Post originally by Benjamin Rogers (BBRACK) at 2003-06-15 18:09:50
Converted from Phorums BB System

Adam asked: I understand the point you are trying to make with the different types of skills according to cultures. However mechanically, is their a difference?

Adam,
Yes, there is a difference, sometimes it is a matter of mechanics, roleplaying, style or specific necessity.

Actual text from the skill descriptions in the book:

Con is the skill of deliberately lying in a convincing manner to the advantage of the liar. Failure to tell the whole truth is
considered a lie of omission and is a form of Con if it is specifically leaving out a detail implied in the question-—otherwise it
falls to Deceit.

Bluff is the ability to keep one's face and demeanor completely unreadable—especially when lying. It is an opposed test. A successful Bluff conveys sincerity to others.
It is necessary to be skilled in Guile to bluff successfully.

Deceit is the skill of deceiving someone through carefully chosen misinformation to avoid a specific lie. This is the skill of
lying while telling the truth or speaking an untrue word. It is the professional skill of all lawyers and politicians, and most
clergy. Typically, Deceit can only be discovered through careful use of Interrogation.

Misinformation is the ability to plant, foster and grow lies in an effective manner and toward a specific goal. When directed against a person, it is typically an attempt to sway public opinion based upon false information.

Persuasion is the art of convincing someone else of your perspective, ideology, opinion, or anything else you wish to convey.


As you can see, each one has different situational uses--Con for deliberate lying; Bluff to keep a straight face; Deceit to deceive without *actually* lying; Misinformation to foster and grow lies over time; Persuasion to convince someone of a particular perspective.

While they can be used *to some effect* interchangeably, they each have their specific uses.

An example from page 144, 1st column:
Example: Marda the thief wants to get past the town guard at the gate. She decides to pretend she is an important dignitary. However, she does not have the skill of 'impersonation' so she relies upon her skill of 'bluff.' The Bard considers it and applies a -15 modifier based upon the difficulty of the situation. If Marda had used 'impersonation' and had some kind of supporting evidence that she was a dignitary (even a forged document), the negative modifier would have been lower—-or non-existent.

As the description of Cascade skills points out (Page 144, 2nd column):

<B>Cascade Skills</b>
Cascade skills are those skills that are related to one another in their function, yet different enough in how they are performed that they are a separate skill. For example, Deceit and Con are both used when trying to convince someone of a falsehood. Deceit, however, attempts to convince them through careful telling of the truth without any overt lies. Con has no such stipulation and typically involves lies.

Another example at the end of the Acting skill description:

"They're gonna stop us..." Vonne whispered.
"No, they're not. Just act natural," Mussa answered.
The Bard interjects, "Okay, Tom (Vonne), roll your Acting skill to 'act natural'. Bill (Mussa), you too."
"I have Bluff." Bill says.
The Bard thinks about it. "You're not really bluffing...yet. Right now, you're acting like one of the crowd. Roll against
Charisma, but I'll give you a +7 bonus because there are seven people right there near you."

As you can see, the intent of the skill system is to provide subtlety and specificity without hampering playability. Using either the Cascade skills or other related skills--perhaps with modifiers--the characters are not limited to do things in a particular, lock-step method, but are given many options and opportunities to express the subtleties of their character.

Not to mention that some cultures make a significant distinction regarding lies. A lie can destroy the reputation of an entire family--or lead to someone's death. So he would *not* learn "con" and would be very careful with any attempt at "bluff"--but he would be highly skilled with "deceit"--and probably "detect lies", as well.

Hope this has helped understand. If you desire more information, let me know.

B