03.04 Rd6 Advantages: Professional

Authority (1- 3 points)

The level of the Advantage is based on the character’s rank, duties, and power in his local jurisdiction.

Points	Description
+1	Add one point to your Authority purchase to make it a Law Enforcement Advantage. This gives adventurers some measure of abilities associated with being a deputized agent of the law; gives the prestige of being “ordained” by the legal system.
1	An 1-point Authority Advantage might belong to someone who, because of circumstance, does not have a lot of opportunity to use his authority or someone who is very low in rank. This represents low-level or local authority in a village, or just in a cantina.
2	With a 2-point Authority, the character has more influence, possibly commanding a small number of troops or being in charge of a small company or town. Law Enforcement means the character can carry a firearm and has limited authority to enforce the law. Private investigators, bounty hunters and bail bondsmen would qualify as 2-point Authority: Law Enforcement professions. If the game is held during the Imperial-era of Star Wars, this is required for Bounty Hunters, etc.
3	3-point Authority is the same as 1-point Authority, except that the character has a great deal of power and influence. The head of a large company or someone whose authority is simply never questioned would have this Advantage. With 3-Point Law Enforcement the character is actually a police officer, or security and is allowed to make full arrests and reasonable search and seizures.
4	With 4-point Law Enforcement, the character can be a Imperial agent and have authority over local police for the purpose of investigations

Patron (1-3 points)

The odds are that most player characters are not independently wealthy. They may actually for someone and are obligated to report in on occasion. There is an upside and a downside to a patron. The upside is that the character has access to resources and wealth he may not have otherwise. The downside is that there is an obligation to this patron. If the downside is enough of one, the character is encouraged to take Employment as a Disadvantage.

If the characters are treasure hunters, patrons might include museums, universities, private philanthropists, newspapers or even retired adventurers.

Points	Description
1	The Patron is a backer who will fund one expedition, with all proceeds going to the patron. All of the costs (room, board, travel, expenses) are covered by the patron, with the understanding that the player character is basically just a worker-for-hire. Anything that the adventurer discovers or purchases becomes the property of the patron.
2	The Patron expects much less from those he backs. The character may receive less financial support, but will have greater freedom of action. A newspaper publisher looking for hot stories is a common example of an organization qualifying for 2-point Patron. They cover a character’s travel expenses and any legal fees in exchange for hot stories. Anything that the character finds on his own remain his own.
3	The Patron will give a character a limited stipend and cover expenses, then offer to purchase whatever the character recovers. Without consistent results, the funding could be cut off.

Fame (1-3 points)

The character is famous to some extent or another. Depending on how many points are spent, the Fame Advantage benefits the character in different ways. The table below gives examples and point costs for different levels of Fame.

The Advantage can be bought more than once. A character might be famous for more than one reason (and more famous for one thing than another).

Fame is also good when used with the Compensation Reputation. The Compensation explores the down side of being famous. You might want to pick it, as your gamemaster will almost certainly introduce it at some time. Also remember, Fame can be used like Reputation.

Fame Value Chart

Point Value	Effect and Examples
1	The character is moderately famous – a local celebrity – and the benefits are limited. A local newscaster who can get into most semi-sensitive areas just by hiring a cameraman; a writer who is recognized occasionally by name; an upper-level executive of a corporation who commands respect from those associated with the corp.
2	The character is pretty famous and will be recognized by most up to date people. A former (or present) actor who has made a few features; a champion-level jock; a rich playboy; a regionally-proclaimed hero Unknown – There is also a reverse of Fame known as no fame – Unknown. The character is virtually unknown to anyone. The character is probably some sort of criminal or outcast who has managed to slip through the social cracks. There are no records on the character and the character enjoys absolute anonymity – for 2 Advantage Points.
3	The character is very famous and will almost always draw attention. A supermodel; an influential politician; a corporate exec who has spent time in the spotlight.

Note that most of the Fame options above require that the character have some sort of skills or background that makes his notoriety believable. Just about anyone can be famous, however, and you can create a background that justifies this.