Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Dr. Ben discusses FBI negotiation tactics for TTRPGS (Episode #171). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp
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Special thanks to Evelina for the thumbnail template, much appreciated!! 😊
What if the same psychological framework FBI hostage negotiators use could make you better at tabletop roleplay?What if the same psychological framework FBI hostage negotiators use could make you better at tabletop roleplay? In this video, Dr. Ben breaks down Chris Voss's crisis negotiation playbook from Never Split the Difference and applies it directly to your fantasy RPG table. Six core tactics, a full NPC negotiation walkthrough, the neuroscience behind why it all works, and a step by step framework you can use at any table in any system. For players who are tired of rolling Persuasion and hoping for the best, and for GMs who want to build NPCs with enough interior life to make social encounters actually matter.
ttrpg, tabletop rpg, dungeons and dragons, dnd, dnd tips, rpg tips, gm tips, dungeon master tips, social encounters dnd, npc roleplay, persuasion dnd, roleplay tips, how to roleplay, tabletop tips, fantasy rpg, pathfinder, blades in the dark, powered by the apocalypse, rpg phd, dr ben, never split the difference, chris voss, fbi negotiation, negotiation tactics, npc interaction, social skills ttrpg, gm advice, player tips, how to be a better player, how to be a better gm, ttrpg theory, rpg design, rpg psychology, ttrpg social encounters, npc design, villain design, tabletop roleplay, rpg content, ttrpg youtube, rpg youtube, imagine improvise immerse
---------------------------------------------
00:00 Intro
00:55 The Usual Approach
03:57 The Tactics
15:55 Putting it Together
23:08 GM Side
30:18 Pitfalls & Limitations
34:54 Step-by-step Guide
39:10 Thoughts?
--------------------------------------------
Edmondson, Amy. The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Wiley, 2018.
Fisher, Roger, William Ury, and Bruce Patton. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. 3rd ed., Penguin Books, 2011.
Haidt, Jonathan. "The Emotional Dog and Its Rational Tail: A Social Intuitionist Account of Moral Judgment." Psychological Review, vol. 108, no. 4, 2001, pp. 814-834.
Haidt, Jonathan. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. Pantheon, 2012.
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Lieberman, Matthew D., et al. "Putting Feelings Into Words: Affect Labeling Disrupts Amygdala Activity in Response to Affective Stimuli." Psychological Science, vol. 18, no. 5, 2007, pp. 421-428.
Voss, Chris, and Tahl Raz. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. Harper Business, 2016.
Music and Sounds:
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epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M
epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID
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Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql
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epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
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Dr. Ben discusses FBI negotiation tactics for TTRPGS (Episode #171). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp
Website rpgphd.com
Discord discord.gg/STFdne3PbU
RPG PHD swag!!! rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com
Facebook facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593636905
Instagram instagram.com/rpg_phd
Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social
Special thanks to Evelina for the thumbnail template, much appreciated!! 😊
What if the same psychological framework FBI hostage negotiators use could make you better at tabletop roleplay?What if the same psychological framework FBI hostage negotiators use could make you better at tabletop roleplay? In this video, Dr. Ben breaks down Chris Voss's crisis negotiation playbook from Never Split the Difference and applies it directly to your fantasy RPG table. Six core tactics, a full NPC negotiation walkthrough, the neuroscience behind why it all works, and a step by step framework you can use at any table in any system. For players who are tired of rolling Persuasion and hoping for the best, and for GMs who want to build NPCs with enough interior life to make social encounters actually matter.
ttrpg, tabletop rpg, dungeons and dragons, dnd, dnd tips, rpg tips, gm tips, dungeon master tips, social encounters dnd, npc roleplay, persuasion dnd, roleplay tips, how to roleplay, tabletop tips, fantasy rpg, pathfinder, blades in the dark, powered by the apocalypse, rpg phd, dr ben, never split the difference, chris voss, fbi negotiation, negotiation tactics, npc interaction, social skills ttrpg, gm advice, player tips, how to be a better player, how to be a better gm, ttrpg theory, rpg design, rpg psychology, ttrpg social encounters, npc design, villain design, tabletop roleplay, rpg content, ttrpg youtube, rpg youtube, imagine improvise immerse
---------------------------------------------
00:00 Intro
00:55 The Usual Approach
03:57 The Tactics
15:55 Putting it Together
23:08 GM Side
30:18 Pitfalls & Limitations
34:54 Step-by-step Guide
39:10 Thoughts?
--------------------------------------------
Edmondson, Amy. The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Wiley, 2018.
Fisher, Roger, William Ury, and Bruce Patton. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. 3rd ed., Penguin Books, 2011.
Haidt, Jonathan. "The Emotional Dog and Its Rational Tail: A Social Intuitionist Account of Moral Judgment." Psychological Review, vol. 108, no. 4, 2001, pp. 814-834.
Haidt, Jonathan. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. Pantheon, 2012.
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Lieberman, Matthew D., et al. "Putting Feelings Into Words: Affect Labeling Disrupts Amygdala Activity in Response to Affective Stimuli." Psychological Science, vol. 18, no. 5, 2007, pp. 421-428.
Voss, Chris, and Tahl Raz. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. Harper Business, 2016.
Music and Sounds:
epidemicsound.com/track/Erdns8jA3D
epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M
epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql
epidemicsound.com/track/uDAHxg3lIS
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/2dLRmfzdA5
epidemicsound.com/track/jrNZjxJQqZ
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/8c51eca6-dbb5-4925-b4ec-7ee51630322e
