In character actions often have in-character consequences on AotM. Some actions may influence the way other characters interact with yours long term. Our characters don't exist in a vacuum. When notable things happen in places where people live, eat, and work, those people are bound to talk. As a result, your character gains a local reputation.
Sometimes this is good! Someone with a positive reputation may get a free coffee when they come to visit, or a happy hello! On the flip side, a bad reputation may make life harder for your character. It might be nothing more than suspicious muttering while they're around... Or they might find themselves barred from a place, or outright attacked. It depends on what they did and the area they're traveling in!
Something that's considered 'good' in one place and 'bad' in another varies. Culture, leadership personalities, and current and past events all play a part. Doing something in one place may earn you friends there, and enemies in another.
You can find your character's active reputations listed beneath their character sheet. If there's nothing listed for that location, then they don't have a reputation yet. Your character can gain one by interacting more with that area!
There are two types of Reputation on AotM:
(Click to Expand & Learn More!)
Passive Reputation is generally the reputation your character starts with. Passive reputation is determined by:
Things that might be immersion disrupting or fun ruining aren't included. Your character's reputation won't expose their secret identity, for example. Not without permission, at least. Information like this gets protected by the Crosswave Effect. This phenomenon affects characters from similar universes when they meet. Memories may become muddled around things like future events or secret identities.
The Crosswave effect is optional. If you'd like to play out the drama, then have fun! But all parties involved must agree to it first. You can read more about it here.
The Crosswave effect does not cover how other people feel about your character, though. Even when a character can't remember exactly why, they may still feel anxious or uncertain around yours.
AU characters gain reputation from their vanilla counterparts as well. A Jedi Darth Maul may be a good guy, but he'll have to prove it, because people only remember the other guy. The same goes in reverse as well! No one may be expecting an evil Luke.
All this means is that many canon characters don't start with a neutral reputation. They may find themselves enjoying an established level of trust, or they may have to work their way into inner circles with a little more elbow grease.
Passive Reputation is generally the reputation your character starts with. Passive reputation is determined by:
- The way your character looks. Are they intimidating? Do they have traits that the local culture is superstitious about? A culture that dislikes cats may not trust a were-cat. On the flip side, your character might also find themselves venerated too!
- Were they famous or infamous where they came from? Sanctuary and the Omphalos in particular are home to beings from many worlds. Word gets around. Your character's reputation may precede them.
A character's level of fame or infamy depends on a couple of factors. If there are other characters from your character's fandom present, they may gossip. Characters from popular fandoms will have NPCs from the same worlds too. If the average person on the street would recognize your fandom, it's popular. Refugees from a Gotham world will definitely recognize The Joker on sight.
Things that might be immersion disrupting or fun ruining aren't included. Your character's reputation won't expose their secret identity, for example. Not without permission, at least. Information like this gets protected by the Crosswave Effect. This phenomenon affects characters from similar universes when they meet. Memories may become muddled around things like future events or secret identities.
The Crosswave effect is optional. If you'd like to play out the drama, then have fun! But all parties involved must agree to it first. You can read more about it here.
The Crosswave effect does not cover how other people feel about your character, though. Even when a character can't remember exactly why, they may still feel anxious or uncertain around yours.
AU characters gain reputation from their vanilla counterparts as well. A Jedi Darth Maul may be a good guy, but he'll have to prove it, because people only remember the other guy. The same goes in reverse as well! No one may be expecting an evil Luke.
All this means is that many canon characters don't start with a neutral reputation. They may find themselves enjoying an established level of trust, or they may have to work their way into inner circles with a little more elbow grease.
(Click to Expand & Learn More!)
Active reputation comes from the way your character acts around others. If they have a temper and grouch at people a lot, they may get a small bump in negative points. If they're a healer, they may get a small bump in positive points.
The bigger or more frequent the action, the bigger the results. Going on missions and rescuing people, helping out around the community, or fighting off monsters might net you positive points. If your character steals from people, or insults or hurts people or property, they might gain negative points.
Isolated or small incidents may fade over time (and have expiration dates). Larger actions with bigger crowds may be harder to be rid of.
Active reputation comes from the way your character acts around others. If they have a temper and grouch at people a lot, they may get a small bump in negative points. If they're a healer, they may get a small bump in positive points.
The bigger or more frequent the action, the bigger the results. Going on missions and rescuing people, helping out around the community, or fighting off monsters might net you positive points. If your character steals from people, or insults or hurts people or property, they might gain negative points.
Isolated or small incidents may fade over time (and have expiration dates). Larger actions with bigger crowds may be harder to be rid of.
CHARACTER CREATIONOnce your character is approved, staff will look them over and determine their passive reputation. Sanctuary and The Omphalos are the only areas applicable for most. Staff will send you the finished info, and you are welcome to discuss potential changes if wanted. Please understand that staff still have final say, but we will always do our best to compromise where possible.
If staff have missed something that would affect your character's reputation, let us know! We'd be happy to talk about finding a way to include it.
OFFICIAL EVENTS Official staff run events tend to also be events that are very much in the public eye in character too. You can bet that whoever is around will be paying attention to how your character acts. Crash a party in Sanctuary? Locals are going to be talking about it. Do something to liven up the scene? You may find them begging your character to attend the next event too!
ROLEPLAY SCENES Things your character does in public places may affect their reputation. Generally, these are larger actions, but small things can add up too. Characters who are nice to the hawkers in the market place, or who tip well at the spa may gain friends. Insulting your local barista or leaving messes at the table can result in cold coffee the next time you visit. One good or bad day might not tip the scales. Three times, though? Ten? People tend to remember.And they'll remember for sure if you rescue someone they care about, or if you're the one their loved one needs rescuing from.
Of course, staff can't be everywhere all the time. Chances are we may miss some stuff. If you think the scene you're involved with is notable enough to impact reputation, please let us know! We'd be happy to see about including it. Make sure you send us the link to the roleplay in question so we can confirm!
MISSION REPORTSCharacters that get caught up in AotM missions, or who play active parts in them may wind up in a mission report. Feature in enough of these logs, and your character might wind up with an official dossier. The contents of that dossier are public to all agents unless marked as confidential. Depending on what's in the file, the AotM may trust your character more or less.
COMPLAINTS & COMPLIMENTSBackground characters impact your character's reputation, but other player's characters do too! If your character does something notable around them, they might speak up! They might file an official complaint to the AotM's Guardian Council, or the local mayor. Or they might pass on a compliment to a similar higher power (or gossipy bartender).
But player characters also get more interesting options.
Like rumors.
(Click to read more about Rumors!)
Rumors are information passed on that may not be factual, or that may bend the truth. They can be positive, or negative rumors, and they can be spread just about anywhere. Rumors get posted in the #event-alerts room on the Discord, so they spread a bit faster than the usual reputation.
Be careful, though. Rumors aren't without risk. They're balanced against a character's current reputation and attributes. More unrealistic rumors will be harder to pass (we use dice). If your character can't manage, they'll gain a reputation as a rumor monger for a while. Too many times, and that reputation may become permanent in that area.
Factual compliments and complaints are always free. Rumors cost points in the supply store.
Your character's name will be attached to the rumor. That may bring them trouble from the person who they're spreading it about. Or, for a few more points, your rumor can be an anonymous whisper. DM Jabber directly for complaints, compliments, and rumors. We prefer to have them hashed out in private before we post them publicly.
Rumors applied to a character's reputation must be rolled away via dice. The more believable the rumor, the harder the roll will be. You are welcome to ask for a new roll attempt each week via the #application-room on the Discord.
Please understand that this mechanic is meant to be fun for both parties. If staff feel that anyone is attempting to use it to bully other players or in a way that's unfair, we will step in and you will be banned from using it again. If you'd like to opt out of rumors entirely, that's also an option. Please DM Jabber, and you'll be added to our little 'no thanks' list below. The no thanks list also means you will not be able to send rumors either, though. Fair is fair.
Factual complaints and compliments about your character may still be submitted. This list only applies to rumors.
Rumors are information passed on that may not be factual, or that may bend the truth. They can be positive, or negative rumors, and they can be spread just about anywhere. Rumors get posted in the #event-alerts room on the Discord, so they spread a bit faster than the usual reputation.Be careful, though. Rumors aren't without risk. They're balanced against a character's current reputation and attributes. More unrealistic rumors will be harder to pass (we use dice). If your character can't manage, they'll gain a reputation as a rumor monger for a while. Too many times, and that reputation may become permanent in that area.
Factual compliments and complaints are always free. Rumors cost points in the supply store.
Your character's name will be attached to the rumor. That may bring them trouble from the person who they're spreading it about. Or, for a few more points, your rumor can be an anonymous whisper. DM Jabber directly for complaints, compliments, and rumors. We prefer to have them hashed out in private before we post them publicly.
Rumors applied to a character's reputation must be rolled away via dice. The more believable the rumor, the harder the roll will be. You are welcome to ask for a new roll attempt each week via the #application-room on the Discord.
Please understand that this mechanic is meant to be fun for both parties. If staff feel that anyone is attempting to use it to bully other players or in a way that's unfair, we will step in and you will be banned from using it again. If you'd like to opt out of rumors entirely, that's also an option. Please DM Jabber, and you'll be added to our little 'no thanks' list below. The no thanks list also means you will not be able to send rumors either, though. Fair is fair.
Factual complaints and compliments about your character may still be submitted. This list only applies to rumors.
(No rumors, please!)
The following writers have opted out of the Rumors mechanic:
No one yet!
The following writers have opted out of the Rumors mechanic:
No one yet!
REPRIMANDSAotM agents who break rules or who are disruptive might find themselves with a Reprimand. They might not even always deserve it-- the AotM isn't flawless, and power imbalances happen. Piss off the wrong senior agent, and you may find yourself scrubbing floors.
Reprimands are public record for other agents, so chances are they'll be talking about the interesting ones. Depending on what they did, they may garner Reputation for it.
That's not always a bad thing, though! If the agent who gave your character a Reprimand has been known to be a bit of a hard case, they might garner sympathy. If what they did to get the reprimand was heroic, cool, or entertaining, they might earn positive Reputation instead!
Moderators: Jabberwookie