Organizations (Action)

Heroic Action Role-Play

These rules cover businesses, guilds, ninja clans, and other organizations a player in Action might want to lead or be a part of. It is quite abstract but gives a framework to role-play around. Players should feel free to ignore these rules and just play happy-go-lucky adventurers, using the contacts gained from skills to define their role in the world instead of the more formal rules here.

Organization Setup

An organization has three attributes, Power, Skill, and Attribute. Power is the might of the organization if led by the player, or the characters clout in a larger organization. Skill and attribute is what traits the character uses to advance in the organization and is taken from the normal range of character skills and attributes.

Power generally starts at a value equal to the character's score in the attribute of the organization if the character is young and unestablished, at a rating equal to hist skill rating of established in the field, and at a value equal to skill + attribute if the character is at the apex of his career.

Description

The organization also needs a goal and purpose and should have a description, describing what it does, how it does it, and why. It should also be noted if this is an organization headed by the player or if the player is just managing a division of a larger organization.

Organization Examples

Here is a table with typical organizations based on different combinations of skill and attribute. Naturally, this will vary with the genre; a spy ring is not the same in high fantasy as it is in cyberpunk. The descriptions are only suggestions and pointers, you can go outside the examples. Nor need an organization be only one thing; it is possible for two characters to be a member of the same large organization and use different skills because they are in different careers within that organization.

Skill	Body	Mind	Reflexes
Charm	Retail	Personal Services	Spy ring
Create	Manufacturing Repair Shop	Design Invention	Mechanics Locksmithing
Impress	Foreman Strongman	Management Vocalist	Public Relations Instrumentalist
Know	Exploration	Scholarship	Medicine
Maneuver	Athletic Sports	Dance	Acrobatic Sports
Melee	Thuggery	Fencing School	Ninja Clan
Ride	Hauler	Logistics	Racing
Shoot	Military	Shooting Academy	Assassination
Spot	Security	Detective	Private Eye

Multiple Characters and Organizations

Several characters can be in the same organization, each using different skills and attributes as long as they make sense for their role and for the organization as a whole.

• Several characters can be competing members of the same large organization. They essentially work independently, each advancing separately in their own branch or department. Each rolls separately for advancement.
• Several characters can be in the same organization, with one of them the group leader (either the leader of the entire organization or the liaison with the rest of it) the others playing subordinates. Each subordinate can make a skill roll against the Power of the leader. If the roll succeeds, the Outcome is added as a bonus to the leader's roll. If the roll fails, there is no effect. The leaders uses any bonus gained from subordinates and makes his own advancement roll. Subordinates are at whatever rank the leader assigns them, up to one category below the leader.
• Several characters can be equal partners in an organization, sharing the power value. Each makes advancement rolls normally, affecting the power value they have in common. This will make for a very shaky, changeable organization.
• One character can be a member of several organizations. You can only attempt to advance in one organization with each advancement roll, unless penalties force you to roll.

Advancement Checks

Once per adventure, about every three or so play sessions, when there is a suitable spot of downtime, you can make an advancement check. This is a skill roll using the skill of the organization, the difficulty is the Power rating. If this skill check succeeds, Power increases by one point plus an additional point for every ten points of Outcome. If the skill check fails but negative Outcome is less than the attribute of the organization, work proceeds as normal. If the roll fails and the negative Outcome is equal or greater than the attribute, there is a Setback and Power is reduced by three. This can often serve as an adventure hook.

The advancement check is modified depending on the situation at hand. These modifiers are typical, and the GM can easily invent more of his own, possibly to foreshadow future events. Use only the first applicable modification on the table, ignoring any below. If the modifier is a penalty, you must attempt an advancement check. Fortune spent on advancement rolls come from normal play sessions.

Situation	Modifier
Organization suffered a setback in the adventure	-5
Organization gained a boon in the adventure	+5
The adventure was a failure	-2
Organization was involved in the adventure	+2

Power Rating in the World

The impact of an organization, or the characters rank in an organization, depends on the power rating.

Power	Clout	Social Class
1-3	None	Starving
4-6	None	Destitute
7-9	5	Poor
10-12	25	Middle class
13-15	125	Well off
16-18	1,000	Affluent
19-21	5,000	Rich
22-24	25,000	Wealthy
25-27	125,000	Magnate
28-30	250,000	Mogul

Clout is a measure of how many people are involved with you and affected by you in your professions. They need not be subordinates; depending on your exact organization, they can be fans, peons, subordinates, clients, regular customers, or otherwise people you interact with regularly trough your organization.

Social Class gives an indication of the relative wealth and prestige you gain from the organization; what this actually means depends on the setting. Being a Mogul in a sixties glamor spy game and a gritty game of starving peasants is not the same thing, but both place you at the top of the social pyramid.

Organizations in the Game

The power rating of an organization works much like a skill, mainly for the contacts and knowledge elements. Working through a chain of command you have more authority over your contacts than usual, bust frivolously spending organization resources will penalize future advancement rolls.

An organization has a focus that tells you what it can do; police can investigate, harass, and lend equipment, a retail chain can provide gear and money, a research lab can provide very specialized equipment and knowledge.