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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 9539427" data-attributes="member: 3400">From an in-game perspective, there is no difference. Gut reaction vs intellectual level is just a rationalization. In both cases, the NPC makes a check, the PC makes a defensive one. Moreover, it's largely how this sort of thing works against NPCs.From a practical perspective in administering a game, it's true that you can't really enforce this kind of thing without a lot of resentment - thus players are free to choose how they behave in social interactions in D&D.There's the rub, right? How can they tell the NPC isn't being truthful? By beating the NPC's deception check with a better Insight one. But wait, that doesn't even say they're outright lying - just maybe hiding something or not telling the whole story. Players being suspicious of any NPC run by the DM over any particular topic isn't them being able to "tell an NPC is not being truthful". It's just the players being the suspicious lot that they are...Sure, but then, in the interest of fairness, you probably shouldn't do the same with an NPC either. Persuasion can be helpful in getting an NPC to get on your side or be helpful - but that shouldn't make them doormats.</blockquote>