Fame/Infamy

​Each character can earn (or lose) fame as they go throughout their career. Some classes gravitate to earning fame more easily (bards, gladiators, etc.). Some seek to avoid it (barbarians, rangers, etc.). Either way, characters who become famous have a signature; something special about the way they do things… a special lyric, finishing move, or physical feature. When exposed/performed, famous characters have a percentage chance equal to their fame rating to be recognized and granted special favor for their legendary status. Famous characters must roll their fame each time they display a signature, intentional or not. DMs can require a roll at any time. Encounters in more rustic environment can incur penalties to a person’s fame roll. Characters can accrue fame points by performing a special skill well, competing successfully, or performing courageous/heroic deeds in front of NPCs. Some characters/skills can be used to increase another’s fame… if the right incentives are present. Characters can lose fame points in much the same way – blowing crucial moments, bungling a heroic attempt, or critical failures when performing. The reverse of fame, infamy, is dealt with in exactly the same fashion but is decided by actions that are unfavorable to general society, as determined by the DM. A character who is a famous poet who then murders his family becomes infamous, though he/she neither gains nor loses fame/infamy points… only the label changes. A character can also have negative fame/infamy points. Characters in this situation use their fame/infamy in the same way as positive points, except the result would indicate their recognition as a failure, laughing stock, etc.​