Totally Not An ISB Agent
Ensign
Joined: 06 May 2020
Posts: 37
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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 Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2024 12:05 pm Post subject: I know a guy (system for determining Contacts). |
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This is a system I developed for giving characters a contact on the fly. It makes use of some Advantages that will come in a future post. It also pairs with my Have I been here before? rules (https://rancorpit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9055).
To make these rules I scavenged bits and pieces from several sources, but mainly from the Cyberpunk 2020 Wildside sourcebook. Note that as always, the GM has final say over any details about your contacts.
Let me know what you think and whether the numbers should be adjusted at all.
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You may use a contact to get information, ask a favour or secure a quick loan. Whether or not your contact will grant your request depends upon the nature of the request and their ability to grant it (and what you offer in return). If your contact is a mechanic in a docking bay, he might be able to loan you 50 credits, give you a place to crash for a night or two, or maybe give you a deal on repairs to your ship. If your contact is the boss of a large gang, with control over an entire system, he could give you a hefty loan (with interest), loan you a ship for a few days, or maybe find you that illegal disruptor rifle you've been wanting (for a reasonable price, honest). If your contact is Grand Moff Tarkin, he could give you permits to fly to any sector you want or equip your ship with extremely heavy weaponry, or maybe even get you a meeting with Lord Vader.
Contacts belong to one of five categories and the amount of influence they have determines their reach or ability to grant favours.
• The Arts – artists, entertainers, news reporters, etc.
• Business World – owner/operators, small companies, huge corporations, etc.
• Government – government workers, governors, moffs, etc.
• Military/Police – troopers, captains, admirals, etc.
• Criminal – gang members, fences, cartel members, etc.
To check if your character has a local contact, first decide on which category you want to check for. Spend a Character Point, take 1D, add the appropriate Modifiers from the tables below, roll and consult the Influence table:
Example: Dern the Duros is in a system that he's visited many times and wants to see if he has any contacts here in the local business or criminal community.
First he checks to see what he will roll for the business contact. He didn't take the Business skill at base value and does not have the Friends in Business Advantage. Therefore he would roll 1D (1D +1D for having been here many times -1D for not having the Business skill at Base Value). The odds aren't good to roll a contact, so he doesn't bother wasting a Character Point.
Then he checks to see what he will roll for the criminal contact. He has a KNOW of 3D, has a Streetwise of 5D+2 (he added 2D+2), and has the Friends in Low Places Advantage. Therefore he rolls 4D+2 (1D + 1D for having been here many times +2 for having added two full D in the Streetwise skill +2D for having the Friends in Low Places Advantage). He spends the character point and rolls a 20 (a Difficult result) and decides his contact is a well-known fixer.
The result of your roll determines the amount of influence or reputation that your contact has. It also determines the modifier to the rolls on the Contact Details table.
Once you have determined the Influence of your contact, roll 3D6 + the Initial Mod on the tables below to determine his details.
His Capability determines his ability in his most relevant skills (for example, the owner of a small company with a Capability of 4D would have 4D in his Business, Bureaucracy, and Value skills). Alternatively, roll separately for each of his relevant skills.
His Availability determines whether or not he is around to meet with you. When you attempt to contact him, roll 3D6 and add his Availability Mod from the Influence table above and compare to his Availability DC. If you roll equal to or greater than the DC, he is available to meet you/take your call. If you fail this roll, he is currently unavailable to meet with you. The length of time until he is available can range from a few minutes or hours for someone that is always available, to several weeks for someone who is rarely available. You may be able to talk your way into meeting with him regardless of your roll with appropriate roleplaying and/or bribes.
His Reliability determines the reliability of his information or product, and the likelihood that he will screw you over if things go awry. The GM makes this 3D6 + Reliability Mod roll in secret. If the roll fails, then the information or product is bad. On a complication, he is actively screwing you over.
Here are some examples:
You may take a contact from a higher level by putting him in a lesser position. For example, the roll for a crime contact results in a contact with Little influence. Rather than making him the boss of a gang, he could be a lieutenant in a planet-wide syndicate, or a respected member of a sector-wide syndicate.
Last edited by Totally Not An ISB Agent on Sun Feb 04, 2024 10:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16178
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:46 am Post subject: |
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Great work. I'm moved to wonder what other sorts of skills might provide an entree into their own social circles, like Scholar making connections to academia or Medicine into the local medical community.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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