Streetwise and Contacts

[Dr Divago]

A friend of mine argued that if you want to build a characther with "great number of contacts", person who can help all and found every illegal good he want, streetwise is wiser choose, end that streetwise is a cheaper way to hav multiple generic contatcts, when contact is to have a single powerful specific contact

 

i not agree with this idea, 'cause imho streetwise can tell you "in this night club maybe someone sell drugs" and contact tell you that "someone i known sell drug"

 

Who is right?

[Edsel]

Re: Streetwise and Contacts

 

You are.

 

A successful Streetwise roll will tell you where you ought to be looking and what sorts of people you should talk to. It will also let you know how to "properly" talk to such people. It is sort of a lower-class version of High Society. Streetwise does not make people like you or even cooperate with with you.

 

A contact is someone you know. While you don't have to like each other you at least have a working relationship.

 

Streetwise will let you know which pub the members of the cartel are likely to be found in and even how you should go about talking to a member.

 

A contact means you know Mr. X, exactly what he individually can and cannot do for you. You can more freely approach him and get down to business.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Streetwise and Contacts

 

If you want to get something with streetwise then you have to go and get it yourself. Want a sniper rifle? Spend some time sounding out the right people, avoiding homelands security and sometime tomorrow, or maybe next week you'll have your sniper rifle.

 

If you have a weapons dealer contact you make a phone call. They'll probably deliver.

 

Same result: contact is just much easier.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Streetwise and Contacts

 

Right. You may be able to get the job done with streetwise, but it'll take longer, cost more, and there are no guarantees. If your player insists on just going with streetwise, okay... but make him work for it.

 

bigdamnhero

"Zathras is used to being beast of burden to other people's needs. Very sad life. Probably have very sad death, but at least there is symmetry."

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Streetwise and Contacts

 

One possible way to handle this would be to let the player start out with just streetwise, roleplay out his first few attempts to buy whatever, then turn the NPCs from those encounters -- the successful ones, anyway -- into contacts once he's got a few XP to burn. That way you sort of ease him into the expense.

 

 

bigdamnhero

"If people see you are unarmed, they'll never hurt you...nine times out of ten."

[ghost-angel]

Re: Streetwise and Contacts

 

You're both right.

 

Streetwise will tell you that someone in Bar X sells drugs, once in will allow you to possibly find the person and once they're found maybe score you a dimebag. Probably at an exhorbitant price, or as a one time deal. You will likely never deal with this guy again.

 

A Contact you walk into Bar X, sit at his table, ask for a dimebag, he produces it and gives you at worst street for it, possibly a good deal since you have a long term relationship going.

 

So sure, you can get buy with Streetwise - but that's just asking the GM to go "Nah, you don't find any" half the time (or more).

 

With a Contact you've got a much better chance of getting what you need. Unboobytrapped no less.

 

On the other hand - you're the GM, you're ALWAYS right.

[pinecone]

Re: Streetwise and Contacts

 

One other important differance...if you blow you contact roll you just don't hook up. If you blow a streetwise roll you might be going to make a buy and end up in a set up or sting operation....

[Super Squirrel]

Re: Streetwise and Contacts

 

As I see it, you should have both if you want to have street contacts. Because streetwise you know how to function on the street. Contacts are the people you go to when you need to do stuff. But if your a suit going up to a street contact and have no streetwise, you might annoy the contact for drawing unwanted attention. However, having streetwise gives you no rep with the person and you need to either roleplay it out or do something to show your worth it.

 

So Streetwise, imho, gets you to a contact.

Contact makes the exchanges possible.