What does this (specifically the bolded text) mean?SRD wrote: Try Again
Optional, but not recommended because retries usually do not work. Even if the initial Diplomacy check succeeds, the other character can be persuaded only so far, and a retry may do more harm than good. If the initial check fails, the other character has probably become more firmly committed to his position, and a retry is futile.
I mean, if you look at the DC chart, it is nearly (or actually) impossible for a second attempt on a successfully diplomatized person to "do more harm than good".
If they were Hostile and you made them Unfriendly, you need to roll less than 5 just to make them Hostile again...how likely is that, if you just successfully hit a DC 20 check?
In all other cases, you need to roll LESS THAN 1 to put things back how they were...in other words, you need to be trying to use Diplomacy on someone when you have a penalty. Is Is anyone anywhere dumb enough to do that?
The only possible way the bolded statement makes sense is if repeated diplomacy attempts on the same subject use the initial attitude, not the modified attitude. Do you think this was the design intent?
Since this interpretation prevents Diplomacy from being "you are now my BFF", would it be playable? After all, it doesn't prevent you from turning somebody from Hostile to Helpful...it just means that takes a DC 50 check (requiring a total of +30), not a DC 20 followed by a DC 15 followed by a DC 20 (which can fairly easily be done by any 1st level Bard).
Apologies if this has already been discussed.
