Jan 20, 2023 6:00 am
Your reputation is equal to your LEVEL + CHARISMA MODIFIER + PRESENCE RANKS.
Reputation measures your character’s influence in the wide world. While the actual Influence skill measures the force of your personality with those with whom you directly interact. You gain Resource Points (RPs) equal to your Reputation. Every time your Reputation score increases, you can reallocate your RPs, meaning that some former contacts might only be friends. Occasionally, the game master may work a sub-plot into an adventure where your contacts require assistance that only a band of adventurers can provide. If the PCs feel they cannot go to their aid, they don’t have to (this won’t cause you to lose your contact) but if you go to the aid of a contact in danger, all PCs that assist gain an Action Point.
Downside to Reputation While Reputation brings many benefits and is generally considered a good thing, there will be times when being well known will make your life more complicated. Reputation causes certain Character Disadvantages to activate more frequently, especially disadvantages such as Enemy, Nemesis, Rival and Secret. Other disadvantages can be modified by Reputation at the discretion of the game master. The game master shouldn’t feel too bad about using Reputation in this way, since the character gains a benefit (an Action Point) in addition to the complication.
Access
RPs can be spent to buy a character special access to places, information or equipment. This can make the character’s life much easier as well as allow him to purchase restricted equipment without paying higher prices for buying that equipment on the black market. Spending RPs on access grants a character the benefits shown on the table below. A character receives all the benefits shown for his access level.
Contacts
There are two types of contacts: supply contacts and skill contacts. A character may call on each contact once per week automatically. Calling on a contact a second time in the same week requires an Influence check (DC 15). This DC increases by 5 for each additional time a character calls on his contact in the same week.
Further, getting in touch with a contact always requires at least one hour, plus one hour for each additional time that week you have used that contact. Your contacts have lives too and they’re your friends, not your employees.
Supply Contacts: Supply contacts can grant equipment as if they possessed a Wealth score as indicated on the table below. Supply contacts can also provide equipment you couldn’t get access to yourself for an additional cost. Equipment provided by a supply contact is loaned to you, not given to you. You can have one item per RP spent on the contact out on loan at any given time. Should a piece of equipment be permanently lost, you lose access to the RP provided by the contact until your Reputation score increases and you can re-allocate your RP.
Followers
Resource Points can also be used to recruit followers that will assist a character in combat. Followers are always ordinaries (see the Ordinaries section below). Ordinaries also do not receive a feat at every level, but rather only 1 feat per three levels.
The maximum level of a character’s followers is equal to his Reputation or his character level, whichever is lower. Adding additional followers increases the effective level of follower by +1 per additional follower. For example, if a character wants three 3rd level followers, he must be 5th level.
Privilege
Privileges are similar to access, granting the character additional rights and privileges. The difference is that privileges are benefits in return for service to an organization or group. The character will occasionally be called upon to perform services in return for his privileges. This is similar to the normal process of working a contact or follower into an adventure except as follows: the character gains no Action Points for assisting a privilege-granting contact, as he’s performing a duty, not performing a favor (characters with no privilege from the organization in question can gain additional Action Points for assisting their comrade however); each time you refuse or are unable to assist a privilege-granting contact, you must make an Influence check (DC 25) or have your privilege temporarily revoked, causing any RP spent on privileges from that organization to become unspent until your Reputation score increases, at which time you can reallocate the RP to anything you desire.
In addition to requiring service from a character, privilege places other restrictions on the character. The privilege-granting agency will know everything there is to know about your character, except for things covered by the Secret Character Disadvantage.
Second, most agencies have a code of conduct and will require a character to swear allegiance to uphold that code. Failure to do so on a limited basis requires an Influence check (DC 20) to avoid code violations from reach superiors. This can result in suspension from the agency (losing the RP and privileges until RP can be reassigned). If a character never had an allegiance to the agency, or loses it by constantly acting in violation of the agency’s code, this counts as a Secret Character Disadvantage, with a penalty that the character will be denied access to spending any RP on privileges from anyone (the character has proven himself untrustworthy).
Favors
Favors are just that: a debt the character has collected that he may call in at any time. Favors are RPs that the character sets aside unspent. He may then call in that favor at any time, spending those points on contacts or followers like he would when allocating his Resource Points.
The difference is that RPs spent to call in a favor only last for one use of that contact or follower (one Wealth or Skill check for a contact, one encounter for a follower). RPs set aside for favors are cashed in at a two to one benefit. In other words, if you set aside 4 RP for favors and cash all in at once, you treat them as 8 RP.
After being used, RPs spent for a favor go away and cannot be spent for anything until the character’s Reputation increases and he can reallocate those RPs somewhere else (perhaps right back into more favors).
Reputation measures your character’s influence in the wide world. While the actual Influence skill measures the force of your personality with those with whom you directly interact. You gain Resource Points (RPs) equal to your Reputation. Every time your Reputation score increases, you can reallocate your RPs, meaning that some former contacts might only be friends. Occasionally, the game master may work a sub-plot into an adventure where your contacts require assistance that only a band of adventurers can provide. If the PCs feel they cannot go to their aid, they don’t have to (this won’t cause you to lose your contact) but if you go to the aid of a contact in danger, all PCs that assist gain an Action Point.
Downside to Reputation While Reputation brings many benefits and is generally considered a good thing, there will be times when being well known will make your life more complicated. Reputation causes certain Character Disadvantages to activate more frequently, especially disadvantages such as Enemy, Nemesis, Rival and Secret. Other disadvantages can be modified by Reputation at the discretion of the game master. The game master shouldn’t feel too bad about using Reputation in this way, since the character gains a benefit (an Action Point) in addition to the complication.
Access
RPs can be spent to buy a character special access to places, information or equipment. This can make the character’s life much easier as well as allow him to purchase restricted equipment without paying higher prices for buying that equipment on the black market. Spending RPs on access grants a character the benefits shown on the table below. A character receives all the benefits shown for his access level.
| RP Cost | Effect | Example |
| 1 | Restricted Access | Licensed equipment and/or restricted information. Gaining access to restricted information is not automatic but requires an Influence check (DC 20). |
| 1 | Press Pass | The ability to get into restricted events (such as press conferences). This can also allow access to celebrities and other public figures. Gaining access to prestigious individuals requires an Influence check with a DC equal to 10+ the Reputation of the person you wish to contact. |
| 1 | Licensed Physician | You have the right to prescribe a wide range of medicines, as well as legally perform medical procedures; you can also book private time at a hospital to conduct procedures under the best of conditions. |
| 2 | Confidential Access | Restricted equipment, confidential information, access to sensitive non-military installations (such as a nuclear power plant or a power station). Gaining access to confidential information or installations is not automatic but requires an Influence check (DC 20). |
| 3 | Secret Access | Military equipment, secret information, access to non-sensitive military installations and equipment (for example the character could hitch a ride on a military transport to get almost anywhere in the world discretely and without passing through customs). Gaining access to secret information or installations is not automatic but requires an Influence check (DC 20). |
| 4 | Top Secret Access | Top secret information, access to sensitive military installations and equipment (for example the character could arrange a ride on a submarine to get somewhere way under the radar, or get a helicopter ride into enemy territory, or get a tour of a nuclear submarine) and so forth. Gaining access to Top Secret information or installations is not automatic but requires an Influence check (DC 20). |
| 5 | Complete Access | If the character needs a meeting with the President, it can be arranged. If the character wants to visit Area 51, he will be asked to give up any recording equipment and allowed in. Almost nothing is off limits and even then it’s usually a question of when not if a character will be granted access. Character can purchase Illegal equipment. Gaining access to information or installations is not automatic but requires an Influence check (DC 20). This check may be retried in 1 month. |
Contacts
There are two types of contacts: supply contacts and skill contacts. A character may call on each contact once per week automatically. Calling on a contact a second time in the same week requires an Influence check (DC 15). This DC increases by 5 for each additional time a character calls on his contact in the same week.
Further, getting in touch with a contact always requires at least one hour, plus one hour for each additional time that week you have used that contact. Your contacts have lives too and they’re your friends, not your employees.
Supply Contacts: Supply contacts can grant equipment as if they possessed a Wealth score as indicated on the table below. Supply contacts can also provide equipment you couldn’t get access to yourself for an additional cost. Equipment provided by a supply contact is loaned to you, not given to you. You can have one item per RP spent on the contact out on loan at any given time. Should a piece of equipment be permanently lost, you lose access to the RP provided by the contact until your Reputation score increases and you can re-allocate your RP.
| RP Cost | Effect |
| 2 | Contact provides Wealth equal to Reputation +10 |
| 3 | Contact provides Wealth equal to Reputation +12 |
| 4 | Contact provides Wealth equal to Reputation +14 |
| +1 | Contact’s Wealth bonus increases by +2 for each additional Resource Point spent on this contact |
| +1 | Contact can provide licensed or restricted equipment |
| +2 | Contact can provide military equipment |
| +3 | Contact can provide illegal equipment |
Followers
Resource Points can also be used to recruit followers that will assist a character in combat. Followers are always ordinaries (see the Ordinaries section below). Ordinaries also do not receive a feat at every level, but rather only 1 feat per three levels.
The maximum level of a character’s followers is equal to his Reputation or his character level, whichever is lower. Adding additional followers increases the effective level of follower by +1 per additional follower. For example, if a character wants three 3rd level followers, he must be 5th level.
| RP Cost | Level |
| 2 | 1 |
| 4 | 2 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 8 | 4 |
| +2 | +1 Level per 2 additional Resource Points devoted to this follower |
| +2 | Double the number of followers (2 followers for +2 RP, 4 followers for +4 RP, 8 followers for +6 RP, etc.) |
Privilege
Privileges are similar to access, granting the character additional rights and privileges. The difference is that privileges are benefits in return for service to an organization or group. The character will occasionally be called upon to perform services in return for his privileges. This is similar to the normal process of working a contact or follower into an adventure except as follows: the character gains no Action Points for assisting a privilege-granting contact, as he’s performing a duty, not performing a favor (characters with no privilege from the organization in question can gain additional Action Points for assisting their comrade however); each time you refuse or are unable to assist a privilege-granting contact, you must make an Influence check (DC 25) or have your privilege temporarily revoked, causing any RP spent on privileges from that organization to become unspent until your Reputation score increases, at which time you can reallocate the RP to anything you desire.
In addition to requiring service from a character, privilege places other restrictions on the character. The privilege-granting agency will know everything there is to know about your character, except for things covered by the Secret Character Disadvantage.
Second, most agencies have a code of conduct and will require a character to swear allegiance to uphold that code. Failure to do so on a limited basis requires an Influence check (DC 20) to avoid code violations from reach superiors. This can result in suspension from the agency (losing the RP and privileges until RP can be reassigned). If a character never had an allegiance to the agency, or loses it by constantly acting in violation of the agency’s code, this counts as a Secret Character Disadvantage, with a penalty that the character will be denied access to spending any RP on privileges from anyone (the character has proven himself untrustworthy).
| RP Cost | Privilege | Example |
| 1 | Carry Concealed | Weapon Police detectives, undercover operatives and Federal agents have the right to be armed at all times. |
| 1 | Police Powers, local | You have the right to enforce the law in a limited jurisdiction, the size of an American state, Canadian province or small to mid-size European nation. |
| 2 | Police Powers, national | You have the right to enforce the law over a wide area, the size of the United States, Canada or Europe (being a member of the FBI or Interpol for example). |
| +1 | Police State | Not all governments grant an equal level of power to their police forces. If you have extreme authority within your jurisdiction, such as the ability to hold subjects indefinitely without trial, torture subjects, and so forth, apply this modifier to the cost of your police powers. |
| +2 | Judge and Jury | If your police authority includes the authorization to act as judge, jury and executioner, or otherwise summarily dispose of subjects, the cost of your police powers are increased even more. |
| 3 | Diplomatic Immunity | Your agency has issued you credentials which will prevent another nation from prosecuting you for crimes. The only action that will be taken for breaking the law is extradition to your home country (which might choose to prosecute you for those crimes themselves). However, you still must abide by your agency’s code. |
| 4 | False Flag | Your agency has supplied you with numerous cover identities while removing your original, true identity. In effect, no one but your agency will be able to determine you ever existed. |
| 5 | Ghost | As above, except no one has records of your existence any longer, even the agency that you work for. |
| 2 | Rank | You have rank within a group or agency, granting you +3 effective RP for that agency only (access, contacts or followers are drawn from that organization and subject to the agency’s code). Privileges themselves may not be bought with rank RP. |
| 4 | Medium Rank | You have an advanced rank in an agency, granting you +6 effective RP for that agency for access, contacts or followers. Privileges themselves may not be bought with rank RP. |
| 6 | High Rank | You have a high rank in an agency, granting you +9 effective RP for that agency for access, contacts or followers. Privileges themselves may not be bought with rank RP. |
| +1 | Rank+ | +1 effective RP for your agency, representing mid-steps in rank |
Favors
Favors are just that: a debt the character has collected that he may call in at any time. Favors are RPs that the character sets aside unspent. He may then call in that favor at any time, spending those points on contacts or followers like he would when allocating his Resource Points.
The difference is that RPs spent to call in a favor only last for one use of that contact or follower (one Wealth or Skill check for a contact, one encounter for a follower). RPs set aside for favors are cashed in at a two to one benefit. In other words, if you set aside 4 RP for favors and cash all in at once, you treat them as 8 RP.
After being used, RPs spent for a favor go away and cannot be spent for anything until the character’s Reputation increases and he can reallocate those RPs somewhere else (perhaps right back into more favors).