Actions

Territory System

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I

nfluence has an important role here. And it doesn't always come in the form of dots on a character sheet. To try and reflect the benefits that having influence over an area can provide, we've come up with a system to represent these abstract ideas in a somewhat concrete manner.

What does territory do?

       Territory provides a Cadre with protection, in the form of myriad defenses. Hardened walls and pit traps are equally important as zoning commissions and a press of bodies. In game terms, there are four bonuses to every territory:

  • Unique Bonus:
    • This is a bonus available only to those who claim a given territory, such as unique knowledge or access to a rare resources.
  • Cost Reward:
    • This is a trio of merits which, when purchased by a Cadre member, awards 1 beat, through fulfilling a Condition, as each merit relates to the nature of each neighborhood. PCs must be the Owners of the Territory at the time of purchasing the merit in order to receive the Cost Reward, and the onus of remembering to put it in the +request for the kick back is on the player.
  • Specialty:
    • A specialty that Cadre members can access at all times as though it were on their sheet, as long as they are Owner of that Territory.
  • Superiority:
    • When within a territory they control, Cadre members receive +2 Dice to react to surprises and ambushes.

H

ere is a list of the common terms used in the system that we use to maintain and control the Claimed Territories of various Cadres.

  • Cadre:
    • A blanket term for Packs/Coteries/Motleys/Cabals (or mixed sphere groups)
  • Territory:
    • A geographically contiguous area that can be controlled, either physically, legally, or socially.
  • Open Territory:
    • A Territory that has not been Claimed.
  • Claimed Territory:
    • A Territory that has been Claimed by a Cadre through Influence
  • Location Value (LV):
    • A numerical representation of the difficulty and energy needed to secure an area.
  • Influence:
    • A numerical representation of the successes achieved towards securing an area.
  • Clout:
    • The sum total of assets and skills a Cadre can devote to claiming and maintaining territory. This creates a die pool that can be used to enhance Territory Actions, both offensive and defensive. This is an abstraction of a groups total power, not an exact measure.

      Clout is composed of the sum of approved merits, minus Power Stat(s) across the group - this is not the total dots, but the total number of merits.

      +Resource points and +coins can be spent to bolster that number temporarily, reflective of using on-hand, disposable income to assist you. This does give templates that do not have a power stat (Primal Urge, Gnosis, Wyrd, Blood Potency, etc) an advantage over supernaturals when figuring out their personal and group Clout.

What is the Territory system

O

btaining territory is not simply as easy as moving in to an unclaimed neighborhood, even if you killed the previous residents. To obtain territory, a Cadre must invest time and resources in relation to the Location Value (LV) of the territory. Territories have a LV, whether claimed or not. The hows and whys of a LV are abstractions designed to cover everything from bribing local politicians, haggling with local gangs, bartering or intimidating local residents and simple construction and renovations. This system is designed to be simple, fun, and easy to use, not necessarily accurate and all-encompassing.

How does the system work

  • There are only two basic actions for which a Clout pool can be used:
    • Building Influence
    • Destroying Influence.

Both use a Cadre's Clout as the base dice pool and each success earns one level of Influence built or destroyed. Resources and Coins can be spent on a one for one basis to add dice to any single Clout roll. There are no other modifiers to Clout rolls. Clout refreshes once a week and does not roll over.

To claim an Open Territory a Cadre must build a number of Influence equivalent to the LV of that Territory. Once the level of Influence in an Open Territory matches the LV, the Cadre then become the Owner and the Territory becomes Claimed. The Owner of a Claimed Territory receives all benefits of that Territory for the duration of being that Owner. Note: Influence caps at the LV of a neighborhood.

To take over a Claimed Territory from another Owner you must first remove the Owner by destroying all Influence. Each success on a Clout roll to destroy Influence subtracts one level of Influence that the Owner has invested in that Territory's LV. When all Influence has reached 0, the Owner is removed and the Territory becomes Open. Note: Influence cannot be lowered below 0.

If two or more Cadres attempt to claim the same unclaimed Territory, the process is contested. All Cadres will roll their Clout pools and successes will be cancelled out by all other opposing Influence, the same as with destroying Influence actions. Any Cadre with successes remaining builds Influence in that Territory with the remaining successes. This does mean that with enough competing Influences, a stalemate is possible.

To find out who the opposition is, use the highest pool in the Cadre of Wits+Streetwise OR Investigation to 'seek' vs Manipulation+Socialize OR Streetwise to 'hide'.

If someone in a contested claim does not roll for that week, they lose that week's roll. RL sucks, but so does being stalemated for weeks waiting for someone to come and throw dice at a job. Non-contested jobs do not suffer this penalty.

O

wner Upkeep: Upon becoming the Owner of a Territory, 5 Clout points must be used every week to maintain that Territory's Influence, effectively lowering that Cadre's weekly Clout pool by 5. Vacating a Territory by ceding Ownership will return that upkeep to the Clout pool. If you cannot pay the upkeep in Clout, your Influence will decrease by the missing amount every week. If it reaches 0, it becomes an Open territory again.

S

upport: A Cadre's Influence actions can be used in support of another Cadre. The system remains the same, except when declaring in support of another Cadre, the successes are simply added to that Cadre's total rather than working against them.

S

plitting: A Cadre can split their Clout pool for the week in any number of ways to wield their Influence, however, the declaration of all spent Clout must be made at the same time (for book-keeping and sanity's sake).

F

iefdoms: A Cadre can own multiple Territories, but must maintain Owner Upkeep for each one separately.


D

istricts: Districts can be flipped to the control of a sphere by that sphere controlling 75% of the Neighborhoods within the District.


M

ortals are invaluable. To represent the ease with which they can move in human society, when a mortal/+ spends +Coins to bolster a Cadre's temporary Clout, they gain +2 clout, instead of +1.


How do I use the system in game

+Requests, preferably titled TS: (Neighborhood Name), will be used to manage the system. Please include the people involved, or the +lair number, the Cadre's Clout (with any subtractions for held territories noted).

Uses:

  • Claim an area you live in to keep it safer (think traditional vampire or werewolf territory management).
  • Improve an area your pc cares about. Want to turn some slums into something better? Reduce the Risk from High to Moderate? Help the poor?
  • Keep an eye on rivals.
  • Be an evil landlord that charges +Resources or +coins to stay in your territory.
  • Get some Beat kickbacks and themed advantages!
  • Dislike someone? And they have turf? Go mess with their Influence.
  • Need help? Use +resources or +coins to bribe some heavy Influencers into working with you to take a territory.

Districts8-2-22.png

Far North (FN)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Albany Park 15 Unclaimed Hiking (Survival) Greyhound, Multilingual, Library With an hours work, a meal can be found to satisfy any dietary requirement. Even the undead.
Edgewater 20 Unclaimed Carousing (Socialize) Holistic Awareness, Multilingual, Safe Place Once per week, can obtain a moderately fresh corpse from Graceland Cemetery without a roll.
Edison Park 20 Unclaimed Foraging (Survival) Direction Sense, Meditative Mind, Fleet of Foot. Once per week obtain holy water or sacrament blessed with true faith from the Saint Juliana Catholic Church.
Forest Glen 25 Unclaimed Gardening (Crafts) Fleet of Foot, Inspiring, Table Turner Spend a point of Resources to gain +1 to social rolls as per Striking Looks for a day.
Jefferson Park 20 Unclaimed Navigation (Streetwise) Barfly, Safe Place, Hobbyist Clique Once per week find a safe place to sleep.
Lincoln Square 15 Unclaimed Bureaucracy (Politics) Allies(Government), Retainer, Staff Once per month, you can find a willing and suitable mortal "employee" for a task. (Permanent acquisition requires Experience Expenditure.)
North Park 25 Unclaimed Cross Culture (Socialize) Barfly, Multilingual, Iron Stamina Once a month find someone that can translate a spoken or written language to english.
Norwood Park 20 Vampire Keepers Coterie First Aid (Medicine) Common Sense, Tolerance for Biology, Direction Sense Once per month acquire fresh bio-waste from the hospital.
O'Hare 20 Vampire Keepers Coterie Black Market (Streetwise) Fixer, Pusher, Support Network Once per month find someone to courier a message of package. Treat it as Anonymity 2 for tracking purposes.
Roger's Park 20 Unclaimed Running (Athletics) Iron Stamina, Multiligual, Holistic Awareness Once per month, spend a resource point to hire students for a +3 bonus to a research check.
Uptown 20 Unclaimed Sale Pitches (Persuasion) Direction Sense, Meditative Mind, Trained Observer Once per month, find someone that can get you what you need as per the Fixer merit.
West Ridge 15 Unclaimed Religious Works (Academics) Peacemaker, Safe Place, Support Network Once per month, spend a point of resources to get a +3 bonus to research efforts related to the local religious groups.

Northwest Side (NW)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Belmont Cragin 15 Vampire Neighbors (Empathy) Sympathetic, Virtuous, Patient Once a month, gain the benefits of therapy as per a therapist with the Empath merit.
Dunning 20 Vampire Mental Health (Science) Meditative Mind, Patient, Iron Will Once per month, spend a Resources point to use the personal information of a mental patient as Alternate Identity 2.
Hermosa 20 Vampire Finance (Academics) Language (Spanish), Good Time Management, Taste Once a month, make a social roll (difficulty 3) to gain Safe Place 5 for a night in the Honduran Consulate.
Irving Park 20 Vampire Architecture (Academics) Common Sense, Taste, Multilingual Once per week, make a social roll to get a table at any restaurant in the neighborhood without notice and gain +2 to social rolls while there.
Montclare 15 Vampire Suburbs (Academics) Interdisciplinary Specialty (Suburbs), Good Time Management, Virtuous Once a month, use a point of Resources to use a neighborhood teen as Retainer 2.
Portage Park 15 Neutral Ollie Bargains (Persuasion) Fleet of Foot, Language (Polish), Taste Spend a point of Resources to be able to obtain any meal at any time from within the neighborhood.

North Side (NS)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Avondale 15 Werewolf Cuisine (Crafts) Language (Polish), Hardy, Taste Once a week, find someone willing to assist with an artistic project (+3 to Crafts roll)
Lakeview 25 Vampire Percy Emotions (Empathy) Barfly, Taste, Hobbyist Clique (Athletics, Expression, Crafts) Once a month, with a successful social roll (difficulty 3) fulfill any Virtue
Lincoln park 25 Vampire Casimir History (Academics) Encyclopedic Knowledge (Academics), Good Time Management, Contacts (Finance) Once a month, spend a Resources point to gain access to the Lincoln Park Zoo after hours and gain +2 to social rolls while there.
Logan Square 20 Werewolf Las Aquilas Landscaping (Crafts) Multilingual, Virtuous, Inspiring Once a week, succeed in a social roll (difficulty 2) to find a Safe Space 2 in one of the neighborhood churches or parks.
North center 20 Werewolf Public Speaking (Expression) Virtuous, Multilingual, Contacts (Media) Once a month, succeed on a social roll to have a sponsored community event thrown with the theme of your choosing.

West Side (WS)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Austin 20 Vampire Props (Crafts) Stunt Driver, Allies (Media), Fame Once a week, spend a Resources point to get access to a film business prop for a day.
East Garfield 15 Vampire Real Estate (Academics) Direction Sense, Holistic Awareness, Demolisher Once a month, spend a point of Resources to retain the services of Retainer 3 (Day Laborer) for day.
Humboldt Park 15 Vampire Trends (Socialize) Taste, Language (Spanish), Virtuous Once per week, with a successful social roll, get a table at any restaurant on Division Street or free access to any one meal.
Lower West Side 15 Vampire Art (Crafts) Multilingual, Patient, Common Sense Once a week, succeed on a social roll to find a Safe Place 2 within the neighborhood.
Near West Side 35 Vampire First Aid (Medicine) Library (Any), Parkour, Contacts (Any) Once a week, succeed on a social roll (difficulty 2) to acquire a suite at the United Center for an evening and gain +3 to social rolls while there.
North Lawndale 15 Vampire Security Systems (Larceny) Vice-Ridden, Anonymity, Relentless Once a week, spend a Resources point to satisfy any Vice.
South Lawndale 15 Vampire Retail Therapy (Socialize) Virtuous, Taste, Common Sense Once a month, spend a Resource point to use Marshall Square Theater privately for a day and gain +2 to social rolls while there.
West Garfield 15 Vampire Faith Dealers (Streetwise) Tolerance for Biology, Quick Draw, Danger Sense Once a month, spend a point of Resources to procure an unidentified corpse.
West Town 20 Vampire Festivals (Socialize) Multilingual, Virtuous, Holistic Awareness Once per week, succeed in a social roll (difficulty 3) to find someone in the neighborhood with information functioning as Library 1 (Any)

Central (CE)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Loop 50 Vampire Miss de Villiers (Penelope) Business (Academics) Resources, Retainer (Any), Status (Any) Once a week, spend a Resources point to reserve any business, theater, or restaurant for the entire day and gain +3 to social rolls while there.
Near North 35 Neutral Omega Finance (Academics) Allies (Media), Resources, Taste Once per week, succeed on a social roll to acquire the use of a lavish venue for an evening and gain +2 to social rolls while there.
Near South 35 Neutral Football (Athletics) Iron Stamina, Library (Any), Encyclopedic Knowledge (Any) Once a week, succeed on a social roll (difficulty 2) to gain access to any museum in the neighborhood after hours for an evening and gain +2 to social rolls while there.

Southwest Side (SW)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Archer Heights 15 Werewolf Homeless (Streetwise) Anonymity, Barfly, Sympathetic A safe-place in the back of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, that can be used once a a week.
Brighton Park 15 Werewolf Trains (Drive) Encyclopedic Knowledge (Drive), Multilingual, Hobbyist Clique Once a month, spend a Resources point to access an empty freighter car for any personal use.
Chicago Lawn 15 Werewolf Gardening (Crafts) Multilingual, Holistic Awareness, Sympathetic Once a month, use authentic Middle Eastern catering to give +2 to social rolls at a public event (if the food is served).
Clearing 20 Werewolf Security (Larceny) Fixer, Allies (Transportation), Automotive Genius Once a month, spend a Resource point to move an illegal item Size 1 or 0 in or out of the city.
Englewood 15 Werewolf Gangs (Streetwise) Danger Sense, Vice-Ridden, Tolerance for Biology Once a week, make a social roll to fulfill any Vice.
Gage Park 20 Werewolf Running (Athletics) Parkour, Fleet of Foot, Greyhound Once per week, satisfy a Pride virtue by winning an athletic event.
Garfield Ridge 20 Werewolf Rivers (Survival) Multilingual, Interdisciplinary Specialty, Direction Sense Once per month, spend a Resources point to have a weatherproof shelter set up in the marshes for +2 to survival rolls for one outing.
McKinley Park 15 Werewolf Small Talk (Socialize) Hardy, Closed Book, Hobbyist Clique One per month, succeed on a social roll to reserve the park for a special event.
New City 15 Werewolf Nightlife (Socialize) Closed Book, Taste, Patient Once a month, spend a Resources point to throw a private party at any club in the neighborhood.
West Elsdon 15 Werewolf Law (Academics) Multilingual, Virtuous, Closed Book Once a month, succeed on a social roll to have the West Elsdon Civic Association raise funds for a benefit of your choice.
West Englewood 15 Werewolf Basketball (Athletics) Scarred, Alternate Identity, Danger Sense Once per month, succeed on a social roll (difficulty 3) to have someone in the neighborhood stopped by police and searched.
West Lawn 15 Werewolf Automobiles (Science) Multilingual, Automotive Genius, Hobbyist Clique Once per month, spend a Resources point to get the use of an unregistered car for a day.

South Side (SS)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Armour Square 20 Changeling Research (Academics) Library, Good Time Management, Eidetic Memory Once a month, spend a Resources point to get a plus +3 to a research roll.
Bridgeport 25 Changeling Baseball (Academics) Bar Fly, Demolisher, Good Time Management Once a month, spend Resources point to host a suite at a Sox game and gain +3 to social rolls while there.
Douglas 20 Changeling History (Academics) Encyclopedic Knowledge (History), Area of Expertise, Virtuous Once per month, use a Resources point to make use of a college intern as Retainer 3 for a day.
Fuller Park 15 Changeling Urban Ecology (Science) Vice-Ridden, Untouchable, Anonymity Once a month, spend a Resources point to cover up a minor crime by dead-ending the evidence in the neighborhood.
Grand Boulevard 15 Changeling History (Academics) Virtuous, Iron-Willed, Inspiring Once a month, use a point of Resources to reserve the Harold Washington Cultural Center for an evening.
Grand Crossing 15 Changeling Engineering (Science) Patient, Indomitable, Automotive Genius Once per month, succeed on a social roll to get advice from a mechanic for +3 to one Crafts project.
Hyde Park 30 Changeling Solomon Industry (Science) Library (Any), Encyclopedic Knowledge (Any), Interdisciplinary Specialty (Any) Once a month, spend a Resources point to gain access to a student intern as a Retainer 3 for one day.
Kenwood 20 Changeling Calming (Empathy) Common Sense, Holistic Awareness, Library (Academics) Once a month, use a Resources point to reserve a section of the Blackstone Library after hours and gain +2 to social rolls while there.
Oakland 15 Werewolf Geminiad Pack Carpentry (Crafts) Eye for the Strange, Hobbyist Clique (Any), Safe Space Once a week get baked goods from neighbors.
South Shore 20 Changeling Civil Law (Academics) Virtuous, Inspiring, Area of Expertise (Any) Once a month, spend a Resources point to reserve the South Shore Cultural Center for a private event and gain +2 to social rolls while there.
Washington Park 20 Changeling Art History (Academics) Eye for the Strange, Inspiring, Table Turner Once per week, spend a Resources point to have a neighborhood youth function as Retainer 2 for one task.
Woodlawn 25 Changeling Research (Academics) Library (Any), Mentor, Area of Expertise (Any) Once a month, spend a point of Resources to find an intern to function as Retainer 3 for a day.

Far Southwest (FW)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Ashburn 15 Changeling Ghost (Occult) Danger Sense, Eye for the Strange, Empath Once per month, spend a point of Willpower to be able to find out something about a death.
Auburn Gresham 15 Changeling Flirting (Socialize) Direction Sense, Defender, Vice-Ridden Once a month, spend a Resources point to be able to cover your tracks for a crime or failed event.
Beverly 20 Changeling Architecture (Academics) Iron Will, Contacts (Finance), Staff Once a week, spend a Resources point to reserve a section in the Beverly Arts Center for an evening.
Morgan Park 20 Changeling Shelter (Survival) Eye for the Strange, Meditative Mind, Trained Observer Once a week, succeed on a Survival roll to find a Safe Place 3 for a night somewhere in the neighborhood.
Mount Greenwood 15 Changeling Legal Rights (Academics) Safe Place (1,2), Defender, Small Unit Tactics Once per month, spend a Resources point to organize a community rally.
Washington Heights 20 Changeling Accounting (Academics) Holistic Awareness, Virtuous, Meditative Mind Once a month, succeed on a social roll to eliminate criminal activity in the neighborhood for an evening.

Far Southeast (FE)

Neighborhood Value Sphere Claimed Specialty Cost Reward Unique Bonus
Avalon Park 15 Unclaimed Manners (Socialize) Common Sense, Patient, Closed Book Once a month, spend a resource point to procure a dead body.
Burnside 20 Werewolf Steelmaw Pack Murderous Stare (Intimidation) Quick Draw, Vice-Ridden, Air of Menace Once per week, spend a point of Resources to gain access to Staff (Gangbangers: Streewise) for one day.
Calumet Heights 15 Changeling Namdi First Aid (Medicine) Patient, Tolerance for Biology, Indomitable Once per month, use up to 2 dots worth of hospital-specific Resources.
Chatham 15 Werewolf Steelmaw Pack Business (Academics) Allies (BBB), Common Sense, Vice-Ridden Once per month, succeed at a social roll (difficulty 2) to hire services as per the Fixer merit.
East Side 20 Unclaimed Shelter (Survival) Direction Sense, Iron Stamina, Hobbyist Clique Once per month, spend a Resources point to gain the services of a guide for +3 to Survival rolls for a day.
Hegewisch 15 Unclaimed Wetlands (Survival) Holistic Awareness, Patient, Virtuous Once a week, succeed on a social roll to find a place to sleep in the Harbor Estates trailer park.
Pullman 20 Unclaimed Engineering (Science) Encyclopedic Knowledge (Trains), Direction Sense, Patient Once a week, succeed on a social roll (difficulty 3) to have a public space in the neighborhood reserved for private use for a day.
Riverdale 15 Werewolf Steelmaw Pack Environment (Science) Air of Menace, Vice-Ridden, Anonymity Once a week, spend a point of Resources to fulfill any Vice.
Roseland 15 Werewolf Steelmaw Pack Rumors (Streetwise) Indomitable, Closed Book, Hobbyist Clique Once per month, find an abandoned house to occupy for a day as a Safe Place 3.
South Chicago 15 Unclaimed Bureaucracy (Politics) Multilingual, Patient, Trained Observer Once a month, on a successful politics roll (difficulty 3) gain enough signatures to support a political initiative.
South Deering 15 Werewolf Hazel and Nadia Toxins (Science) Hardy, Sympathetic, Patient Once a month, with a successful social roll (difficulty 2), find a connection as per the Fixer merit.
West Pullman 15 Unclaimed Environment (Science) Hardy, Vice-Ridden, Interdisciplinary Specialty Once per week, spend a Resources point to have a homeless person function as Staff (Streetwise).

The territory system is an abstraction of constant, repeated, and sustained actions taken to influence and change neighborhoods and the people in them. As such, all merits pertaining to the territory system are those which are available only to mortals as the amount of supernatural activity on the scale the territory system requires would draw too much attention. Again, the system is just an abstraction. Individual uses of supernatural merits are still handled on an individual basis.

Below is a list of applicable merits that are counted towards a cadre's clout. The merits not counted are stricken in the list, but shown for clarity.

CoD Core

Mental

Area of Expertise - Only applies for social specialties.

Common Sense

Direction Sense

Eidetic Memory

Encyclopedic Knowledge

Good Time Management

Interdisciplinary Specialty

Investigative Aide

Investigative Prodigy

Language

Library

Multilingual

Patient

Trained Observer


Physical

None applicable.


Social

Allies

Barfly

Closed Book

Contacts

Fame

Fast-Talking

Fixer

Inspiring

Pusher

Resources

Retainer

Spin Doctor

Staff

Status

Striking Looks

Sympathetic

Table Turner

Takes One to Know One

True Friend

Untouchable


Hurt Locker

Air of Menace

Cohesive Unit

Defender

Empath

Peacemaker

Support Network


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