Elysium Nights Theater Influence Rules: v2.5 07/26/2004

Comments are welcome.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Following are the different types of influences: Corporate, Government, Herd, Industry, Military, Occult, Police, Street, Media, Underworld and University.
All characters start with 3 influences except Tremere, who start with 2, and Toreador, who start with 3 or 4. Influences may be purchased for 1 XP or freebie each.
All influence types may be used to build or attack havens, attack others' influences, or investigate characters or actions.
Corporate, Government, Herd, Industry, Occult, Street, Underworld, and Media (to a lesser extent) may be used to acquire items.
Herd may be used as sources of blood (normally 3 points of blood per herd, this amount may decrease if in-game events have broken or threaten the masquerade).
Occult may be used for research and development of new rituals.


CONCEALMENT:

  • Blue cards are jacket concealable.
  • Yellow cards are trenchcoat concealable.
  • Red cards cannot be concealed. They might be able to be obfuscated, depending on the size of the item.

IN-GAME/OUT OF GAME COST:
All item prices listed below are doubled when the player attempts to get the item during the game.

 

LAYAWAY CARDS:
All influence actions that are discrete events that are continued over several months (partially buying an item, researching a ritual) will be given out on "layaway cards". The layaway card should be signed by an ST, dated, list the influences used, and list the task working toward. These cards can be given away or sold by the owning character. If the player loses the card, then that work is lost.

 

PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES:
Any of the influence types not specified as a primary type is considered a secondary type. Herd and cash are secondary types for all items. If the primary type is "any", any of the types and/or cash may be used. The total influence expenditure must be at least 50% primary influences.
Example: An item that costs 4 influences can be obtained by any of the following ways:

  • 4 primaries.
  • 3 primaries and 1000$.
  • 3 primaries and another influence of any type.
  • 2 primaries and 2000$.
  • 2 primaries and 2 more influences of any type.
  • 2 primaries, 1000$, and 1 more influence of any type.

REPAIRING AN ITEM:
If an item is broken (such as armor that has all of its boxes marked or a melee weapon that had too much Potence used on it) or has reached its expiration date, it can no longer be used. The item may be restored to full working condition by spending half its original cost (using the original item's primary category). Any item may be repaired at any time (such as to refresh the item's expiration date before it expires or partially restore armor) but the repair costs the full amount.
Examples: A 3 trait, 2 wound gun is would cost 7 (15/2, round down) influences to repair. The same rifle with a silencer would cost 15 (15 for the original rifle + 15 for the silencer/2) to repair.

 

TIME COST:
If an influence expenditure (including use of herd) uses 10 or less influences, that task takes 10 minutes. Otherwise, the task takes 30 minutes. Reinforcement and ritual research can only be performed during downtime.

 

ABLATIVE ARMOR:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: University, Corporate, Government.
Each point of armor is a box on the item card. For each hit received in combat, the victim may mark off a box to automatically ignore one wound level of damage. Exceptions: aggravated wounds, the first wound level of damage caused by a staking attempt, and the damage caused by Cauldron may not be soaked by ablative armor. Ablative armor does not regenerate after a scene - once a box is marked off, the ablative armor must be repaired before it is marked again. A character may only wear one armored item.

  • 3 influences: 1 box ablative armor, blue card.
  • 5 influences: 2 box ablative armor, blue card.
  • 7 influences: 3 box ablative armor, yellow card.
  • 10 influences: 4 box ablative armor, yellow card.
  • 13 influences: 5 box ablative armor, red card.
  • 16 influences: 6 box ablative armor, red card.

PERSISTANT ARMOR:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: University, Media, Military.
Persistent Armor functions as Ablative Armor, but repairs all boxes at the end of each scene. Remember, a character may only wear one armored item.

  • 20 influences: 1 box armor, blue card
  • 30 influences: 2 box armor, yellow card
  • 42 influences: 3 box armor, red card

DEFENSIVE TRAITS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: University, Industry, Occult.
Defensive traits may be added to any armor for an additional cost per defensive trait. Defensive traits may be added to any type of armor by adding the influence cost of the defensive trait onto the original cost of the armor. Purely defensive trait armors are always blue cards.

  • 2 influences: +1 defensive trait.
  • 4 influences: +2 defensive traits.
  • 6 influences: +3 defensive traits.
  • 9 influences: +4 defensive traits.
  • 12 influences: +5 defensive traits.
  • 15 influences: +6 defensive traits.

FIREARMS:
There are three types of firearms, shotguns, rifles and handguns. Shotguns have a range up to 8 paces, and are able to affect up to two targets in one round. The two targets must be next to each other within a 2 pace range. Rifles are able to affect one target from 8 paces up to 80 paces. Handguns have a range up to 20 paces. Shotguns are able to use plus trait ammunition. Rifles are able to use plus trait ammunition and armor piercing ammunition. Handguns may use plus wound ammunition and plus trait ammunition. Only special storyteller approved ammunition may violate the ammunition rules.

 

HANDGUNS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Underworld, Media Industry.
Handguns may affect one target up to 20 paces. Handguns may be silenced for a double in the cost of the handgun. Handguns may use plus wound ammunition and plus trait ammunition.

  • 1 influence: +0 traits, 1 wound handgun, blue card.
  • 3 influences: +1 trait, 1 wound handgun, blue card.
  • 5 influences: +2 trait, 1 wound handgun, blue card.
  • 7 influences: +3 trait, 1 wound handgun, blue card.
  • 10 influences: +4 trait, 1 wound handgun, blue card.
  • 13 influences: +5 trait, 1 wound handgun, blue card.
  • 16 influences: +6 trait, 1 wound handgun, blue card.

RIFLES:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Underworld, Government, Military.
Rifles may affect one target from 8 to 80 paces. Rifles may be silenced for a double in the cost of the rifle. Rifles are able to use plus trait ammunition and armor piercing ammunition.

  • 11 influences: +0 traits, 2 wound rifle, yellow card.
  • 14 influences: +1 trait, 2 wound rifle, yellow card.
  • 17 influences: +2 trait, 2 wound rifle, yellow card.
  • 20 influences: +3 trait, 2 wound rifle, red card.

SHOTGUNS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Underworld, Police, Corporate.
Shotguns have a range up to 8 paces, and are able to affect up to two targets in one round. The two targets must be next to each other within a 2 pace range. Shotguns may not be silenced. Shotguns are able to use plus trait ammunition.

  • 6 influences: +0 traits, 1 wound per target shotgun, blue card.
  • 9 influences: +1 trait, 1 wound per target shotgun, blue card.
  • 12 influences: +2 traits, 1 wound per target shotgun, yellow card.
  • 15 influences: +3 traits, 1 wound per target shotgun, yellow card.
  • 26 influences: +0 traits, 2 wounds per target shotgun, yellow card.
  • 29 influences: +1 trait, 2 wounds per target shotgun, yellow card.
  • 32 influences: +2 traits, 2 wounds per target shotgun, yellow card.
  • 35 influences: +3 traits, 2 wounds per target shotgun, red card.

SILENCERS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Same as for gun being fitted for silencer.
Silencers are permanently affixed to a gun (that is, the STs write 'silencer' on the gun card and sign it again). They cannot be detached from the gun once affixed. Certain gun types cannot be silenced: most commonly these are shotguns, although special-case items may be found.

  • Silencers cost whatever the original gun cost. So a silencer for a 0t, 1w pistol would cost 1 influence; a silencer for a 3t, 2w rifle would cost 20 influences.

AMMUNITION:
There are three types of ammunition, armor piercing, plus trait and plus wound. Each type may only be used in conjunction with the type of firearm that accepts that type of ammunition. Ammunition is bought in clips of eight bullets. To buy two types of ammunition at the same time, when both types are able to be used by that gun type, add both costs together for the total cost.  In this instance only Ammunition types may stack by adding the amount for both ammunitions together. All ammunition clips are blue cards. An ammunition clip, when bought, will be bought for a specific type of firearm and the clip card will have the type of firearm it is bought for written on the card. Ammunition bought for one type of firearm will not work in another firearm type.

 

ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Underworld, Government, Military.
Armor Piercing ammunition causes the wounds inflicted by a firearm to ignore the wound reduction of armor.

  • 10 influences: Ammunition pierces armor, but does not ruin the armor.
  • 15 influences: Ammunition pierces armor, and also checks off one box of the armor per hit.

PLUS TRAIT AMMUNITION:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Underworld, Police, Corporate.
Plus trait ammunition the bid of a firearm attack.

  • 2 influences: +1 trait.
  • 4 influences: +2 traits.
  • 6 influences: +3 traits.
  • 9 influences: +4 traits.
  • 12 influences: +5 traits.
  • 15 influences: +6 traits.

PLUS WOUND AMMUNITION:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Underworld, Media, Industry.
Use of plus wound ammunition negates the silencer on a firearm.

  • 10 influences: +1 wound.
  • 20 influences: +2 wounds.

TRANQUILIZER AMMUNITION:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Corporate, Underworld, University.
Vampires, ghouls and other enlightened creatures are not affected by tranquilizer ammunition. Tranquilizer ammunition may only be used in handguns or rifles. Successful firearms attack allows a simple test to render the target unconscious, attacker wins on ties.

  • 10 influences: one clip of tranquilizer ammunition.

BRAWL WEAPONS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Street, Police, Military.
Brawl weapons simply allow a way for Brawlers to increase their attack and defense bids.

  • 2 influences: +1 trait, zero wounds added to brawl, blue card.
  • 3 influences: +2 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, blue card.
  • 4 influences: +3 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, blue card.
  • 6 influences: +4 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, blue card.
  • 8 influences: +5 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, blue card.
  • 10 influences: +6 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, blue card.
  • 13 influences: +7 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, yellow card.
  • 16 influences: +8 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, yellow card.
  • 19 influences: +9 traits, zero wounds added to brawl, yellow card.

MELEE/MISSLE WEAPONS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Street, Industry, Government.
Melee weapons other than stakes can also be used as missile weapons.

  • 1 influences- +0 trait, 1 wound generic melee/melee weapon, blue card.
  • 3 influences- +1 trait, 1 wound generic melee/melee weapon, blue card.
  • 5 influences- +2 trait, 1 wound generic melee/melee weapon, blue card.
  • 5 influences- +3 trait, 1 wound generic melee/melee weapon, yellow card.
  • 7 influences- +0 trait, 2 wound generic melee/melee weapon, yellow card.
  • 8 influences: +4 traits, 1 wound generic missile/melee weapon, yellow card.
  • 10 influences- +1 trait, 2 wound generic melee/melee weapon, yellow card.
  • 12 influences: +5 traits, 1 wound generic missile/melee weapon, red card.
  • 13 influences- +2 trait, 2 wound generic melee/melee weapon, yellow card.
  • 15 influences- +3 trait, 2 wound generic melee/melee weapon, red card.
  • 16 influences: +6 traits, 1 wound generic missile/melee weapon, red card.
  • 18 influences: +4 traits, 2 wound generic missile/melee weapon, red card.
  • 21 influences: +5 traits, 2 wound generic missile/melee weapon, red card.
  • 24 influences: +6 traits, 2 wound generic missile/melee weapon, red card.

STAKES:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Corporate, Street, Occult.
All stakes are blue cards. Stakes cannot be reinforced.

  • 1 influence: +0 traits, 1 wound stake.
  • 4 influences: +1 trait, 1 wound stake.
  • 7 influences: +2 traits, 1 wound stake.
  • 10 influences: +3 traits, 1 wound stake.

MORTAL NON-LETHAL WEAPONS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Street, Occult, Corporate.
This weapon class allows successful melee attacks to test to be able incapacitate a mortal. On a successful melee attack, the attacker gets a simple/static test (depending on the weapon, see below) to render the victim unconscious. Vampires, ghouls and other enlightened creatures are not affected by these weapons. These weapons are all blue cards.

  • 3 influences: Sap; simple test, attacker loses on ties.
  • 6 influences: Sleeping Gas; static test.
  • 9 influences: Tazer; simple test, attacker wins on ties.

REINFORCEMENT:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: University, Industry, Occult.
Reinforcement Levels: To use Potence 1b, 2a or 3a, a weapon must be reinforced, regardless of wound levels.

  • Potence 1b Reinforcement: 15 influences
  • Potence 2a Reinforcement: 25 influences
  • Potence 3a Reinforcement: 30 influences

OTHER ITEMS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: See "USES FOR MEDIA".

  • Cell phone: 1 influence, blue card.
  • Pager: 1 influence, blue card.
  • Deactivating a cell phone or pager: 1 influence.
  • Trenchcoat: 1 influence, yellow card.
  • Voice activated tape recorder: 3 influences, blue card.
  • Video camera: 3 influences, yellow card.
  • Small video camera: 4 influences, blue card.
  • There will be no whisper microphones, white noise generators, grenades (smoke or otherwise), or items that naturally cause aggravated damage (without the use of a ritual).

Media is the primary influence for: deactivating cell phones and pagers, voice activated tape recorders, video cameras, small video cameras, rumor mongering, large Masquerade cover ups, influencing herd or feeding when effectiveness is diminished and influences other influence types when effectiveness is diminished, or the ability to diminish feeding or other influence types.

 

MASQUERADE BREACH COVERUPS:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: See Below. The storytellers will determine what constitutes a miniature, minor, major or massive Masquerade Breech.

  • Miniature: Cash or Influences will easily cover up the Breech.
  • Minor: Influences plus Cash will easily cover up the Breech.
  • Major: Use of Media is necessary to cover up the Breech, as well as influences plus cash. If not properly covered up, Herd or other influence types may suffer diminished effectiveness.
  • Massive: As major, but a large amount of influences of various types plus cash and Media influences must be used. If not properly covered up, all influences will suffer diminished effectiveness which must be alleviated by using Media influences. If properly covered up, all influences will suffer a smaller degrading in effectiveness for a short period.

DIMINISHING INFLUENCE ATTACK:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Any.

  • For every two influences spent by any character to diminish another character's influence, the victim loses one point off the back end of their spending. Herd cannot be diminished. Both influences lent by that character and influences lent to that character are diminished. The victim cannot have their influences reduced below zero. If an attack occurs during downtime, the victim will get a message that his influences are under attack. If an attack occurs at the game, the victim will be notified as he spends or transfers any influence.
  • Examples:

Bob and Doug (does not matter if they cooperate or are working independently) spend a total of 1 underworld, 3 business, and 10,000$ to diminish Jeriko's influences this month. Bob and Doug have spent 14 points, so Jeriko loses up to 7 points of his spending.

    • If Jeriko only had herd, nothing happens. Bob and Doug have wasted their attack.
    • If Jeriko was lending his 3 underworld (say he has underworld instead of herd) to someone else, that person does not get any influences from Jeriko (that person does not get a message that Jeriko's influences were under attack, they just know that Jeriko didn't give them anything). Bob and Doug wasted 4 points of their attack.
    • If Jeriko was cashing his 3 underworld in, he gets no cash. Bob and Doug wasted 4 points of their attack.
    • If Jeriko was using his 3 underworld and his packmates lent him 17 more (which may have included secondary influences and/or cash) to get firearms, then he loses 7 of them, for a total of 13 influences spent on firearms.
    • If Jeriko was using his 3 underworld to paint his haven, he does not get his haven painted this month, but the haven is not otherwise effected.
    • If Jeriko was using his 5 occult (say he has occult instead of underworld) to do research on ward vs. everyone, he gets no research done this month, but his previous research is not hurt.

HAVEN BUILDING AND ATTACKING:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Any.
For haven information, see the Links section.

 

INFLUENCE INVESTIGATION:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPES: Any.

  • Information can be retrieved at the game or downtime, going back one month only. There are three targets of an investigation: an influence area, a character, or an action.
    • Investigating an area - choose a single influence area or all influences in general, a ranking from 1 to 3, and spend one influence to investigate that area. The results of this investigation is the character (or characters if there is a tie) that has the most (if ranking 1), second (if ranking 2), or third (if ranking 3) most influences.
    • Investigating a character - choose a character and spend any number of influences to investigate them. If any of the victim's actions cost less than or equal to half of the investigation's cost, the investigator finds out what his actions were.
    • Investigating an action - choose an action and spend any number of influences to investigate it. For all victims that have done such an action AND the victim's actions cost less than or equal to half of the investigation's cost, the investigator finds out most (but not as much as investigating a character) of what that person was trying what and the results of that action.
  • Covering up- anytime any character wants to make an action more difficult to investigate, they may overspend on that particular action (for example, spending 17 on a +3, 2 wound gun means that an investigator must spend at least 34 to find that fact).
  • Framing- there is no way currently to frame someone.
  • Examples:
    • Vincent the Ventrue wants to know what Tammy the Tremere is up to. Vincent spends 6 influences to investigate her. Tammy happens to have given 1 herd to Todd, 2 occult to research ward vs. spirit, and 3 underworld to get a big gun. Since 6 is two times all of the actions Tammy has done, Vincent finds out exactly what she was doing and the results of each action (gave 1 herd to Todd, 2 occult to research ward vs. spirit, and 3 underworld for layaway on a +3, 2 gun). Note that Vinnie does not find out what Todd did with the herd or how close Tammy is to getting the ritual or gun.
    • Vincent is flush with success, so wants to find out who has been buying any guns anywhere. He spends 20. Bob spent 4 to buy a +3, 2 wound gun; Chuck spent 5 to buy a +0, 2 wound gun; and Dave spent 15 to buy a +3, 2 wound gun. Since 20 is more than two times 4 and 5 but not 15, Vinnie finds out that Bob and Chuck are buying guns. Note that Vinnie does not find out that Dave was buying a gun, nor does he find out what kind of gun or how close they are.

RITUAL RESEARCH:
PRIMARY INFLUENCE TYPE: Occult.

  • Research Points = ((researcher's occult ability / 3 ) + 1 + (1 if researcher is Tremere, 0 otherwise)) * influences spent.
  • Ritual research can only be performed during downtime.
  • The researcher does not need occult ability to do research, though it helps. Researchers cannot collaborate but influences may come from anyone.
  • The desired ritual must be specified.
  • When enough research points for a particular ritual is acquired, then those cards should be taken to the influence desk. The character learning the ritual must have enough occult ability or thaumaturgy and then spend the XP for the ritual. The research points are then destroyed (the cards are taken by the STs). That character may then teach the ritual per the main rules.
  • Research points needed to learn a basic ritual that is already in the rules: 100.
  • Research points needed to learn an advanced ritual that is already in the rules: 150.
  • Research points needed to learn a basic ritual that is not in the rules: 300.
  • Research points needed to learn an advanced ritual that is not in the rules: 450.
  • Examples:
    • A Tremere with 8 occult ability, 3 occult influences, and 5 other influences does research toward apport object. Research points = ( ( 8/3 ) + 1 + 1 ) * 6 = 30. Note that at least 50% of the influences spent must be occult, so only three of the five other influences can be used for research. At this rate, it will take that researcher 4 months to accumulate 100 points for apport object.
    • A caitiff with no occult ability, 5 occult influences, 1 other influence, and spending 4000$ does research toward deflection. Research points = ( ( 0/3 ) + 1 + 0 ) * 10 = 10. At this rate, it will take that researcher 10 months to accumulate 100 points for deflection.

BUSINESS UNITS:
As a downtime action, a character may spend 15 influences of any one type and $5000 to create a business unit. A business unit (hereafter BU) may be purchased with a layaway card. BU's may be used as influences both at the game and during downtime (except as per exceptions, see below). Exceptions: BU's do not add to hiding or searching for havens, do not count towards a hundred point cap, can be transferred permanently. BU's are also able to create business units, but must be of the same type.

  • Transfers of Business Units - A BU can only be transferred between characters over downtime. A character cannot be forced to transfer a BU by such methods as Dominate. A transfer may be requested or required by a pure blood bond, but not a shared blood bond.
  • Current Policies Concerning Business Units - BU's may not be attacked or destroyed currently. Rules for such occurrences will be considered for future rules additions. Posthumous wills will not be considered currently.
  • Auction - An auction will take place as scheduled by the storytellers. It will allow characters, both player characters and non-player characters, to bid on unique, strange or mundane items. Player characters or non-player characters may offer items up for auction.

LINKS:

VERSION CONTROL:

  • 1998/12/06: v1.0 beta 1: First version.
  • 1998/12/09: v2.0: Added haven references.
  • 1999/07/26: v2.1: Changed primary categories, added time cost, ritual research, attacks, and investigation.
  • 2000/03/24: v2.2: Added influence area investigation.
  • 2004/01/06: v2.3: Added new item types, new items in existing types, and support for new influence types.
  • 2004/03/20: v2.4: Added new influence types, new items and item types.
  • 2004/05/11: v2.5: Added new influence types, new designations for primary influences.
  • 2004/07/26: v2.6: Changes to ammunition clips and stacking ammunition.

 








 

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