Contact Question

[Alverant]

I just bought a 1pt contact defined as a resident of Bablyon for my super-mage. I didn't define him/her/it at all (spur of the moment thing). Since it's one point, it doesn't have "useful position" or similar adders. My question is, could I add "useful position" later, justifing it by saying that as the two characters associate more and trust grows the contact reveals more of what he can do.

 

For instance in ST:DS9 Bashir had a contact with Garak. At first it was Plain Simple Garak but as the series went on, we find out Garak was more powerful than he let on. He knew people, but Bashir didn't know that and Garak didn't talk to those people on Bashir's behalf until later.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Contact Question

 

Seems like a reasonable and justifiable allocation of Experience Points to me.

[freakboy6117]

Re: Contact Question

 

alternativly he could introduce you to a more useful contact he may be just a humble tailor but one of his clients is a big deal in local government his uncle rusn the locak bank, his brother is captain of the guard etc

[Evil Steve]

Re: Contact Question

 

Your contact could get promoted, or make some new influential friends. Or both. Your character gets better, why not your friends and allies.

 

Quoth the Great Book "And never forget, villans get Experience points, too..."

 

Perfect justification.

[Vondy]

Re: Contact Question

 

I would allow the contact to be beefed up if...

 

1) in learning more about the contact, we learn he can do more (doable).

2) the contact's position and/or abilities improve (reasonable, I think).

 

As for associating more and building a better working relationship, that would be best simulated with an increased contact roll, or purchasing the adders for quality of relationship.

[Alverant]

Re: Contact Question

 

alternativly he could introduce you to a more useful contact he may be just a humble tailor but one of his clients is a big deal in local government his uncle rusn the locak bank' date=' his brother is captain of the guard etc[/quote']

 

That sounds like you're buying more contacts, not improving the existing one. The tailor may introduce you to the local government official, but you still know the tailor who still knows things. It's not like City of Heroes where you use up contacts and get more until you have dozens of them, and only a few are useful.

 

Here's another question, at what point does a character (PC or NPC) can be considered "Well Connected"?

[Vondy]

Re: Contact Question

 

That sounds like you're buying more contacts, not improving the existing one. The tailor may introduce you to the local government official, but you still know the tailor who still knows things. It's not like City of Heroes where you use up contacts and get more until you have dozens of them, and only a few are useful.

 

Here's another question, at what point does a character (PC or NPC) can be considered "Well Connected"?

 

There is a "significant contacts of his own" adder for contacts.

[Alverant]

Re: Contact Question

 

There is a "significant contacts of his own" adder for contacts.

 

Right, that's when your request is passed along. What I think freakboy was talking about was when your contact introduces you to other contacts, so you can go directly to them and bypass the middle-man

 

Contacts can be abused if you're not careful. What if the "significant contacts" also have "significant contacts of their own" who in turn hava "significant contacts of their own"? Every contact has their own web of contacts so they PC only has to buy one contact. That way regardless of what needs to be done he knows someone who knows someone who knows someone that can help.

[Vondy]

Re: Contact Question

 

Right' date=' that's when your request is passed along. What I think freakboy was talking about was when your contact introduces you to other contacts, so you can go directly to them and bypass the middle-man[/quote']

 

Highly interpretive on both our parts. I don't concur. I think contacts have to be role-played, and while such a contact would usually make those contacts himself, their might be a time when introductions are made. This could lead to a one time meeting, or it could open the door for the character to purchase a new contact of their own in both the circumstances and the role-play is right.

 

And those are critical. The circumstances and role-play. The person you were introduced to may have only spoken to you on the middle-man's say-so, and may not be willing to do so without their go-ahead a second time. Or it may not be socially appropriate. Or the person may have had a motive for agreeing to speak to the character's that no longer exists. Or it might well be the character's no the middle-man will be miffed if he isn't compensated in some way for additional contacts.

 

I generally play contacts as people with motives and relationships and personalities. And that means the character's have to keep them happy, or find ways of inspiring them to help.

 

Contacts can be abused if you're not careful. What if the "significant contacts" also have "significant contacts of their own" who in turn hava "significant contacts of their own"? Every contact has their own web of contacts so they PC only has to buy one contact. That way regardless of what needs to be done he knows someone who knows someone who knows someone that can help.

 

Contacts have been a big part of my game for a long time. I, the GM, decide when they know something, or someone, that can advance the plot; and my players have always been well aware that, if they want to cut out the middle-man, they have to build the new relationship in-game and then pay the points for additional contacts. I don't sweat it. Some of my player's have NPCs that help them without being written down on the sheet at all. If its role-played correctly and advances the story then its a benefit to the game whether they put points down on the barrelhead or not.