New Career - Factor

[mike wightman]

A factor is an individual who represents a megacorp or noble in everything from brokerage to negotiation to industrial espionage. He is a hands-on troubleshooter, trade negotiator, and business agent.

These are the people who travel the worlds of a subsector, learning the intricacies of the economies of each world, and studying what the markets have to offer.

These are the people who act with the authority of their patron, directing trade, deploying resources, all to the profit of their employer.

These are the people who sanction trade wars, industrial espionage, even small scale wars, in order to advance their patron's interests.

They are troubleshooters, merchants, diplomats...

and they all have to start out somewhere.

 

[mike wightman]

A factor is an individual who represents a megacorp or noble in everything from brokerage to negotiation to industrial espionage. He is a hands-on troubleshooter, trade negotiator, and business agent.

These are the people who travel the worlds of a subsector, learning the intricacies of the economies of each world, and studying what the markets have to offer.

These are the people who act with the authority of their patron, directing trade, deploying resources, all to the profit of their employer.

These are the people who sanction trade wars, industrial espionage, even small scale wars, in order to advance their patron's interests.

They are troubleshooters, merchants, diplomats...

and they all have to start out somewhere.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
They are troubleshooters, merchants, diplomats...

and they all have to start out somewhere.

Wouldn't this be represented rather neatly by the "shore" assignments in Merchant Prince? I could see Bureaucrat and Diplomat as well, but merchant characters can be positively loaded down with Liaison and Broker using MP.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
They are troubleshooters, merchants, diplomats...

and they all have to start out somewhere.

Wouldn't this be represented rather neatly by the "shore" assignments in Merchant Prince? I could see Bureaucrat and Diplomat as well, but merchant characters can be positively loaded down with Liaison and Broker using MP.

 

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
Wouldn't this be represented rather neatly by the "shore" assignments in Merchant Prince? I could see Bureaucrat and Diplomat as well, but merchant characters can be positively loaded down with Liaison and Broker using MP.

Partially, but I want the factor to be a bit more "romantic" if that's the right word. More adventurous.

I want them to be the people on the ground representing the megacorps and nobles, and, having proved themselves able, have the authority to direct the resources of their patron - including the secret agencies.

A successful factor may well end up with their own megacorporation directorship, a patent of nobility, or even their own pocket empire

 

[mike wightman]

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Enlistment 8+
DM of +1 if End 7+
DM of +2 if Int 8+

Draft 6

Survival 6+
DM of +2 if End 7+

Commission 10+
DM of +1 if Intel 9+

Promotion -
DM of +1 if -

Reenlist 5+</pre>[/QUOTE]Service Skills:
streetwise 1 automatically
broker 1 upon receipt of a commission

 

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
Wouldn't this be represented rather neatly by the "shore" assignments in Merchant Prince? I could see Bureaucrat and Diplomat as well, but merchant characters can be positively loaded down with Liaison and Broker using MP.

Partially, but I want the factor to be a bit more "romantic" if that's the right word. More adventurous.

I want them to be the people on the ground representing the megacorps and nobles, and, having proved themselves able, have the authority to direct the resources of their patron - including the secret agencies.

A successful factor may well end up with their own megacorporation directorship, a patent of nobility, or even their own pocket empire

 

[mike wightman]

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Enlistment 8+
DM of +1 if End 7+
DM of +2 if Int 8+

Draft 6

Survival 6+
DM of +2 if End 7+

Commission 10+
DM of +1 if Intel 9+

Promotion -
DM of +1 if -

Reenlist 5+</pre>[/QUOTE]Service Skills:
streetwise 1 automatically
broker 1 upon receipt of a commission

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Partially, but I want the factor to be a bit more "romantic" if that's the right word. More adventurous.

Got it - would it be correct to describe your concept of a factor as a sort of hands-on troubleshooter and business agent?

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Partially, but I want the factor to be a bit more "romantic" if that's the right word. More adventurous.

Got it - would it be correct to describe your concept of a factor as a sort of hands-on troubleshooter and business agent?

 

[mike wightman]

Yep, that's a pretty good description.

 

[mike wightman]

Yep, that's a pretty good description.

 

[mike wightman]

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Acquired Skills Table
Personal Development
1 +1 Str
2 +1 Dex
3 +1 End
4 Gambling
5 +1 Int
6 +1 Edu
Service Skills
1 Vehicle
2 Gambling
3 Brawling
4 Bribery
5 Blade Cbt
6 Gun Cbt
Advanced Education Table
1 Streetwise
2 Mechanical
3 Electronics
4 Forgery
5 Admin
6 Jack-o-T
Advanced Education Table 8+ Edu only
1 Medical
2 Admin
3 Broker
4 Computer
5 Streetwise
6 Jack-o-T</pre>[/QUOTE]A factor receives 2 skill rolls per term.

 

[mike wightman]

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Acquired Skills Table
Personal Development
1 +1 Str
2 +1 Dex
3 +1 End
4 Gambling
5 +1 Int
6 +1 Edu
Service Skills
1 Vehicle
2 Gambling
3 Brawling
4 Bribery
5 Blade Cbt
6 Gun Cbt
Advanced Education Table
1 Streetwise
2 Mechanical
3 Electronics
4 Forgery
5 Admin
6 Jack-o-T
Advanced Education Table 8+ Edu only
1 Medical
2 Admin
3 Broker
4 Computer
5 Streetwise
6 Jack-o-T</pre>[/QUOTE]A factor receives 2 skill rolls per term.

 

[mike wightman]

Does the skill set look right?

Should leader be in there?

 

[mike wightman]

Does the skill set look right?

Should leader be in there?

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Does the skill set look right?

One thought: the absence of Liaison is a bit jarring. Since Liaison gives benefits of both Admin and Streetwise less one, that seems to me to be an obvious choice - it also reflects the need for a megacorp's or noble's advance agents to deal with different species of sophonts and diverse cultures.

I wonder if "factor" is really the right name for this...? Factor already has a pretty explicit in-game meaning, so I question if that choice of career name is really appropriate.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Does the skill set look right?

One thought: the absence of Liaison is a bit jarring. Since Liaison gives benefits of both Admin and Streetwise less one, that seems to me to be an obvious choice - it also reflects the need for a megacorp's or noble's advance agents to deal with different species of sophonts and diverse cultures.

I wonder if "factor" is really the right name for this...? Factor already has a pretty explicit in-game meaning, so I question if that choice of career name is really appropriate.

 

[mike wightman]

Mustering Out Tables
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Benefits Table
1 Low Psg
2 +2 Int
3 +2 Edu
4 Blade
5 Gun
6 Travellers'/ship (referee's choice)
7 +2 Soc/Patron's Letter (referee's choice)
Cash Table
1 20000
2 20000
3 30000
4 30000
5 50000
6 50000
7 100000</pre>[/QUOTE]Note, a factor who receives a commission can take a +1 DM on the Benefits Table.

 

[mike wightman]

Mustering Out Tables
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Benefits Table
1 Low Psg
2 +2 Int
3 +2 Edu
4 Blade
5 Gun
6 Travellers'/ship (referee's choice)
7 +2 Soc/Patron's Letter (referee's choice)
Cash Table
1 20000
2 20000
3 30000
4 30000
5 50000
6 50000
7 100000</pre>[/QUOTE]Note, a factor who receives a commission can take a +1 DM on the Benefits Table.