40d:Broker skills

Broker skills are the "social interaction" skills used by the outpost broker to conduct trades. They are:

• Conversationalist
• Comedian
• Flatterer
• Intimidator
• Judge of intent
• Liar
• Negotiator
• Persuader

These skills are gained by:

• Successful trades at the trade depot. Multiple experience gains from a single trade session are possible.
• Finalizing an export agreement.

Some, but not all are also increased by:

• Attending parties.
• Meeting and talking with friends and other dwarves.

Notable ways through which they are not gained include:

• Proposing an unsuccessful trade at the depot (except Judge of Intent).
• Offering goods to foreign traders.
• Simply being assigned as the broker noble.
• Sitting around at the depot, whether there are traders there or not.
• Liaison meeting steps that occur before the export agreement.

Restrictions on increasing experience

All but Judge of Intent and Negotiator have requisite personality traits, threshold values that must be met to allow a skill to be increased.

• Conversationalist - requires GREGARIOUSNESS > 40.
• Comedian - requires SELF_CONSCIOUSNESS < 76.
• Flatterer - requires STRAIGHTFORWARDNESS < 61.
• Intimidator - requires COOPERATIVE < 61.
• Liar - requires STRAIGHTFORWARDNESS < 41.*
• Persuader - requires ASSERTIVENESS > 40.

(* Note that the Liar and Consoler skill appear to be mutually exclusive skills.)

It's possible to give a dwarf any of these skills at embark, but they cannot later increase experience in them if they do not meet the personality trait requirements.

Judge of intent

This skill is improved by:

• Proposing an unsuccessful trade at the depot
• Meeting with a Liaison

At Novice or better skill, the trade dialog will include an extra line about the traders' mood. The messages are:

• "the merchant seems ecstatic with the trading"
• "the merchant seems happy with the trading",
• "the merchant is pleased with the trading",
• "is willing to trade" (neutral)
• "is rapidly losing patience"
• "is not having much more of this"
• "refuses to trade"

This information is important for two reasons: the better the mood of the merchants, the cheaper deal will be accepted. Also, if the lowest level is ever reached, the traders will pack up and go home and you can't trade anymore with this caravan. However, once a broker has a couple levels of this, it seems to be 100% accurate, or nearly so.

Note: A Stunned dwarf loses the benefits of this skill.

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See also:

• Appraiser
• Personality trait

V · T · E Skills
Miner	Miner
Woodworker	Bowyer · Carpenter · Wood cutter
Stoneworker	Engraver · Mason
Ranger	Ambusher · Animal caretaker · Animal dissector · Animal trainer · Trapper
Farmer	Brewer · Butcher · Cheese maker · Cook · Dyer · Grower · Herbalist · Lye maker · Milker · Miller · Potash maker · Soaper · Tanner · Thresher · Wood burner
Fishery worker	Fish cleaner · Fish dissector · Fisherdwarf
Metalsmith	Armorsmith · Furnace operator · Metal crafter · Blacksmith · Weaponsmith
Jeweler	Gem cutter · Gem setter
Craftsdwarf	Bone carver · Clothier · Glassmaker · Leatherworker · Stone crafter · Strand extractor · Weaver · Wood crafter
Engineer	Mechanic · Pump operator · Siege engineer · Siege operator
Administrator	Appraiser · Building designer · Organizer · Record keeper
Military	General Armor user · Shield user · Wrestler Dwarven Axeman · Crossbowman · Hammerman · Maceman · Spearman · Swordsman Other Blowgunner · Bowman · Knife user · Lasher · Pikeman
Social	Broker Comedian · Conversationalist · Flatterer · Intimidator · Judge of intent · Liar · Negotiator · Persuader Other Consoler · Pacifier
Other/Peasant	Swimmer · Thrower
Unused	Alchemist · Druid · Tracker