Wild Empathy

[kitep]

Curious as to how this is supposed to work in game, assuming party meets hostile animals.  Obviously, if the animals get initiative or the party attacks, combat ensures.  But what if the Druid gets initiative and immediately starts using wild empathy.
Do the animals just sit there for the whole minute while the druid does his thing?
Do the animals attack for the 10 rounds it takes for the druid to finish? This would make wild empathy almost useless.

If successful, the animals go from hostile to unfriendly.  Can the druid continue and get them to go to indifferent, then friendly, then helpful?

If unsuccessful, can the druid try again?

If the animals win initiative and attack, and the druid goes next, can he start up wild empathy? Do the animals keep attacking, or do they stop?

Since it takes 10 rounds (1 minute), can the other PCs have an action prepared to attack if the empathy check fails?  Is initiative re-rolled?

Thanks.

[Skyrock]

Curious as to how this is supposed to work in game, assuming party meets hostile animals.  Obviously, if the animals get initiative or the party attacks, combat ensures.  But what if the Druid gets initiative and immediately starts using wild empathy.
Do the animals just sit there for the whole minute while the druid does his thing?
Do the animals attack for the 10 rounds it takes for the druid to finish? This would make wild empathy almost useless.

Same as Diplomacy - if a fight breaks out it is virtually useless.

A generous DM may allow to use the Wanderer's Diplomacy feat (PHB2) to pseudo-diplomance as a standard action, but that is a stretch.

If successful, the animals go from hostile to unfriendly.  Can the druid continue and get them to go to indifferent, then friendly, then helpful?

If unsuccessful, can the druid try again?

Since WE "functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person", the same rules apply. You have to adjust the attitude in one shot, and retrys are generally not possible (although the wording is somewhat muddled - it's not just a flat-out no, it's a "not recommended because retries usually do not work". So that implies there have to be unusual circumstances where retries do work?)

[kitep]

Thanks.  I don't know why I didn't think to read the diplomacy entry.  Seems so obvious in hindsight.