Patronage

Patronage is an abstract concept that represents a Blackbird’s value to a specific member of the nobility or a person of power—and, alternately, the Blackbird’s promise to be available to perform tasks, quests, and duties needful to their patron when called upon. Thus, it represents a two-way transaction, advantageous to both parties and commonly understood as part of the very fabric of civilization and essential to its continued existence. The higher a Blackbird’s Patronage score is with a particular patron, the more they can ask for— and the more likely that they’ll be given a task by that patron during a Weaving. In concrete terms, for every point of Patronage a Blackbird has, they have performed a task or favor or have a relationship with one patron or noble of high status. The higher the number, the more valuable the services or items the Blackbird is able to request from that patron. Patronage scores above 5 represent a special relationship to a particular patron.

A Patronage score allows the Blackbird to:

• Acquire an item of the appropriate value commonly available without hassle in a populated area associated with one of their patrons.
• Gain access to materials, expert assistance, and tools to make item crafting possible.
• Be put up in lodgings either belonging to a patron or a patron’s vassal, or in an inn or lodging house suited to the Patronage score.
• Ask for a favor or support in a journey or quest, especially if the quest is something one of their patrons is interested in.

The Patronage score also determines how likely a Blackbird is to be called upon to perform an Undertaking for one of their patrons each time they use the score associated with that patron.

Pushing Patronage

Gaining something 1 level higher than allowed or more than one valuable item.

• Roll: Bargain, Charm, or Guile

Results

• Success: The request is granted.
• Failure: The request is granted but must immediately perform an Undertaking.
• Critical or Sublime Failure: No longer gain anything until a difficult Undertaking is completed.

Stewardship

Patronage levels of 6 or above represent a special relationship between a Blackbird and a particular person of importance. Moving to Level 6 means the Blackbird has gained the equivalent of a minor knighthood, title, or mark of importance that represents a formal pledge of services, is less ambiguous than their previous mercenary work, and is an important decision for both parties. !is opportunity comes only through serving a specific patron, either in a way that goes above and beyond the norm or after performing several Undertakings for that patron.

Patron Traits

• Diplomatic: May use Patronage score at 2 levels lower outside the patron’s diplomatic sphere.
• Guildmaster: Tools, workshops, and crafting material at 1 level higher.
• High Noble: Add 1 level when acquiring anything and 2 when gearing up for an Undertaking. Failure loses an extra level.
• Military: Requests for weapons, armor, or military personnel at 1 level higher.
• Mystic: All assistance related to Odic matters at 1 level higher.
• Naval: Anything related to naval travel or accommodation on ships is 2 levels higher.
• Religious: Add 1 level for all things but must follow religious rules, observances, or codes.
• Underworld: Turn illegally acquired goods into Spoils and access to illegal items.
• Wealthy: Add 1 level for equipping and acquiring items. Spoils may be used instead of doing an Undertaking.

Obligation

Every time a Blackbird uses Patronage to acquire items or aid add +1 to Obligation.

• Roll: (Patronage + Obligation) * 5
• Success: The Blackbird is given an Undertaking and Obligation resets to 0 once completed.

Undertakings

Once an Undertaking is imposed upon a Blackbird, they may not use Patronage from that source until the Undertaking is completed—the only exception being tasks and efforts directly related to completing the Undertaking.

Level 1

• Escort someone important to or from somewhere in the same area, town, or city.
• Discover the whereabouts of someone hiding locally.
• Hunt and kill a wild animal plaguing the populace.
• Deliver a small sum of money or a valuable object within the same area, town, or city.
• Deliver a message to or from someone in the same area, town, or city.

Level 2

• Escort someone important to or from a neighboring county.
• Seek out and bring to justice a local criminal in hiding.
• Hunt and kill a minor beast plaguing the populace.
• Deliver a small sum of money or valuable object to or from a neighboring county.
• Convince someone in a neighboring country to make a particular choice in your patron’s favor.

Level 3

• Wipe out a local group of bandits or highwaymen.
• Escort someone important, a valuable object, or valuable property to or from a bordering nation.
• No messages have arrived for a week from a local outpost or small village; find out why.
• Perform a minor diplomatic action, or deliver a message in person to a noble in a neighboring county.

Level 4

• Wipe out a local group of bandits or highwaymen and their leader, who’s reported to have magical assistance.
• Escort someone important, a valuable object, or valuable property through a dangerous area to or from a bordering nation.
• Explore a mysterious location where people have been disappearing or that has been the subject of dark rumors.
• Perform a diplomatic action or deliver a message in person to a noble in a neighboring nation.

Level 5

• Delve rumors of a supernatural creature attacking villagers.
• Find the source of a mysterious curse.
• Recover someone forced into marriage with a minor noble.
• Escort an important person or object on a perilous journey to another land.
• Perform an act of espionage.

Level 6

• Stop a supernatural creature from attacking villagers.
• End a mysterious curse.
• Recover someone who has been forced into marriage with a powerful noble.
• Escort an important person or object on a lengthy and likely perilous journey to a distant land.
• Perform a major act of espionage.

Level 7

• Discover the source of a powerful supernatural threat or threats.
• Spy on the movements of an army.
• Explore a dangerous ruin or cursed ancient site to discover information about a specific artifact, relic, or object.
• Secretly enter a castle under siege and sneak someone out.
• Assist with a major diplomatic action in a neighboring country of great import, personally negotiating the details.

Level 8

• Stop a powerful supernatural threat or threats.
• Help stop the advances of, or sabotage, an army.
• Explore a dangerous ruin or cursed ancient site to recover a specific artifact, relic, or object.
• Secretly enter a castle under siege and weaken its defenses.
• Perform major diplomacy in a neighboring country of great import when the monarch in question is known to kill messengers and diplomats.

Level 9

• Discover the weakness of a particular servant of one of the Oligarchs.
• Discover intelligence on a dangerous, and possibly magically powerful, target.
• Escort someone or something to a distant land—probably a lengthy overseas journey through dangerous territory.

Level 10

• Capture or kill a servant of one of the Oligarchs, or discover secret information about one of the Oligarchs’ high-ranking servants or an Oligarch itself.
• Assassinate a dangerous, and possibly magically powerful, target.
• Escort a dangerous magical criminal or artifact to a distant land—probably a lengthy overseas journey through dangerous territory.

Failing Undertakings

• Roll: Bargain, Charm or Guile

Results

• Success: Patronage lowered by 1.
• Critical Success: Patronage level does not change.
• Sublime Success: Patronage increases by 1.
• Failure: Patronage lowered by 2.
• Critical Failure: Can’t access the patron until they perform a replacement Undertaking of the same level.
• Sublime Failure: All Patronage lost and patron forms an animosity towards them.