LEVERAGE – A Tool for Social Fictional Positioning

The fictional world and the fictional characters are equals.

In matters of bargaining, emotional impact, and social affect—this must be true too.

Here’s a play-aid to foster that equality is reflected in how negotiation works in real fictional worlds between real fictional people.

It carries weight Aleksander Brodziński

Leverage - a tool for social fictional positioning

When a character—player character or GM character—tries to:

• Convince

• Lie

• Intimidate

• Strike a deal

• Emotionally affect

• Or otherwise shift another character’s attitude or course of action...

...Leverage helps determine the strength of their position and the likely outcome if in doubt.

Leverage is a shared tool.
Anyone can use it—GM or player, toward PC or NPC, or even PC to PC.
It’s not about permission. It’s about shared fictional credibility.

If the impact is obvious from the fiction, say the conclusion outright: No roll required. Just like physical positioning: if someone is holding a sword to your throat, you probably don’t need to test intimidation. But they for sure will remember you held a sword to their throat. The leverage is absolute - the consequences are subject to the method of coercion.

But remember:
Leverage is not mind control.
It’s not about scripting reactions—it’s about understanding what weight your words carry in this moment, and what consequences they invite.

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Two Levels of Leverage

A character needs leverage to even attempt to strike a meaningful bargain, shift allegiance, or sway another’s decision. Leverage is something that could either help in convincing the target receiver (in which case, see lesser leverage.) or is something that would convince them no matter what (see “greater leverage”)

Lesser Leverage 

something that can possibly convincie the receiver.

• A success means: they agree—but only if you can prove right now that you’ll keep your side of the deal.

• A failure means: they don’t agree. You’ll need new leverage or a different approach.

Greater Leverage

Something that will convince the receiver, but the question is one of degree.

• A success means: they agree—on trust that you’ll keep your side of the deal.

• A failure means: they agree only if you provide immediate proof.
  

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Positioning When Leveraging

These questions should be used to determine if leverage is lesser or greater.

Bartering – What’s the value of the offer?

• Is what you’re offering worth more to them than what you’re asking?

• Do they actually have immediate use for what you’re offering?

Intimidation – How credible is the threat?

• Can they nullify or escape the threat?

• How ready are you to commit the threat, right here and now?

Consorting – What is the strength of your bond?

• Have you done mutual favors in the past?

• Can either of you reliably come to the other in times of need?

Rationale: The questions for consorting are mutual. They should be asked to both giver and receiver. Loners will find it hard to consort—because they’ve chosen a path that makes those connections rare. And that is cool too.

Enticing / Inspiring – What is the emotional resonance of the offer?

• Does it touch on something they’ve already expressed: Is what you’re promising exciting, novel, or personally meaningful to them?

• Does it connect to stated or implied beliefs, traits, instincts? (if implied, ask! its a venue to explore)

Rationale: Not all influence is transactional. Some influence flows from beauty, idealism, poetry—or ahem... Heat.

Heat. Loic Locatelli-Kournwsky

The Principle: Player With Player

This tool is not GM-facing. It is not player-facing.

It does not assume PVP. It is not player versus player. It is player-with-player (that is also the GM as just another play).  It is character with world, character with character.

You’re giving them something to respond to—because response is play.

If you want to sway another player character, use this.

If you're the one being swayed, listen through your character's ears, and feel through their heart.

You’re not overriding someone. This is not a system of control. It is a system that necessitates interest and cares about empathy. For guidance on how to override or make someone do or feel something without anything in return, see my other post about mental impact. Same principles though. It does so lovingly. 

When you make an ask...

If the answer is yes - wonderful.
If it’s no - ask why? Ask what do you feel instead? What could i do?

The world listens to affect.
It doesn't need numbers to tell it when to bow.

The hidden part is this: Players will begin searching for leverage. They will begin to care what can move others. Listen for it, like other important information. And what moves others with leverage will always demand exchange or understanding in context. So, understanding, empathy, or interest in determining transactional value will follow.
At its worst, the leverage system can veer into players trying to solving the world, making the receiver the lock and the request a key, rather than inhabiting it. It can also as I hope and have seen move things towards empathy. 

So when you try to convince someone.
Don’t look at the numbers. There are none. Look at them.

Look at them. See them. Ask: what could move you?

This moves me. Kay Nielsen