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by Crisstopher L. Walker

September 10th, 2010

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Influence Rules

by Crisstopher L. Walker

September 9th, 2010

Influence

The Influence rules from the Mind's Eye Theatre source books are expanded upon here. The Military and Espionage Influences presented in Laws of the Hunt and Laws of the Hunt Players Guide are not used.

Level Restrictions

Maximums listed here refer to any given Influence category, not a total of all categories, though no character may have more total levels of Influence than his or her Physical, Social and Mental Traits combined. Characters cannot purchase beyond the fifth level of an influence at character creation or with experience points, although they may rise as high as level ten through the course of play.

There will be no more than one level ten influence, two level nine influences and three level eight influences in any single category.  This includes NPC’s.

Number of Actions

Players may use a number of actions each month (not session) equal to twice their Influence level. No more than thirty actions can be spent towards a single endeavor in any given month, including all actions spent for modifications.

For possible uses of Influences, refer to the influence charts in Laws of the Night Revised and Laws of the Night: Camarilla Guide. The cost noted on the chart is both the number of actions it takes to partake in that endeavor and the minimum level of influence required to be able to utilize that endeavor.

New Endeavors and Modifiers

In addition to the endeavors listed on the Influence charts, characters may perform these additional endeavors and modifiers.

New Endeavors

ATTACK

A character can attempt to reduce another's Influence with her own Influence of that category, provided he has completed Trace on it or that influence performed an Attack on him. To Attack, the character assigns a number of actions, with a minimum of four actions required, which becomes the level of the Attack endeavor. If the level exceeds the victim's Influence level (plus the highest level Block put up to defend it), the victim drops a level at the beginning of the following month. Banked Growth actions aren't affected.

BLOCK

Block is used to prevent endeavors from taking place in the same category as the blocking Influence. Any endeavor from the sourcebooks may be blocked, provided the blocker's Influence level is at least equal to the endeavor's level on the chart. The Block's effective "level" is the total actions spent towards it and it affects all attempts at that endeavor in the city in that month. For example, two actions will produce a level two Block, which is assigned to a single type of endeavor. A Block can also be set up on a single character's Influence to protect it from the Attack endeavor. It will protect against all endeavors in that month.

GROW

To Grow Influence in a category to the next level, a number of actions must be spent equal to the current level of the influence squared or six actions, whichever is greater. For example, to Grow from a level three to a level four requires nine actions. [3 x 3 = 9]. Grow actions are accumulated from month to month, with the influence increasing at the beginning of the next month. There is no interaction between Grow and Attack.

TRACE

Trace is used to establish the identity of a character whose Influence the tracer's own has come into contact with. This"contact" is established by noticing one of the target's endeavors with the Watch endeavor, by Blocking one of the target's endeavors, or by having one of their own endeavors Blocked by the target. The total actions spent on the Trace defines its level. If the level of this Trace exceeds the highest level of Conceal put up to guard the influence, it is successful.

WATCH

Watch is used to notice a certain endeavor in a city from the chart listed in the sourcebooks, provided that character's Influence is sufficient to perform that endeavor itself. For example, a Watch on "Acquire a body" would need at least level four in Health. The character would then know when and how many times the "Acquire a body" endeavor is attempted in the city for that month. The total actions spent on the Watch define its level.

Endeavor Modifiers

BOOST

Boost is simply a term used to describe adding additional unneeded actions to an endeavor, which is used to overcome Block. If the actions spent to Boost equal the level of the Block, the endeavor is successful.

COMBINE

Combine occurs when one character wishes to aid the Influence endeavor of another. No endeavor on the charts can be attempted by a character that doesn't have the appropriate Influence level according to that chart, regardless of use of Combine. For every two actions spent on Combine, the character being aided gains one action to use towards their endeavor. Influence borrowed through the Allies and Mentor Backgrounds are also subject to this rule. No more than thirty actions can be spent towards a single endeavor in any given month, including all actions spent for modifications.

CONCEAL

Conceal is added to endeavors to counter the use of Watch. If the number of actions spent for Conceal with an endeavor equals the level of the Watch, the character using the Watch does not detect the endeavor or come into contact with the character's Influence. Conceal can be used in the same way to protect an Influence from a Trace. The number of actions spent towards Conceal in this manner generates a Conceal level, which is pitted against any attempts to Trace it for that month.

The Scope of Influences

Usually an Influence can only affect Influence from the same category. For example, an attack with Finance only affects the target's Finance Influence. Similarly a Block put up to protect a character's Media (which would have to be done with Media actions), would not protect any of the character's other Influence categories. In very rare circumstances the ST may allow Influences from one category to assist endeavors in another, but only within the city. In this case, every two actions spent becomes one action in the cross-influence assist.

Some endeavors on the charts state that they can affect and entire nation or other area larger than a city. If a character wishes to attempt an endeavor in a city other than the one his Influence is located in, he may attempt to do so, but each action used for an endeavor costs two actions to accomplish. This limits total actions for out-of-city endeavors to be no more effective than ten actions. If a character wishes to affect a city on another continent, then each action used for an endeavor costs four actions to accomplish (limiting total actions for such to be no more effective than five actions).

Characters may have Influences in multiple cities, which are considered to be entirely separate Influences even if they are of the same category.

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