Court Reputation

Court reputation represents how a character is viewed by the upper classes and nobility within a society. To increase this reputation and garner favor with the upper class, a character must spend free time between adventures with society’s elite, making sure to be seen at the events and locales they frequent.

Increasing court reputation covers a workweek of social activities. A character must spend one workweek in a well-populated settlement and at least 250 gp attending musical performances, tournaments, the unveiling of new works of art, poetry readings, courtly dances, hunting parties, and other high-society events.

Reputation Points

After a workweek of increasing court reputation, a character makes a Charisma (Persuasion) check using the Court Reputation table to determine the number of reputation points acquired that week. If a character already has reputation points when making this check, add the reputation point total to the check.

Court Reputation

Check Total

Result

1-5

You unwittingly committed an egregious social error. You lose 1 reputation point. If you have no reputation points when you roll this result, you have disadvantage on the next Charisma (Persuasion) check you make to determine reputation points.

6-10

Your presence was unremarkable at best. You gain no reputation points.

11-15

You played the courtly “game” proficiently. You gain 1 reputation point.

16-20

Your charms have created quite the buzz. You gain 2 reputation points.

21+

Your social maneuvering was magnificent, and everyone is talking about you. You gain 3 reputation points.

Reputation points represent a character’s popularity and influence with the upper class. A character can spend one or more reputation points to use the following features.

Advantage (Costs 1 Reputation Point).
The character has advantage on the next Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Intimidation) check made to influence a humanoid. The humanoid must be familiar with the society where the character gained this court reputation. At the GM’s discretion, this might not work on certain humanoids, such as bandits seeking to overthrow the current nobility.

Acquire A Loan (Costs 1 or more Reputation Points).
The character can acquire a loan from a wealthy contact. Upon acquiring a loan, the character receives 1,000 gp x the number of reputation points spent. The character must pay back the entire sum of the loan within 30 days of its initial acquisition, or the character loses 1 reputation point. A character who continues to forgo payments loses 1 reputation point for each week that passes beyond the due date. If a character is reduced to 0 reputation points in this manner, that character can no longer gain the benefits of the Court Reputation downtime activity in the settlement where the loan was borrowed until it is repaid. A character must be in a populated settlement and can’t have any other unpaid loans to acquire a loan.

Call in A Minor Favor (Costs 2 Reputation Points).
The character can call in a minor favor. Minor favors from the upper class are small actions that can make life a little easier for an adventurer but are not strictly illegal. The following are some examples of minor favors:

• Pardoning a prisoner who committed a petty crime
• Bribing guards to look the other way for a minor offense
• Securing an invitation to an exclusive event or gathering
• Getting the location of an elusive person or especially rare object
• Securing cost-free luxurious accommodations and food for one week

Call in A Major Favor (Costs 5 Reputation Points).
The character can call in a major favor. Major favors from the upper class are serious abuses of power that dramatically turn the tides of fortune for a character. The following are some examples of major favors:

• Sending professionals to clean up a crime scene or dispose of a body
• Ensuring a particular noble shows up at a designated place and time
• Securing a pardon for a major crime
• Locating a specific magic item (but not covering its cost)
• Gifting a single nonmagical object worth 5,000 gp or less
• Securing cost-free luxurious accommodations and food for 6 months

Complications

Characters who build a court reputation risk becoming embroiled in scandal, attracting the ire of jealous nobles, or losing wealth to frivolous pursuits. A character has a 10 percent chance of triggering a complication for each workweek spent increasing court reputation. When a complication is triggered, the GM can create a complication or roll a d8 and consult the Court Reputation Complications table.

Court Reputation Complications

d8

Complication

1

A noble asks you for help with some financial trouble. Lose an additional 100 gp this week but gain 1 extra reputation point this week.

2

You have become the subject of courtly gossip, and vicious rumors are circulating. You can’t gain reputation points this week.

3

A jealous noble has declared you to be their rival. You now have a wealthy individual constantly looking for ways to make your life difficult.

4

Your activities garner a little too much attention. You attract a series of hopeful suitors.

5

Another rising socialite has taken credit for your activities. Lose 1 reputation point.

6

An artist admires you. They insist on following you around until you inspire their next masterpiece.

7

You accidentally offend an influential socialite. You have disadvantage on the check to determine your reputation points this week.

8

Gossip has named you this week’s courtier to watch. You have advantage on the check to determine your reputation points this week.