Influence Spends

Influence Spends

Influence spends are of two types: some shoulder-rubbing here and there...and more dangerous material if you delve further in. Though much of Influence is flavored as slightly seedy, it does not need to be read that way. The give-and-take of influence may also take the form of higher social spheres or lower ones, or anywhere inbetween. That is, they're intended to be as useful to a minor noble as they are to a street thief.

For purposes of Tiered abilities and Favors which function only within Areas, this does not include Areas gained under A Face About Town at this time. These areas are more minor, and have received less attention, after all. A PC retains the benefits of their influence so long as they remain active in this spend.

Unlimited Spends
Reward	Benefit	Cost
A Face About Town	Through reputation, cunning, or otherwise, you receive a +1 to Diplomacy rolls within an Area. You may take this up to three times. Most often, it applies to the Area you had previously chosen. So long as applied to the same area, its effects stack. See the full entry, below, for details. One of these may be turned into Connections for 5 RPP.	5 RPP
Favorable Market	Through your efforts, you've obtained access to an exclusive market, or at least a cooperative merchant. Purchase any one magic item at 75 percent market value (this does not include material costs). Magic rods may be purchased at 85 percent.	3 RPP, A Face About Town OR Connections

Exclusive Spends
Tier	Benefit	Cost
Connections (Tier One)	Choose an Area. Through reputation, cunning, or otherwise, you've begun to make yourself known. You get the occasional nod when heading down the street, some officials greet you by name. Some will like you, others will not. However, you've begun to understand what makes things tick here, and how to make yourself heard. You receive a +2 insight bonus to all diplomacy checks within this Area. For what's defined as an Area, see the full entry, below, for details.	10 RPP
Tier Two	Expanded Area: Through a little diligence and work, perhaps by greasing a few palms, you make inroads into a second Area. Within this Area, you also receive a +2 insight bonus to all diplomacy rolls. In addition, you'll soon gain additional benefits and abilities which apply to this and other Area you bear influence. They Owe Me Favor or Two: Through your work, aboveboard or below, you've gained access to a few...boons. Things normal citizens only whisper of, or pay a much higher price for. You gain access to Influential Favors (see below description).	10 RPP
Tier Three	Home Turf: Though you may be known in a number of areas, everyone has a "home turf." Or perhaps just a favorite. Choose an area within which you possess influence. This is now your favored territory, and you gain a +3 bonus on Diplomacy checks within that territory, on top of your original +2. Unsanctioned Skills: You've made friends, you've made enemies...some love you, others donate regularly to the Temple of Vardama in your name. Regardless, you've honed your survival instincts just as you've honed your tongue, and have gained a little...knowledge on the side. The story of how you gained it is up to you. Pick any minor rogue talent aside from combat trick or bleeding attack. You must qualify for this talent. Note, if you already possess a talent through other means, you cannot select the same talent again using this boon.	10 RPP
Tier Four	Hard to Pin: You're slick. If you're imprisoned or fined for crimes either within your Area(s) or a reasonably neighboring locale (DM's discretion), there's little chance you'll see jail time. You pay no fines and escape sentencing if you can make a Diplomacy check (DC 15 for petty crimes, 20 for serious crimes, or 25 for capital crimes). You may use this ability without penalty once per week. Thereafter, the DC raises by 5 for each additional attempt...until you lay low for a while and let scandalous events run their course (a week's cooldown). Over-use, after all, tends to make your contacts sweat, and you a target...or in more social circles, a source of horrible scandal... It's Also What You Know: You know people, and generally you get along with them. Whether that's in a positive or negative manner, well. It varies, sometimes. Regardless, you've developed ways and an interest in keeping your ear to the ground. You receive a +2 to any knowledge/local rolls when within all Area(s) you have influence in.	10 RPP
Tier Five	Network of Contacts: You've developed a network of contacts within your Area(s) of influence. Whenever you are within an Area you've influence in, once per week you may call in favor from someone you know, or who knows someone you know. The maximum CR of this NPC is equal to half your level. The NPC will try to accomplish any task that is not suicidal, doesn’t seriously affect his or her resources (less than 50g), and takes up to one day. Typical favors might be assistance in removal of a disease, or the delivery of a letter, via magic, to a far-away place. Exact details on how calling in the favor works, who the NPC is, and are subject to DM approval.	10 RPP
Tier Six	Small-Time Kingpin: Over the years, your territories are to you as a second skin. People know you, and though some love you, some hate you, your voice is heard. Not only that, you know how to move. Treat any of Area(s) you've influence in as a Favored Terrain. If you possess this ability from another source, then the benefits stack when appropriate.	10 RPP

Influence Spends

They Owe Me a Favor or Two

As you gain in tiers, you gain access to Favors. Favors are a type of unlimited spend, that may be used once per purchase (unless specified otherwise) and are only available to characters who advance in Influence Tiers. Remember that if Favors or Tier abilities specify an Area, this does not include Areas gained under A Face About Town at this time.

Influential Favors (Unlimited Spends)
Reward	Benefit	Cost
Accomplice	You gain a lacky. Earnable once. See description.	10 RPP, Connections T4+
Deep Pockets	You've made so many contacts, so many deals that you're not always sure what you have in your pockets. As a standard action, you can reach into your pocket, pack, or so on, and have discovered you'd already acquired a useful item. That is, as a standard action once per plot, you may exchange 1 RPP for any item of up to 50g. At T4, this may be an item of up to 300g. You pay the DM for these items.	1 RPP,Connections T2+
Expanded Area	Once per tier above your second, you may work to expand your Areas of influence. Effectively, this allows you to choose an additional Area. You receive the regular +2 to all diplomacy rolls within this Area, as well as any other bonuses specified (often gained in Tiers or as part of a Favor spend).	5 RPP, Connections T2+
Forbidden Knowledge	With this boon and by rubbing shoulders with a few spellcasters in your Area of influence, you gain a limited ability to prepare and cast a few weak arcane spells. With their aid, you can prepare 4 cantrips or one 1st-level spell from the wizard school. You cast these spells as a caster of that type, and must have the minimum attribute stat to prepare these spells. You can't select this award if you're already a full caster. After 24 hours, you take 1d3 temporary points of damage to your intelligence and lose any prepared spells you didn't cast. At T3, you gain a more advanced option. You can prepare one 2nd-level spell, and the temporary attribute damage is 1d4 instead of 1d3.	Connections T2+, At T2, this costs 3 RPP and only the first option is available. At T3, the second option is available for 5 RPP. After 24 hours, this ability is expended.
Make Me an Offer	Within any of your Areas, you know people. Not only do you know people, but you know merchants...and perhaps a fence or two. With a little legwork, and by spending 1 RPP, you may enact a sale through an NPC fence, increasing the sale price of the item by 10%. This has no effect on items normally sold at full value.	1 RPP, Connections T2+
Safehouse	Choose a location. It doesn't need to be one of your Areas. Through your connections, perhaps a friend of a friend or something more professional, you've access to a relatively safe and hidden locale. This hidden area has basic supplies--room for shelter, a CLW potion or two (if you're T4, this is a CSW), rations, a healer's kit, and so forth. The best part is, it's relatively hidden.	5 RPP, Connections T2+
Truthspinner	Sometimes, what people believe as the truth is more important (or more interesting) than the actual truth, especially when it works towards your interests or favor. While another individual attempts to give an account of an event, you may make an opposed Diplomacy check to deftly interject comments or statements over the course of the storytelling that cause the individual to muddle his ability to recall accurate or specific details. If you succeed, your target remains unaware that your interjections caused the confusion. However, if you fail, the target is allowed a Sense Motive check (DC equal to your failed Diplomacy check) to figure out that you made deliberate attempts to confuse the story. This is the rogue talent, Obfuscate Story. This is a permanent favor; it need only be purchased once.	10 RPP, T2+
What an Honest Face	If you happen to find yourself in trouble with authorities as a result of accusations, you are able to convince a trustworthy-enough looking person to vouch for your honor. You can use this award once per purchase. You do not need to be within one of your Areas to use this ability, but someone from one of your Areas must be able to reach you (this may incur a traveling fee, as the opulent merchant arrives via caravan to extol your virtues in prose, accompanied by an orphan's chorus).	3 RPP, Connections T2+
Worth too Much to Die	You owe people, and they owe you. It's probably a beneficial relationship. Regardless...you've accrued a little personal capital. A 'mysterious benefactor' will cover up to 50% of your Raise Dead and subsequent Restoration fees. Once used, this must be purchased again. Whether this leaves you in hot water afterwards is up to you and the story.	10 RPP, Connections T2+

Descriptions

Accomplice

An accomplice is a minor lackey and skilled worker who helps you with a certain skillset, which is determined at purchase. Accomplices tend to be a 3rd level adept, commoner, or expert with 3 ranks in the appropriate skills and the basic NPC ability score array. This gives them a +8 for class skills, and a +5 for non-class skills. Unless otherwise allowed by the DM, an accomplice may not accompany you on adventures. That is, they are not meant to replace PCs. However, at the DM's discretion, they often provide indirect assistance. An accomplice will not place themselves into situations of obvious danger or bodily harm.

When chosen, you will work out the accomplice's skills with staff, as well as their specific role. Examples of types of accomplices include, but are not limited to:

• Forger (linguistics, knowledge/local, knowledge/history, knowledge/nobility_
• Fence (appraise, knowledge/history, stealth, bluff) *You will still need to use the RPP spend to get a better sale price--this just represents having a fence more or less 'on staff'.
• Lockpick (craft/locksmithing, disable device, skill focus/disable device, perception)

...and so on.

What May Be Chosen as an Area for the Purposes of Influence?

Areas chosen should be part of something the character is directly involved with. For example, a PC might become involved in Alexandria's Society for Progressive Arcanists. This Influence represents general connections and does not confer any unnamed advantages--its effect is measured mechanically in its bonus or abilities granted, and attempts to expand this or argue for such may be considered a breach of policy.

Influence tends to be local. Travel in a world such as Alexandria exists within, it typically takes days to cover a single locale. Airships exist, but are not usually for day-to-day travel. Thus, areas of influence should have a "hometown" feel to them. An example of an area that would not be approvable would be the Entire Territory of Veyshan. However, a specific town within Veyshan would be. Or, a section of Alexandria or any other large city (as Alexandria is something of a metropolis).

Before roleplaying gaining influence in an area (and spending your RPPs), be sure to check with staff.

What Sorts of RP are Appropriate for Gaining Influence?

Appropriate RP depends on the organization. For instance, you could RP running errands for a guild, being a Reporter at the Alexandrian Tribune and ferreting out stories (and posting them to the +bboard).

Influence in Ea is represented as "knowing people" or having an active reputation within your area. It does not equate a high position or an ability to "lord it over" others. In other words, it is a big world and there should be room for everyone.