Hi folks,
Here’s a summary if you don’t read the rest of this:
Changes to PI
- PI spends (in BGS) and associated actions cannot be hidden
- PI may be exchanged for money if you don’t know what to do with it, at 3d per point of PI
- Fashionista and similar skills must be submitted at check out
The full details:
We’ve added an Appendix that should help give you a clearer understanding of how PI works and what it can be used for, as well as detailing some changes to its rules. It’ll be at the end of the Rulebook (and the end of this post). If you have questions, feel free to reach out!
Fashionistas/Socialites: I’m going to have you submit your lists at check out, via handing in a paper. This will make my compiling-the-PI-list life a lot easier, and hopefully will spare you a step of transcribing your notes into an email.
Thanks,
Charlotte, on behalf of Staff
PI Appendix:
PI (political influence, or just Influence) represents how you persuade, push, or influence people in the broader world. This skill can represent chatting up political opponents in a bar, talking to your friends about the newest fashion, or starting a letter campaign advocating for the cleaning of the local streets.
PI is accumulated through having ranks of Well-Regarded (a Socialite skill), or by gaining it through fashion or gaining the favor of Socialites. Being unfashionable or out of favor may also affect it. You’ll find out how many PI you have to spend when the PI list is published on the Forums, sometime before the BGS deadline. You can spend your PI as a BGS. The points of PI represent how known and influential you are, which may vary from season to season.
Flavor notes-
PI encompasses several types of influence on the world. This includes politics, high society, business, etc. The flavor of plot that involves PI may vary widely.
Example PI actions:
- Sending a letter to a friend asking them to support your newest business venture
- Gathering rumors at a dinner party by chatting up the guests or staff
- Spreading a satirical poem
- Whipping votes for your bill in Parliament
- Feeling out suitable marriage prospects for your son among wealthy families
- Asking a notable person (or NPC) for a favor
If you find yourself with PI that you have no other use for, you may also turn it into Ducats at a rate of 3 ducats per point of PI. Submit this as a BGS. Doublers and similar skills will not work on this use of PI.
PI Details
The use of PI is, by default, a publicly visible action, since your PI comes from your public standing and reputation. You may not hide your use of PI by spending additional PI. This is a change to our previous policy of allowing points to be spent towards concealing an action.
Some PI actions may be opposed, that is, in direct conflict with other players or NPCs. In these cases, the greater number of PI spent will win. If you are engaging in direct opposed actions with notable NPCs, please keep in mind that long time notable people may have very high numbers of PI to spend. You can get around this by engaging indirectly or being subtle in your methods. Please do specify the intended outcome of your PI spend and also explain the in-game actions you intend to take,
Example PI BGS-
I want to discredit the Liet family on Tojima. I use my 5 PI to write letters to my associates on the island, asking them to patronize the Liet family tea shop and to spread rumors that the tea shop is passing off inferior quality leaves as top quality.
Example of directly opposed PI BGS-
I want to discredit the Liet family on Tojima. I use my 5 PI to tell people about how they’re extremely disreputable.
Fashionista and Advanced PI Skills
Some skills under Socialite may require you to submit lists of people whose PI you are affecting. These skills, including Fashionista, should be submitted before or at check-out, via dropping a written list into a box.
Like other professions, there exist advanced skills within Socialite. Unlike some other professions, you should assume that these skills will be gated on plot advancements and interactions with NPCs. Building up your influence in the wider world is a matter of doing just that. You should expect to engage in Socialite plot to advance your skills.