ZEITGEIST [Zeitgeist] Prestige Clarification

[Ultimate2099]

Just a quick question regarding Prestige in Zeitgeist as I prepare for my initial session tomorrow. I like the Prestige system a lot and will definately be using but I do need a little clarification.

If my players don't go completely off the rails, they should remain allies to Flint and Risuri and have the potential to become allies to the Unseen Court and the Clergy. (I don't know how many choices will be in place through out the adventures to let them become enemies of the Clergy or Unseen Court.)

But they are plainly going to end up as enemies of the Obscurati and I don't understand how Prestige works with enemies.

Say they have 3 Prestige with the Obscurati after having upset several of that groups plans. Can they call in favors based on their Prestige with the Obscurati? And if so, who are they actually calling in the favor from?

I guess I just don't get how Prestige relates to enemies. I get that it represents how much of a threat they are perceived as but not how favors play into that.

Thanks for any assistance.

 

[rangda]

I would think it would be fairly obvious that you cannot call in favors from factions that hate you.

I'm tracking prestige as a negative value for factions that dislike the PC's. If the encounters start getting a bit too easy (they always do with my group) then I'll use the negative prestige as an indicator for which encounters should get boosted.

 

[Morrus]

No, you can't call in a favour from a faction which hates you. The prestige represents how much they fear you.

 

[RangerWickett]

Have you heard of Kim Jong Il?

Had you heard of Kim Jong Un before his dad died?

Or a more fantasy example: Do you know Lolth? What about Manshoon? Halaster? Artemis Entreri? Akar Kessel? Heafstaag? If you were Elminster and they asked you for help, you would probably decline (or, y'know, attack them), but you've heard of some, not others.

 

[Bruize]

I kinda like the idea of using negative prestige for groups that hate the PCs. I also like the idea of using Prestige to to determine who will bring more backup if the party starts to steamroll things.

 

[Morrus]

I kinda like the idea of using negative prestige for groups that hate the PCs. I also like the idea of using Prestige to to determine who will bring more backup if the party starts to steamroll things.

I can't imagine how negative prestige would work. It's a measure of fame, not popularity. One doesn't transition through a period of being forgotten about when people switch from loving to hating you.

You're famous or you're not. How people feel about you is another thing entirely.

 

[nayrelgof]

I think the awkwardness comes from using the same number for fame and favor.

Let's say I built up my RHC prestige to 3 and then I upset the RHC, but not enough to be fully kicked out. I'm no less well known, but it's now harder for me to get favors. My favor has decreased, but my fame has, if anything, increased.

I haven't read much past adventure 2, but what I've seen is a lot of use for favor, and not so much for fame. From that perspective, negative numbers make a lot of sense.