Influence
Campaigns that focus on grittier roleplay or smaller-scale roleplaying may track the relationships characters have with certain characters to determine how they react to their actions, determine a sponsor's favor, or some other benefit or negative. This is represented with the character or party's Influence with a given character, a measure of their friendliness and their likelihood to help or hinder the characters.
When to use Influence
Influence is used to track a character's or the party's affinity with an NPC, organization, or another character, at the DM's discretion. It is best implemented in campaign with a higher focus on roleplay, such as in a political intrigue campaign, or in games with smaller scale roleplay scenarios, such as a campaign with only a few other individuals.
In the following rules, it is assumed that Influence is being tracked between a character and an NPC or organization.
Measuring Influence
Influence is measured on a scale of 1-10. Higher numbers mean that the NPC has a higher affinity with a character or party, meaning they are more likely to be more honest and trusting of the characters, and lower numbers mean that the NPC is less likely to trust and be honest with the characters, as shown on the Influence Levels table.
Gaining and Losing Influence
Influence can be gained by doing things an NPC approves of or asks for, such as finding an artifact for a collector or capturing a criminal for the city guard. You might also lose Influence with an NPC or organization by doing things they disapprove of, such as sabotaging one of their operations or openly lying to them.
The exact amount of Influence a character gains or loses by performing such an action is decided by the DM, but is generally measured by the severity of the action.
For example, lying to an NPC might 1 Influence if anything, whereas killing their pet might cost 2, and destroying a building of theirs might cost 3. Bribing an NPC might give you 1 Influence, completing a mission for them might gain you 2, and offering your fealty might gain 3.
The DM may not necessarily tell the players their level of influence with an NPC or organization, or whether or not they have gained or lost influence with them. They might instead show it in the NPC or organization's actions- a noble becomes more friendly, the thieves' guild puts up wanted posters of the characters in their dens, etc.
Starting Influence
The DM predetermines the level of Influence the party has with a given NPC when they first meet. An NPC of a hostile group might have 1 or 2 Influence, whereas a family friend of a character might have a 7 or 8. Generally, NPCs the characters meet will have 5 Influence, being indifferent to them.
Influence Effects
Some levels of influence make it easier or harder to convince or deceive an NPC, and may make them more willing to give up certain pieces of information or do things for the characters. The Effects column of the Influence Levels table describes what benefts the characters get when interacting with an NPC at certain Influence levels.
Table - Influence Levels
| Influence | Attitude | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very distrusting of the characters. High dislike if not hatred for characters. | -5 to all Charisma checks |
| 2 | Distrusting of the characters. High dislikes but willing to tolerate characters, if only for a short while. | -3 to all Charisma checks |
| 3 | Dislikes the characters, harder to convince and deceive them. | -1 to all Charisma checks |
| 4 | Slight dislike of the characters. Less prone to trust the characters but is not incredibly difficult to convince. | — |
| 5 | Indifferent to the characters, neither trusting or distrusting. | — |
| 6 | Mildly likes the characters, trust is variable. | — |
| 7 | Likes the characters, trusts them to make basic decisions. | — |
| 8 | Likes the characters, more open to tolerating actions they might otherwise disagree with. | +1 to all Charisma checks |
| 9 | Likes and is trusting of the characters, and is willing to tolerate actions they might otherwise disagree with. | + 3 to all Charisma checks |
| 10 | Highly trusting of the characters and thrilled by them and their actions. | +5 to all Charisma checks |