Re: Patrons

From: Wulf Corbett <wulfc_at_...>
Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2000 13:36:45 -0000

> Wulf Corbett wrote:
> ...
> > I'd give [PATRONS] the two most important abilities (particularly
> > Wealth...) with which they assist or support you.
>
> And their rating for those abilities would be? Patrons are missing
> from the table giving the ability ratings for supporting characters.
> It says somewhere that a PATRON is more powerful than the character:
> the opposite of a FOLLOWER.

I don't have my rules handy, but if it says they are the opposite of Followers, they should have the two ratings at +8 and +12 on the character's best rating. They are in the big boy's league.  

> > You CAN call upon a Patron, but not in the same way as an Ally. A
> > patron will fund missions, bale you out of trouble, aquire useful
> > items, secure jobs for you, speak on your behalf, etc. Of course,
he
> > wants something from you in return...
>
> Yes, this is as I see it, but then PATRONS and ALLIES seem to be a
> distinction without a difference.

I think you are either misinterpreting or unfamiliar with the term 'Patron'. A Patron is someone really, really important, or really really powerful, who, for whatever reason, supports or assists you. They are usually not heroes, but are powerful either economically or politically (but they can have any important abilities). Patrons only come in Large Economy size (by comparison to characters), and may well be better represented without numbers. If you have a Patron who has influence over the problem, he can fix it, regardless. But a favour demands a favour. He bales you out of the Lunar lockup's Death Row, you go get him a Green Snake's Skull from Snakepipe Hollow.

Wulf