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If an NPC is telling the truth, what's the Insight DC to know they're telling the truth?
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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 7583095" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>Getting back to telling truth from lies, here's how I view this as a DM: <strong>A lie in a social interaction challenge is similar to a trap in an exploration challenge.</strong> If you're telegraphing traps in an exploration challenge, you should be telegraphing lies in a social interaction challenge. Players engaging with NPCs and always trying to discern their truthfulness is the same as players searching for traps everywhere - they are trying to avoid gotchas. Consistent telegraphing takes that away since a truthful NPC will not be telegraphing lies.</p><p></p><p>So, if an NPC is lying, telegraph it by having the NPC give information that contradicts information the PCs have previously gathered. Have them change their mannerisms, display body language, or the like. The players may think, based on the DM's description, that this NPC is probably lying. Just like they may think the scorched floor in front of the dragon statue suggests that the statue is probably trapped. Rather than give away the game, all this does is invite further exploration and social interaction - searching for and figuring out the trap or trying to see what the NPC is lying about and why - to verify their assumptions. Which is what we want, right?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="iserith, post: 7583095, member: 97077"] Getting back to telling truth from lies, here's how I view this as a DM: [B]A lie in a social interaction challenge is similar to a trap in an exploration challenge.[/B] If you're telegraphing traps in an exploration challenge, you should be telegraphing lies in a social interaction challenge. Players engaging with NPCs and always trying to discern their truthfulness is the same as players searching for traps everywhere - they are trying to avoid gotchas. Consistent telegraphing takes that away since a truthful NPC will not be telegraphing lies. So, if an NPC is lying, telegraph it by having the NPC give information that contradicts information the PCs have previously gathered. Have them change their mannerisms, display body language, or the like. The players may think, based on the DM's description, that this NPC is probably lying. Just like they may think the scorched floor in front of the dragon statue suggests that the statue is probably trapped. Rather than give away the game, all this does is invite further exploration and social interaction - searching for and figuring out the trap or trying to see what the NPC is lying about and why - to verify their assumptions. Which is what we want, right? [/QUOTE]
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If an NPC is telling the truth, what's the Insight DC to know they're telling the truth?
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