Rank (mage V20)
Rank
You hold a title of some distinction among the masses – perhaps a military rank, a religious office, an executive position with a powerful corporation, or some similarly influential post. That position grants you a degree of respect, certain perks related to the job, and probably the immediate deference (and obedience) of lower-ranking personnel. Naturally, this rank demands responsibility to that office too; a head of state can’t just run off and have adventures when she pleases! Ranks above the ones shown below certainly exist, but they’re not suitable for player characters because they demand too much time and responsibility.
Especially common among Technocrats, this Background commands Influence – as per that Background Trait – equal to the Rank rating. However, this Influence activates only among the people under the Rank’s dominion (say, staffers under an executive, or citizens under nobility) and in situations in which the character is acting within the limits of her office.
Other people might not be so easily impressed, in which case the Influence counts as half the Rank or a level of the Storyteller’s choosing. (A mullah still holds some clout with non-Muslims, but not as much as he holds among the faithful.) Also keep in mind that the VP of Finance of a Fortune 500 company might command Influence among people who live and breathe capitalism, but a group of Occupy Wall Street protesters might react very negatively to the character’s Rank...
When acting in an official capacity, your character may also access Resources (again, as the Background) equal to half her Rank, or a level of the Storyteller’s choosing as a perk of her office... though she’ll probably need to answer to her superiors for how those Resources are spent! She might also have Fame at half her Rank among the people she commands. If she wants Influence, Resources, or Fame independent of that Rank, however, then she’ll need to buy them separately; a drill sergeant can be wealthy from family money, but that cash flow doesn’t come through military channels. Rank might confer other benefits as well, depending on the office. A priest could not commandeer a company’s best limousine, but the VP of that company damn well can!
Note that Rank reflects status among Sleeper institutions. Mage status has nothing to do with this Background, although a VP, priest, or drill sergeant might still impress certain Awakened folks due to that person’s position in the mortal world.
- X -- No rank with noticing.
- • -- Minor rank: Army sergeant, squire, deacon, school board member, novice journalist, junior manager, university instructor.
- •• -- Low rank: Junior officer, knight, prior, city councilor, staff reporter, senior manager, professor.
- ••• -- Medium rank: Captain, baron, abbot, mayor, local columnist, corporate middle-management, tenured faculty.
- •••• -- High rank: Major, count, bishop, governor, syndicated columnist, junior VP, department head.
- ••••• -- Command staff: General, prince, archbishop, senator, international correspondent, corporate VP, dean.
