Influence represents the contacts and friends in 'high places' that characters posess. Sort of a 'six degrees of seperation' for Star Trek. It represents not only the people you know, but what your position itself represents. Characters often trade or lend influence to each other, as it often takes high levels to accomplish some tasks. This can be done on a permanent or temporary basis.
Influence is held in a certain area. The following charts illustrate possible effects within that area. If a vampire possesses twice the needed Traits to perform a specific action, the action can be done without the expenditure of Traits, and is generally free. Otherwise, the action requires an expenditure of the number of Traits listed, and possibly a challenge or money. Influence Trait expenditures are temporary, but generally are only regained by performing tasks to maintain the influence, like funneling money into a new Industry. The effects listed below are only suggestions; many other similar effects can be created with the right spheres of influence.
Occasionally, influence from different areas can contribute to an effect, though the exact details are left up to the creativity of the player and the Storyteller's discretion.
This influence is directly concerned with the flow of money, granting a degree of access to banks, megacorporations and wealthy citizens of the galaxy. (note that the Federation does not have any Megacorperations)
Traits Effect
1 Learn about major transactions and financial events
2 Learn the real motivations for the financial actions of others
3 Trace an unsecured small account
4 Manipulate local banking
5 Purchase a small business
6 Purchase a large business. Ruin a small business.
Govornment Military This Influence works differntly than all others. Because Rank and Position have a significant effect on one's influence within a particular organization, a character may count his/her rank level as Military Influence within that organization. Thus a Lieutenant Security chief has 2 in Starfleet Military Influence. Also, if the character has Position of First Officer or Commanding officer, they gain an additional Military Influence. Thus Captain Wells of the USS Vindicator has 6 Military Influence to use. Note that the process is additive. If you have 3 influence in Military from rank, and another 2 from contacts, you have a total of 5 military influence. It should be noted, that abuse of these influences can have serious repercussions including demotion or even full court martial.
1 Obtain a list of ships docked at a station (barring secreted vessels)
2 Get a list of the Command Staff of a Vessel
3 Get full crew rosters of a specific ship
4 Use fleet couriers and secure channels
Gain access to energy weapons
5 Hitch a ride on a Starship
6 Have a planet or region investigated by a scoutship
7 Have a planet or region investigated by a starship
Get Sector-wide policies implimented
Cover up an operation
8 Gather a small fleet of light vessels
Get access to classified documents
9 Gather a fleet of starships to preform a major operation
10 Institute Fleet wide policies
11 Gain access to Ultra-secret documents
12 Get permission to cross into the Neutral Zone Cover up a major operation
Govornment Politics
Money talks, and politicians are those that speak the language best. This influence controls pollsters, activists, candidates, and the politicians themselves.
Traits Effect
1 Identify the real platform of a politician or party
2 Have a forewarning of new laws or processes
3 Influence a minor politician to vote a certain way
4 Sway or alter political projects
5 Enact minor legislation
6 Destroy the career of a minor politician, or get him elected
7 Block the passage of a major bill
8 Suspend a major law temporarily
9 Subvert statewide powers
10 Declare a state of emergency in a region, call out the the local militia.
Media
This influence relates to direct control over what information gets out; it could represent ties to station directors, editors, or reporters, or even indicate the ownership of a television or radio station.
Traits Effect
Religion This influence applies to control of mainstream faiths. Note that it is specific to a particular faith. (Bajoran Prophets, Klingon Beliefs, etc.)
Traits Effect
Transportation
Influence in this area indicates a degree of control over aspects of transportation, including shuttles, transit tubes, pilots, starbase ops controllers, starship captains, and border guards.
Traits Effect
1 Travel locally, freely and quickly
2 Track an unwary target if they use public transportation
3 Arrange passage safe from sunlight or other mundane threats
4 Seriously hamper an individual's ability to travel
Underworld This influence is specific to a particular underworld organization, be it the Orion Syndicate, Ferengi Free Merchant Society, the Breen Mercantile Society, etc.
Traits Effect
University
This influence represents a degree of control or involvement in educational institutions. This could be control over teachers, professors, deans, students or fraternities. (Note that Starfleet Academy, or similar organizations are covered by the respective organization)
Traits Effect
1 Access low-level resources (books, research publications)
2 Obtain the high-school record of someone
3 Know a contact with a useful knowledge or skill
4 Obtain college records, fake high school records
5 Cancel a class, fix grades
6 Discredit a student, organize student protests
7 Discredit a faculty member, arrange grants for research
8 Falsify an undergraduate degree
9 Arrange a major project or alter curriculum institution-wide
10 Free run of facilities, including campus security, research facilities, etc.
