Affinities and Reputations

Affinities are an internally-sourced trait (“What I value”), Reputations are an externally-sourced trait (“What others would say about me”).

Affinities are your motivating goals, loyalties, and affections that drive your decisions. Define them with a single short phrase that describes the subject of the Affinity, define a clear relationship to the setting, and suggest avenues for deeper connections.

The rank of the Affinity determines what is needed to harm it (see below). Any single action you perform (freely or persuaded/coerced) that significantly threatens an Affinity will lower its temporary rank by 1. If a temporary rank is ever reduced to zero, its fixed rank is reduced by 1. Temporary damage will normalize to the fixed rank over time (see Recovery.

If you consistently act as though your Affinity is of a higher rank, the temporary rank is increased by 1. You may spend XP = 2x next Rank to make the change permanent (purchasing each rank separately). You may also spend 1 XP to redefine any single Affinity, changing the phrase with Narrator approval (though it must have a connection to the spirit of the original Affinity, even if it changes breadth or focus).

Reputations define the things for which you are known in society - typically noteworthy actions performed in your past. Usually positive, but any Reputation may be negative in certain contexts. It helps to have a short backstory in mind as context for your Reputations.

If you belong to a publicly-recognized organization (via the Membership Asset), you often gain a Reputation connected to that organization (often the title of authority).

• Rank 1: generally only known in certain social circles in a small geographic area.
• Rank 2: Spread among a profession or in a close community.
• Rank 3: Regional Fame
• Rank 4: Country-level Fame
• Rank 5: Empire-wide reputation

If you (or your party) perform an amazing deed worthy of retelling, award a new temporary Rank 1 Reputation for that deed. The fixed rank is considered 0, until you spend 2 XP to make it fixed (otherwise it will fade over time). At the Narrator's discretion, if you perform greater deeds similar to existing Reputations, the temporary Rank may increase further (make permanent by spend XP = 2x next Rank), and the description may be updated to reflect its new scope.

Reputations are reduced through gossip or slander, and XP may be spent to permanently change an opponent's Reputation - see Intrigues

Evidence (social 'weapons' in social conflict) generally has a Potency Rank = to the Reputation of the source. If Evidence comes from a source to which the defender has an Affinity, Potency = rank of Affinity. This does not stack, use only the highest Rank.

If an attacker attempts to persuade/convince you regarding something that would conflict with an Affinity or Reputation, you may use the Rank of that Affinity/Reputation as Armor (Potency must be higher than Armor to place outcomes on the target; see Conflicts) for more details.