Organizations and Influence

Organizations are the true power of society – the ability to confederate with like-minded individuals and achieve something greater that one’s own ability, perhaps something that will last beyond one’s own lifetime. Many powerful Organizations exist in the world, each with their own range and influence. Characters may become members of these Organizations, trading autonomy for authority and resources. Organizations take on the aspects of the Reich in which they operate. They wield the characteristics and attributes of the local economy, power structure, traditions – and even the darker underbelly of society – to their benefit.

Organizations take on many forms, from a noble house, a knight order, a merchant guild, a religious order, criminal gangs, and many things in between. The activities and interests of an Organization will dictate in which ways they invest their time and energy.

Organizations form when characters assemble to perform the Founding Function using the Etiquette Skill. A new Organization has no special advantages, but has the ability to begin earning Influence. Influence is the currency of Organizations, and it represents an amalgam of various resources – reputation, currency, favors, goodwill, fear, and dedication. Whenever an Organization takes action, it costs Influence to do so.

Organizations can earn Influence in a number of ways:

- The Organization may Convene using the Etiquette Function. During this Function, members may donate Achievements to the cause of their Organization, earning Influence for each one.
- A character may use Mercantilism 5: Patron, to spend 5 Gold in currency as a Task.
- A character may anonymously fence Intel gained from the Streetwise Skill for 1 Influence.
- The Organization automatically gains Influence when Opportunities or Crises related to their acquired Traits occur. See below for details.

Officers and Members

Every Organization has members, called Agents. While Organizations may have many employees, members, and supporting staff, Agents are the primary characters involved in the Organization. Agents may contribute Achievements as Influence to the Organization during the Founding or Convene Etiquette Functions and may benefit from the Organization’s landmarks and Influence investments. Organizations may have up to 5 Agents, and this increases by 2 each time Scale increases (see below). Additionally, they can build out additional infrastructure for more Agents by spending Influence.

Some Agents can be Non-Player Characters that have been persuaded to join the Organization. These require an Agent slot as normal, but aside from the normal benefits of membership such as loyalty and advice, Agents grant the Organization a specific ability associated with them. These abilities can typically be called on once per Chapter. Some Combat Doctrines of Knight Orders allow the special recruitment of Agents in this way, but any character may become an Agent, with an ability defined by Staff.

Officers are Agents chosen during the Founding or Convene Etiquette Functions. Selecting new Officers requires the unanimous consent of all existing Officers. Officers receive the Organization’s updated information every event, including the special details of Opportunities and Crises that are relevant to the Organization, and may expend the Organization’s Influence. A character may only be an Officer of one Organization in the same Theater.

Traits and Scale

Organizations may invest their Influence to gain Traits. These Traits are the same as the Virtues and Vices that make up Settlements and Reichs in the Feudalism system, and indeed, Organizations must use those that are available in the area in which they are based. Organization that have attained the trait of Law, for instance, have the necessary infrastructure and expertise to operate their own private Law Landmarks, and use them as they wish, and likewise for the other traits of a city.

Each Trait grants the ability to either Staff and operate a new tier of Landmark, or gives specific direct abilities to the group. For instance, an Organization that acquires Basic Law can operate Basic Law Landmarks, such as a Guard Station, and gain control of their own private police force. An Organization that invests in Exploitation can take control of Scum and employ them as criminal gangs to do their dirty work. Each trait can be invested in up to three times, providing greater abilities and control in that sphere of influence. Organizations can only take control of Virtues and Vices up to the level that they exist in their local Reich.

Whenever an Opportunity or Crisis happens in a given sphere of control, all Organizations that match that trait may gain Influence. For instance, if a Minor Commerce Opportunity presents itself in the city, if the Opportunity is accepted, all Organizations that have Basic Commerce or higher gain 1 Influence. If a Major Commerce Opportunity were accepted, only those Organizations that had Advanced Commerce or better would benefit, but they gain 2 Influence. Great Opportunities grant 3 Influence to all Organizations with the Virtue at the Master level. Similarly, for Organizations that are invested in Vices, they gain Influence when Crises arise in their area of control – but unlike Opportunities, they are granted Influence immediately.

Whenever an Organization takes on a new Trait, it increases its Scale. This represents taking on new non-player members, acquiring tools and assets, adhering to disciplines of bookkeeping and records, and other sorts of overhead that allow them to operate at a new level. Organizations become more ponderous as they become more powerful, and whenever an Organization spends Influence, the amount it spends is equal to its Scale, regardless of the activity it is doing. This means that in some cases, smaller, more nimble Organizations are better suited to tasks that large and powerful Organizations are capable of, and relationships between such groups often form this reason.

Acquiring a trait costs 5 Influence for Basic, 10 for Advanced, and 20 for Master. These amounts are not multiplied by Scale The Reich that the Organization operates in must have the trait at the required rank.

Spending Influence

For Virtues traits, the following options apply, with costs multiplied by Scale:

- 1 : Staff and assume control of an empty Landmark that matches your traits with an available acceptable Population unit.
- 1: Create the infrastructure to maintain an additional Agent.
- 2 : Transfer 1 Influence to another Organization. This is not multiplied by Scale.
- 3 : Attract away an already employed acceptable Population unit to Staff and assume control an empty Landmark that matches your traits.

Private Landmarks

When an Organization produces a Landmark, they are either for private use as decided upon by the owners (usually the leader and/or officers of the Organization) or they have some kind of private profit system. In the case of a profitable business, the owner may establish any cost to use it that they wish. A minimum cost is established, and this price goes directly to the employees, costs, and other overhead, and is not returned. Any additional price goes to the Landmark’s owner.

Generally, just like ordinary Public Landmarks, Private Landmarks require staff from the Population. Unlike Public Landmarks, however, Staff must be coaxed to work for the Organization using Influence. When Population comes to work for the Organization, they are not members, but are more or less loyal to your Organization’s cause in general. If, however, some event causes the staffing population to leave, they must be reacquired through another Influence spend. The Organization does not need to be the original constructor of the Landmark in order to Staff it.

All Landmarks require Influence spent to activate their use, unless their description specifically says otherwise.

Law

Basic

- - 1 : Staff any Basic Landmark with Gentry, even if it normally requires another kind of Population.
  - 1 : Activate a Basic Law Landmark that you control.

Advanced

- - 1 : Staff any Advanced Landmark with Gentry, even if it normally requires another kind of Population.
  - 1 : Activate an Advanced Law Landmark that you control

Allows a Levy to be performed - one unit of local Population becomes a unit of Spearmen with no Battle Experience under a Commander of this Organization. Additionally, provides military Surveillance and five Walls that are rebuilt between Chapters if destroyed. All Population that answer to your Organization act as Heavy Infantry to garrison the settlement with a Fortress.

Allows the safe imprisonment and care of up to one hundred individual prisoners by Members of the Organization. Imprisoned Player Characters may not take Downtime Actions. This does not require Influence to activate.

Up to five simple laws may be submitted or updated as a Task which will be enforced by guards when present. Guards may be present around Forum and one or two may be summoned as a Task for a short duty (when available). Guards passively increase the difficulty of certain subversive actions against the Organization, such as espionage. Guards from a Command Post are tougher and more capable than those from a guard station. Influence can be spent to raid any other Landmark and cause it to become destaffed. If the Landmark has an inventory, it can be seized at that time. Performing this on a guarded Landmark costs additional Influence.

Inspectors attempt to root out organized crime. Activate this Landmark by spending a number of Influence and targeting a population of Knaves, Drudges, Brigands or Villains. The Organization that controls them must spend an equal number of Influence within one Chapter or they lose control of them, and they cannot be taken control of again for one Chapter after.

The Hall of Valor is dedicated to the housing of one Knight Order's elite forces, and the specialized equipment and spaces needed to perform their most secret training. When activated, it adds a specific Valor to a local Unit, which may allow the creation of specialized units.

Commerce

Basic

- - 1 : Staff any Basic Landmark with Merchants, even if it normally requires another kind of Population.
  - 1 : Activate a Basic Commerce Landmark that you control.

Set a public cost, minimum 1 silver coin. Characters may pay this cost and take a Downtime here to receive 2 Streetwise Actions. This landmark does not cost Influence to operate

Stores up to 50 Supply and preserves half of the stored Supply if Raided. Stored Supply may only be accessed by those with permission. This Landmark does not require Influence to operate.

This Landmark may be staffed with up to 5 Population. When operated, this Landmark allows its owner to allocate 1 Labor for each Population to projects within the Reich.

Produces 5 Kegs of Beer

The owner sets a public rate for use of at least 1 silver coin and gains Mortal Lust. Characters may take their Downtime Action here by paying the rate. When they do so, they remove one Despair and gain Comfort for the next Event, but gain Venial Lust. This does not require Influence to operate. Influence can be spent to throw a raucous party. When they do so, each character that spends their Downtime here also gains 1 Experience Point and creates Decadence.

Choose one of Carpentry, Blacksmithing, or Tailoring at time of staffing. The shop passively adds items related to that craft to a shop that can be accessed from the Basilica using the Mercantilism Skill, or purchased by NPCs. If Influence is spent, a special commission can be created to produce one specific item for the owner of standard quality.

Characters from afar can stay at an inn to live as the locals do. Set a public cost, minimum 2 Silver. This allows characters who do not live in the local Reich to take Downtime Actions as if they did.

Advanced

- - 1 : Staff any Advanced Landmark with Merchants, even if it normally requires another kind of Population.
  - 1 : Activate a Advanced Commerce Landmark that you control.

Choose one Technique related to crafting, such as Glazier, Sacrist, Dyemaker, Bookbinder, etc, at time of staffing. The shop passively adds items related to that craft to a shop that can be accessed from the Basilica using the Mercantilism Skill or by any Member without skill requirement. If Influence is spent, a special commission can be created to produce one specific item for the owner of standard quality.

Choose one of Apothecary, or Engineering at time of staffing. The shop passively adds items related to that craft to a shop that can be accessed from the Basilica using the Mercantilism Skill or by Members without a skill requirement, or purchased by NPCs. If Influence is spent, a special commission can be created to produce one specific item for the owner of standard quality.

Choose one of Carpentry, Blacksmithing, or Tailoring at time of staffing. This shop houses a master and many apprentices. It passively adds items related to that craft to a shop that can be accessed from the Basilica using the Mercantilism Skill or by Members without a skill requirement, or purchased by NPCs. If Influence is spent, a special commission can be created to produce one specific item for the owner of Masterwork quality, or up to 20 items of ordinary quality.

Caravaneers move goods en masse from around the Reich. When activated, they can move up to 50 Supply between any stockpiles or Warehouses (with access permission) within the Reich that is connected by Roads.

A sprawling collection of smaller shops and traders. Any Member of the Organization may add items to the Market, and all items from other Organization Landmarks are added to this Market, as well. Passively allows any character, regardless of Mercantilism Skill, to be able to view, buy and sell items from the Market as a Task. A small portion of sales goes to the owner of the Market. If influence is spent to hustle and promote the market's goods, many of the items within will be purchased by NPCs.

Tradition

Tradition Organizations take an ideological stance on the correct values for the community to have. Every Tradition Organization takes a position on each of the following Values:

Order or Freedom
Collectivism or Merit
Conformity or Diversity

Many Dilemmas the community will face will have some effect on the culture of the Settlement. When an action is taken by the community, such as through engaging an Opportunity, that has a Value associated with it, that Value becomes more dominant, and its corresponding Value becomes weaker.

Each Value is an individual track. Each track represents the dichotomy between two competing Values. The Values can be either weak, strong, or dominant. When a Value reaches each tier, the local community shares these Values and specialized Tradition Landmarks can be Staffed or have their effects activated.

Between each of these milestones intermediate positions exist. The Values of the local population don’t change until a new milestone is reached. For example, if Order became strong, then moved one step back toward Freedom, Order is still strong. Landmarks that require strong Order can be built and activated. If it moves enough that it reaches the weak Order milestone, it then changes to weak, and those Landmarks can no longer be used until it returns to the strong position.

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Order Freedom

I – – – I – – – I – – – I – – – I – – – I

d s w w s d

Basic

- - 1 : Staff any Basic Landmark with Peasants, even if it normally requires another kind of Population.
  - 1 : Activate a Basic Tradition Landmark that you control.

Advanced

- - 1 : Staff any Advanced Landmark with Peasants, even if it normally requires another kind of Population.
  - 1 : Activate an Advanced Tradition Landmark that you control.

Master

- - 1 : Staff any Master Landmark with Peasants, even if it normally requires another kind of Population.
  - 1 : Activate an Master Tradition Landmark that you control.

A campus of several buildings filled with lecture halls, dormitories, and communities centered around learning. When activated, one local Population permanently gains the Educated Quality. Whatever Landmark an Educated Population staffs is twice as effective at any scalable value associated with the Landmark. Alternatively, a population of Peasants may become Merchants, or Merchants become Gentry.

A hardened bunker with a crisis command center, orphanage, hospital, and emergency supplies, capable of providing aid to the entire community in emergencies. Once Staffed, all Crisis trackers take twice as long to fill, and any incident that would kill Population does not do so while this Landmark is operational.

A special ministry for the establishment and enforcement of correct ideas and actions. Huge banners with your Organization’s familiar symbols adorn streets and buildings, and regular pamphlets and essays and materials explaining your Organization’s needs and ideals are ubiquitous. Conforming characters in the Reich gain a Bond of Loyalty to your Organization. All other Organizations in the Reich have their Scales increased by 1, and gain the ability to transfer Influence to your Organization at a 1:1 rate.

A wide, pubic area that is the hub of commerce, ideas, and public speech. Anyone can speak to anyone in this space, about anything, and it is a hotbed of rapid innovation, quick partnerships, and new schemes. All Commerce Opportunities have their trackers halved, making them occur twice as often, however all Merchants in the Reich are engaged with their own opportunities, and additional Influence must be spent to Staff any Merchant Landmark – even public ones.
This Landmark does not require Staffing, and is automatically active so long as the Freedom Value is “Great” or higher.

A monument to the ideals of diversity and inclusion that are important to the local tradition. The population is inspired to include and learn from others and welcome those unlike them for the variety they bring. For each unique Cultural Landmark in the Reich, the Reich gains 1 additional Law, Commerce and Tradition. Describe what the monument depicts.
This Landmark does not require Staffing, and is automatically active so long as the Diversity Value is “Dominant.”

A monument celebrating the specific local ethnic group and their special accomplishments and story.
The Dominant Culture’s Population receive further identification based on their Home (regional, tribal, clan affiliation, etc.) The Dominant Culture in this Reich must now be of the appropriate Home to count as dominant, and others are considered non-dominant. Landmarks Staffed by the dominant Culture (which now includes Home) do not produce Decadence or Exploitation Vices.
Museums representing specific heritages can be created and used in this way.
This Landmark does not require Staffing, and is automatically active so long as the Conformity Value is “dominant.”

Decadence

Basic

- - 1 : Opulence – Members gain the following effects this Event- if you are Luxurious, instead become Opulent. Opulence grants those with it with an additional use of Discipline, Toughness, and Nerve per Rest for the Event.
  - 1 : Banquet – A Feast function happening at night may be upgraded to a Banquet. Banquets grant the Luxurious Condition to all those who partake in them, in addition to their normal benefit.
  - 1 : Liaison – A vice purveyor with exotic and particular products can be arranged at a time and place of your convenience.

Advanced

- - 1 : Soirée – A Party Function happening at night may be upgraded to a Soirée. A Soirée has the additional requirement that it must involve a novel sin for the majority of the guests, and the majority must partake in it. During a Soirée, in addition to the normal benefits of a Party, Influence may be traded 1:1 banquet
  - 1 : Sycophants – Turn a Population of Gentry into Sycophants to your Organization, idlers who spend their time in gossip and pleasure. These no longer act as Gentry, but for each Population of Sycophants, Decadence spends by your Organization cost 1 less Influence.
  - 1+ : Vogue – Make a new fashion statement and invest a number of Influence – Starting next Event, and for as many Chapters afterward as the Influence invested, a rumor announces that anyone who wears this fashion gains that many Influence, minus 1 for each successive Chapter. Every Organization may benefit from this once per Chapter. Each Organization that benefits adds 1 to the Decadence counter. Any use of Vogue in the Theater changes the fashion trend anew. Vogue’s cost is not multiplied by Scale.

Master

- - 1+ : Sophistry – The great thinkers of your clique have elaborated a new philosophic principle is elaborated which rethinks some previously held belief. These new ideas spread quickly, and are taken up by conforming non-player characters. A Rumor announces the new trend in thinking, and it’s Game Effects hold true for all characters while in effect, though no one must act on it. The amount of Influence this costs depends on the idea.

[idea impact low: 0/medium: 1/high: 2] [ forbidden /permissible/ honorable ] [specific: 0/broad: 1]

Each change in position from the normal requires 1 Influence. For example:

- - - - A specific venial sin goes from forbidden to permissible. “Alcohol is the joy of life, for in wine, truth. Rejoice and drink to life!”
        
        [low impact (venial)] [forbidden to permissible] [general: all alcohol]
        
        Cost: 1
      - A laudable event is out of favor. “Warlords are disgusting brutes. Conquest is unworthy of admiration!”
        
        [medium impact (Warlord Achievements).] [honorable to permissible (1)] [Specific: Warfare]
        
        Cost: 2
      - A specific mortal sin is honorable. Characters who perform it become Inspired. “The most worthless in society, criminals, can be rightly killed, which strengthens the Throne!”
        
        [medium impact (mortal)] [ forbidden to honorable (2)] [specific: criminals]
        
        Cost: 3

Sophistry lasts for the next 3 Events and can only be ended early with an equal use of Sophistry to counter the idea.

Exploitation

Basic

- - 1 : Knavery – Take control of a Population of Scum. These become Knaves, under your control. Each Chapter they may generate Exploitation by doing one of the following actions:
    - Shut down a local Landmark for a Chapter. This generates 1 Influence.
    - During a Severe or Major Crisis, may convert one Population of another type to Scum.
      - Decadence : Gentry
      - Exploitation : Merchants
      - Darkness : Peasants
    - Remove one item from a market and get it to you.
    - Loot a local Graveyard or Necropolis. This generates 1 Influence, a Corpse Heap, and Darkness.
    - Participate in a Levy action as conscripts. The Unit they create begins with Despair and generates Exploitation for as long as it remains.
    - Trade a stolen valuable for quick coin.
    - Send a scoundrel, thug, prostitute, or conman skilled in Stealth, Finesse and one Social Skill to do as you direct for a Scene.
  - 1 : Drudgery – Take control of a Population of Scum. These become Drudges, under your control. Drudges may staff any Landmark that is normally staffed by Peasants or Merchants. These unfortunates are bunked in tight squalor on site, and their lives are controlled to maximize production. When Drudges staff a Landmark, it is twice as effective at what it does. This generates Exploitation for each Chapter they remain working. Taking this action causes Mortal Greed.
  - 2 : Attract away another Organization’s Knaves or Drudges to work for you instead.

Advanced

- - 2 : Brigandry – Take control of a Population of Scum. These become Brigands, under your control. Each Chapter they may generate Exploitation by doing one of the following actions:
    - Viciously attack another local Population, making the survivors Scum.
    - Attack a specific road or path, gaining any resources that travel down it this Chapter and 1 Influence for each transfer stopped.
    - Crew an uncrewed ship to attack up to 3 ships in the Theater, attempting to take their cargo.
    - Act as a unit of Skirmishers for one Chapter under the command of any Agent of the Organization.
    - Provide you with illicit goods, such as Malefica or heretical objects.
    - Destroy a specific Basic Landmark, leaving a ruin.
    - Send a cut-throat, spy, or cat-burglar skilled in Stealth, Finesse and Weapon Skills to do as you direct for a Scene.
  - 2 : Wretchedness – Take control of a population of Scum. These become Wretches, under your control. Wretches may staff any Landmark that normally requires Merchants or Peasants, in harsh and degrading conditions much akin to slavery. Landmarks operated by Wretches are three times as effective at what they normally do. This generates Darkness each Chapter they remain working. Taking this action causes Deadly Vanity.
  - 3 : Attract away another Organization’s Brigands to work for you instead.

Master

- - 3 : Villainy – Take control of a Population of Scum. These become Villains, under your control. Each Chapter they may generate Exploitation by doing one of the following actions:
    - Take control of another Organization’s staffed Population indefinitely. They will use their action on your behalf instead without notifying their usual leaders.
    - Destroy a specific Basic or Advanced Landmark, leaving a ruin.
    - Steal any unspent Influence from another local Organization.
    - Agitate against the ruling faction, creating Exploitation for each Scum in the Reich, including those being used as gangs.
    - Send a skilled assassin or crew of cut-throats to make an attempt on any local character.
  - 4 : Attract away another Organization’s Villains to work for you instead.
  - 5 : Generate Great Terror, which can interrupt and cancel events in the Global Theater.

Darkness

Basic

- - 1 : Make contact with a knowledgeable and established agent of Darkness that can act as a mentor.
  - 1 : Obscenity – Your Organization begins a dark scheme that targets a specific Landmark. The scheme takes 3 Chapters to conclude. During each Chapter, various trouble and disturbing signs will alert others that darkness is gathering. You earn 1 Influence for each Chapter such a scheme is in effect. When it concludes, the Night Malefic will respond to the obscenities that occurred during the scheme with a curse or a Night creature. While it is active, that Landmark gains the Darkness Vice. Unless by some other means, you have no means to control what is created.

Advanced

- - 2 : Tragedy – Your Organization begins a wicked scheme. This works like Obscenity, except that it targets a specific Settlement. The curse or creature created is more powerful.

Master

- - 3 : Atrocity – Your Organization begins a dread and terrible scheme. This works like Tragedy, but it targets the Reich, and the curses or creatures it creates are yet more powerful.

Gothic: Runeheim

Organizations and Influence

Officers and Members

Traits and Scale

Spending Influence

Private Landmarks

Law

Commerce

Tradition

Decadence

Exploitation

Darkness