of an impression check may have either an effective or ineffective category, and the GM will check the effective and ineffective categories of the NPC.
The GM confirms the effective and non-effective classifications of the NPCs being subjected to an Impression check. The effective and non-effective categories of NPCs are basically information that should be kept secret.
After making the check, the GM will announce the bonus modifier value to the NPC who took the impression with the corresponding category (if the NPC's category is not effective, the success value is automatically set to 0).

Effective Category[edit | edit source]

An effective category indicates that it is particularly effective against the NPC. A PC who makes an impression check with this category will have his success value increased by the bonus modifier set by the GM for it.

Non-effective Category[edit | edit source]

A Non-effective Category indicates a character's special dislike or avoidance of a category; a PC who makes an impression in a category that the NPC considers a Non-effective Category will receive a success of 0, regardless of the number of rolls.
In addition, the NPC will be disgusted or repelled by any PC who makes an impression that falls into the Non-effective category (the NPC's attitude toward other PCs will not change).

Setting Effective and Non-Effective Categories[edit | edit source]

When creating a scenario, it is a good idea for the GM to determine the effective and non-effective categories for each NPC that will appear.
However, this is not a requirement. A single NPC can have only one effective or only one non-effective classification, or it can have multiple effective or non-effective categories.
Basic NPCs should not have either, and only the most important NPCs should have each.

GM Column: Using Clues to Indicate Effective and Non-Effective Categories[edit | edit source]

The effective and ineffective categories of NPCs are intended to represent a character's hobbies and beliefs. As a rule, they should be kept secret, because it is difficult to know an NPC's interests at first glance.
However, there will be opportunities to obtain this information during the session, and it is acceptable for PCs to obtain this information beforehand. The GM may want to make it easier to gain the trust of the NPCs by making that information available somewhere in the session.

Calculating the Success Value and Checking the Table[edit | edit source]

Once the Success Value for the Impression Check has been determined, including bonus and penalty modifiers, tell the PC how the target NPC's attitude has changed as a result of the check, according to the table "Success Value and NPC Reaction in Impression Check".
The GM will then give the pc the information he or she decided on beforehand according to the reaction.
The change in reaction due to the impression check will be unique to each PC who made the check. When giving information, it is treated as if you are talking to and giving information to the pc with the best response.

Cannot make multiple attempts at the same NPC
Impressions are special skill checks that cannot be reattempted.
You can only attempt one check on the same NPC, and once the result is confirmed, it cannot be reversed. For re-roll effects such as Noblesse [Dignified Elegance], it is treated as a single attempt until the result is confirmed.

GM Column: Distributing Categories in a Session[edit | edit source]

When PCs make impressions, they have a set of categories that they are good at according to the noblesse they have mastered, and GMs should distribute the effective and ineffective categories among the NPCs that appear. It's not good if only certain PCs are successful, and it's not good if all the NPCs are unaffected by the categories of noblesse they have mastered.
It is better to distribute the effective and ineffective categories among NPCs, even if it is random to some extent. Please consider that the categories for impressions are only for expressing the character's taste and personality.

GM Column: Spontaneous Impressions[edit | edit source]

During the session, the GM may introduce NPCs other than the ones previously set up for the purpose of giving information, and have PCs make impressions on those NPCs.
In this case, it is recommended to randomly decide the favorable or unfavorable category of the NPCs that appear.

Sequential Use of Impression Check[edit | edit source]

This section explains how to use a series of impressions in a real session. See also the scenario "Heir to the Giant Beast" in this book (=> page 156).

NPC characterization comes first[edit | edit source]

Impression checks are not obstacles to the progression of the session, but should be thought of as checks made to facilitate conversation with NPCs and the provision of information.
Also, think of the effective and non-effective categories as being for the purpose of characterization of NPCs (e.g., "weak against trickery/hate trickery" or "weak when threatened/won't give in to threats").

Omission of the impression checks
If a PC acts or says something that helps the NPC regardless of the result of the impression check, you may omit the impression check and give information.
Please keep in mind that impressions are just a supplementary element to keep the session running smoothly.

NPC Data Subject to Impression Check[edit | edit source]

This section explains the information you need to prepare when setting up NPCs for impressions.

NPC Data[edit | edit source]

Prepare the following NPC data to be used for impression check.

NPC Personality
This is the name, race, gender, and age of the NPC. Also, indicate the NPC's status in the Al Menas Period: blueblood, silverblade, or commoner.
For more information on the differences in status, please refer to "Part 4: The World" (=>117).

Profile
This is a brief description of who the NPC is.

Location
Indicates where the NPC is usually located. If the location changes depending on the time of day, it should be noted.

Effective and ineffective categories
For each of the impression categories, write down the effective and ineffective categories, if any, and specify any bonus modifiers.
You can have more than one of these categories, but it is best to keep the number of non-effective categories to zero or one.

Information and Benefits
This is the information you can get from the NPC, or the benefits you can get from the NPC. Regardless of your roll, there is always a chance that you can get them to tell you something if you ask nicely, but if your roll is high, they will probably be more willing to talk to you and help you out. They will be less likely to talk to a PC who has attempted to make a non-effective category check. You will have to go through other PCs or other NPCs to get them to talk.