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BACKGROUNDS:

INFLUENCE:
During character creation you receive five points of backgrounds. Influence being one of the things that backgrounds can be spent on, at a geometric cost. Where as fame, herd, mentor, retainers and resources (levels 1-3) may be bought on a one for one basis, as used in Revised Laws of the Night. Levels 4 and up, are are bought with storyteller permission at a non-fixed rate. Generation (as a background), allies and contacts have been removed from the Santa Carla by Night system.

The influence system for the Santa Carla by Night game has been modified from the White Wolf : Revised Laws of the Night. In order to better reflect the power, difficulty, and networking influence gains a Vampire, the influence progression has been changed from a linear system ( one eep=a dot of influence ) to a geometric progression ( first dot=1eeps, second=2eeps, third=3eeps, etc. ). All influences are directly mapped to an "influence contact". This person represents your influence and if necessary can be role-played by a narrator. An influence contact may have a secondary influence at, or below, their own level of influence OR a special gift. This "web of influence" can help a character gain influence in areas in which they are not already established.

Examples of influence contacts:

Level 1 Influence (Police) : James McNamara, a desk jockey, able to give accurate rumors about police activities. Also has a contact in the media.

Level 2 Influence (Finance) : Adric Johnstone, manager of accounts at a local branch bank office. Can give medium size loans ($1k or so) instantly and arrange for larger loans (10-100K) over time. He can give accurate information about financial transactions in the city of Santa Carla. Has strong influence (read equal) in the underworld.

Level 3 Influence (Church) : High Priestess Sunshine Starseeker, cult leader of the strongly feminist "Followers of Diana." She has control a number of followers in the Santa Carla area, and more statewide. She can arrange for large scale movement of her fanatic slave-like followers. She controls an unparalleled spy network covering almost any industry or organization in which women take part. Sunshine has strong influence ( level 2 ) in media and high society. Sunshine also has influence in both the occult and political realms (level 1). It is rumored that she can actually perform small feats of healing and magic.

Level 4 Influence (High Society) : John Steele, entertainment baron. John owns/has stock in/influence over almost every cinema, theater, gallery or other expression of "high art" in the entire state of California. People listen to his opinions as if they were -facts-, and he influences the art world of California appropriately. While all of his influence is strictly in the circles of High Society ( his minions take care of 'those media people' ) he himself has little influence outside of this realm. John is not only aware of the existence of Vampires, he is -constantly- courted by the Toreador worldwide. It is rumored that he may be a ghoul. Certainly his youthful appearance at 50 suggests it. A word from him can mean the difference between a film being a smash hit, or a total bomb.

Level 5 Influence (Science) : Professor Emeritus, Dr. Marcus Caine. Dr. Caine is the world-renowned pathologist at the University of Pathological Sciences, in Atlanta Georgia. He is an "unofficial" member of the CDC, FBI, and rumored to be a member of the often-touted but never seen MIB's. The good Doctor has influences all over the map (Police 2, Occult 3, Health 3, Bureaucracy 1, Church 2), and a word from him can mean the difference between being nominated for the Nobel Prize, or the Turkey Award for Inept Research. His works form the core milestones of the pathological sciences, and even respected scientists who deviate from his recognized works are laughed out of universities. At a whim, Dr. Caine can mobilize the three branches of government that he has direct influence in, with devastating results.

Unless SPECIFICALLY stated, your influence contacts will be local to the city of Santa Carla. Generally, the influence contact will be assigned to you from a pre-generated pool of contacts. If you have a specific influence you wish, it must be submitted in written form, or emailed to the narrator list, including specifics of who they are, and what position they are in. Please use the above examples of influence as a guide to the generalized sphere of influence power he/she will have. Influences will be granted or denied depending on the availability of that influence in Santa Carla, and the appropriateness of the influence to your character. Please include your name, your character's name, your player #, and the date.

All influence cards have a field called "expired till." When you use an influence, the influence narrator will place a date there which indicates when the influence can be used again. Trying to do a complex action with a low influence may expire the influence for weeks at a time. Conversely, doing a simple action with a powerful influence will only expire the influence for a game session, or perhaps not at all. Larger influences may delegate the task, and be able to do more than one action at a time.

HERD:
Each dot represents one person (or equivalent). Each herd member can be safely be feed on once per week. A human has 10 blood traits, 4 can be drained safely before the target starts taking damage. Translation? Each point of herd is equivalent to 4 blood traits (safely) per week.

GRAPEVINE
This indigenous Santa Carla By Night background represents a network of friends, servants, bound kindred or ghouls, and even acquaintances that can keep your character informed of events transpiring outside his normal realm of influence. These individuals can be used to find out information such as Camarilla-wide status, possible bloodhunts, or other events affecting kindred society to some degree. As always, information is a two-way street and the degree of information going out will, in most cases, affect the quality and quantity of information your character will receive. Please note that role-playing through the acquisition of some of the higher levels of this background could require some effort. Also, this background works on two different levels.

Here are some guidelines for what information is available at each level of Grapevine. Of course, the Storyteller or a Narrator may make changes to the level required for a specific information based on whether or not it is common (or not so common) knowledge. -=- General knowledge provides information of public record such as status, bloodhunted status, large events (conclaves, large gatherings), or other similar information. Detailed knowledge can provide some more obscure information that is generally not well known.

1 trait: General knowledge in your local region.
2 traits: General knowledge in your country with detailed knowledge in your region.
3 traits: General knowledge in the continent as well as detailed knowledge in your country.
4 traits: General knowledge of world politics with detailed information in your continent.
5 traits: Detailed knowledge of happenings throughout the Camarilla.

The Experience cost for the Grapevine background is equivalent to the next level you are trying to buy, as with Influence.

Influence request form (in MS Word format)

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