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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7740938" data-attributes="member: 6785785">People are convinced all the time to do things against their own interests. This can span the range of a salesman convincing you that you need the warranty all the way to a cult leader convincing you to drink the Kool-Aid.So this certainly seems like something that should be possible in the game. But obvioulsy it’s a bit problematic for some. This is likely because resorting to mechanics is an overt invocation of game rules for a covert action by a character in the game. It’s a bit odd in that sense. Imagine the salesman said before his warranty pitch “I’m going to use my natural charisma and my position in the buyer/salesman dynamic to convince you to get the warranty. You ready?” No one minds when rules are evoked for overt actions like jumping over a wall or hitting an orc with a sword. But lacking a “Gullibility” score or some other mechanical representation I’ve never seen in a game, it’s not very easy to abdicate. This is why I said earlier to put the action in the player’s hands; don’t have the NPC make an Influence roll, have the PC make an Insight roll. Or do an opposed roll, I suppose. Ultimately though, if you want the PC to consider an action that an NPC is suggesting he take to be a viable action, then I think it’s best if the GM tries to not rely on mechanics to do so. Instead, use the situation to try and convince the PC. Make the points that the NPC would make, have a counter for the concerns the PC would raise.In other words, make a convincing argument. That’s the same thing the NPC would be doing. Again, I get why some folks think that the rules should allow for this, but I just think it’s best to let the player decide. PBut for influencing through words? That’s tricker to translate to game mechanics. Especially since no mattwr what anyone may tell me, I will never get the warranty. It’s up to me. The reverse can be true, too. People can just as readily ignore the advice of someone acting in their best interests. Someone can be convincing as hell about eliminating bacon from my diet....but I don’t care what stats they use or how charming they are or how great of an analogy they can make, I’m still gonna eat bacon.</blockquote>

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