Getting into the favour trade

[Heliomance]

How does one build up a character as a favour trader? How do you get to the point where you have favours you can call in from high and low places, where you have contacts wherever you might need them, and people willing to bend the rules for you?

Specifically, I'm looking at taking a LARP character this route, so the favours I'll be trying to build up are from other players, but all general advice and discussion is welcome and encouraged.

[DeTess]

The first step would probably be to have some kind of broadly useful skill that would allow you to generate some outstanding favours. The kind of skill really depends on the LARP (in one that I've attended there was only one person capable of mending armor. Suffice to say, when she said 'jump', all fighters asked 'how high?').

The rest depend on the size and theme of the LARP. For example, in a smaller cooperative setting it can really pay to have good contacts with major npc organizations (and make sure to do stuff with those contacts in between sessions so the organizers remember you have these contacts). The mender I mentioned above was a member of both major mages guilds, which she managed to spin in such a way that both guilds considered her a mediator for inter-guild conflict. She also became a contact point for others if they needed something from either group.

[Heliomance]

It's Empire, one of the UK's biggest fest LARPs. About 1500 people in a field over a weekend, four times a year. It's very player-driven - NPCs only have advisory roles, the players have all the IC authority. And it's big enough that there's no way to be the only person that can do stuff.

The only person willing to do stuff, now that might be a different matter.

[GungHo]

Favors rely both on what you have done for someone and what that person thinks you can do for them in the future. There is no real instant karma and your real value is in your future usefulness. You've got to also keep an eye out for anyone that may start to be able to compete with you for usefulness, as usefulness is your only competitive advantage in the favor trade. The honor system ends when you're a bigger pain than you're worth.

[Heliomance]

I guess I'm mostly asking how to start stocking up the favours in the first place. How do you get people to start coming to you with things to do that you can later ask for reciprocation in kind?

[DeTess]

Part of this is in good old social skills. If you can make a lot of acquaintances very quickly, it doesn't really matter what you do, someone will have a use for it.

Regarding in-game skills, healers and ritualists (if that is a thing in this LARP) tend to get around a lot. The former because as long as there's two PC's left around, someone will get someone hurt, and the latter because when someone needs something done that's epic and magical, they will never have enough ritualists.

[Jay R]

If you asked us how to get to the point where you have debts you can call in from high and low places, I would advise you to spend lots of time:
a. amassing money, and
b. lending it out to people.
Note: Lots of time, lots of money, and lots of loans. At least as much money as you hope to someday be able to call in.

Similarly, my advice for your real question is to spend lots of time:
a. amassing power and abilities, and
b. using them to help other people.
Lots of time, lots of abilities, and lots of service. At least as much service and aid as you hope to someday be able to call in.