FrivYeti/HeroicBacking

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Backing Charms

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Executive Oversight Technique</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Type:: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Backing: 1
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: None

The character uses the reason and thoughtfulness of her position to better work on a problem. The character may reroll a single roll on any extended action based around organization or bureaucratic nature (usually Bureaucracy or Larceny, but other Abilities may be used.)

Clever Requisition Prana</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes per die
Type:: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Minimum Backing: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: Executive Oversight Technique

The character learns to manipulate a bureaucracy so that forms go to the proper place and the system functions to support her position. Whenever the character is making a roll to get services or supplies from her organization, she may purchase additional dice on the roll. The character may purchase up to her Backing worth of dice.

Red Tape Delay Technique</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower per day
Type:: Simple
Duration: One Day
Minimum Backing: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Clever Requisition Prana

The character learns to block the efforts of others, in order to stymie their organizations and personal efforts. The character chooses a target and rolls her Manipulation + Backing. For each success, the target suffers a 1-die penalty to all roll to get services or supplies from their organization for the next day. The character may automatically renew this Charm for up to her Essence in days; after that, she must wait one week before targeting the same person.

Mantle of Authority Placement</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Type:: Simple
Duration: One Scene
Minimum Backing: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Clever Requisition Prana

The character wraps her authority about her, and uses it like a cloak. She may attempt to pass herself off as a member of any organization; this Charm adds the character's Backing in automatic successes to all rolls to lie about being a member of an organization, disguise herself as a ranking member of that organization, understand its functioning, or similar effects.

Proactive Managerial Method</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes per die converted.
Type:: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Backing: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Executive Oversight Method

The character oversees her bureaucracy, and it functions better. This Charm may be used in conjuncture with any extended Ability roll made by a group of the organization that the character belongs to (usually Bureaucracy, Crafts, Larceny, or Sail, but others could substitute). For each two motes spent, convert one die on that roll to an automatic success. The character may convert up to her Backing in dice.

Cunning Watchman's Understanding</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Type:: Simple
Duration: One Week
Minimum Backing: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Proactive Managerial Method

The character spends time looking at her organization, and instantly understands what is going wrong. The character may affect a section of the organization holding no more than (her Essence x100 people). The character becomes instantly aware of all cheating, betrayal of, or profiting from the organization that takes place within the section during the time elapsed. Only a perfect crime-concealing Charm may guard against this effect.

Forced Loyalty Method</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Type:: Simple
Duration: Instant
Minimum Backing: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Cunning Watchman's Understanding, Red Tape Delay Technique

The character has a short discussion with someone, wherein she forces them to renounce their criminal ways and become a model member of the bureaucracy. The character must explain her knowledge of the target's behaviour, and spend five minutes talking to the target. The character rolls Manipulation + Backing in an opposed roll against the target's Willpower + Essence. If the character succeeds, the target is forced into obediance; any attempt to cheat her position, betray her organization, or otherwise profit unethically from her job requires her to both spend a Willpower point and fail a Conviction roll, adding a number of dice equal to the amount that the character exceeded her successes on the opposed roll. If the Conviction roll succeeds, the character may not profit at all. This effect lasts until the target succeeds in graft three times, and is considered to be a mental compulsion rather than a continuing Charm effect. It must be dealt with as such.

Aerial Memorandum Method</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Type:: Simple
Duration: Instant
Minimum Backing: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: None

Communication is integral to any organization, and the character learns to easily transmit messages. The character may send a single sentance message to any person whose name or appearance the character knows, and who is within (the character's Essence) in miles. Only the intended recipient may hear the message.

Supervisory Communications Prana</b>

<b>Cost: 8 motes
Type:: Simple
Duration: One Scene
Minimum Backing: 4
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: Aerial Memorandum Method

Sometimes, a single sentance is not enough. The character names a single person who is a part of her Allies, Backing, Contacts, Followers, or Mentor (other PCs count), and may immediately engage in conversation with them as though they were present. Both people may hear everything said to each other, although anyone present will only hear the side of the conversation that they are present for. The target may not choose to end this Charm, but the activator may. If the target does not wish to be heard, they may roll Willpower at a difficulty of the character's Essence; for each success, they may go one turn without their words being heard.

Emergency Contact Method</b>

<b>Cost: 1 mote
Type:: Simple
Duration: Indefinate
Minimum Backing: 5
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Supervisory Communications Prana

It is not always enough to contact others; sometimes they must contact you. The character must be present with someone who could be affected by Supervisory Communications Prana in order to activate this Charm. As long as this Charm is in effect, that person may spend 3 motes of Essence or one Willpower and speak a single sentence, which you immediately hear. You may end this Charm at any time.

Timely Arrival Technique</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Type:: Simple
Duration: One Day
Minimum Backing: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Aerial Memorandum Method

It is important that people stay connected in an organization, and the character rapidly learns to travel from place to place to keep tabs on her people. The character may double her travel distance in a single day, provided that she does not do anything more complex than simple travelling. This Charm may affect up to the character's (Backing + Essence) worth of total people and their mounts.

Incredible Transition Method</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes+, 1 Willpower
Type:: Simple
Duration: One Day
Minimum Backing: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Timely Arrival Technique, Cunning Watchman Understanding

With proper speed, the character can descend unprepared on any part of her organization. The character may instantly transport herself to any location where her Backing has an official locale. The base distance that the character may travel for 4 motes is (Essence) in miles; for every 4 more motes spent, the character may multiply the total by 10. The character may not spend more than (her Essence x4) motes on this Charm.

Comments

Two things: first of all, I get twitchy whenever I see a Charm that provides bonuses or penalties to a roll I've never actually made or had a player make in a game. How often do Backing rolls really come up? Clearly this Charmset has a few, but Red Tape Delay Technique in particular strikes me as problematic. Perhaps if you disconnected the roll from a specific Trait, and used a more general description (such as appears in Poractive Managerial Method)?

Second, is that spelling of Bureaucracy an over-the-Pond thing? - Hapushet

No, it's a "Friv Is Dumb" thing. I just completely screw that word up, consistantly, in the same way, for no good reason. As to the first - my group rolls for Backing whenever they're trying to get stuff from their organization; I can disconnect the roll to the same effect, though. :) - FrivYeti