Reputation System

Earn the Right to Influence

I want to give everyone a look into the reputation system and how it plays into this world. I believe that everyone who has an interest in Hesli should know what to expect from it. Whether you are a player currently in a campaign or a reader making their way through the chapters of a novel that occurs in this world.
For the GameMasters, I will attempt to explain why I put this system in place, what you can expect from it, and how it ties into the mechenics of the system. Assign yourself the GameMaster role to have a look!
Oh, and dear players, be a good sport and don't go snooping in the GM notes. ^^

As you wander through the world, you'll come across a great many people. Different clans, nations, people, and cultures, it stands at the heart of Hesli. Your interaction with these groups determines the things you can do. From the smallest scale of your behaviour towards the tavern owner to completing quests for a kingdom, you build a reputation with each interaction with that individual or organisation. It can go multiple ways; if you treat the tavern owner respectfully, you might get a discount on your sleeping accommodation. On the other hand, treat them poorly, and you might end up paying more than usual or even unwelcome to stay at all.

Rewards and Penalties of Your Reputation

Good behaviour and helping out communities in need increases your reputation for the better with that specific group or individual. The opposite earns you a bad reputation. However, be mindful of the customs and traditions of the cultures you visit. Something that might be normal and acceptable for one can be taboo or strictly forbidden for another.
So, what can you do with the reputation that you build up during your journey? There is a variety of things that it influences. As stated, you can get discounts from shops and taverns with a good reputation, but there is more. You can unlock character and faction-exclusive quests, locations, items, and even people. You might get invited to traditions and events as an honoured guest. Most importantly, your reputation directly contributes to the influence you can exert over people. With a poor reputation, a call to arms might not be answered, or a dire warning may not be taken seriously.

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.

— Benjamin Franklin

A bad reputation makes life more difficult and varies from one place to another. The penalties can depend on your previous actions that have made you notorious. For example, if you steal from the poor, the rich might steal your belongings or coin. Killing innocents makes guards more alert to your every move when wandering through town. Beware of the relations between clans, villages, and nations. Your actions from one town can alert another, and they might take pre-emptive measures to keep their people safe.

Working Together by KrakenImages

Mending Relations

You can use your influence to mend old rivalries and relationships as a player and a party. As an outsider, you can experience both sides of the conflict and form a bridge between people. Make them realise they're not so different from one another, or help solve the problem that caused the conflict in the first place. There are many ways you can go about this.
However, you cannot save everyone. You cannot make everyone see eye to eye. Just be aware that if one side of the conflict learns of your allegiance to the other side, your reputation with them suffers. It is not always possible to recover what was lost, so be careful with the choices you make and how you thread your way around people of different backgrounds.