The Silken Art of Conversation
In the hands of a Prince of the Earth, words can be just as dangerous as a sword or an army. With the proper application of influence, a Prince can shift the course of an entire nation from war to peace or from poverty to dexterity.
In Exalted, social influence and interpersonal communication is as important, if not moreso, as the application of violence. This is modeled in the social influence system, outlined here.
This little words-game is probably my single favorite system in Exalted. I in fact like it so much that I intend to port it in some capacity to every game I play in almost any system, that’s how much I like it.
The Basic Flow
If you want to make someone believe something, you’ll need more than just a convincing argument – you’re going to need evidence, and you’re going to need to work it into their existing beliefs. You’ll have to navigate their mind and convince them based on things they already accept.
If you want to convince someone to do something, you’re going to need to use some kind of leverage. You’ll need to convince them that doing something aligns to their existing beliefs, or offer them something tangible.
That is, in Exalted, to get someone to do respond the way you want, you’ll have to convince them based on their existing beliefs and offer them a reason to act – just like in real life!
Where Does Influence Come From?
So, here’s the thing: Social influence is not mind control. Even using magic doesn’t make it mind control. If you use a Charm that adds to your roll, you very explicitly ARE NOT extending tendrils of magic into their mind to get them to believe what you want – you are making yourself more convincing.
If you use the social influence system to convince someone, it all ultimately emerges from them. It is IMPOSSIBLE to convince someone to do something that goes against their nature – the social system simply does not work that way.
If an NPC convinces your character to assassinate her brother, it’s because you, as a player, have made a character that could be convinced to do that.
If an NPC convinces you to abandon your duty in pursuit of your personal agenda, it is because you had beliefs that would drive you to do so.
In short: You do it to yourself.