Building Trust

"Trust is built the same as a city; Day by day, hour by hour, favor by favor." 
Building trust is a fundamental of interpersonal relationships.Social Engineering, p.40 While such a topic is wide and deep in real life (one could easily line a bookcase on the philosophy, psychology and sociology of trust), GURPS must make concessions to gamify such a topic. 
== In Practical Terms ==
In GURPS terms, trust is general measure of "what one character will do for another in good faith", such as keeping secrets, following plans, and maintaining morale (and sometimes, also more trust) with third parties. Building Trust is a slower process than normal influence rolls, primarily used for downtime or for flashbacks to show how well a character's plans played out--or if distrust is 
As per usual for roleplaying, the GM may dictate a story-appropriate result if it fits better than the rolled result. 
== Modifiers ==
* Previous Transactions: +2 if one or more short-term transactions between you have gone well. 
* Rushing Things: -2 if the offer is made less than a month since the initial meeting, or since a previous offer was rejected. 
* Suitability: From -4 to +4 if you are especially well- or ill-suited as a long-term partner or associate. This may be measured by a relevant Reputation, or by observed behavior in past encounters.Social Engineering, p.40
== Improving Existing Relationships ==
Simply roleplaying a character following-through on deals, keeping secrets, etcetera, is the backbone of building trust in-game--the GM can imagine this as a sort of secret Reputationadvantage. Trust is often gained quicker through appropriate influence skill rolls, mainly Diplomacy, although trust in a character's competency will likely involve skill rolls for that particular challenge. For instance, one might use successful Armoury rolls to convince a blacksmith that you can cover for them while they're out of town.
== Searching for Confidants ==
It's possible to search for a confidant,See Social Engineering, p.22-24 consult a go-between,See Social Engineering, p.24 or look within a social circle for a confidant.See Social Engineering, p.25 See these pages for details.
== See Also ==
* Contacts
* Allies and Ally Groups
* Favors
== References ==