Replacing charisma: Standing

The title is a tad provocative. Charisma is often used for stuff I find it perfectly serviceable for, but currently also often used for something I'd rather do differently: how do people you frequently interact with regard you? 

This is after the charms, the first impressions, but not quite the notiriety or reputation that precedes a party as they move about. Both of these are about first impressions, standing is about how that first impression evolves.

Simply put: Standing is a social score used as a modifier when asking for favours of a particular NPC or when a secondary reaction roll to the actions of a group might be rolled. Each notable NPC that the party frequently interacts with but aren't especially close to, has a standing score to represent how they view the party. 

Why the party? Because people care about who you hang out with. If you associate with people committing horrible atrocities it will reflect poorly on you as well, whereas people might ocerlook the fact that you are an elf if you are hanging around with beloved heroes. 

Also bookkeeping. Imagine if each NPC of this kind had a score for each party member. It would be insane. 

This is how it works:

If an NPC interacts with the party on a regular basis, but isn't closely tied to the party, they jave a standing score representing how they regard the party. So these are recurring shopowners, leaders of dungeon factions you frequently deal with, the rival adventuring party, etc. 

Not hirelings, betrotheds or friends, nor strangers, unknown dungeon denizens, or wandering wizards you meet for the first time while on the road. 

Initial standing is determined by the reaction roll and the biases and prejudices of an NPC. Kids from the orphan gang don't like adults, the local smith has a thing for dwarfs, the dungeon merchant doesn't like people who wear hats, etc.

Hostile reaction means you start with standing -3, possibly hostile -1, neutral 0, possibly friendly 1, friendly 3. Subtract or add 2 per relevant bias and/or prejudice as appropriate. Don't double dip though, most people don't really care if you are hanging out with only the one grave robber or if there's two of them in the group. 

If you or any party member does something that offends or pleases the NPC standing changes by 1 accordingly. A good way to lose standing with everyone is breaking promises.

That's right, this was secretly a post for this month's blog carnival all along. Standing is my answer to the question: what happens when PCs break promises?

You use standing as a modifier when you need to roll to see if an NPC can be convinced. I like using reaction rolls for that, but use whatever floats your boat. 

In games where players have a town they use as a home base, I like it if the town responds to whatever the PCs have been up to instead of waiting passively for the PCs to come to them. For that Star's Prison game I keep prepping amd eternally procrastinating getting to a table, I want to use the following for this:

Downtime Reaction:

Between delves players have downtime in a way closely resembling the downtime rules from Downtime in Zyan. But, before they take their downtime actions the GM rolls a downtime reaction as follows:

Randomly determine which NPC's standing you will use. Roll 2d6 and modify with the standing score:

2 or less: Nasty rumor: unless adressed is negatively influences all standing and could escalate to actions against the party. Think on the level of 'They're eating the dogs'. 

3-5: Dampening scepticism: Whether you are trying to boast about an achievement, garner sympathy for a bad experience, or simply try to sell the spoils of your last delve, this NPC can't help but put it into question. Was it really that great/bad/valuable?

6-8: Showing interest: The NPC is interested in the party's latest delve. They claim it isn't for any specific reason, but if players want to pursue it and the GM can think of something that makes sense, it might lead to something. 

9-11: Fabourable impression: The NPC is well disposed to the party and offers them a minor convenience. Something on the level of lending a tool, sharing a meal or selling something on credit. 

12 or more: Invested: For whatever reason, they care. The NPC'll do you a solid, like speak on your behalf, sell at a discount, or walk back something negative they've done prior. 

I'm probably reinventing the wheel with standing, as well as with downtime reactions, so if anyone knows any other ways this has been handled I'd love to hear about it.