2.21 Influence skill

Governing characteristics: CH

Represents: The skill of changing another's behaviour while maintaining a good long-term relationship (i.e. the act does not make the other person dislike or fear the character).

Broad specialisms:

• Temptation (i.e. tempting someone into doing something, for example, "It's here if you want it", "Think what this would mean to you", seduction);
• Emotional appeal (i.e. asking someone to do something for you just because they like you, for example, "Oh, please....", "Go on....", "Do it for me");
• Teaching (i.e. conveying information to one or more people and coaching them in such a way that they learn, for example, "Here's how you do it", "You might want to try this technique", "You did this well, but you could improve the rest by.....");
• Bargaining (i.e. offering someone something in exchange for something else, for example, buying and selling, haggling, bribery, "If you do this, I'll give you that");
• Argument (i.e. persuading someone through logical argument, for example, "There are three reasons why you should do this.......", "If you don't do this, the consequences will be.......");
• Oratory (i.e. using a speech to persuade a crowd of people to take action, rabble-rousing);
• Battlefield command (rallying troops on the battlefield).

Narrow specialisms:

• Assertion (i.e. standing up for your own beliefs/position and getting another to accept them without becoming aggressive, for example, resisting someone who is being aggressive in a calm but firm manner);
• Teaching a particular skill;
• Bargaining a particular commodity;
• Arguing in a particular field (e.g. science, politics, history, etc.);
• Judging another's Influence skill.

Use with the following characteristics in dice rolls covering: