====== Contacts ======
These rules are optional - consult with your GM before accounting for Contacts during Character Creation.
At [[:chargen|Character Creation]], you receive a number of **Contact Points** equal to your Charisma score. Meaning that if your character has a Charisma score of 14, you have 14 points to spend on Contacts. Such points may be spent to allow players to create named NPCs within the world that can help during the adventure.
Each Contact has a **Connection** and a **Loyalty** rating. Any Contacts a player buys must have a minimum rating of 1 in Connection and a minimum rating of 1 in Loyalty. Connection represents how much reach and influence a Contact has, both within the shadows and in the world at large, to get things done or to make things happen. Loyalty reflects how loyal the contact is to the character, and how much they’ll endure without shattering whatever bond the two have.
At Loyalty 1 or 2, the Contact has only a business relationship with the character. Any qualms they have about turning the character in are tied to profits they may lose if the adventurer isn’t around, not so much because of any close personal feelings. With a higher Loyalty rating, the Contact has a stronger and more personal relationship (i.e friendship) with the character, and is more likely to take some risk or go out of his way to help the character. For each Depth spent on this Boon, you gain a like amount of points to spend on a Contact’s Loyalty and Connection ratings. Each contact **must** have a minimum of one point in both Connection and Loyalty. Additionally, a Contact **may not** have a Connection rating above 4 without the [[chargen:boons#friends_in_high_places10|Friends in High Places]] Boon.
With this said, you may otherwise have as many contacts as you can afford to purchase, though having multiple “1-1” level contacts is usually ill-advised. All Contacts must be discussed with the GM. The GM has final say on the feasibility of a contact.
If you'd like to purchase additional Contacts after the beginning of the game, you may buy Contact points for [[game_systems:experience|Experience]], at a 1:1 ratio. This requires GM approval.
==== Table: Contact Loyalty Ratings ====
^ Rating ^ Description ^
| 1 | **Just Biz.** The relationship is purely mercenary, based solely on economics. The people involved may not even like each other, and they won’t offer any sort of preferential treatment. |
| 2 | **Regular.** The relationship is still all business, but the parties treat each other with a modicum of mutual respect. |
| 3 | **Acquaintance.** The people in the relationship are friendly, but calling them actual friends might be stretching it. The contact is willing to be inconvenienced in small ways for the character, but won’t take a fall for him. |
| 4 | **Buddy.** There’s actual friendship here, or at least solid mutual respect. The contact will go out of his way for the character if needed. |
| 5 | **Got Your Back.** The parties know and trust each other, and have for some time. The contact will back the character even in risky situations. |
| 6 | **Friend for Life.** The contact and character will go to the wall for each other, if that’s what it takes. |
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==== Table: Contact Connection Ratings ====
{{tablelayout?rowsHeaderSource=Auto}}
^ Rating ^ Description ^
| 1 | Virtually no social influence; used only for their knowledge or experiences.|
| 2 | Has one or two friends with some Knowledge skills, or some minor social influence.|
| 3 | Has a few friends, but not a lot of social influence.|
| 4 | Knows several people in a neighborhood; a borough mayor or a gang leader.|
| 5 | Knows several people and has a moderate degree of social influence; a large city councilman, or a low-level executive in a small-to-medium organization.|
| 6 | Knows a lot of people over a large area, and has considerable social influence; a thieves’ guild leader, or an earl.|
| 7 | Well-connected across an entire region; likely knows the ruling officials, and/or likely has their own considerable authority.|
| 8 | Very well connected in their specific region; an advisor to the king, a powerful woodland spirit, the owner of a large guild in the region.|
| 9 | Well-connected on his own continent, with considerable social influence; a powerful khan or warlord, or a notably powerful entity who is taken into consideration in political affairs.|
| 10 | Well-connected worldwide, with significant social influence; a duke or duchess.|
| 11 | Extremely well-connected worldwide, with significant social influence; a member of a royal family, or holder of a major court position. |
| 12 | A powerful person with regional or even worldwide influence. Likely to be royalty, a powerful Wizard, or even the leader of a particular nation.|