Space Western - New Characteristic "REPUTATION"

[Solomani666]

I am considering adding a "Reputation" characteristic for this campaign, similar to the Vargr charisma characteristic. This will modify social reactions not covered under social status.

I am thinking that Reputation should be a number between -3 and +3 or possibly even -5 and +5 and be used as a die modifier for certain reaction rolls and encounters.

A lawman with a positive reputation is known for his honesty and integrity and is more likely have the town folk watching his back. He will also attract more gunmen looking to kill him and make a name for themselves.

A gunman with a high negative reputation will have other gunmen looking to kill him to make a reputation for themselves and most likely lawmen looking to take him in. The more negative the reputation, the higher the bounty if charged with a crime.

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Another idea is to have Reputation be a normal 01 - 15 (then using the normal characteristic modifiers) with the character choosing 1 of 3 alignments:

Good (Lawman, some townfolk)
Neutral (Most farmers and townsfolk)
Evil (Outlaws)

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Reputation will increase or decrease depending on the characters actions and outcomes.

After I decide what method of Reputation to use then I will design rules for raising/lowering it.

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If you have any contributions as to how reputation should be implemented please post a comment. I look forward to hearing your ideas.


Note: A negative comment is not considered a contribution, so please refrain from posting those at this time.



Thank you for your help.



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[BP]

The latter sounds better IMO. Gives a little more room for differentiation. If Reputation is treated just like any other stat, a 5 and a 3 have the same DM (-1), but between them the 5 has an edge in terms of 'rep' (comparing rotten apple to rotten apple, so to speak).

Also, assume you might have some way of this changing in-game due to character actions - again, standard stats giving a little more range to play with there.

-3 to +3 are covered in the normal stats (well +3 is a bit exceptional by species or augments in the physical stats, but no reason to stick to that for Reputation) - which is a good range of DMs when only dealing with 2d6.

As to 'alignment' - I'd lean to something less D&D sound'n - like Law Enforcer, Law Abider, Law Breaker?

 

[Solomani666]

As to 'alignment' - I'd lean to something less D&D sound'n - like Law Enforcer, Law Abider, Law Breaker?

You're just a bucket full of good ideas.

It shall be as you have stated it.


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[SSWarlock]

"You know what is reputation? Is people talking, is gossip. I also have reputation; not so pleasant, I think you know. Crow! "
- Adelai Niska

I'm thinking that Reputation is less of a characteristic and more of a "property" assigned to a character by others; a "property" that the character doesn't have much impact on but the perceptions of others have a great deal of impact on, depending on their preference of behavior. And it would affect other characters who are believed to hang around the character with the Reputation.

What you posted, Solomani666, reminded me quite a bit of how Trust is used in Book 6: Scoundrel. It seems to me that Reputation has aspects of both Trust and, as you pointed out, the Charisma characteristic of the Vargr.

In my mind, Reputation could differ greatly depending on which group the character is interacting with.

 

[CosmicGamer]

Note: A negative comment is not considered a contribution, so please refrain from posting those at this time.

Sorry, but sometimes helpful "negative" comments with explanation and examples can be useful.

This will modify social reactions not covered under social status.

Are you planning not to use SOC? I suggest you look at the ways a SOC status can be used so that the new reputation characteristic will be easier to define. For example, a very high SOC and a very low SOC status could represent how well known a person is. High SOC could indicate how much positive influence a person has; Sheriff with SOC 8 vs SOC 10: "Join me on the posse." Low SOC could indicate how much negative influence a person has; Outlaw with SOC 6 vs SOC4: "Join my gang."

A gunman with a high negative reputation will have other gunmen looking to kill him to make a reputation for themselves and most likely lawmen looking to take him in. The more negative the reputation, the higher the bounty if charged with a crime.

Be careful to use imagination and not just a look up table. The interactions between reputations of varying levels are complex. How about the positive effects of a negative reputation? As above under negative SOC, not all the bad guys will be looking to kill ya, some might want to join your gang.

A citizens with slightly above average rep might be fearful and awfully cooperative with someone that has a sufficiently bad reputation while a citizen with a high enough rep might try to fight ya while someone with even higher rep might want to capture you and have you stand trial. There are probably hundreds of other options. I know for a fact that some good girls like their bad boys.

Reputation will increase or decrease depending on the characters actions and outcomes.

One possibility is for reputation to be based on very specific criteria. Bar brawl, knife fight, stole a horse, robbed a bank, murder...

The more negative the reputation, the higher the bounty if charged with a crime.

So a combination of what they did (reputation) and how well known they are (SOC) could determine the bounty.

This allows such things as a SOC DM+2 who kills someone being more likely to plea self defense than someone with SOC DM -2.

Now, how about "secret" reputation? Example: The socialite Barron who is generous to orphanages, building schools, and paying the sheriffs wages can be secretly running a gang of outlaws that run off people so that the Barron can buy their land cheap.

 

[rust]

Since my settings do not have a nobility, I use the SOC as Status. It be-
gins at a middle level for all characters and can rise or fall depending on
their activities and the consequences of their activities for others. For ex-
ample, a scientist character who makes a discovery or an invention that
is useful for his colony will gain status, a pilot who manages to crash the
colony's only shuttle will lose status.

Status can be a prerequisite to be promoted or elected into important po-
sitions. For example, someone with a high status is far more likely to be-
come a member of his colony's governing council than someone with a
low status.

Status can be different depending on how a specific group views the acti-
vities of the character. For example, a successful pirate will gain status
among other pirates, but lose status in the eyes of the region's merchants.

Status also depends on distance. For example, a character's high status
on his homeworld is meaningless on a planet a dozen parsecs away, be-
cause the people there have never heard of the character's heroic deeds.

 

[Solomani666]

Since my settings do not have a nobility, I use the SOC as Status. It be-
gins at a middle level for all characters and can rise or fall depending on
their activities and the consequences of their activities for others. For ex-
ample, a scientist character who makes a discovery or an invention that
is useful for his colony will gain status, a pilot who manages to crash the
colony's only shuttle will lose status.

Status can be a prerequisite to be promoted or elected into important po-
sitions. For example, someone with a high status is far more likely to be-
come a member of his colony's governing council than someone with a
low status.

Status can be different depending on how a specific group views the acti-
vities of the character. For example, a successful pirate will gain status
among other pirates, but lose status in the eyes of the region's merchants.

Status also depends on distance. For example, a character's high status
on his homeworld is meaningless on a planet a dozen parsecs away, be-
cause the people there have never heard of the character's heroic deeds.

I am still using social status.

For instance, a white suit with a lot of money may have a high social status but a lower reputation because he cheats at cards and slaps his wife.


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[locarno24]

For instance, a white suit with a lot of money may have a high social status but a lower reputation because he cheats at cards and slaps his wife.

I was going to say I like the idea but I'm not so sure having seen the example. Will try to explain and suggest what/how I'd see it used (might have the wrong end of the stick, anyway).

Both of those are social standing issues - being accused of (or publically rumoured to be guilty of) a crime is precisely the sort of event that lowers SOC during character creation (or gameplay).

Having lots of money isn't SOC - it's an ability by itself - you have a lower SOC, which causes problems, but you can spend money to make the resulting problems go away (by hiring minions to do what friends would do for better men, for example).

When you said 'modify encounter rolls' and 'more people looking to kill him', I had a different mental picture of 'REP' - essentially it's your reputation (warranted or not) for being dangerous.

That is something very distinct from SOC; I'd use 'REP' for (off the top of my head) something like an intimidation test - if the sheriff is trying to 'persuade' someone to leave town without a fight, then REP+persuade+circumstance bonuses (numbers, firepower, etc) would be the test I'd call for).

To compare with your previous example:

A widely hated, invariably bankrupt man who cheats at cards and slaps his wife but is known to be able to kill you five times before your gun leaves its holster is probably a better example of variation between SOC and 'REP' as I see it.

By comparison, low SOC and high REP is, for want of a better description, The Man With No Name.




Mechanics wise, treat it exactly like a normal stat (2-12 with normal stat modifiers) for simplicity.

When generating the stat, start everyone at the same level for the campaign - depends on the 'power level' but I'd say 5 (DM-1) by default, or less if you want them to make a name for themselves.

On top of that, give them +1 for each rank of 1 or higher in a military career, +1 for each career event (or mishap) which specifically involves a battle or killing a man, and a final bonus equal to their highest Gun Combat or Quickdraw score. That means most characters should start at REP 7 if they're at all violently minded men....

 

[Solomani666]

I was going to say I like the idea but I'm not so sure having seen the example. Will try to explain and suggest what/how I'd see it used (might have the wrong end of the stick, anyway).

You obviously understand the concept better than I do.

Thanks!


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[locarno24]

It's something I'd been wondering about for a while;
(without actually coming up with anything like you have!)

One thing that seems at first glance to be missing from traveller is intimidation skills and fear, which is what I think of when I imagine 'reputation' in a western-esque setting, and is completely independent of nobility or popularity.

Hmm. Now I have a mental image of The Vargr With No Name....complete with especially flea-ridden poncho.

 

[DFW]

Interesting idea, especially for a small pop planet. I remember that "loyalty"? chart from 1st Ed AD&D. It has the mods for PC actions (losing someone in battle, getting hirelings healed, etc.) Maybe a chart something like that but more general would help...

 

[BP]

[quote....
Having lots of money isn't SOC - it's an ability by itself - you have a lower SOC, which causes problems, but you can spend money to make the resulting problems go away (by hiring minions to do what friends would do for better men, for example).

When you said 'modify encounter rolls' and 'more people looking to kill him', I had a different mental picture of 'REP' - essentially it's your reputation (warranted or not) for being dangerous.
....

Yeah, a Knight can be good or bad, rich or poor. Rep can represent how dangerous one is perceived to be - then the question becomes 'dangerous to whom?'.

This is where the 'alignment' comes in. Using this adds another conditional (i.e. - if good/if bad) that makes use of the full range of plus/minus DMs.

DMs already require situational determination whether to add or subtract them - i.e. a nobleman in a den of thieves vs a peasant in a den of thieves and the task at hand. And stats can be used for comparisons when actual checks are unnecessary (i.e. - pecking order among NPC intellectuals, nobles or thieves).

To keep things simpler, the Rep DMs could be used this way. I.e.:

• <6 (negative DMs) is how bad a rep as a 'criminal'
  6-8 is a neutral rep of being average joe law abider
  >8 (positive DM) is how awesome a rep as a 'crime fighter'

Like the ideas for defining rep based on chargen!

 

[IanBruntlett]

Have you got (MgT) Adventure 2 : Prison Planet?

Take a look at p58, "Prison Reputation" for a description and table of modifiers.