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The way to approach mental combat varies greatly from one person to the other. Although they all have the same objective of convincing someone to do what you want, the way to reach this objective will vary greatly based on the approach favored.

Note that the categories listed here are the most common approaches used by shinobis. They are, however, not limited to these categories and more may be added to the system later or through custom creation or updates.


1. Intimidation

Intimidation is a skill by which a person instills fear of harm on another to reach a certain objective. While the threat of harm is usually physical, it can be of any nature: social, financial, material, etc.

- Advantages: Harder to counter, complements physical combat efficiently.
- Shortcomings: Very limited effectiveness against individuals that show any degree of confidence.

Most common attack types: Coerce
Base Mental Damage: 20 MHP + [Str Mod].


2. Seduction

While seduction is often simplified as a romantic or sexual conduct, it is, in fact, much broader in its meaning. Seduction is actually the art of appealing to someone's nature to lead them towards a desired goal. While extremely effective, it is somewhat complex as it usually requires at least basic knowledge of the person being seduced and a good dose of empathy to use effectively.

- Advantages: Most effective social art if done successfully, results yield more significant and long lasting outcomes.
- Shortcomings: Hard to pull off in a combat scenario, effectiveness will tend to vary wildly from one person to the next based on numerous factors that are very hard to determine on a first encounter.

Most common attack types: Persuade.
Base Mental damage: 25 MHP + [Cha Mod].


3. Diplomacy

Diplomacy is the art of resolving conflict with tact and measure, all the while avoiding hostility. While the diplomatic discourse can be passive or aggressive, its efficiency rests in maintaining a cool head and showing both confidence and resolve.

- Advantages: Versatile, effective.
- Shortcomings: Easier to counter.

Most common attack types: Coerce, convince, persuade.
Base Mental damage: 15 MHP + [Int Mod].


4. Animal Handling

Training a silver tongue can be extremely useful for dealing with individuals gifted with reason, but diplomacy doesn't get you very far against a pack of rabid wolves. Animal handling measures a character's ability to read animals' social and behavioral cues to interact with them towards a specific objective.

- Advantages: Allows mental combat against animals.
- Shortcomings: Mostly useless against creatures of reason.

Most common attack types: Coerce, Persuade.
Base Mental damage: 20 MHP + [Wis Mod].

MENTAL ATTACKS IN COMBAT

Mental attacks, while functioning in a similar manner to physical attacks, are, by their very nature, slightly different in the way they are put in effect. They can be formulated (and answered) from any distance, directed at an individual or to a group.


1. Mental Attack Distances

While mental attack can be launched from any distance, insisting on managing it from far away can have its drawbacks. Indeed, anyone within the range of the target the attack is directed to will be able to hear the mental attack, even if it wasn't directed at them.

This means that, if your character is in medium range of its target, any character in medium, melee or close range of your character or its target will be able to hear and defend the attack.

This is why, sometimes, it might be worth the risk to walk in close to whisper to the target, just to make sure no one will interfere.


2. Crowd Control

While an argument is easier to manage when talking one on one, it is also possible for someone to make general statements of various natures to convince groups of people to take a desired action. While generally less effective than personalized argumentation, it can be useful in situations where a shinobi might find themselves outnumbered.

Any mental attack can be targeted at a group of individual within earshot. When aimed at a group, reduce attack roll by 5 and base damage by 5.

Intimidation

Sarcasm
The art of using irony to mock, ridicule or convey contempt. While using a lighter tone more appropriate for traditional social situations, it remains a veiled manner of demeaning an adversary.
Nature: Rational, Intimidating.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Intimidation 1.
Special: +2 to user's counters. -5 to base damage.

Insult
The most basic manner of attacking someone psychologically, to insult is to demean an individual directly with the intention of hurting their self respect. While hurtful if well crafted, using an insult as a comeback against an argument is normally perceived as a form of weakness or laziness.
Nature: Intimidating.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Intimidation 1.
Special: -2 to user's counters. +5 to base damage.

Threat
To threaten is to give a person an indication of imminent or potential harm that could come to them or a person dear to them should a specific line of conduct not be followed.
Nature: Intimidating.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Intimidation 1.
Special:
*If target's HP is higher than 50%: -2 to attack roll
*If target's MHP is higher than 50%: -2 to attack roll
*If target's HP is lower than 50%: +4 to attack roll
*If target's MHP is lower than 50%: +4 to attack roll


Diplomacy

Gaslight
A form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying, it attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim's belief. Of course, it is barely effective in situations where a third party is present to confirm or deny the user's claims.
Nature: Intimidating, Rational.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Diplomacy 1.
Special: +4 to counters.

Reason
To reason is to perform a process of deduction or of induction in order to convince. It uses logical process to explain or justify a given argument. While effective if well crafted, its clarity can also work against it, since any flaw in the user's reasoning will be apparent to all.
Nature: Rational.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Diplomacy 1.
Special: +5 to base damage. +2 to counters against it.

Demagogue
To gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of a person while disguising the discourse as rational argument. As it seeks to legitimize more negative feelings repressed because of social or moral conventions, it is more efficient when used upon larger numbers of individuals since the feeling of normalcy of their seeded emotions emboldens the listener in voicing them out.
Nature: Rational, Emotional.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Diplomacy 1.
Special: During an attack aimed at multiple opponents, +1 to attack roll for each target over 1 (maximum +5). +4 to counters against it if directed at a single opponent.


Seduction

Flirt
To flirt is to play at courtship. Talking while teasing affection, insinuating sexual attraction in a playful way. It is an extremely potent social skill if used properly and against the optimal individual.
Nature: Emotional.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Seduction 1.
Special:
*Impossible to connect against an opponent who does not have a sexual orientation compatible with the user's gender.
*-5 to attack roll if target's gender is not compatible with user's sexual orientation.
*+4 to roll if the user meets the target's build preference.
*+4 to roll if the user meets the target's physical characteristic preference.

Flatter
To flatter is to stroke someone's ego, often insincerely, in order to gain their favor. It the most common seduction tool (in its larger meaning). While effective, a person with sufficient confidence in themselves will see right through this technique with relative ease.
Nature: Emotional.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect.
Requirements: Seduction 1.
Special:
*Increase base damage by 5.
*Increase the value of confidence by 25% against this attack.

Inspire
To inspire is to infuse into the mind, as if communicating directly to a person's spirit. The user may use this skill to influence a person by example or by slightly pulling at their heart strings through undirected argument.
Nature: Rational, emotional.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Seduction 1.
Special: Critical hits infatuate the target for 2 turns in addition to regular critical hit effect.


Animal Handling

Pacify
Pacifying a creature consists in bringing it to a state of calm, usually to defuse a stressful situation that could lead (or has lead) to aggression. The person will normally try to establish that it does not constitute a threat to the creature in order to disinterest it to attack.
Nature: Emotional.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect.
Requirements: Animal Handling 1.
Special:
*Increase base damage by 5.
*-5 to attack roll if creature was attacked this turn.

Dominate
Domination is the polar opposite to pacification. The user will attempt to establish dominance, normally through violence and mimicry, in order to force the creature into submission.
Nature: Intimidating.
Damage: Base Skill Damage + Special effect
Requirements: Animal Handling 1.
Special: +5 to attack roll if target was hit by the user this turn.