backMaking friends and influencing people
As the game goes on and the characters get older many of them are getting better and better at playing political games. At least one person has requested some help roleplaying this political skill, and I'm writing this in the hopes that this will help everyone. You guys are pretty good at manipulating people at your power level and below, so this will focus on dealing with those above you socially. Its probably worthwhile to start off with some general tips and then move on to tips on some categories of interactions that you will have with your betters.
First off, before you do anything, make sure that what you are going to do is a good idea. This is both a common sense check and a confirmation that the assumptions you are making are valid ones. You can try to do this alone, but its far better to bring in some help. This help can be other PCs or NPCs who are favorably disposed to you for some reason. Obviously, its best if the characters involved know something of the situation, so that they will be able to add their own observations to yours and help you formulate the best approach. There are two dangers to asking for help in this fashion. First, if you do it too often you look weak. Second, if you ask the wrong party for advice then you are dooming your plans to failure.
One thing to consider, either on your own or with an advisor, is the motivations and quirks of the person you are trying to deal with. The subject who you are trying to deal with has their own plans. Your plans may or may not match up with theirs, and it's up to you to illustrate how your plans dovetail with theirs. The subject also has personality quirks, just as any other character does. If you can discover what those are you can use them to your advantage. The trick here is that the subject will be trying to conceal both their motivations and their personality. Look at their actions rather than their words when you try to figure out what drives them.
Don't just look at the motivations of your subject; consider the other people who may be involved. Your plan may indirectly hurt another, and you can be sure that if you are accidentally hurting someone you will have made an enemy. Plans can often turn out completely differently from how you envisioned because you effectively deal with one person while failing to account for a third party. As well, your plans may indirectly aid some third party. Make sure you take advantage of this by figuring out who they are and enlisting their aide or letting them know that you know you helped them and make them owe you debt.
The above are general strategies when dealing with your betters. But there are more specific recommendations that can be made for each common type of interaction you might have. The types of interactions can be broken up into those where you have the power, those where the power is evenly distributed and those where the subject has the power.
The first type of interaction where you have power over the other character is a simple calling in of debt. This is the easiest way of dealing with another person, because you both are getting something you want. You are getting material reward, and the subject is freed of the debt. The only real concern is that you do not expend your hard won debt frivolously. Make sure that you are getting something of real and lasting value, and make sure both parties know exactly what you are getting, but don't bargain so hard that you make an enemy.
A far more difficult way of exerting power over another person is by blackmailing them into doing something. There are many concerns here, especially when you are trying to blackmail someone more powerful than you. Be careful not to ask for too much. You must make it easier for them to swallow their pride and pay you off than it is for them to crush you. Make sure that you can really threaten the other party you are trying to blackmail. If you can't present a credible threat then all you have gained is an enemy. Finally, unless your position is very secure, its generally best to accept a compromise. By making your subject feel like they have won a victory, even a minor one, you will make things much easier for yourself in the long run.
Then there is the type of interaction which is fairly evenly balanced, a sort of mutual back scratching. Offering a simple exchange of services can be attractive to another person as they get what they want without owing you anything. The tricky thing, of course, is figuring out what they want. Don't be afraid to ask them what they would like in exchange, but don't be surprised if they end up asking you for a future favor. In a deal like this whoever names their price first is at a disadvantage. So be polite, but take your time cutting to the chase.
Similar to making an even deal is making a deal where you walk away with debt over the other person. This is still an exchange, of sorts; the main difference is that you have often already completed the service before the deal is done. This makes things very challenging as the other party has no need to give you anything to get what they want, you've already done what they want! So the key is to apply social pressure to force them to acknowledge that you've done them a favor. This can either mean publicizing the help that you gave them, or threatening to do so. The trick is to figure out which is the best course. In some situations publicizing your aide will gain you a permanent enemy; in others threatening to publicize your aide will force the other party to silence you.
Last is the situation where you have the least power, when you are literally begging for a favor from someone. If you are reduced to this extreme don't be shy about what you are doing. If you are willing to offer them future favors make sure you say so, early and often, and make it clear why your favors are worth having. On the other hand, while you are showing your weakness to one party, don't let anyone else see. That is only going to cause you more trouble in the future. If you are not willing to offer debt, on the other hand, its better not to ask for help at all, unless you think you have a chance of getting a free-bee.
The hardest part about playing political games is knowing the truth about what is going on. If you can correctly determine the strength of your plan, the character of your opponent, the other involved parties, and the type of situation you are in then you will certainly succeed. The trick, of course, is that perfect knowledge is an impossible dream. So make the best guesses you can, and above all, ask the right questions.