Reputation scores?

[Bladesinger_Boy]

Does anyone use Reputation scores in their game? I'd like to get into the habit and perhaps even have base reputation score bonuses for certain classes, say bards & rogues. Does reputation score affect NPC attitude? The idea of simply a modifier to CHA skills seems too boring and skill-oriented. What are some other things that having a reputation score could do? I should say too I'm running a very urban, social-setting campaign. Maybe...
- Change buying/selling rates?
- having X number of contacts?
- modify Leadership score?
- modify wealth?
- if there were clear "acquisition rates/rarity", maybe bigger items could be more likely to be acquired OR more quickly acquired?
- maybe some kind pseudo-skill challenge for In-Game leader types based about personell, money contracts, or political influence?
- maybe as a req for certain items, PrCs, or In-Game titles & positions?

 

[Verdande]

I'm of the opinion that Reputation is too funny a thing to be used in a strictly mechanical sense. The benefits of a powerful reputation, in real life, affect every single thing you do, and I think that's a better way to work it than say "This guy has a reputation score of 8 and this guy has 3" or whatever.

Then again, I'm hopelessly freeform, so I guess you can take that as you will.

 

[Celebrim]

The problem with reputation is that a single score is not realistic. If you look at for example video games that implement reputation, most of the time they implement reputation on a per faction basis. That is, you might have a great reputation within the Republic of Light, but in the Empire of Steel you might be considered a loathsome criminal. Reputation is not a single score.

I don't implement reputation per se, but I will give a circumstance bonus/penalty on diplomacy if I feel the character has a particularly high/low reputation with the faction/person/community that they are interacting with. Generally, this pretty small and only effects your initial interactions. After you've become a known quantity to a person, how you've treated them is more important than what they've heard about you.

 

[Tonguez]

I use a modified leadership score to track reputation imc and then use it as a kind of wealth mechanic (mainly because I do not use money and the economic system of the society is a non-money gift exchange)

Basically Your base reputation is Level+ Cha and any NPC Patron/Ally (Cohort) is someone you can depend upon to do you a favour (a relative, former teacher etc).
However any favour they do cost 'reputation' so asking for too many favours will cause you to run out of them (and negative numbers become obligations you must repay) - a Level 1 charater with negative Rep is a slave or outcast.

Followers gained under the mechanic become people who will obey any reasonable instructions you give them (ie please fix my broken sword)

Reputation can of course be good or bad (influence through persuasion or through intimidation) and IMC works on the theory that even amongst strangers those with 'it' can be identified by their aura of influence