GURPS Organizations!

[The Final Door]

(this is a split-off from this thread)

GURPS Powers kicked open a world of doors for developing physical and mental (dis)advantages. With it, you can give your characters any of a million abilities, creating highly unique characters for any setting.

But what about wealth and social advantages like Rank, Status, Reputation, etc. What about Allies, Patrons, Enemies and Contacts? Sure, there are some interesting options that Powers allows, using some enhancement to give access to wealth or reinforcements across dimensions or the like. But surely there are opportunities out there for far, far more!

I would like this thread to contain suggestions for enhancements, limitations, perks, quirks, and even new advantages and disadvantages that will allow the same kind of diversity to be made on the social aspects of a character. The character's "network", you might say. The idea is two-fold: Make characters with a more diverse and interesting integration into the game world through the people they are related to, AND create a basis for having large organizations (or heck, small ones like cults, gangs, or local franchise restaurants) given the same kind of detailed treatment as characters and vehicles (at least in 3e, haven't checked the VDS PDF yet).

Thorough playtests are not needed, it's just a public brainstorm ;)

I'll start:

Limitation: Requires Access Tool, -5%
Your Ally, Contact, Patron or Wealth can only be accessed through the use of a special tool you must have on you at all time, or that you must find in your vicimity. This could be a coded phone, a communicator (a la Star Trek), a magical ring, or one of the infamous "black credit cards". Or you may simply have to get to a phone in a campaign in which phones are not as ubiquitous as today (think old detective stories). In a similar manner, this limitation can be put on Rank, Status or the like by enforcing the need for a special card or the like to be used to prove your rank, status, etc. Whatever the details, you cannot, on face, word or action alone, make use of the advantage!
Any Gadget related enhancement or limitation, such as on p. B117, can also be put on an advantage with this limitation!

Limitation: Reach, variable.
Your social advantage (Ally, Patron, Contact, Wealth, any Status, Rank or Reputation) is based on an organization with limited reach. If you are outside that reach, you cannot make use of it, or it cannot follow you. An Ally might have to turn back due to jurisdictional issues or belief system, or credit cards (see Requires Access Tool, above) may not be accepted, at least not YOUR kind.
The percentage depends on both the actual reach and how bad it looks outside that reach. Add up the two percentages for the actual cut in percent:
Works in nearly all populated areas (i.e. not in unpoplated places like wastelands, jungle, etc.), -5%. Works in areas with any significant population (not in very small towns or many rural areas), -10%. Works in cities and large towns only, -15%. In major cities only, -20%. In capitol cities only, or only in cities (or the like) with certain facilities, like a starport or corporate HQ, -25%. Only inside those facilities, -30% if common, -35% if infrequent or small, -50% if both!
Continued function requires heavy one-time paperwork (about 1 hour, less with proper bureaucratic skills) per relocation outside the area, -5%. Regular (1-2 times per day) heavy paperwork, -10%. Constant supervision (can be combined with paperwork!), -15%. Constant supervision with veto rights (can forbid the use of the advantage in certain cases), -15% for infrequent, -20% for frequent, -25% for pretty common. Unwanted attention (stalkers, protest crowds, etc.) can be handled as a Nuissance Effect. Seriously impaired use (must keep hidden, -4 penalties across the board, or the like), -15%. Completely useless outside area, -25%

EDIT: Reach might actually be applicable to Enemies, too! They ahve a hard time getting to the PC(s) if those are not in the right place. Like running from the law by crossing state lines :D

[The Final Door]

Limitation: Requires Justification, variable.
You need to explain to someone (a boss, the person involved, your bank, a legal guardian, a deity, etc.) why you should be allowed access to or use of your advantage. The cost modification depends on the details involved:
Few restrictions in use (not on allied targets, not for certain unusual tasks, etc.), -5%. Some restrictions (only when all other options are exhausted, only when unwatched or alone, only against certain logical targets, etc.), -10%. Strict or Complex restrictions (only against specific targets, which may not be entirely logical, only when certain difficult environmental situations are present, etc.), -15%.
Only under supervision (fairly accessable, otherwise add Requires Preparation or other fitting limitation as well), -20%.
Must acquire permission beforehand, -10% (for delayed response, take the Requires Preparation limitation in addition to this).

[The Final Door]

Enhancement: Plausible Denial, variable.
The actions of your Ally, Patron, or the like cannot be traced back to you! You may have a squadron of space marines blast their way through the enemy stronghold you are infiltrating as a smuggler, and nobody will know it had anything to do with you. Likewise, the equipment you suddenly have can be explained away as something borrowed or stolen, or the like.
This enhancement is priced at +10% if the actions of the Patron/Ally are entirely based on parameters set down before entering an area. This could be orders like "protect me" or "only interfere if Doctor Sinister shows up", or more complex but still straight-forward orders or agreements.
At +15%, orders can be given, cancelled or changed in the fly, given an opportunity for some form of contact. This could be by discreet dead-drop (orders put in a certain hollow tree, or simply sent by messenger to a hotel room, for example). The method of communication must be defined, but there can be many different ways at no extra cost. Of course, orders or requests may be intercepted! The method and skills used will determine if it can be traced back to the character, or to the Patron/Ally.
At +20%, changes etc. can be made during actual action. This allows the character to instruct fighting soldiers or stop burglars, or to get an equipment upgrade immediately (depending on the abilities of the Patron/Ally, of course). Again, a method of communication must exist. It might be interceptable, but it might also be spotted while used! If the PC uses clever gestures or coded speech, for example, someone might catch on. Telepathy might be spotted by other telepaths, etc. But unless someone actuvely notices it, everything will seem to be happening without any connection to the PC, and blame will be impossible to assign.
Of course, characters who seem constantly "lucky" or to have guardian angels may start to look a bit suspicious... But proving it is going to be tough.

[trechriron]

I have nothing to contribute except, Awesome! Me Likey.

[The Final Door]

Originally Posted by trechriron

I have nothing to contribute except, Awesome! Me Likey.

Hehe, thanks! I take requests, too. I like the topic, and have had too much vacation at this point ;P

[The Final Door]

Limitation: Compensation, variable.
Applicable only to network disadvantages (Enemies, Dependents, Duties, etc.).
Any destruction or loss that results from this disadvantage (damage by Enemies, damage TO Dependents, etc.) results in compensation at a later point, like when everything calms down or whenever the PC(s) get to a place where it can be claimed. The reduction in value of the disadvantage equals half the percentage compensated; if 50% of costs involved are compensated, the modifier is -25%, and so on.
If the compensation can be picked up fairly easily, no further modifier applies. If it requires getting to somewhere difficult, add a modifier equal to half the equivalent Reach limitation; "in cities and large towns" is a -15% Reach modifier, so if compensation is only available in those places, add -8% (-7.5% rounded up) to Compensation. If Compensation takes time to arrive/get processessed, add +5% for two days or more, +10% for a week, or +15% for a month. The result can never be a positive modifier for the original disadvantage!

[cybermancer2k1]

Originally Posted by trechriron

I have nothing to contribute except, Awesome! Me Likey.

<yoink!> Ditto! </yoink!>