FrivYeti/BackingRules

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Expanded Backing Rules

So, you're a respected member of House Ledaal. You have Backing 4, representing the great deal of power at your disposal.

What do you do with it?

The following rules are an attempt to give Backing a bit more depth. In essence, while higher Backing often means that you have more responsibilities, it also gives a character the power to call on the resources of her organization for a variety of advantages. This is known as Requisitioning.

Requisitioning

When a character requisitions materials, people, or assistance, it requires a roll; the typical roll is Manipulation + Bureaucracy, but specific organizations might require different rolls depending on the situation. The difficulty of the roll is based on three factors: what is being requisitioned, what the character's Backing is, and how often they have requisitioned things in the recent past.

What Is Being Requisitioned

Whatever the character is requesting can generally be represented by other backgrounds. In general, the following Backgrounds can be requisitioned:

• Artifacts: Characters can request the use of an artifact for a single mission or event. This uses the Solar Background.
• Command: Characters can request soldiers for a single event or mission. This uses the Dragon-Blooded background.
• Connections: Characters can request a single task through the organization's connections. This uses the Dragon-Blooded Background.
• Followers: Characters can request the use of skilled followers. This uses the Solar Background.
• Manses: Characters can request access to an organization Manse and Hearthstone for a mission or event. This uses the Solar Background.
• Mentor: Characters can request training in a single Trait from the organization. This uses the Solar Background to determine what is being trained.
• Resources: Characters can request a single purchase with a rating equal to the Resources Background.

Other requsitions may be available at a Solar's request.

The Storyteller should decide whether the Background being requested is Common, Uncommon, or Rare, as follows:
Common: A Background that the organization has easy access to. Requesting Resources from the Guild, or Command from the Legions. The base difficulty of the roll is equal to the rating of the Background, and the character can requisition up to (Backing +1) dots at a time.
Uncommon: A Background that the organization has some access to, but not frequently. For example, requesting an Artifact from the Guild, or Connections (House Cathak) from the Legions. The base difficulty of the roll is (Background x2), and the character can requisition up to (Backing) dots at a time.
Rare: A Background that the organization has little or no access to. For example, requesting Connections (Immaculate Order) from the Guild, or Mentor (learning Socialize) from the Legions. The base difficulty of the roll is (Background x3), and the character can requisition up to (Backing halved, rounding down) dots at a time.

The Character's Backing

In addition to limiting how much can be requisitioned, and how frequently, a character adds her Backing rating in bonus successes to her rolls to requisition objects.

Requisitions

Every point of previously-made Requisitions increases the difficulty of a Requisition roll by one. When a character makes few requests, she finds them granted more easily; when she strains her organization, they are less eager to help her in the future.

Requisitions increase whenever a character makes a Requisition attempt, as follows:

• Common Backgrounds increase Requisitions by 1 for a Background rated at 1-3, or by 2 for Backgrounds rated at 4-5. If the Requisition is not successful, the increase is reduced by 1.
• Uncommon Backgrounds increase Requisitions by their rating. If the Requisition is not successful, halve the increase (rounding down).
• Rare Backgrounds increase Requisitions by double their rating. If the Requisition is not successful, increase by their Rating only.

In addition, if the character somehow loses or ruins a Background, she immediately applies its rating to her Requisition History, regardless of how common it was.

As time goes on, a character's Requisition History decreases; powerful figures can requisition Backgrounds almost constantly, if need be. Every week, a character's Requisition history decreases by her Backing rating, to a minimum of 0.

Comments

I really like what you've done here. I agree that Backing is definitely a overly vague background and you've done a good job fixing it. Good job!