Influences

[Xenia]

Influences
Influence measures the degree to which you can make your wishes count in mortal society. In most cases, you acquire Influence through multiple means, including persuasion, bribery, intimidation, direct manipulation of minds and emotions, and passing herself off as mortal when necessary. It takes time to accumulate more than a dot or two of Influence in a community of any size, and high Influence is the realm of influential Kinfolk or powerful Urrah who spend years or even generations cultivating their positions or who do a lot of dangerous wheeling and dealing. Influence is not license to do whatever strikes your fancy. It’s always easiest to get institutions to do what they’re already inclined to. City guards need little prodding to arrest suspicious strangers or break up illicit operations whose owners haven’t been paying bribes, but require more incentive to go out killing apparently innocent bystanders or trying to arrest the most important civic leaders. Roleplaying therefore supports straightforward declarations of Influence use, and more so as the Garou twists the institution’s purpose and outlook.

While we could break down Influences into all different levels of society, for the simplicity purposes we are only going to use 7 Influences. If there is a field in which you wish to have control over then you will have to use Contacts/Allies to show your limited control in that field. It will be implied that the field is too small to make a big impact on the society so it won't garnish its own Influence.

Note that your Influences only work within the immediate area and city-state that your character is based near. To make your Influences stretch farther than that you must purchase the Fame background.

System: At the start of each game you will be given cards for each of your Influences and a number of points on that card equal to your score in the Influence. You can spend them whenever you would like but must spend a number of points equal to the effect you wish to achieve. Influence can be used by any person even if they don’t have points in a specific Influence. You may trade Influence with others for favors or any means whatsoever (though the cards cannot be stolen). Where the Influence originated doesn't matter; it only matters who spends it. There are other ways in game of getting influence (via NPC's and other means). Further, unused influence expires after two months to reflect the struggle to maintain sway in an area you don't interact with. The date an influence is granted will be written on the card, and a card after the two month threshold will be considered invalid.

If you do not show up to game, you will not get influence for that game!

All Backgrounds traded for with Influence are gone after use.

Areas of Influence:

• Military
• Occult
• Political
• Scholastic
• Street
• Temple
• Trade

Influence Restrictions:
The Curse is a very real impediment to those working their way through the mortal world. A garou's maximum possible dots in Influence is capped by 5 - (1/2 Rage, rounded up). Simply put:

Permanent Rage	Influence Cap
0 (Kin)	5
1-2 Rage	4
3-4 Rage	3
5-6 Rage	2
7-8 Rage	1
9+ Rage	None

Please note this does not effect how a garou can spend/trade the influence they have, only that they have an extra impediment in trying to raise their base Influence over a certain level. While you may have too much Rage to earn Trade 5 on your character sheet, you can wait until you've stockpiled enough to turn in for that effect.

General Influence Actions:

Action	Influence Cost	Description
Growth	1	You may spend one Downtime to grow all of your current Influences by one Growth Point. Note, you can also spend backgrounds or Downtime actions for additional Influence growth as well. (More information on this given below.)
Stealth	1+	Cover an influence action from being seen by others watching the Influence. The number of points spent in this Stealth action add their value to the Stealth of a specific Influence action, potentially shielding the action from notice. The Influence spent must match the Influence being concealed. (More detail on Influence Visibility given below.)
Watch	2+	You are able to discover ALL visible Influence actions within your Scope of Influence. The Influence actions discovered will match those of the Influence being spent. (More detail on Influence Visibility given below.).

Growth
To Establish an Influence (by raising it from 0 to 1), you must spend a Downtime Action to do so. Each specific type of Influence requires its own Downtime Action.

Once you have Influences established, you may spend a Downtime Action towards Influence Growth. This allows you to gain one Growth Point in all your current Influences to eventually raise them to a higher level. Kinfolk gain two Growth Points with this specific action instead of the usual one. You may only spend one Downtime Action each Downtime cycle to raise Influences in this fashion. This action is one that cannot be seen, by default. It can take some time to grow your Influences based on a few factors that we keep record of behind the scenes.

There are additional ways to help your Influences grow. Keep in mind, both of these bonuses will make your growth actions able to be noticed by someone using Watch in the correct area. These additional ways include:

• You can expend a relevant Background of the level you are trying to get to give additional help. For example, if you want to Grow your Trade Influence from 3 to 4, you could use your Resources 4 background to help speed up the Growth. Each background may only be expended once in a given downtime to aid an Influence Growth. So you could not use your Resources of 4 to aid both your Trade Influence AND your Temple Influence, for example. This gives an additional (+1) Growth Point.
• You may spend an additional downtime for 1 Growth Point in one specific Influence. This can be done more than once per Influence per Downtime.

The following chart is how much growth points you need to level up your influence. Growth does not reset after attaining the new level.

Influence	Requirements
0 to 1	1 Downtime
1 to 2	3 Growth Points
2 to 3	9 Growth Points
3 to 4	18 Growth Points
4 to 5	30 Growth Points

Example: Cleon the Cliath wishes to grow their Influences (Military 2 and Political 2) and establish some new ones. First, he spends one downtime action to establish Street Influence. This will raise his Street Influence from 0 to 1. Then, he spends a downtime action to grow all of his Influences (which he can only do once per downtime cycle), so his newly bought Street Influence will gain its first of 3 Growth Points needed to raise itself to 2. Then, his already existing influences of Political and Military each gain 1 Growth Point, putting his Military Growth Points at 6 and his Political Growth Points at 7. At this point, Cleon expends his Resources Background of 3 and spend a third Downtime Action to get two additional Growth Points in Political. With this, Cleon has 9 Political Growth Points, raising his Political Influence from 2 to 3.

Stealth/Watch
Players are not expected to learn and apply this system with every action; we are providing it here for clarity of what will happen behind the scenes.

All Influence actions have a level of visibility that determines who is able to notice the shadowy actions that happen in backroom deals and darkened alleyways. A number of factors influence the visibility of an Influence action, and the strength or weakness of these determine how much of it reaches the ears and eyes of others.

• Visibility of the Influence
• Stealth of the Action
• Vigilance of the Watcher

Factor	Mechanic
Visibility of the Influence	The base visibility of the Influence Spend is equal to 1/4 the cost of Influence spent (rounded up).
Stealth of the Action	The default Stealth of any Influence action is 0. If a Stealth Influence action is taken, the number of points spent on it increases the Stealth of a specific Influence Action by a corresponding amount. This number may be further increased by expending levels of Allies. For each point expended, the Stealth of a specific Influence Action increases by 1.
Vigilance of the Watcher	The Watcher's Vigilance subtracts from the Visibility and Stealth of an Influence Action, but only for the Watcher themselves. The default value of Vigilance is 1. If a Watch Influence action is taken, the number of points spent on it beyond the second increases the Watcher's Vigilance by a corresponding amount. This number may be further increased by expending levels of Contacts. For each point of Contacts expended, the Vigilance of a specific Watch Influence Action increases by 1.

Adding these factors together will determine whether an individual is able to notice an Influence Action being taken. Any result of 1 or greater is able to be detected by those using the Watch Action. Normally, only individuals who are using the Watch Influence action are able to notice an Influence Action happening, but certain powerful actions (effects of 20+ for example) may, at the ST's discretion, have the potential of being noticed by everyone as some things are just too far sweeping or noticeable in their effects to hide easily. If an ST decides that such an action has a potential to be seen by everyone, they will inform the player in advance, so they can attempt to cover it with a Stealth Influence Action.

It is important to note that the Watch Influence action will only tell individuals about the Influence Actions taken, but will not reveal the identity of the individual(s) who were responsible for said actions.

[Xenia]

Military Influence
The Ancient Greek landscape is dotted with many city-states, some small and some so large they have their own sizable standing military forces. This influence give you access to one of those military forces. Such forces include Sparta, Athens, Corinth, Thebes, and so on. The trick with this influence is that it must be repurchased with each separate city-state you wish to control.

Military influence will be noted on your sheet which groups you have sway in and can only be spent by someone with at least 1 point of military influence. (This will be noted in the Miscellaneous section on your sheet just like Fields of Expertise, though if you trade it to someone else they will use their Field of Expertise.)

Level	Actions
1	Train with a low level soldier Learn some information involving local wars or other major operations Convince a soldier to look the other way
2	Gain entrance into the barracks Have a child placed into training Exert influence upon political figures (Spend at 2:1 for Politics) Trade at 2:1 for a single shot use of a certain Veil safe backgrounds (Resources or Territory)
3	Control the outcome of a prisoner or gain access to the stockades Gain access to some amount of Military Force Exert influence upon traders and merchants (Spend at 3:1 for Trade)
4	Gain limited access to the armory Gain insight strategies on a particular campaign that are not public knowledge Influence the movements of a particular unit
5	Get a group of men trained how to fight by an orders Master of Arms Strip military rank from a soldier Have a man accepted or drafted into the military
10	Add or remove laws within the military Gain unrestricted access to the armory
20	Incite a campaign for some noble cause Gain access to the most valuable of treasures

Influence actions do not cap out at 20, exceptions are just too rare to warrant listing. You may submit and arrange actions of a higher number (i.e., have all forces withdraw from a territory, disband an entire citystate's army), and these will be addressed on a case by case basis.

[Xenia]

Occult Influence
The hidden world of the supernatural teems with secrets, conspiracies and unusual factions. By using Occult Influence, you can dig up information to improve your knowledge, get inside the occult community and find rare components for magical rituals. Cult leaders, charlatans, witches, would-be occultists and a few more dangerous elements can be found here.

Level	Actions
1	Contact and make use of common occult groups and their practices Know some of the more visible occult figures Acquire candles, bones, crystals, etc. of decent quality, acquire common ritual components (galangal oil, tamarisk, feathers, shiny stones, etc...)
2	Know and contact some of the more obscure occult figures Learn rumors about local supernatural movements Exert influence upon religious figures (Spend at 2:1 for Temple) Gain access to a small amount of Gnosis from minor occult objects or hidden locales (1 point for every 2 points of Influence)
3	Research a Basic ritual (Level 1 and 2) Acquire uncommon ritual components (alchemically pure metals, specifically prepared woods, century old finger bones etc...) Exert influence upon scholastic figures (Spend at 3:1 for Scholastic)
4	Access some occult tomes and writings Access vital or rare material components Know the general vicinity of certain supernatural entities and (possibly) contact them
5	Learn the strengths and weaknesses of a supernatural Get a lead on a mystical location Research an Intermediate ritual (Level 3 and 4)
10	Get training to become a scholar in a supernatural subject Know where to find a specific supernatural entity
20	Unearth an Advanced ritual (Level 5) Locate a powerful magic item, fetish, or relic

Influence actions do not cap out at 20, exceptions are just too rare to warrant listing. You may submit and arrange actions of a higher number (i.e., locate a potent, forgotten place of power, find the resting place or sanctum of one of the strongest supernatural entities), and these will be addressed on a case by case basis.

[Xenia]

Political Influence
Bribing influential nobles and attracting “favorable” merchants are just a few of the antics that falls under the purview of Political Influence. Well-timed blackmail, bribery or any sundry tricks are stock in trade on both sides of this fence. Some of the likely contacts and allies include nobles, sages, landowners and merchants. When you take this Influence, you must select the city in which you have this sway. It must be repurchased with each separate city-state you wish to exert your will over.

Political influence will be noted on your sheet which groups you have sway in and can only be spent by someone with at least 1 point of Political influence. (This will be noted in the Miscellaneous section on your sheet just like Fields of Expertise, though if you trade it to someone else they will use their Field of Expertise.)

Level	Actions
1	Learn what is fashionable Learn about celebrations far in advance Learn guard procedures or information Avoid harassment from the guards Identify real platforms of politicians and parties Garner inside information on process, laws and the like
2	Be in the know as to the policies of state Be known on sight by the local elite Exert influence upon military figures (Spend at 2:1 for Military) Trade at 2:1 for a single shot use of a certain Veil safe backgrounds (Allies or Contacts) Have someone searched Avoid minor violations of the law Gain the ruler's ear on a minor issue
3	Have guards detain and harass someone Cover a minor Veil Breach Change guard schedules Gain information on and from secret meetings Exert influence upon temple figures (Spend at 3:1 for Temple) Get inside information Obtain invitations to important and noble celebrations
4	Have a serious charge dropped Get copies of an investigation report Crush promising arranged marriages, spread damning gossip Increase your Fame by 1 for an action Access confiscated weapons and contraband Have a Non-noble Mortal discredited
5	Gain a member of the ruling family's ear on a major issue Sabotage the reputation of another through political intrigues Start an investigation Have a ranking guard fired Arrange a setup
10	Suspend minor laws temporarily Cover a Major Veil Breach Increase your Fame by 1 for a lunar cycle Institute a major investigation into a noble Have a Non-Ruling mortal Discredited
20	Gain the ear of the Ruler on a major issue Give direction to local armies Influence major societal changes

Influence actions do not cap out at 20, exceptions are just too rare to warrant listing. You may submit and arrange actions of a higher number (i.e., oust a city-state's leader, having a city-state switch league allegiances), and these will be addressed on a case by case basis.

[Xenia]

Scholastic Influence
In an age where the quest for learning and knowledge is taking on a new significance, those who have access to knowledge are powerful indeed. Someone with this Influence can control the amount of knowledge dispensed to the people- and the percentage of truth dispensed. Within this sphere of Influence, one finds the tutors, scholars, philosophers, historians, physicians, and many young and impressionable minds.

Level	Actions
1	Easily access the services of midwives and village healers Gain access to a knowledgeable person in a scholastic field of study Access to a variety of scrolls
2	Control information dispensed to a small audience Exert influence upon low born individuals (Spend at 2:1 for Street) Trade at 2:1 for a single shot use of a certain Veil safe backgrounds (Allies or Kinfolk) Access to healers with a descent capacity to treat mundane ailments
3	Access to a supply of non-fatal poisons Obtain access to the historical archives of minor nobility Exert influence upon occult minded individuals (Spend at 3:1 for Occult)
4	Access to healers with a great capacity to treat mundane ailments Control knowledge of an individual institution Obtain access to a large variety of scrolls and tablets
5	Access to a supply of fatal poisons Have bodies exhumed without religious condemnation Have people quarantined as lepers or plague carriers
10	Get certain literary works banned Inspire a great amount of research on a single subject
20	Access to a supply of Supernatural affecting non-fatal poisons Inspire a major health craze within a large city (Hand washing, regular doctor visits, etc.)

Influence actions do not cap out at 20, exceptions are just too rare to warrant listing. You may submit and arrange actions of a higher number (i.e., founding a Library, inspire a philosophical craze), and these will be addressed on a case by case basis.

[Xenia]

Street Influence
Ignored and often spat upon on by their “betters,” those in the dark alleys and slums, where plague and pestilence scurries along by the gutter, have created their own culture to deal with life and any outsiders who might come calling. When calling on Street Influence, you use your connections on the underside of the city to find the lepers, thieves of all sorts, ruffians, petty criminals, prostitutes, residents of the cheap side of towns, actors and fringe elements of so-called “deviant” cultures.

Level	Actions
1	Open an ear for the word on the street Identify where cutthroats are and learn their turfs and habits Keep a contact or two in most aspects of street life
2	Live mostly without fear on the underside of the city Get Swords or other uncommon melee weapons and equipment Exert influence upon merchants and traders (Spend at 2:1 for Trade) Trade at 2:1 for a single shot use of a certain Veil safe backgrounds (Contacts or Territory)
3	Have less than savory people assist with underhanded endeavors Exert influence upon scholastic individuals (Spend at 3:1 for Scholastic) Ask a Favor from small Underworld Organizations (Human Traffickers, Smugglers, etc.)
4	Get hold of a Strange or weird items (Noble finery, Rare goods, Stolen Items, etc.) Mobilize groups of peasants Have someone robbed, beaten, or otherwise harassed.
5	Hire a Professional Assassin against a mortal target Ask a Favor from large Underworld organizations Gain control of a single medium-sized gang of thieves and ruffians
10	Arrange impressive protests by peasants Change the practices and priorities of the underbelly of Society
20	Hire a Professional Assassin against a supernatural target Start a riot among the peasants

Influence actions do not cap out at 20, exceptions are just too rare to warrant listing. You may submit and arrange actions of a higher number (i.e., gain control of a city-state's criminal underbelly, terrorize a city-state), and these will be addressed on a case by case basis.

[Xenia]

Temple Influence
In the Ancient World, the landscape is dotted with Temples to the gods and priests of those gods, and their policies and practices exert considerable influence over the direction of politics and communities. Knowing the appropriate people allows insight into the main-stream faiths of those lands. When you exercise Temple Influence, you can change religious policy, affect the assignment of priests or priestesses, and access a variety of lore and resources. Contacts and allies affected by Temple Influence would include priests, oracles, mystery cults. and various attendees and assistants.

Temple influence will be noted on your sheet which religion you have sway in and can only be spent by someone with at least 1 point of Temple influence. (This will be noted in the Miscellaneous section like Fields of Expertise though if you trade it to someone else they will use their field of Expertise.)

Level	Actions
1	Identify most secular members that have visited a particular temple in the local area Peruse general religious records (marriage, burial, etc.) Identify a high ranking priest or priestess
2	Pass as a priest or priestess Track regular temple attendees Exert influence upon occult figures (Spend at 2:1 for Occult) Gain access to a small amount of Gnosis from minor religious objects or hidden locales (1 point for every 2 points of Influence)
3	Temporarily ban a lay person from a temple Get insight into local religious figures of note Exert influence upon political figures (Spend at 3:1 for Politics)
4	Open or close a single temple Discredit or exile low-level religious figures Access private information and archives
5	Influence local politics from within a temple Start an invasive local investigation Borrow or access temple relics or sacred items
10	Discredit or exile high-level religious figures Access ancient temple lore and knowledge
20	Strengthen or weaken the local community from outside political influence Sway, create, or destroy a mystery cult within your faith

Influence actions do not cap out at 20, exceptions are just too rare to warrant listing. You may submit and arrange actions of a higher number (i.e., learn the location of a forgotten relic of legend, find the resting place or sanctum of a god), and these will be addressed on a case by case basis.

[Xenia]

Trade Influence
Manipulating anything from Theban traders to Corinthian craftsmen is a hobby of some Garou, especially those who use their knowledge to keep hidden wealth. Though your actual available money is a function of your Resources, you can use Trade to start or smother businesses, crush or support trading guilds, and alter tax records. Clearly, such power over money is not to be trifled with, fortunes are made and destroyed with this sort of pull.

Level	Actions
1	Be put in contact with someone to purchase a common item (Ore, Herbs, etc.) Helps to gather materials for construction projects. Learn about trade agreements and market trends Get insight into actions happening within the market of a city-state Know what goes where, when, and why
2	May send a basic gift or gifts to an NPC or NPCs of your choice. (If one, the gift is equivalent to a fruit basket or bottle of wine, if sent as a gift to multiple people, it is more a token of appreciation, equivalent to a celebration for your followers.) Provide superior, or special equipment for a group of NPC's Travel locally, quickly and freely Have items appraised favorably Exert influence upon military figures (Spend at 2:1 for Military) Trade at 2:1 for a single shot use of a certain Veil safe backgrounds (Kinfolk or Resources)
3	Be put in contact with someone to purchase an uncommon item, (a scroll, sword, etc.) Bribe a merchant for some insider information. Track an unwary target if he uses publicly visible methods of transportation Arrange safe passage (or at least concealed) from mundane threats Exert influence upon low born individuals (Spend at 3:1 for Street)
4	Learn of trade vessel schedules Create/Affect/Ruin a small buisness Seriously hamper an individual’s ability to travel Manipulate merchant trends
5	Arrange safe passage (or at least concealed) from supernatural dangers Close the market place for a few hours Shut down one form of transportation temporarily Create/Affect/Ruin a large business
10	Smuggle with impunity Build a small structure such as a Tower or Watchpost Influence trade guild policies
20	Build a medium sized structure such as a Fortress or Temple Open a new market district Reroute major modes of travel

Influence actions do not cap out at 20, exceptions are just too rare to warrant listing. You may submit and arrange actions of a higher number (i.e., change a city-state's trade relations, destroy a city-state's economy), and these will be addressed on a case by case basis.