CONTACT
This represents the fact that a character might know
someone who can occasionally help him out. This Perk can
be purchased many times; in each case, it represents a
single person that the character knows. The Contact usually
holds a job or position that can be useful to the character.
Contacts must be determined when the character buys the
Perk, Contacts must be approved by the GM. Examples
include a police sergeant, a CIA clerk, a Senator, a helicopter
pilot, an underworld informant, or a makeup artist.
Each Contact is bought like a Professional Skill; that is, the
character gets a Contact that will help on an 8 or less for 1
point, an 11 or less for 2 points, and +1 to the Contact Roll
for every +1 point thereafter. The GM may rule that exceptionally
useful Contacts (like the President, a KGB colonel, a
billionaire) would cost more; charge an extra 1, 2 or 3
Character Points for the base 8 or less Contact Roll.
When the character needs some special help during an
adventure, he can try to get in touch with his contact. The GM
should require the character to make a Contact Roll. Of
course, modifiers are appropriate (camping out on the
Contact's doorstep might add a +2 bonus). If the player
reaches the Contact, then he has to convince the Contact to
help him. The base chance is the Contact Roll. This is
modified extensively by the exact nature of the help the
character needs. If it's troublesome, dangerous, or expensive,
this can be a -1 to a -5 (or worse) penalty to the roll.
Persuasion is a complementary Skill. Offering money or a
future favor in exchange will increase the chance (the GM
should add a bonus to the roll).
Contacts should only be used to do things that the character
can't do, or would have great difficulty doing. Contacts
should never hand the solution for an adventure to the
characters. Contacts are there to help move the adventure
along when the players are stumped about how to proceed,
or need a little help to get through a difficult spot. Contacts
are often used to help find out information (their most
common use); they can also smuggle equipment, help with
money, or broker deals.
A Contact can be almost anyone, from a janitor all the way
to the President. The GM should keep in mind that the
people with the highest offices and influence are the most
watched, and therefore will refuse to help in many ways. If
a character had the President as a Contact (a childhood
friend, perhaps), the President couldn't get a murder charge
dismissed - he'd be impeached. However, he could probably
get the character an invitation to a diplomatic party, or an
appointment with almost anyone. A clerk in the records
department of the police station could almost certainly get
information much easier than a police captain, whose conduct
is watched more carefully. The GM should always keep
control over Contacts and their use.
Often characters do not begin with Contacts. The GM may
award a Contact to a character when it's appropriate in the
course of an adventure, as a way giving out Experience
Points (though the character should get Experience Points
the way they normally would in addition to the Contact). For
instance, if the characters make friends with a wizard in the
course of an adventure, the GM might give each player an 8
or less Contact with that wizard.
FAVORS
This Perk means that someone, or some organization,
owes the character a favor. It functions as a Contact with a
14- roll. However, once the character has used the Favor, it's
gone - a Favor can only be used once. Really large tasks
may require the character to use up several Favors. The GM
may well award PCs Favors as part of the Experience Points
for an adventure. For instance, if the characters save the life
of a wizard during an adventure, the GM might award each
one a Favor.
A Favor costs 1 point. The GM should give more powerful
Favors a higher cost; if the person who owes the Favor is
extremely powerful, the Favor is worth much more. Favors
should almost always be awarded by the GM as part of an
adventure, rather than being bought by the player. The GM
should always approve every Favor to make sure that the
Favor does not unbalance the campaign.
FOLLOWERS
This Perk means that the character has a follower of some
kind - an individual who is loyal to the character and willing
to do what he asks. This follower can be a human agent, an
animal, an intelligent computer, or even a robot.
To buy a follower, the character should build him (or it)
using Character Points. Humans are built normally; the rules
for creating animals or robots are in the Combat and Adventuring
section.
To pay for a Follower, the character should pay 1 Character
Points for each 5 Base Points possessed by the Follower.
The Follower can have Disadvantages that will give him
more points. However, this cost is only applicable so long as
the follower's total points (Base Points + Disadvantages) are
less than or equal to the character points of the original
character. After this the character must pay 1 Character
Point for each Character Point possessed by the Follower.
For the purposes of determining how much the character
should pay for a follower, the follower's Disadvantages are
applied first, with the character paying for any remaining
points. A follower can never have more total points than the
character building it, unless the builder pays 1 Character
Point per additional point in the follower. (A character cannot
pile on Disadvantages to push the total points higher than his
own.) Though it is possible to have a Follower who is more
powerful than the character, this will be very expensive. The
minimum cost for a Follower is 5 points. A character can
have 2x as many Followers for +5 points. Followers cannot
themselves have followers, except with special permission
from the GM.
Followers should normally be written up by the GM, just
like DNPCs. They are loyal to the character, although the
GM should determine whether the Follower will perform
suicidal tasks.
FRINGE BENEFITS
These are Perks that the character acquires from his job
or background. These are "perks" in the classic sense.
Cost Notes
1 point Right to Marry: Can perform the marriage
ceremony
1 point Weapon Permit: Where Appropriate
2 points Concealed Weapon Permit: Again, where
appropriate
1 point Press Pass
1 point International Driver's License
1 point Starship License
1 point Passport
1 point License to practice a profession (Lawyer,
Engineer, Physician)
2 points Local Police Powers
2 points Private Investigator License
2 points Member of the Lower Nobility
3 points Low Justice: Character has the right to mete
out justice in a fantasy setting
3 points Federal/National Police Powers
3 points Galactic Computernet Access Card
5 points Member of the Aristocracy
5 points International Police Powers
5 points Diplomatic Immunity
10 points License to Kill
10 points Head of State (with GM's permission)
MONEY
Money may not make the world go round, but it can help
motivate the characters, Characters will receive money as
payment for services, loot from treasure hoards, bribes, etc.
They will use the money to buy equipment, homes, bribing
guards, traveling, and more.
Money should, of course, be based on whatever currency
is appropriate for the genre. In a fantasy setting it might be
gold pieces or bushels of wheat, while in a science fiction
campaign, it might be computer-recorded megacredits. For
the purposes of simplicity, all the following units are in
dollars($). The GM should determine the appropriate currency
for his campaign.
INCOME LEVELS
Destitute - Income of less than $3,000 per year. The
character is so poor that he cannot be sure of eating
day to day, cannot pay for bus fare, has no fixed
address, etc. This is a 10-pt Character Disadvantage.
Poor - Income of less than $10,000 per year. Character
is unemployed, in debt, and unable to make any large
purchases. He might be hounded by creditors, or have
a number of outstanding financial obligations (like a
large family). He is forced to take jobs where he an get
them. This is a 5-pt Character Disadvantage.
"Middle" Class - Income of less than $75,000 per year.
This will be the standard income level for most PCs; it
ranges from just above the poverty level to reasonably
well off. Characters who are middle-class can make
occasional large purchases, are financially secure
enough to withstand sudden reverses of fortune, can
pay for their son's braces, etc.
Well Off - Income of less than $500,000 per year. This
character has more than enough money to support
himself; he can take lengthy leaves from work and not
feel the financial pinch. He can make major purchases
with some regularity, and probably owns numerous
vehicles, homes, etc. This Perk costs 5 points.
Wealthy - Income of less than $5,000,000 per year. The
character is a typical millionaire, and has the capacity
to do, or buy, pretty much whatever he/she pleases in
the financial realm. This Perk costs 10 points.
Filthy Rich - Unlimited income. Character is a typical
multi-billionaire, and has more money than he can
spend. He might head a megacorporation, or lead a
small country. This Perk costs 15 points.
HERO System Rulesbook 45
VEHICLES AND BASES
Characters can own vehicles and bases.
In heroic campaigns, the characters should
pay for these with money. In a superheroic
campaign the character must pay Character
Points, just like all other equipment. The
rules for constructing vehicles and bases
are in the Combat and Adventuring section.
To pay for a vehicle or base, the character
should pay 1 Character Point for each 5
points used to build it. The base or vehicle
can have Disadvantages that will give it
more points. However, this cost is only
applicable so long as the base or vehicle's
total points (Points + Disadvantages) are
less than or equal to the Character Points of
the original character. After this the character
must pay 1 Character Point for each
Character Point possessed by the base or
vehicle.
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