Background Explanations

On this page you will find an explanation of what values we attribute to different backgrounds. These are standradized no matter what sphere you are in.

Allies

Allies are individuals (be they animal, spirit, supernatural or otherwise) that do not work for you. These individuals could be friends, companions, lovers, relatives, or loyal through an organization (employee). They are not always available, and sometimes they will need coaxing or cajoling. They may be willing to utilize their stats, including their backgrounds, to help you but never to their own detriment. Staffers will always control the big decisions that allies make. Some staffers build your allies for you, others will allow you to make your own, please speak to your staffer. Your allies can be called upon by other PCs. They can be subverted, lied to, or killed.

This background can be purchased multiple times and can be purchased up to 5 each time it is purchased.

1 Dot gets you a mortal with base stats
2 dots gets you 2 mortals, 1 mortal with 75 XP, or 1 supernatural with base stats
3 dots gets you 3 mortals with base stats, 1 mortal and 1 supernatural with base stats, or 1 supernatural with 75 XP, or 1 mortal with 150 XP
Etc.

Influence

The Influence background measures a perception among the public population that an individual holds a certain amount of power. In a society where perception matters a great deal, this translates to being able to lead, manipulate, or cajole groups into doing what a character wishes them to do. As opposed to straight social rolls which work on individuals or small groups, influence is about using those social skills on large groups.

For example, persuading a single city councilperson to vote for a measure a character favors may, at a storyteller’s request, require a manipulation+politics roll. However, if the character wishes to persuade the entire Minneapolis City Council, which is thirteen members, they may not be able to get every single city councilperson alone in a room logistically. This is when influence comes into play for the ease of the storyteller. They may require manipulation+politics roll (or some other roll) affected by the Influence background to see how successful the character is at persuasion. The typical base difficulty will be 7.

In certain situations, there can be direct comparisons of influence, the higher rank wins. If someone has Influence 2 and someone has Influence 7, usually the greater the influence wins, simply because public perception grants the character with Influence 7 greater importance. Each level of influence equals one action you can take per month.

The Ties Merits, however, add a new dynamic to this. In their narrow arenas, a character may be able to get more done with less Influence if they have direct ties to the important people in that arena. A person with Influence 1 has a relative short reach, but a character with Influence 1 and Underworld-Ties has a bigger reach with less influence. In a direct comparison, someone with Ties in an arena may be able to get more done than someone with greater, yet more diffuse, influence. The concept of Ties and Influence is designed without any hard and fast rules in mind, but to serve as markers for the story-teller to figure out what a character has to do to get what they want when it comes to managing groups of people.

The Ties Merit can be bought for the following with your wizards permission: Bureaucracy, Church, Financial, Medical, High Society, Industrial, Legal, Media, Internet, Occult, Police, Political, Street, Transportation, Underworld and University.

The Ties Merit is a 3 point merit. At character creation you can take it once. You can purchase the Ties Merit up to three times total, this includes the purchase at chargen.

This background is set to a max of 10.

Resources

Resources are not just cash items, they are a reflection of the value of all the goods that you own and control. These assets can be cash, investments, property, businesses, criminal infrastructure, contraband, even taxes or tithes. There is not always a dollar value that we will place on what Resources 3 or 5 means.

No resources, doesn’t mean you have nothing. You have clothes, likely a phone, you may live with someone with more resources or you are homeless, living in a box, under an overpass or maybe out of your beat up car.

Each dot represents a little more. While we have values, Staff will use good judgement both for the game and the stories told here. In the real world, with enough money you can probably buy just about anything, the game world will have limits. You allowance does not roll over.

Resources 0: you have $15 per IC month for story needed items
Resources 1: you have $100 per IC month for story needed items
Resources 2: You have $500 per IC month for story needed items
Resources 3: You have $1000 per IC month for story needed items
Resources 4: You have $5000 per IC month for story needed items
Resources 5: You have $15000 per IC month for story needed items

Retainers

Retainers are individuals (be they animal, spirit, supernatural or otherwise) that work for you in some capacity and are very loyal. These individuals could be close friends, servants, close family or otherwise for some reason fiercely loyal. They are often, but not always available, and rarely they will need coaxing or cajoling: in many cases retainers will be willing to die for you. They Are willing to utilize their stats, including their backgrounds, to help you even to their own detriment. Staffers will always control the big decisions that retainer make. Some staffers build your retainers for you, others will allow you to make your own, please speak to your staffer. Your retainers can be called upon by other PCs. They can be manipulated, lied to, or killed.