How does fame affect your characters?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Are they mentioned in songs?

Do people on the street recognize them?

Does it get them discounts at stores?

Does it draw out challengers?

Does it endanger those around them?

Do they get invited to participate in things (balls, tournaments, affairs of state) that they wouldn't otherwise?

Do people want to associate with them?

Does it give them more leeway with the authorities?

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Well, my Half-Elf Warlock/Marshal is a rather famous personage in Sasserine, considering his quite public displays over the past few weeks.

1) As the public face of our adventuring party, he gave a speech at a ceremony in our party's honor for their actions leading to the defeat of the Lotus Dragons. A good number of Sasserine's citizenry were there, as the ceremony was during the Wyrmfall festival.

2) Acting captian of the Blue Nixie, a well known transport ship, as well as an anti-pirate harrier.

3) Personally brought the master thief Roywyn into the public eye, keeping her in a locked cage on the deck of the Blue Nixie for a week before handing her over to the authorities. She was summarily executed.

4) Placed second in an Exotic Weaponry Tournament hosted by the Zelkarune Horns, defeated by a Gnome Exotic Weapon Master, who was far and away the favorite to win the tournament.

Such displays have made him a rather popular figure in the Sasserine area, bringing quite a bit of recognition to his party as well. To answer your questions more directly;

Are they mentioned in songs? Not that I know of, but that could just be a lack of good bards in the city. Perhaps I shall have some imported.

Do people on the street recognize them? Yes, but most tend to stay away, quite the reverse of celebrities today.

Does it get them discounts at stores? Somewhat. The party has an endorsement deal with a local armorsmithing outfit, who gives them gear at about cost, so long as we have their logo on our armor and weapons.

Does it draw out challengers? Verily. The remainder of the Lotus Dragons hate us and have staged several attacks. Also, due to our 'somewhat neutral, but mostly evil' status, there have been a couple of misguided paladins whom have tried to "end our reign of tyrrany over the common folk of Sasserine" or some such nonsense. We know they're working for the greater good, so we just subdue them and make mockeries of them in public.

Does it endanger those around them? Considering that everyone around my character is another 5th level adventurer, I don't think we have too much to worry about from the general populace, that is until we start the next module in the Adventure Path.

Do they get invited to participate in things (balls, tournaments, affairs of state) that they wouldn't otherwise? Of course, heck, we were guests of honor for two of them. I believe we're just short of getting a seat on the Dawn Council.

Do people want to associate with them? Not really, we're seen as a necessary evil, realistically. I mean, we're trained murderers, who just happen to only kill the bad guys. We have no illusions about being the "good guys", we're just more focused.

Does it give them more leeway with the authorities? So long as everyone we kill is a wanted criminal, Sasserine's garrisons tend to give us a wide berth. I think it's less of a mutual respect thing, and more of a "they'd kill quite a lot of our guards before we could take them out with sheer numbers, so we'll let 'em get away with it for now" kinda thing.

-TRRW

 

[Aeric]

Usually not at all. The characters are usually far from civilization when they do their heroic deeds, and the only evidence of their greatness is the gold and magic they bring back to town with them. This might be enough to get people asking questions, if the PCs weren't so damned secretive about their actions. Everyone is paranoid about secret cults, thieves' guilds, and other agents of the enemy getting wind of their location and sending secret slayers after them.

It's rather frustrating, really, especially when they hit those high levels when they should be hobnobbing with the powerful people in the world and influencing the course of civilization, but they don't know anyone and no one knows them, so it's back to the dungeon they go! :\

 

[Raloc]

In a Realms campaign I play in, my character's appearance when in full garb is more likely to warrant him attention than his exploits (various slaughter of dragons (one of which was making war on the area), for one thing, as well as a hand in destroying some Velsharoonite liches) or status (commander of the Waterdhavian river forces, currently wiping out the pirate population with extreme prejudice). He wears black dragonhide full plate and has a helm with a black dragon skull atop it, and wields a Wounding Greatsword. When showing off, he'll use his Wings of Flying to sprout batwings (along with a headband of Enlarge to make him bigger and meaner looking). Laymen in the ways of magic typically think he's a demon.

 

[WayneLigon]

So far, I've only had a couple of groups become actually famous beyond their local area.

Are they mentioned in songs?
Yes

Do people on the street recognize them?
Yes. Several of the enemy groups did as well. A few times, they were very satisfied to round a corner, be faced with an enemy group, then hear the enemy leader yell 'It's them!!' and flee.

Does it get them discounts at stores?
Usually, yes. Some places will raise their prices dramatically, knowing that the rich adventurers can afford it and probably won't even haggle.

Does it draw out challengers?
Yes, and sometimes discourages them as well. It also attracts hangers-on, con men, and people with marriagable daughters and sons.

Does it endanger those around them?
Sometimes. Honestly, that's not a plot I use a lot or without some preperataion. For some reason it is particularly disquieting to me, probably because I tend to make characters with large families and groups of childhood friends.

Do they get invited to participate in things (balls, tournaments, affairs of state) that they wouldn't otherwise?
Definately, either as legitimate guests or 'Look, Lady Andrese, I managed to get the heroes of North Wall for my party,"-type things.

Do people want to associate with them?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Some people will cross the street to avoid them because they are the 'wrong sort' or they are dangerous.

Does it give them more leeway with the authorities?
Yes. After foiling a major plot against her throne, the Queen gave the party a blanket 25% discount with her artificer, especially after they gave her a hammer that dropped some item creation times by 50%.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Depends on the party. Our travelling entertainers party made songs about themselves! Then there was the party that was famous for depopulating a village, sorta. (No one knew who did it or how, not even us, until we figured out that all the 'loose change' we'd gotten as part of the loot after taking care of some monsters for them, which we gave them, caused the villagers to figure they were rich enough to pack up and move to the big city. When we did figure it out we kept quite about it!) Others have been invited to parties, sometimes as guests of honor, been enobled, etc.

 

[Rothe]

I use a reputation system where players get points for deeds based on public knowledge and perception of them. A few points also figure in if your lugging around loks of magic weapons and such (I've a fairly low magic setting).
Some of the answers depend if you are famous or infamous. As everyone IMCs is typically heroic, in action if not always intent, they answers are for the famous ones.

Are they mentioned in songs?

Yes, but that is pretty easy to do as minstrels are a common form of entertianment and news for the masses. They are always looking for new material. How they are portrayed is another matter.

Do people on the street recognize them?

Yes eventually based on phyical description or identifying scar, item etc. But since I don't have magic based photography or such, it can be fairly easy for people to have heard of you but not really know what you look like.

Does it get them discounts at stores?

It depends. If you really helped the locals out in something that means something to them personally, you'll get free drinks and people will help you out. However, if your reputation involves finding a large horde of gold, prices are not likely to come down.

Does it draw out challengers?

Yes, especially at mid-levels of reputation where taking them down can establish a reputation of ones own. At higher levels of reputation toughs out to prove themselves are unlikely to issue or survive challenges, the real threat are palyers on the national stage just above the PCs who may want to take them out while they still can.

Does it endanger those around them?

Sure can, especially when the bad guys decide to take hostages to get at PCs or fireballs start flying.

Do they get invited to participate in things (balls, tournaments, affairs of state) that they wouldn't otherwise?

Oh yes, and to refuse can be considered a major insult. One of the best roleplaying sessions we ever had was a feast put on in honor of the PCs where they got to meet the kingdoms major players and visiting dignitaries. This si where a social interaction mechanic we came up with came in very handy. Who did you impress, who did you offend? Combine the Importance of Being Steve with Wit.

Do people want to associate with them?

If famous, they sure do. Kids follow them in the streets pestering them, young bucks may want to join up. The old folks may think they are good role models or give the young ones bad ideas. If nothing else people want to hear tales of their adventures (true or not). Famous adventurers are the rock stars and professional athletes IMC, they arise form humble orgins to do great things and obtain faboulous wealth and fame.

Does it give them more leeway with the authorities?

It depends on the level of reputation. At some point either the PCs are seen as a threat or as an aid to the politcal postion of the authorities. If the PCs play ball they will be given leeway and even offered positions of authority themselves. If the PCs look like they are undermining the authorities or criticing them, then they better have good connections or the PCs will be removed before they can become a true threat.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Are they mentioned in songs?

Do people on the street recognize them?

Does it get them discounts at stores?

Does it draw out challengers?

Does it endanger those around them?

Do they get invited to participate in things (balls, tournaments, affairs of state) that they wouldn't otherwise?

Do people want to associate with them?

Does it give them more leeway with the authorities?

Possibly yes to all of them, but if I'm an adventurer, I don't want fame. If I do the king a favor, it's nice that they invite me to a party, but I don't want random nobles recognizing me and giving me invites.

Most of the time, anyway. Some character concepts will love the fame.

 

[shilsen]

The PCs in my Eberron campaign story hour (see sig) are the most powerful adventurers in Sharn (12th lvl). They are also internationally famous, their exploits having appeared regularly in the Korranberg Chronicle, the newspaper read continent-wide, and recently having agreed to have a set of adventures chronicled in a weekly series of articles.

There are both positive and negative elements to this fame/notoriety. The authorities want to benefit from their power and underworld (and other similarly negative) elements want to coerce/persuade the PCs into helping them. People around them are also often in danger, as a result of their activities. They recently got invited to the biggest monthly party in Sharn, which would have opened a bunch of doors to them, but the shifter druid had sex in the garden with a gnome bard (NPC) and then insisted on barging into the living quarters of the hostess because she was bored, which swiftly slammed shut the doors that were opening.

 

[Wombat]

Are they mentioned in songs?
Do people on the street recognize them?
Does it get them discounts at stores?
Does it draw out challengers?
Does it endanger those around them?
Do they get invited to participate in things (balls, tournaments, affairs of state) that they wouldn't otherwise?
Do people want to associate with them?
Does it give them more leeway with the authorities?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes, and twice on Sundays, all depending on the circumstances of the fame, the particular PC, and the type of campaign being run.