Altered Backgrounds SotF
Allies
Allies are essence users or equivalent. They are created using standard character creation and then adjusted depending on how many dots are invested in them.
- One Dot Ally: 80% of character XP and 50% of backgrounds gained during downtime.
- Two Dot Ally: 35 XP or 110% of character XP and 60% of backgrounds gained during downtime.
- Three Dot Ally: 60 XP or 140% of character XP and 70% of backgrounds gained during downtime.
- Four Dot Ally: 85 XP or 170% of character XP and 80% of backgrounds gained during downtime.
- Five Dot Ally: 110 XP or 200% of character XP and 90% of backgrounds gained during downtime.
Arsenal
Arsenal represents equipment issued by organizations the character has backing in. I feel that Arsenal scales appropriately, so I dont plan to make any changes to it except to adjust dots of resources to a monetary amount. Dots invested into artifact or hearthstones remain unchanged. Artifacts and hearthstones in the core rulebook are always available, more unique and rare items my take time to acquire or be unavailable to your organization.
Artifact
Artifacts scale just fine as characters gain more experience. No adjustments are being made.
Backing
Backing represents a characters power over an organization and the amount of responsibility the organization puts in the character's hands. A character can not have more than 6 dots in backing because one organization or another will begin to doubt the character's loyalties. If they are acting as a double agent or are temporarily appointed to a position, this rule can be ignored. Each dot of backing can be used to justify up to four dots of certain other backgrounds: Arsenal (can generally only be justified by Backing), Command, Henchmen, Resources, and Retainers. Anything not paid for by backing must be paid for out of the characters bank account. Charisma/Manipulation + Bureaucracy + Backing can be used to try and direct the actions of the organization.
Breeding
Breeding is unchanged. It is added to dice rolls to recognize the character as a DB.
Command
Command is generally unchanged. Since characters "wear" soldiers, they should scale appropriately. Characters provided by Command are always extras. If characters prefer untrained and unskilled peasants/militia members/diggers/pilgrims/etc, the character receives one dot higher in number of soldiers. I will come up with rules for a smaller number of elite troops.
Connections
Connections are essentially unchanged.
Familiar
Familiars use the enhanced rules we generally use for familiars. Some general guidelines are as follows.
- One Dot: One trick pony. Generally has one useful ability and doesnt do much else besides that. Gains XP at 50% of the rate a Character does.
- Two Dot: One area of expertise, but not useless outside of that area. Gains XP at 75% of the rate the character does.
- Three Dot: Familiar is about equal to the character and gains XP at the same rate as the character.
- Four Dot: Familiar outshines the character in one area, but is otherwise pretty equal. Gains XP at 125% of the rate the character does.
- Five Dot: The Familiar outshines the abilities of the character and gains XP at 150% of the rate the character does.
Family
I wrote out the new rules for Family on one of the talk pages. I will look it up and retype it here eventually.
Henchmen
Henchmen are heroic mortals created with normal character creation rules. They can 50% of the XP the character does and 30% of the backgrounds.
Manse
Represents manses and hearthstones that the character almost always has access to use. Probably owned by the character, his family, or someone else close to the character. Use Arsenal for general House manses and hearthstones that the character is a guest at.
Mentor
Eventually the student surpasses the teacher. Mentors do not get more powerful overtime. Instead they shed background dots that the character can use elsewhere. The player can reinvest the dot back into the Mentor if they want the mentor to continue to be more powerful than the character. When the mentor goes from 1 to 0 dots, the mentor can be turned into either a dot of ally or a dot of connections. It is also possible that they either lose contact or things end poorly. A character can have a master instead of a mentor. A master is two dots more powerful than what is bought but uses the character instead of teachers him or her. Benefits are generally the same, but the character will have to complete missions for his master and a master will consider the character an expendable resource if necessary.
- One Dot: Big Sister or Big Brother type mentor. 150% of character power level when bought.
- Two Dot: A little more than twice as powerful as the character when bought.
- Three Dot: About three times as powerful as the character when bought.
- Four Dot: About 4 times as powerful as the character when bought. A master would be a major mover and shaker in the empire at minimum, i.e., a contender for the scarlet throne.
- Five Dot: About 5 times as powerful as the character when bought. A mster would be a major power in all of creation, i.e. Chejop.
Reputation
Provides a bonus (or penalty) to all social rolls that would be relevant to the character's reputation. For example, a reputation as honorable would help on social rolls that try to convince people the character is being honest. A reputation as bloodthirsty would help all intimidation rolls, but might hurt rolls trying to convince characters that the PC will be merciful.
Resources
Retainers
Retainers are non-heroic mortals. They receive 50% of character XP and 10% of backgrounds. They are created with the normal non-heroic mortal character creation rules.