Using blackmail

[NotaNuffian]

Whelp, reading about MC getting blackmailed has left a bitter taste in my mouth, even though MC has been doing it to everyone of his enemies before turning them into spam meat or melted slime.

Karma I guess. But I always enjoy inflicting pain on others, not getting inflicted myself. Hypocritical, I know.

So is blackmail a good tool? For basically anything from confession to coorperation in your eyes? Is there any good blackmail story where MC is the receiving end and discounting Lima Syndrome, any creative ways for MC to get out of the bind other than deus ex machina, power ups, etc.

 

[TotallyHuman]

So is blackmail a good tool?

Hell yeah, I use it all the ti- oh, you mean in stories. Sure.

any creative ways for MC to get out of the bind

Depends on the situation. If your mc is fine with everyone knowing they did done something but not being able to do anything about it - traumatise the victim, make them spew the fakest possible bulshit while the mc stands there with a shit-eating grin
"no, my daughter didn't get severely wounded, she just has a habit of self-harm!"
"what are you talking about? It's a lie"
"no, I swear"
"what have you done?! Did you threaten the victim?"
"no, sir, I wasn't threatened"
"you don't have to fear this person-"
"please, stop. You're scaring me. This person has nothing to us"
"But your daughter..."
"Sir, my daughter and I have had enough. May we go now?"

 

[NotaNuffian]

Hell yeah, I use it all the ti- oh, you mean in stories. Sure.

Depends on the situation. If your mc is fine with everyone knowing they did done something but not being able to do anything about it - traumatise the victim, make them spew the fakest possible bulshit while the mc stands there with a shit-eating grin
"no, my daughter didn't get severely wounded, she just has a habit of self-harm!"
"what are you talking about? It's a lie"
"no, I swear"
"what have you done?! Did you threaten the victim?"
"no, sir, I wasn't threatened"
"you don't have to fear this person-"
"please, stop. You're scaring me. This person has nothing to us"
"But your daughter..."
"Sir, my daughter and I have had enough. May we go now?"

Thanks for the reply, but I think I phrase it wrong, what I am asking if MC himself got blackmailed.

Like seriously, the cultist official who has connections to the government is blackmailing MC and threatening to harm his wife and son and for MC, compromising for MC isn't an option because it will definitely lead to death. Of himself, of his wife and son. So damn if he does and damn if he don't.

I can't think of anything but deus, the author did on most occasion gives MC a saving throw (in his previous works) by handing a plot convenient superpower to him earlier on. So far I am having a difficult time to find what is that power.

 

[SailusGebel]

I don't know about any good stories, but the most creative way is to ignore blackmailing.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I don't know about any good stories, but the most creative way is to ignore blackmailing.

Same as not using rape to point the villain, huh?

 

[SailusGebel]

Same as not using rape to point the villain, huh?

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you wrote. What I've meant when I said ignore blackmail is the following. Usually, characters that use blackmail are those that are behind the scenes mastermind. They act as the second to last boss, grey cardinals. They always escape because of some bullshit, blackmail, and tricks, and what would happen if the coin lands on the other side and the mc pull the trigger? I think the most creative way to deal with those grey cardinals is bruteforce through their tricks and put a bullet through their forehead. Imagine L getting stabbed to death by Misa somewhere at the beginning of the death note? The story would change dramatically. I'm not saying that it would change for the better, though. I used this to illustrate what I mean.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you wrote. What I've meant when I said ignore blackmail is the following. Usually, characters that use blackmail are those that are behind the scenes mastermind. They act as the second to last boss, grey cardinals. They always escape because of some bullshit, blackmail, and tricks, and what would happen if the coin lands on the other side and the mc pull the trigger? I think the most creative way to deal with those grey cardinals is bruteforce through their tricks and put a bullet through their forehead. Imagine L getting stabbed to death by Misa somewhere at the beginning of the death note? The story would change dramatically. I'm not saying that it would change for the better, though. I used this to illustrate what I mean.

Oh. Funny that I didn't think like that even though I forced my own MC to do that. Though the reason I did that is because:
A. There are fallbacks for my MC.
B. I also memtally prepared my MC that those who blackmail will follow through their threat. In that case, my MC has the power to kill them all like Balor in Supreme Magus.

In my supposed example though, if MC tries to bruteforce his way through, the chances of him and his family dying is high because he is the (actual) monster living in the society where monsters are killed.

 

[SailusGebel]

Oh. Funny that I didn't think like that even though I forced my own MC to do that. Though the reason I did that is because:
A. There are fallbacks for my MC.
B. I also memtally prepared my MC that those who blackmail will follow through their threat. In that case, my MC has the power to kill them all like Balor in Supreme Magus.

In my supposed example though, if MC tries to bruteforce his way through, the chances of him and his family dying is high because he is the (actual) monster living in the society where monsters are killed.

Well, it is even more interesting to see how this unfolds. If it's another mind game, we all already know how it will go. Those who blackmail won't uphold their promise in the end, while the MC will gather enough allies and make plans while doing the tasks for the blackmailer. Or it will be something like the aforementioned Death Note.

 

[bananapink]

It could work if done right.
Hmm, if you're fine with flawed MC, try something like guilt tripping from his enemies. Perhaps having your MC do something harmful to someone during his wild days or maybe a heavy consequences from his irrational decisions that greatly affected the lives of people he was once close with, that once it was revealed he would lose someone or something very important to him. Just make the reason heavy for it to have enough sense to make the MC kneel.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Whelp, reading about MC getting blackmailed has left a bitter taste in my mouth, even though MC has been doing it to everyone of his enemies before turning them into spam meat or melted slime.

Karma I guess. But I always enjoy inflicting pain on others, not getting inflicted myself. Hypocritical, I know.

So is blackmail a good tool? For basically anything from confession to coorperation in your eyes? Is there any good blackmail story where MC is the receiving end and discounting Lima Syndrome, any creative ways for MC to get out of the bind other than deus ex machina, power ups, etc.

I like it if is for porn. Or in novels and manga if cute.

Like, "please, dont tell anyone! I'll do anything!"

And its some really adorable girl shyly going, "then, if you dont want anyone to find out...h-hold my hand!" With a flushed face.


"I baked you some cookies...e-eat them all, okay? If you dont, I'll expose you for sure!" Which she wont, because that would mean she cant use the blackmail material anymore and enjoy all these cute little demands.

Surprising I've almost never seen it used this way tho

 

[TotallyHuman]

Like seriously, the cultist official who has connections to the government is blackmailing MC and threatening to harm his wife and son and for MC, compromising for MC isn't an option because it will definitely lead to death. Of himself, of his wife and son. So damn if he does and damn if he don't.

If mc is average Joe, then there's no way he can do anything without deus ex machina and luck.
If he isn't - make him go ham. "sure, you can kill my wife and kids. I don't care. They are useless anyway. But do note that I will go on a killing spree in this city if you do" something like that. I'm not very creative when given little information, so I pulled my favourite psycho act.

 

[Armored99]

How to get out of blackmail? Just do the chad move and release the info yourself.

 

[greyblob]

Like seriously, the cultist official who has connections to the government is blackmailing MC and threatening to harm his wife and son and for MC, compromising for MC isn't an option because it will definitely lead to death. Of himself, of his wife and son. So damn if he does and damn if he don't.

You either deal with the weakness being exploited or with the one doing it.
He can move his wife and son away, hide them, or sell himself for security. He could also go directly for the one blackmailing him. Kill him if possible, stalk someone from his family and kidnap/blackmail them, or dig up his past and secrets and have something to use in return.

 

[BenJepheneT]

I like it if is for porn. Or in novels and manga if cute.

Like, "please, dont tell anyone! I'll do anything!"

And its some really adorable girl shyly going, "then, if you dont want anyone to find out...h-hold my hand!" With a flushed face.


"I baked you some cookies...e-eat them all, okay? If you dont, I'll expose you for sure!" Which she wont, because that would mean she cant use the blackmail material anymore and enjoy all these cute little demands.

Surprising I've almost never seen it used this way tho

i'll copy this exact exchange, word for word

you won't see a single fucking credit from me

 

[NotaNuffian]

Well, it is even more interesting to see how this unfolds. If it's another mind game, we all already know how it will go. Those who blackmail won't uphold their promise in the end, while the MC will gather enough allies and make plans while doing the tasks for the blackmailer. Or it will be something like the aforementioned Death Note.

You know, I can see how things go, with the current situation stacked heavily against him because even his own allies are thinking that he might be monster with human skin (which he is, fyi the city he's in is heavily persecuting his kind because one time they tried to let one of his kind live in the city as a trial, due to the monster blood containing chaos, shits went off like little boy in Hiroshima and countless lives lost), so he got no allies around and everyone's out to kill him and his son if they found out the truth.

It could work if done right.
Hmm, if you're fine with flawed MC, try something like guilt tripping from his enemies. Perhaps having your MC do something harmful to someone during his wild days or maybe a heavy consequences from his irrational decisions that greatly affected the lives of people he was once close with, that once it was revealed he would lose someone or something very important to him. Just make the reason heavy for it to have enough sense to make the MC kneel.

Hmm, I think I finally find the reason why my own MC will help out a kingdom he hates, also the kingdom that will eventually betray him by initiating a nuclear detonation to kill him.

So far in the very distant plotline the story will have my MC help out a bunch of refugees of a third country who got stuck between two warring nations, a bit out of goodwill but mostly for the selfish reason to make himself feel good after the lives he took. Rations dwindle and he ended up using "Sharing", a skill that he thought is to allow him to distribute his own lifeforce and mental strength to those in need, in order to continue to sustain them. He might have superhuman longevity, but spreading his lifeforce and mental strength over less than a ten thousand weak and feeble people still takes a toll of him. Shit hits the fan when he got banned from entering a city belonging to the same country as the refugees and the city lord orders them to be killed or leave, at this point the MC's hatred flares up and cue World War Z where the Zs climb up the wall moment.

It is at this time do my MC know that the skill isn't "Sharing", it is "Assimilate". As he eats up the city lord (yep, cannibalism yay), he knows the truth about the city's plight and they are unable to let the refugees in because they too are low on ration. Then with the shared perception of the refugees he has, he sees them biting off meat and chomping onto fellow men like dogs, babies whose wails end abruptly as their mothers' as they all share the fate of getting consumed alive by MC's accumulated hunger.

This I think is good enough as a guilt trip, city level massacre by cannibalism plus the souls (ie memories and personalities) of those who are refugees and rhose who get consumed are stuck inside him too.

 

[SailusGebel]

You know, I can see how things go, with the current situation stacked heavily against him because even his own allies are thinking that he might be monster with human skin (which he is, fyi the city he's in is heavily persecuting his kind because one time they tried to let one of his kind live in the city as a trial, due to the monster blood containing chaos, shits went off like little boy in Hiroshima and countless lives lost), so he got no allies around and everyone's out to kill him and his son if they found out the truth.

Hmm, I think I finally find the reason why my own MC will help out a kingdom he hates, also the kingdom that will eventually betray him by initiating a nuclear detonation to kill him.

So far in the very distant plotline the story will have my MC help out a bunch of refugees of a third country who got stuck between two warring nations, a bit out of goodwill but mostly for the selfish reason to make himself feel good after the lives he took. Rations dwindle and he ended up using "Sharing", a skill that he thought is to allow him to distribute his own lifeforce and mental strength to those in need, in order to continue to sustain them. He might have superhuman longevity, but spreading his lifeforce and mental strength over less than a ten thousand weak and feeble people still takes a toll of him. Shit hits the fan when he got banned from entering a city belonging to the same country as the refugees and the city lord orders them to be killed or leave, at this point the MC's hatred flares up and cue World War Z where the Zs climb up the wall moment.

It is at this time do my MC know that the skill isn't "Sharing", it is "Assimilate". As he eats up the city lord (yep, cannibalism yay), he knows the truth about the city's plight and they are unable to let the refugees in because they too are low on ration. Then with the shared perception of the refugees he has, he sees them biting off meat and chomping onto fellow men like dogs, babies whose wails end abruptly as their mothers' as they all share the fate of getting consumed alive by MC's accumulated hunger.

This I think is good enough as a guilt trip, city level massacre by cannibalism plus the souls (ie memories and personalities) of those who are refugees and rhose who get consumed are stuck inside him too.

I didn't take into consideration the additional info. My replies were answering your first questions. Of course, if you're already written the premise a certain way, MC simply can't kill the blackmailer.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I didn't take into consideration the additional info. My replies were answering your first questions. Of course, if you're already written the premise a certain way, MC simply can't kill the blackmailer.

Yeah, I think I managed to confuse not just myself but also everyone reading.

Right now, I myself am reading a CN novel, the MC is getting blackmailed by the cultist. So I have a 50% prediction that he will do what you had said, because that's what he do everytime ever since he got into the new city (because he's strong). Why I questioned out is because I recalled the times when he was still a weakling and got blackmailed by another official (this is a trend), he sucked his thumb and bid his time before striking out to kill the official.

I am still hoping for a murder though.

And since I am plagiarising from the novel... yah, the scene kinda hurts my ball, my left ball as I type this.

 

[SpiraSpira]

Whelp, reading about MC getting blackmailed has left a bitter taste in my mouth, even though MC has been doing it to everyone of his enemies before turning them into spam meat or melted slime.

Karma I guess. But I always enjoy inflicting pain on others, not getting inflicted myself. Hypocritical, I know.

So is blackmail a good tool? For basically anything from confession to coorperation in your eyes? Is there any good blackmail story where MC is the receiving end and discounting Lima Syndrome, any creative ways for MC to get out of the bind other than deus ex machina, power ups, etc.

Sure. Fundamentally there are only three ways to get out of a blackmail bind.

One is just to accept whatever “damage” the other party is capable of causing to you, your reputation or freedom that he is extorting you with.

Two is to create a Mutually Assured Destruction scenario. Either you acquire kompromat of your own, or alternatively, you just convince the one blackmailing you that something very bad will also happen to them, but it has to be very convincing and it has to be able to be conducted even if whatever "damage" he or she does to you is enacted. For example, you could have a way to reliably and without your involvement arrange someone's murder automatically even if you are, personally, in jail because the police arrested you. Paying an assassin in advance to kill them if you are ever arrested is a good example of this.

Three is the hardest and is where you systematically dismantle the blackmailer. You have to do this in such a way that you also dismantle and destroy every potential "dead man's switch" that he set up, perhaps he left compromising documents in a safe deposit box or mailed to a third party. You'd have to either acquire these documents or neutralize the third party while simultaneously handling the main guy. Hard to pull of properly but could be a good source of a "heist" style plot arc.

Now, as to why blackmailing the MC sits badly in readers mouths... People don't really like the MC being blackmailed because everyone, generally speaking, intuitively understands it is mostly stupid to acquiesce to a blackmailer's demands. Even if you hadn't thought about it, you intuitively understand that they likely won't just stop with one demand. Once you show a willingness to do something for them more demands will come, basically forever. It's basically like making your MC do something really stupid -- this is hard to pull off, basically, unless your MC is young or naive.

 

[longer]

But I always enjoy inflicting pain on others, not getting inflicted myself

Ah yes, the average uninteresting villain.

 

[SuperHeiyan]

Blackmail is never a good tool. IRL serious blackmail, I mean on a harder level than casual kind that parents use toward childrens to make them behave, often ends up with blackmailer being dead. Don't believe Japanese hentai, it's nowhere close to reality.