Primer to RPing Renown

How to Implement recognition of renown in game play is a very common question. One that this article will address. If you have questions on the mechanical side of renown please reference this Renown. Getting renown and its rewards are simple enough, but how to implement that in game play become more of an issue. The world of Idalos has many NPCs, Mortalborn and Immortals so it brings up the questions of why they should know about a single pc. The answer is simple. As you play your character, you do amazing things for good or ill and word of those achievements will get out, and people will grow to admire or fear your pc as stories and rumors go around.

Note: The implementation of renown in RPing isn’t mandatory or something you need to actively incorporate. But its affects are real and moderators will use it to determine NPC’s responses, and reviewers will use it to determine appropriateness of NPC responses in threads.

The first step in implementing renown is understanding it and what it is in real life. Renown is how much knowledge about you is out there, and how much people care to hear about you. As your renown increases the amount of knowledge known about your pc increases as well as the chance being recognized by random NPCs.

The second step is understanding the renown RP break down and what that entails. For the mechanical part we keep it simple into the rewards groups, but for the RP it will fall into two sections. The first is geographical breakdown of how far knowledge of your pc has spread, the second if how much knowledge is actually known about your pc.

Here is the breakdown of the Geographical part of renown.

0 to 249: The Neighborhood

This extends immediately around where someone lives and shops, their employment, local branch of any factions they are part of. If you are a wandering pc who travels, this category will be affected by what kind of impact you left on the area.

250 to 499: The Local

This level encompasses everything with in The Neighborhood. It expands to about a 20 mile radius from where your neighborhood is located. In the case of employment, it also expands to business associated with your employment that would be beyond the normal 20 miles. This would include similar business, suppliers and customers. Within factions this would expand to all branches that have an active and easy exchange with the pc’s local branch.

500 to 749: The National

This level encompasses everything within The Local. It expands across the nation the Local is in. Depending of the size of the Nation it could reasonable included areas of influence for that nation. In the case of employment it also expands to business associated with your employment that would be beyond the national borders. This would include similar business, suppliers and customers. Within factions this would expand to the leadership of all branches of the organization.

750 to 999: The Regional

This level encompasses everything within The National. It expands across the continent the Nation is in. Depending on how close they are this would included and islands off the cost of the continent. In the case of employment it also expands to business associated with your employment that would be extend to other continents. This would include similar business, suppliers and customers. Within factions this would expand to all branches of the Faction.

1000 +: The International

This level encompasses everything within The Regional. You are known globally across all categories.

Note: Employment is for anything related to work threads and would include travel, adventuring, hunting and other activities that don’t require a specific business location.

Levels of Renown

Many people, reasonable, point out that even at International levels the world wouldn’t know as much about a PC as say the people in their Neighborhood. This is very true and that is why we break it down into the following categories of fame/infamy.

Influencer

Your PC’s name is known. There are a few stories about your achievements, as they are related to people in question. The generally population would know about a few impressive things you have done. For Employment it would include some basic ways you have excelled in the field. Factions will know a few ways that you have helped the faction shine. These stories don’t have to be exclusive to each group and can cross groups. There would be little in the way of physical descriptions beyond race, and any extreme physical attributes. In this category some people would know these stories, while others might just have heard your pc’s name, others very well might not have heard about you. In the case of Neighborhood region local NPC who interact with your pc could point you out. Skill wise, depending on the stories told NPCs would have hints at skills used within the known event(s).

For players regarding other PC with renown at this level. You can only know anything about the other pc, if you have actively threaded where either the PC themselves or and NPC tells you these things.

Star

Your PC’s name is well known. There are a number of stories about your achievements. These stories don’t have to actually be really relevant to be known. The general population would know a number of stories and facts about the PC. In employment it would included many ways that you have excelled in the field. In the faction your name would be a staple, as someone to refer to or follow the example of. Again these stories and facts can be the same across each group. There is more actual facts as star which includes more physical descriptions. In this category many will people will know at least a couple stories and facts. Everyone would have heard of you. Some people might even try approaching you if they have a reason for known a lot of the information. (Most likely NPC’s connected by either employment or factions.) In the case of Neighborhood weather, you know them or not, they recognize you. At this level NPCs will be aware of all Master level skills and higher, or if a pc hasn't yet achieved that level, NPC's would be aware of you most often used skill.

For players regarding other PC with renown at this level. You can claim to have heard the pc’s name and a basic understanding of the most prevalent reason for them being famous without any RPing threads. You would have to thread to learn anything with substance or be able to identify the pc. This only applies if you have some good connection to the region they have Star fame in.

Superstar

Your PC’s name is considered a treasure. There are a number of stories and facts about your pc out there. For both employment and factions you’re a role model and npc could be influenced into joining either because of you. In this case it could be hard to separate the legend from the person. Physically your description is out there (excluding any marks/scares you don’t make public) and NPCs could approach you. They most likely will faun over you. In the case of Neighborhood weather, you know them or not, they recognize you, and are willing to point you out to others. At this level NPCs will be aware of all Expert level skills and higher, or if a pc somehow hasn't yet achieved that level, NPC's would be aware of you most often used skill.

For players regarding other PC with renown at this level. You can claim to have heard the pc’s name and have heard a few facts regarding most prevalent reason for them being famous without any RPing threads. This only applies if you have some good connection to the region they have Superstar fame in.

If you are a new PC and you are going into the same field as the PC in question you may claim them as a role model and have more information on that specific aspect. Also if you are a new PC if you come from the same Local then you can also claim a bit more facts. Otherwise you have to rp receiving the information.

Now that there is some clarity as to what is covered by the two break downs, we can now merge them and see how the work together. Based on the level of renown that the pc currently has affects first geography and then fame as seen below.

Level Break-Down

0 to 249: The Neighborhood – Influencer

250 to 499: The Local – Influencer

• The Neighborhood – Star

500 to 749: The National – Influencer

• The Local – Star,
• The Neighborhood – Superstar

750 to 999: The Regional – Influencer

• The National – Star,
• The Local – Superstar,
• The Neighborhood – Superstar

1000 to 1499: The International – Influencer

• The Regional – Star,
• The National – Superstar,
• The Local – Superstar,
• The Neighborhood – Superstar

1500 to 1999: The International – Star

• The Regional – Superstar,
• The National – Superstar,
• The Local – Superstar,
• The Neighborhood – Superstar

2000 +: The International – Superstar

• The Regional – Superstar,
• The National – Superstar,
• The Local – Superstar,
• The Neighborhood – Superstar

Examples of Renown in Roleplay

At lower-level renown a pc’s fame level is low and its reach isn’t very wide. Even a shy person who doesn’t have a lot of friends is known in their neighborhood. As the pc’s renown increased the spread of their fame will travel farther outwards, but as it does, while is fame will remain small the farther away from his neighborhood it goes, within that neighborhood they will become more famous and recognizable. Eventually a PC’s fame can spread across the whole world.

Here is an example. We have Billy Po, a human pc with brown hair, but has an immortals mark that is visible, but not the first thing you notice. He does story telling, at novice skill, as employment. His renown is 100. He would be a Neighborhood – Influencer. In his case he is known around his neighborhood, and among other storytellers, and frequenters of story tellers. If he goes anywhere out of his neighborhood he might find someone who listened to his story, but they wouldn’t have really told anyone else about it. If he went to another local no one would have heard about him, and just greet him like any other new person.

Time goes by and Billy Po’s renown has gone up, and his skill. He is now has 700 Renown. Which put him as The National – Influencer, The Local – Star, The Neighborhood – Superstar. Everyone in his neighborhood is aware of him and even brags about him. He literally would have to disguise himself to enter his neighborhood unnoticed. Within his city (local) his name is spoken around as a asset to the city. He is known for having accompanied Faith on a quest to topple evil, some where, and tells a great story about it. The city pays attention when he performs and always has a full audience but doesn’t have extensive body of fans not able to get in. Nationally people who really love a good story mention his name, and he will occasionally get asked to tell stories in other parts of the nation. Outside of the nations borders though he isn’t known.

In the case of a traveler your Neighborhood will most likely shift to more of a focus on the employment. If you are say a treasure hunter who literally doesn’t have a home, your fame would among other treasure hunters and anyone you get supplies from regularly at the neighborhood level. As it gets higher that bigger area focus would center around areas where you do most of your treasure hunting for general population, but among treasure hunters, thoughts that buy their treasure and suppliers the fame would grow, but in that case you will also start seeing other groups, like scholars who hate you for robing historical sites. So while this may easiest with sedentary individuals it is applicable across moving pcs as well.

Ultimately if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to a moderator with questions.

Fame vs. Infamy

Renown can be Fame or Infamy. In this article I have used the word fame, but if you wish to your pc can also be infamous. Your pc can also be equally both depending on what they do. Again using the Treasure Hunter, among collectors they are famous as being reliable, among children is famous for living adventure, among historians is infamous for stealing important artifacts. So the interpretation of renown can be left up to you and your pc’s actions.

Renown and Secretive PC

Sometimes people don't want to be known for something. That is perfectly reasonable, but as in real life you have to rp hiding that skill. Using the most obvious choice here, Larceny, when you thread you need to make sure you actively RPit being a secret to avoid being rewarded Renown. As what isn't seen can't be told. Though other thieves will continue to be aware of you and your skill unless you RP hiding it from them as well. (Such as selling stolen items through a third part). Be aware that if your Renown in other areas increases people will still know who you are and while a higher Larceny skill makes it easier perform depending on your location the amount of outside scrutiny will increase. Moderators will be aware that such skills are usually on the down low, but please be aware RPing that secrecy will be key.

Credit: Fate