Contacts
Over the course of their career, any good character builds up a network of personal contacts independent of their work connections. Even if they operates solely through cut-outs and intermediaries, each task puts them in communication with individuals who may become valuable assets during later tasks. It’s up to the character, however, to put forth the effort to maintain these connections after the initial encounters.
In game terms, any NPC whose disposition toward the character is friendly or better at the end of a job or mission, and who contributes to the success of the job or mission in some meaningful way, becomes a potential long-term contact. Specific examples include:
- A specialist whose services are acquired through a favor check.
- An expert whom the character contacts through his own research.
- An NPC whom the character successfully seduces (or who seduces the character).
An NPC who is directly tied to one of the character’s story feats cannot become a potential contact until that story feat is resolved.
Contact Points
Each time a character levels up, they gain one or more contact points. The amount of contact points a character gains per level is determined by consulting the table below. The minimum amount of contact points a character can gain per level is 1, no matter how horribly abrasive, irritating, and offensive you may be, it is sentient lifes’ tendency to form connections with people. A character that starts higher than level 1 receives the normal contact points they would have received for levelling from 1 to their starting level. Increases to Charisma DO NOT retroactively grant additional contact points.
| Criteria | Contact Points |
|---|---|
| Charisma Modifier | +CHA Modifier |
| Trained in skills: Knowledge [Social Sciences], Persuasion | +1/Skill |
| Feats: Famous, Fan Service, Fascinating Information, Gorgeous, Jet Setter, Silver Tongue, Skill Focus (Persuasion), Superstar, The Look | +1/Feat |
| Any talent from the Influence, Inspiration, Leadership, or Lineage talent trees | +1/Talent |
| Influential Friends talent (Lineage tree, this stacks with the line above) | +1 |
| Powerful Friends talent (Lineage tree, this stacks with the two above lines) | +1 |
| Charmer title | +1 |
Acquiring Contacts
To acquire an NPC as a long-term contact, the character must spend one or more contact points to establish the relationship. This must occur the first time the character gains a level after their initial meeting of the potential contact. The number of contact points that must be invested depends on the contact’s capabilities and the depth of the connection the character wishes to establish, is shown on table below. For deeper relationships, the NPC’s disposition toward the character must meet a certain minimum level at the end of the job or mission during which the character first encounters them (as shown in the table).
When a character acquires a new contact, they must define the contact’s type from the Contact Types list (see the Contact Types section, below).
Characters may earn contacts as part of their backstory rolls. These contacts are treated as 3-cost contacts that start at Level 2, though they can be improved to Level 3 by expending 1 contact point. Their Influence is determined when they are earned in the backstory, see the backstory section.
| Contact Details | Cost | Minimum Disposition |
|---|---|---|
| Contact is a… | ||
| …specialist or other "one trick pony" (Nonheroic) | 1 | |
| …expert or other capable but lesser NPC (Mixed Nonheroic/Heroic) | 2 | |
| …special NPC (Fully Heroic) or backstory NPC (heroic status up to GM) | 3 | |
| Desired relationship involves… | ||
| …information sharing (Level 1) | +0 | Friendly |
| …exchange of favors (Level 2) | +1 | Helpful |
| …field assistance (Level 3) | +2 | Ally |
| Contact influence rating is… (Choose One, this cannot be changed after contact is chosen without GM approval) | ||
| …Level 0 – Virtually no social influence; useful only for their Knowledge skills. | +0 | |
| …Level 1 – Has one or two friends with some connections, or has some minor social influence | +1 | |
| …Level 2 – Has a few friends, but not a lot of social influence. | +2 | |
| …Level 3 – Knows several people in a neighborhood; a borough mayor or a gang leader. | +3 | |
| …Level 4 – Knows several people and has a moderate degree of social influence; a city councilman or a low-level executive it a small-to-medium corporation. | +4 | |
| …Level 5 – Known and connected across his state; a city/sprawl mayor or governor, notable fixer, or a mid-level executive in a medium-sized corporation. | +5 | |
| …Level 6 – Knows a lot of people over a large area, and has considerable social influence; often holds a leadership position in a national corporation. | +6 | |
| …Level 7 – Well-connected across a multi-state region; an executive in a state government or a national corporation. | +7 | |
| …Level 8 – Well-connected on his own continent or colony, with considerable social influence; a mid-level executive in a small national government or multinational corporation. | +8 | |
| …Level 9 – Well-connected worldwide, with significant social influence; a senior official in a small national government or senior executive in a multinational corporation; a low-level executive in a multiplanetary corporation. | +9 | |
| …Level 10 – Extremely well-connected worldwide, with significant social influence; mid-level executive position in a major national government or multiplanetary corporation. | +10 | |
| …Level 11 – Interplanetary power-player with extensive social influence; holds a key executive position in a major national government or multiplanetary corporation. | +11 | |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Add an additional Type to the contact beyond the first (subject to GM approval, cannot be added after initial contact creation barring GM approval) | +1 | |
Random Generation
HUMANS: For contacts obtained after 2017, roll 1d100. On a 1-90, your contact is human. On a 91-100, it is an alien. From 2017 through 2024, this is a Teuthidoid. From 2025 through 2029, this has a 50% chance of being a Teuthidoid or a Proximan. For 2030 onwards things get messy.
To determine the type of a contact, roll 2d10+2d4 and consult the table below. If this looks like a weird dice roll, it is - its designed to be a bell curve probability.
| 2d10+2d4 Result | Contact Type |
|---|---|
| 4 | Exotic (CONSULT THE GM) |
| 5 | Psionic (1d8-1 Influence PLUS Reroll additional contact type and use highest influence) |
| 6 | Media (1d8+1 Influence) |
| 7 | Business (1d8+1 Influence) |
| 8 | Wilderness (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 9 | Security (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 10 | Scientific (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 11 | Military (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 12 | Medical (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 13 | Computer (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 14 | Technology (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 15 | Legal (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 16 | Blue Collar (1d6-1 Influence) |
| 17 | Street (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 18 | Academic (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 19 | Vehicular (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 20 | Journalist (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 21 | Law Enforcement (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 22 | Mercenary (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 23 | Traveling (1d8-1 Influence) |
| 24 | Criminal (1d8+1 Influence PLUS Reroll additional contact type and use highest influence) |
| 25 | Government (1d8+1 Influence) |
| 26 | Entertainment (1d8+1 Influence) |
| 27 | Magic (1d8-1 Influence PLUS Reroll additional contact type and use highest influence) |
| 28 | Exotic (CONSULT THE GM) |
Random Service Branch for Military contacts
| Roll | Service Branch |
|---|---|
| 1 | Navy |
| 2 | Administration |
| 3 | Army |
| 4 | Marines |
| 5 | CEC |
| 6 | TAPS |