Modifying Relationships
Below is a table summarising the modified rules with matching numbers
GAINING OR LOSING RELATIONSHIP POINTS
Relationship points are reflective of the story as a whole, rather than forced by a player's choice of ‘response’. Players can still pursue a positive or negative relationship with a student NPC, but this will only be a show of intent. It is up to the player and DM to work out how that intent is converted into relationship points.
For example, relationship points will typically be lost as a result of working against a student NPC, insulting a student NPC, or failing a specific check. Whereas they may be gained by completing a certain task on behalf of a student NPC, aiding a student NPC, or succeeding in a specific check. Note that these results might even be unintentional!
As the player character’s relationship deepens with a student NPC, the player's intent will be necessary to become friends with that student NPC. To reach the beloved status with a student NPC, the player’s intent must also line up with that student NPCs inherent goals and values. Player characters cannot become friends, or a beloved of a student NPC, unless the player is actively pursuing that arc.
For example, in order to be more than an ‘Acquaintance’, players should do the following: To become ‘Friends’ with a student NPC, a player character must actively pursue this during an encounter, with their relationship points increasing as a reward. This could be as a result of specifically protecting a student NPC during a fight, or choosing to engage with an NPC during a social encounter.
To become ‘Beloved’ by a student NPC, a player character should make their intent obvious. It is encouraged that an encounter revolving around the change in this status, such as witha (friend) date, should take place. Also, make sure the player has made it clear whether reaching beloved status is for romantic or platonic reasons for their character.
When completing the encounters listed in this supplement (or in general) that reward relationship points, make sure that the above restrictions are made. A player character should never accidentally become beloved to a student NPC simply because they were at 4 relationship points and are about to receive another.
This is necessary as players should have full control over who their character forms these deep connections with.
Additionally, due to the nature of how a student NPC’s friends and rivals work (as explained later in this book), if player characters simply gained these points as a result of completing certain tasks or succeeding on certain rolls, characters would find quick friends with some NPCs and instant rivals with others.
Connections stemming from these optional rules should always be a weighted decision - reflecting the social structures found in university life as well as the player’s intent.
RELATIONSHIP POINT THRESHOLDS
There is no minimum threshold to the amount of relationship points one character can have with another.
The maximum number of relationship points a player can have with a single NPC is 3 + proficiency. A player character becomes friends with a student NPC when they have 3 or more relationship points from in-character interactions with them and has expressed an interest in becoming friends out of character.
A player character becomes beloved to a student NPC when they have 5 or more relationship points with them, has expressed an interest in becoming beloved to them out of character, and solidified this status through in-character role-play.
A player character is a rival to a student NPC when they have -2 or fewer relationship points with them.
A player character becomes enemies with a student NPC when they have -3 or fewer relationship points with them.
INTER-NPC RELATIONSHIPS AND CLIQUES
A player characters' relationship with a student NPC directly affects that player characters' relationship points with other student NPCs. When a player character is friends with a student NPC, the rivals of that student NPC will automatically lose a relationship point with the player character.
When a player character is beloved to a student NPC, that student NPC’s rivals will automatically become the player’s rival as well.
(Optional) If a character is a rival or enemy with a student NPC, that student NPC’s rivals gain a relationship point with the character. A character canonly increase their relationship points up to 2 (the most an acquaintance may have) using this method. If a player wishes, they can try and amend rivalries between student NPCs.
RELATIONSHIP EFFECTS
Each NPC now gives additional effects, depending on their relationship status with the player characters.
ENEMY’S BARGAIN
On a roll of 1 on a D20, a player may elect to describe how their Enemy has sabotaged them in some manner. This must have a severe enough effect to count as critically failing a skill check, saving throw, or attack roll.
Examples of this could be something like a character falling prone at the end of their turn during combat, or a social encounter going so badly that the character loses a relationship point with multiple student NPCs.
If a player chooses this option, they then receive a point of inspiration (separate from any inspiration gained normally, or from beloved relationships). This inspiration reflects a player character's determination to overcome the actions of their enemy later on.
BOND BANE
These are as described in the main book. However, there are Bane Additions listed later in this supplement which give ways to use rivalries with student NPCs to gain a benefit in creative ways. You should encourage your player’s to think creatively with these Bane Additions, and that you and the players collaborate to make sure the player characters can gain in-game benefits from these rivalries.
NPC ATTITUDES
Student NPC attitudes should directly reflect the amount of relationship points a player character has with them. Below is a table that shows how a character’s relationship point totals change the attitude of a student NPC toward them, and what effect this has during role-play.
- -3 - Hateful - Characters will go out of their way to worsen their enemies’ day.
- -2 - Suspicious - Characters will assume worse intentions when interacting with someone that they have negative relationship points with
- -1 - Disagreeable - Characters will work against their rival if the opportunity
presents itself.
- 0 to 1 - Civil - Characters will treat each other in a civil manner if they don’t have a negative standing, but would not be considered friendly.
- 2 - Amiable - Characters will enjoy spending time with people they’re amiable toward.
- 3 to 4 - Friendly - Characters will work alongside their friends if the opportunity arises.
- 5+ - Intimate - Characters that are best friends, or Intimate with each other, will go out of their way to improve their beloved’s day.
