Influence Spends

Influence Spends

Influence is a set of spends which involves getting to know people and rubbing a few shoulders... it doesn't always mean being liked, but it does mean making an impact here and there. Along the way, you'll gain a few rivals. Most of Influence's abilities occur within your Sphere. For what a Sphere is, see Descriptions, below.

Unlimited Spends
Reward	Benefit	Cost
A Face About Town	Through reputation, cunning, or otherwise, you receive a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy rolls within a single Sphere of Influence. You may take this twice. 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 basic material costs; that is, you'll need to provide the item for them to enchant). Magic rods may be purchased at 85 percent. These items appear at the time of purchase; there is no wait.

Exclusive Spends
Tier	Benefit	Cost
Connections (Tier One)	Major Sphere of Influence: You gain your major sphere of Influence. You will work out the details with staff. See guidelines, below. Local Voice: People in your Sphere of Influence start at one category friendlier towards you for purposes of diplomacy and similar social effects. This does not always mean you're well-liked; more, you're more "local" or just more well-known in the area and they're more willing to listen. Rival: You gain a rival! This rival has taken notice of your work and is going to be a pain in the--. Well, there's no success without challenge, is there? You'll work with staff to flesh out your rival and their basic storyline. As you grow and develop, so does your rival.	10 RPP
Tier Two	Festival: You are able to use your influence and connections to throw events. Despite the name, this need not be a festival--it merely needs to be reflective of your Sphere of Influence. That is, once a month you may choose to run a PrP tied to your Sphere of Influence. You receive double the normal reward for this PrP. These PrPs must be pre-approved by staff, though this is is not an extensive review. For example, if your Sphere of Influence is the Society of Progressive Arcanists in Alexandria, you might run an event showcasing others' magical creations--hosted at the Academy, of course. Or, an expedition on behalf of the Academy and subsponsored by some modest official. Without this ability, you can still run PrPs tied to or based around different areas in the game. However, someone with this spend will do it with more support and flair, and gain additional bonuses for doing so. They Owe Me a Favor or Two: You gain access to favor tokens! You also gain a free token at this time. You must qualify for this token as normal. See the table below this one for items you can choose from.	10 RPP
Tier Three	Knowing Your Way: 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 Major or Minor Spheres you've influence in as a Favored Terrain. If you possess this ability from another source, then the benefits stack when appropriate.	10 RPP
Tier Four	Hard to Pin: You're slick. If you're imprisoned or fined for crimes either within your Sphere of Influence 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... Minor Sphere of Influence: You gain a second, minor sphere of influence. This should be related, storywise, to your primary sphere. You gain the benefits of Local Voice, Knowing Your Way, and Hard to Pin within this sphere. Also, any tokens which are usable within your Primary Sphere become usable in this one unless otherwise specified.	10 RPP
Tier Five	Network of Contacts: You've developed a network of contacts. 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. This ability works within your Major Sphere, as well as within any Minor Spheres you possess. Second Rival: Maybe you both publish in the same journals. Sparred too often and wanted the eye of that famous hero. Or really, REALLY wanted that shipping contract. Whatever the reason, you gain a second rival! This rival has taken notice of your work and is going to be a pain in the--. Well, there's no success without challenge, is there? You'll work with staff to flesh out your rival and their basic storyline. As you grow and develop, so do your rivals. Accomplice: You gain a lacky. See description, below.	10 RPP
Tier Six	Sphere Patron: You're able to use your influence to assist others. Through roleplay, you may lend your Knowing Your Way bonus to a number of PCs up to your Charisma bonus for 24 hours, so long as they're operating within your Spheres. Please notify the DM in advance if you're providing this assistance. Second Minor Sphere: You gain a second minor sphere.	10 RPP

Influence Spends

They Owe Me a Favor or Two (Favor Tokens)

As you gain in tiers, you gain access to Favor Tokens. Favor Tokens 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 a Sphere, this does not include Spheres gained under A Face About Town at this time.

Influential Favors (Unlimited Spends)
Reward	Benefit	Cost
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 uncover 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+
Forbidden Knowledge	With this boon and by rubbing shoulders with a few spellcasters in your Sphere 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 Spheres, 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+
Modest Title	You receive a modest title which functions within your Major Sphere. This title is generally not tied to any particular function. For example, within the Academy, you might receive an Honorary Professor of Arcane Studies. Among the Artificer's Guild: Maker of Things Which Boom. Among Korite forces: Hitter of Things While Scowling. This title confers with it a +2 circumstance to diplomacy checks when dealing with others in your Sphere. It does not confer any other bonus, nor may others be argued (therefore, a title such as 'Commander' would not be selectable; these are intended to be fun and descriptive). This is a permanent ability which is earnable once. When you purchase this ability, your rivals also receive titles, and they will probably try to make theirs more impressive-sounding.	10 RPP, Connections T4+
Nosing Around	You poke your nose into too many things. You gain a +2 competence bonus when making any Knowledge/local and Knowledge/history rolls on topics directly related to your Sphere. This is a permanent ability.	10 RPP, Connections T2+
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 which you qualify for aside from combat trick, finesse rogue, or bleeding attack. Note, if you already possess a talent through other means, you cannot select the same talent again using this boon.	15 RPP, Connections T3+
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 an NPC 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 your Spheres to use this ability, but someone from one of your Spheres 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 a Sphere for the Purposes of Influence?

Spheres 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.

What are Rivals?

Rivals are the bane of your existence. They see you gaining in influence, and naturally, they want a piece of the pie as well. Rivals are NPCs who may feature in RP and who may occasionally show up in a scene. Their goal in life is to outdo you and to make you miserable, just like any rival would. Likewise, you're welcome to make them miserable, too. You, and they, may not always be successful; rivals are intended to be a true challenge and flavor for your character. Posing them in a scene as incompetent or buffoonish in order to make yourself look good is considered a breach of intent. This does mean you're welcome to pose them to a degree--by describing in roleplay terrible things they've done to you, for example, or have them show up and toss some insults your way. For example, a rival at the Academy could have gotten published just a few days before you did...again. AAUUUGH! But you'll get them. YOU WILL.

Rivals never truly go away, even if killed. That is, there's always someone ready to step into a vacuum.

Rivals may not be another PC, as Tenebrae is not a PvP game. Rivals are ultimately under the control of staff.

When you gain a new rival, you and staff will work out the basic details. Note that rivals advance in level, influence, and capability, just as you do...