Status that's REALLY out of context

[Boyboy180]

So, I'll start by giving context.
I have an NPC I'm working on. They would have high status but A: their nation doesn't exist anymore, B: They're traveling across the infinite worlds so no one would have reason to know about their status.

The first one makes me think of Courtesy Rank (Or, more like "Courtesy status") but the second one is the problem.

I was thinking about just making it a perk called "Ex-noble" but the problem is if a perk is really enough. They wouldn't really care about status until it's a level higher than their own (They used to have Status 5, 6 with wealth added) so it's not like powerful nobles would have that much sway over them.

So... How much should this "Ex-noble" advantage cost? 1 because it would only affect her social rolls to resist high status characters? 5 because it is technically status 5?

Any other thoughts?

[Sam Baughn]

I'm fairly sure the modifiers to reaction and influence rolls are meant to represent the fact that people are aware of your power and social standing, not some inherent aura of high status. If you don't have Status in a specific social context, then you are treated as Status 0 (or whatever Status you are faking), regardless of your 'true' position in your own society. The duke of Fnordia is indistinguishable from a delusional madman (albeit probably a madman with unusually good Savoir Faire, High Society) or a charlatan if Fnordia never existed in that timeline. The fact that you expect to be treated as high status might possibly let you bluff your way past a few people, but generally speaking you need some degree of actual connections to convince people you are genuine.

On the other hand, in the Infinite Worlds, there will be some places where people can reliably determine if you are telling the truth through supernatural or technological means (although, of course, an Infinity Agent will not want to end up being questioned by them). Being able to pass those tests seems like it might be worth something. Probably only a perk regardless of status though, because the higher your status the more likely it is that it will generate additional questions.

[whswhs]

In GURPS Social Engineering, I defined the perk of Hidden Status, which seems to be more or less what you're describing; it's what you get if you have Status in a society other than the reference society, which isn't going to have much effect on the course of play.

[Boyboy180]

Originally Posted by Sam Baughn

I'm fairly sure the modifiers to reaction and influence rolls are meant to represent the fact that people are aware of your power and social standing, not some inherent aura of high status. If you don't have Status in a specific social context, then you are treated as Status 0 (or whatever Status you are faking), regardless of your 'true' position in your own society. The duke of Fnordia is indistinguishable from a delusional madman (albeit probably a madman with unusually good Savoir Faire, High Society) or a charlatan if Fnordia never existed in that timeline. The fact that you expect to be treated as high status might possibly let you bluff your way past a few people, but generally speaking you need some degree of actual connections to convince people you are genuine.

I partially get that... Hmm.
But from their perspective, the Duke of Fnordia doesn't see a reason to give a duke of another world any authority over him.
One way status maybe?

Ah, no. I was dumb and misread the status rules.

As a result, others in your
culture only defer to you, giving you a
bonus on all reaction rolls.

"In your culture."
My misread made me think it was universal. Ah, no problem then.
Since the culture doesn't really exist anymore... it is a little pointless.

I think just a perk will work fine then.

[Anaraxes]

Or in this case, a Quirk. As described, the effects seem more like a net (tiny) Disadvantage to me. Basically "resents/ignores all but very high Status in others". The personality trait will cause friction with most others wherever they travel, at the very least by refusing the respect and deferral those other high Status individuals think they deserve (exactly as this character thinks he deserves -- hence the possible resentment).

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Boyboy180

...
So... How much should this "Ex-noble" advantage cost? 1 because it would only affect her social rolls to resist high status characters? 5 because it is technically status 5?

I'm not sure the above part has been specifically addressed yet, but I think the answer is inherent in Sam Baughn's reply.

The reaction bonus enjoyed by a high Status character is not because of an aura of nobility but rather from the practical benefits or troubles one gets from pleasing or displeasing someone of such potent influence. So in a place where the 'ex-noble' character will encounter high status individuals who actually possess influence, the ex-noble character would be in no better position than anyone else to shrug off the Reaction modifier of a higher (real) Status individual.

[Varyon]

Having high Status gives you the ability to resist the high Status of others because it removes the social consequences of such resistance. If nobody recognizes your Status, you're basically an uppity commoner - someone who acts as though they are noble when they aren't noble. If anything, it sounds like the character might have an Odious Personal Habit!

Of course, that assumes others will be able to recognize the character as not having high Status. If they know of alternate realities, or if the character uses the cover story of being from a foreign nation they know little about, he can probably get away with acting as though he has high Status.

So, if the character is going to be thought of as a commoner behaving "above his station," it's somewhere between a Quirk and an outright OPH (or maybe something akin to a negative Reputation, if only nobles are offended by his behavior), depending on how much you want him to suffer for it (OK, technically it's about how problematic his behavior is, but ultimately it comes down to if you want it to be flavor - a Quirk - or something that actually generates a Reaction Penalty). If instead he functions as though he had the appropriate Status so long as he's able to provide a convincing cover story, then I'd actually give him the Status, but with a Limitation reflecting the fact he can't legitimately back it up (as the appropriate documentation isn't merely in another country, it's all in another world).

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Or in this case, a Quirk. As described, the effects seem more like a net (tiny) Disadvantage to me. Basically "resents/ignores all but very high Status in others". The personality trait will cause friction with most others wherever they travel, at the very least by refusing the respect and deferral those other high Status individuals think they deserve (exactly as this character thinks he deserves -- hence the possible resentment).

Yeah, this. The character has the Quirk or OPH "Acts like an aristocrat," and no corresponding advantages whatsoever.

[RGTraynor]

Concur with the consensus. Drop a German "baron" into Idaho right now, absent any visible wealth, and I expect the vox populi would be "So?"

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Boyboy180

"In your culture."
My misread made me think it was universal. Ah, no problem then.
Since the culture doesn't really exist anymore... it is a little pointless.

I think just a perk will work fine then.

Yep.
It might actually be more a disadvantage than an advantage but it really depends on the character.
They may be used to deference and react badly when not getting treated the way they feel they should. On the other hand they may familiar with some of the social norms for high status individuals and better able to interact with those even in the new culture.
But no benefits result directly from the old Status. Its more a justification for certain skills, so a perk seems fair.