Thoughts on Reputation

[decker423]

I've been going over the Reputation section in 2nd ed. now that my PCs may be moving out of the kingdom that they started playing in (The Border Kingdom).

My thoughts don't concern the method in which one gains reputation points or how they are lost over time. I have no problem with the rules covering the use of reputation or one's social standing, etc.

My main concern is distance.

Given the example in the book of Conan going from Zamora to Cimmeria (The Tower of the Elephant Story) and possibly going back to Zamora from Cimmeria (The Frost Giant's Daughter) it makes absolute sense (which I whole-heartedly agree with) that the reputation one makes in one land is different from another.
Side note, I think the Wheel of Time game had something similar.

Now, given the above and what is written, would it not sound reasonable to have a characte record their reputations something like this (this is an example, don't hold me to the numbers, ok?)?:

7 Reputation (The Border Kingdom)
2 Reputation (Cimmeria)- low reputation for what they've done to the Cimmerians (slavery pays...)
3 Reputation (Nemedia)
3 Reputation (Hyperborea)
1 Reputation (Nordheim)- low reputation for what they've done to the Nordheimer


I guess you could also put the last "date" (the last time you were in the kingdom) next to your reputation in order to help track the loss of reputation over time. I would also say by the example of regions/areas that you could put something like

3 Reputation (Hyborian Kingdoms)
2 Reputation (the Hyrkanians)
1 Reputation (south of Stygia)

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Jotenbjorn]

That's actually the way I've always done it.

 

[Magister_Ordo_Lyrae]

The way we play reputation is more or less as described in the 2nd Ed rulebook where players have a base reputation equal to their level plus their CHA bonus and social standing (with some miscellanious modifiers thrown in such as COH bonus, etc.). You also have situational/local bonuses for various accomplishments that vary or fade depending on how long ago it was and how far away from the event you are.

It seems logical however to impose penalties the farther a character is away from their home country (i.e. an Aquilonian Noble's social standing probably won't mean a whole lot in Nordheim or the southern black kingdoms for example).