Politics
Every 5th point of standing translates into
"Ranks earn influence. Influence buys
reach and reach makes moves."
Notoriety
If notoriety is not already established by
the fiction, roll 2d6 and if the result is at
or below the median level of the party
(including hirelings) the party is known
by name and/or deeds. Otherwise, they
are total strangers.
Roll this upon encountering new mem-
bers of a faction. Once the party is known
by an important figure in a faction, they
are known by the entire faction.
Faction Standing
The party has different standings with
each faction.
Strangers: Strangers do not affect
faction politics and will always have a
faction standing of zero.
Encounters: When a reaction roll is
made, a result lower than 6 incurs a loss
of 1 point of standing with that faction
and a result above 8 grants +1 standing.
Help/Hinder: Helping a faction
increases standing with them and
hindering or hurting them decreases it
(as long as they know it). Amounts vary
by significance.
Postures: Factions adopt different pos-
tures based on the party's standing.
Faction Postures
Standing Posture
-5 or less Eliminate
-4 to -3 Block access to most domains
-2 to -1 Ill will
0 Neutral
1 to 2 Good will
3 to 4 Grant access to most domains
5+ Offer membership/alliance
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Ranks
a rank within the faction. This may be a
formal 'titled' rank or an implied one.
Once any rank has been attained,
standing with that faction can no longer
be affected by reaction rolls.
Going below a multiple of 5 in faction
standing implies loss of the rank it
represents.
Number of ranks: Small factions will
have 2-3 total ranks, medium factions
will have 3-4 and large ones will have 5.
Faction council: If decision making in a
faction demands the input of the PC, the
proposal supported by the highest total of
ranks wins. Ties go to the side with the
highest ranked member.
Influence: Each rank grants 1 point of
influence (from that faction) every month.
Influence
Influence from different factions is
tracked separately. Influence may:
Improve standing with an allied faction:
Each point spent increases standing by 1
with the allied faction and decreases it by
1 with the current faction.
Gather support for a council vote: The
expense of 5 influence within a faction is
a pre-requisite to be able secure support
from another ranked member on a council
vote. A favorable (9+) reaction roll is still
required (see Social Checks, pXXX).
Leverage such as bribes or blackmail are
taken into account on that roll only.
Steer a judgment: See Crime and
Punishment, pXXX.
Buy reach: At a rate of 1:5.
Improve reaction rolls: Influence may be
spent to add bonuses to reaction rolls
against members of the same faction at a
1:1 rate, against members of an allied
faction at a 1:2 rate and against members
of neutral factions at a 1:3 rate (as long
as the factions know of each other).
Reach
Reach is the currency of power and is
necessary to grow out of the adventurer
role and into the later stages of character
development.
Reach is spent on 'moves' within a
dominion or location. Some moves
might require more than just reach,
depending on their nature. What are
those requirements are a referee's call.
If characters are strangers in a dominion
(see Notoriety), they usually cannot
exercise their reach there unless they
conceal their moves (see Moves).
The Characters' Faction
Characters themselves also represent a
'faction'.
Moves and Reach Costs
As such they may spend 6,000 gp and a
Cost Move
month to acquire 1 point of reach and
1d4+1 influence. This represents
socializing, politicking and networking
with the right people.
Guilds, dens, strongholds, covens,
hordes, towers, manors or other such
organizations established by the
characters yield 1 free reach point per
month (not each, but in total).
Simplified Book-Keeping
for the Referee
Without players' interference, a referee
controlled faction will generate 1d4+1
points of influence and 1 point of reach
every month.
Larger and more dominant factions
generate 2 points of reach.
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Moves
Any number of moves may be initiated
each month. Either on their own or as a
set, both by characters and the referee.
Conceal moves: A concealed move (or
set of moves) completely erases all
association with its faction of origin.
One extra reach point is added to the cost
of the move or set in order to conceal it.
Thwart moves: For 1 point spent over its
cost, a move or set can be thwarted if it is
not yet concluded, with a 5-in-6 chance.
If 2 points are spent over its cost, it just
works. While thwarting nullifies the
move, it cannot break their concealment.
Thwarted moves cannot be attempted
again for a month.
Employ more than 10 hirelings
Have guards look the other way
Have someone freed
Hire spies or hitmen 1/2 your level
1 Own or run a small business
Pin a crime on someone
Practice Magic in the city
Purchase existing property
Purchase or sell trade goods in bulk
Employ mercenaries
Employ magic commercially
Have religious followers
Gain a minor title
2 Hire spies or hitmen 2/3 your level
Make 100,000+ gp purchases
Own a trading vessel
Own or run a medium business
Purchase land or build new property
Become a member of the nobility
Form or run an official guild
Hire spies or hitmen of your level
3 Own or run a large business
Request military aid
Run a school, laboratory, library,
temple or equivalent