CEO- The Chief Executive Officer of the company, this person is responsible for all the decisions made by a company. The CEO's only stat is Image, which is indicative of how they choose what actions to take and how to deal with their drivers and competitors. CEOs have relationships just like anyone else- their relationship with their own company goes up every time they gain Prestige, and down when they lose Prestige. CEOs can be removed due to scandal- see Scandal in the Events tab. A CEO with a relationship of 0 or lower is constantly scandalized.
Prestige- Prestige is the most important stat for sponsors, because it determines the income of that sponsor. Prestige is equal to 1+ Driver Fame. Prestige can be gained by sponsoring races and by having sponsored drivers win a Cup.
Coin- Coin is used for most Sponsor actions. Coin is really the true goal of Sponsors, but you have to spend money to make money, and the Coin tied up in Kart Racing is expected to make heavy returns in the normal operations of the Sponsor. Sponsors don't part with Coin unless they expect to make more than they lose or minimize losses already suffered.
Image- Sponsors have an image they want to project, and an image they want to avoid. Further information on how this stat is derived and modified can be found below.
Relationships- Sponsors keep track of relationships with all active Drivers and CEOs, even rivals. Positive Relationships make it more likely for Sponsorship Contracts to be made and for wheeling and dealing to progress within that relationship, and Negative Relationships may cause vindictive Sponsors to target that person with Slander, Scandal and Bounties even if there is little to no money to be made from such persecution.
Between Races, each Sponsor can take TWO Actions. This is not a complete list of Actions, just a list of common activities. If you have an idea that doesn't fit under one of these categories, PM the GM.
Sponsor Race- To sponsor a Crown, a sponsor must first have 6 Coin available to pay the victors. All sponsors interested in sponsoring a Crown indicate their intent to the MKL- if multiple sponsors wish to sponsor a race, they bid on the right. Bidding starts with the sponsor with the most Prestige, or in the case of a tie the most Coin. Sponsors can collaborate with one another, splitting the cost as well as the reward. Sponsoring a Crown gives a sponsor +2 Prestige. Prestige gains are doubled if the winner of a Sponsored Race is Sponsored by the same group- if the Koopa Korp Kart wins a race sponsored by Koopa Korp, for example.
Sponsoring a Cup works a little differently- the cost of the venue is much higher, requiring 6 Coin for First, 6 Coin for Second and Third, and 6 Coin to cover driver entry fees. Because few Sponsors are interested in spending >18 Coin on a single race, the financial burden is split up into three Shares. Each Share gives a sponsor +3 Prestige and costs 6 Coin. The process of acquiring a Share is the same as acquiring a Crown- each share is bid on individually, in order. Some sponsors try to wait and get a cheap Share, and some bid early and often to secure their Share right away. Sponsors can bid on multiple Shares- the Prestige and Costs stack. Prestige gains are tripled if the winner is Sponsored by a group with a Share in the Cup, which often results in enormous pressure on the drivers from their sponsors.
Sponsor Driver- Any number of Sponsors can court a Driver at once, and the Driver chooses the offer he finds most attractive. Commonly, Sponsorship Deals include a set amount of money up front and a minimum length of Sponsorship, and may also include incentive rewards (Coin every Race won, top 3, etc.) Deals can stipulate any number of terms and conditions- the details are up to the negotiations between the CEO and Driver. Any party who breaks faith with the terms of the Deal suffers an immediate Relationship hit with the Company, loses Fairness, and may find themselves embroiled in Scandal. Often, this leads to termination of employment.
Pay Driver- Sometimes, a Driver will be strapped for cash while serving an active Sponsorship Deal. They can ask their Sponsor for help- if the CEO doesn't get involved, this involves a Relationship Check with the Company. If successful, the Driver gets the funds he asked for and suffers a Relationship hit equal to the amount of Coin given. The CEO can choose to allow or veto the request unilaterally- a Veto causes a hit to his Fairness image, while Allowing it transfers the Relationship hit from the Driver to the CEO.
Stage Publicity Stunt- Sponsors can invest Coin to improve the Fame of their drivers. Very often, such stunts also alter the image of the driver- the driver can choose to turn down the Publicity Stunt, but doing so will damage their relationship with the Sponsor. The cost and possible outcomes of a Publicity Stunt are based on the specific stunt, but a good rule of thumb is that one Fame costs 5 Coin. The outcome is determined by a roll- a 1 removes Fame, 4-5 Succeed and a 6 succeeds but also causes an Event to arise that is dealt with solely by the driver.
Cultivate Image- Sponsors can invest Coin to alter the image of either the CEO or a Driver they sponsor. To attempt to shift one Image stat by one degree, a Sponsor spends 5 Coin and rolls a d6- on a 1 the stat shifts in the opposite direction, 4-5 succeeds and a 6 causes an Event to arise that is dealt with by whoever's Image is being cultivated.
Slander- Sponsors can attempt to discredit opposing Drivers or CEOs for 5 Coin. Slander shifts a given Image stat by one degree- on a 4-6 the Slander is credible, and the target makes a Cultivate Image check to clear their name- on a 1 they dig themselves deeper, on a 2-3 they fail to validate themselves, and on 4-6 they successfully repudiate the accusations.
Cause Scandal- Riskier than trying to drive a wedge between Sponsors and their employees using the Slander action, Cause Scandal involves framing opponents of crimes for 10 Coin. On a 1 the attempt to Cause Scandal is found out and the instigator suffers a Scandal of their own. On a 4-5 a Scandal is caused, and on a 6 an actual indiscretion is uncovered, imposing a -1 penalty to dealing with the Scandal for the target. Scandals are described further in the Events tab.
Place Bounty- Sponsors can place a Bounty on opposing Drivers through the Bounty Hunter's Guild. The clandestine contacts a Sponsor maintains with the BHG means that such a request is never in danger of being exposed, so the Sponsor is never at risk of Scandal. The cost of a Bounty is 10 Coin for the BHG (for their bribes and operating expenses,) plus whatever amount the Bounty is worth. For example, if a Sponsor wants to place a 3 Coin Bounty on a Driver, they must pay a total of 13 Coin- 10 for the BHG to shop the deal, and 3 for the Driver who accepts it. Sponsors who want their Bounty to be more likely to succeed may choose to pay the BHG an additional 3 Coin to equip the Driver who accepts the Bounty with Dirty Weapons, or 8 for Dirty Weapons + Compensator.
Sponsors can also offer Bounties in-house to their own Drivers. In this case, they do not need to pay the BHG anything, but must cover the cost of Bribes themselves. Bribing an official costs 5 Coin for every violation you expect them to overlook.
Finally, the Bounty Hunter's Guild can perform special operations on their own to alter the conditions on the track. For example, a Sponsor might pay the BHG to stampede some cattle onto a segment of the course, causing an unexpected hazard. Sponsors can stipulate conditions that trigger such actions- for example, paying the BHG to throw Bob-ombs at the rest of the drivers as soon as the Sponsor's driver pulls away from the pack. Sponsors can either describe the effect they want to achieve or the actual event they want to happen- the extreme variability of this type of Bounty means that prices are given on a case by case basis.
Manage Branch- Particularly wealthy Sponsors can invest their cash into a new Branch, allowing them to Sponsor additional Drivers. Founding a new Branch costs 10 Coin/PP- a new Branch may be of any Industry.
Conversely, a Sponsor may decide to liquidate their assets for Coin, or to optimize their Image. Liquidating a Branch gives the Sponsor 3 Coin/PP, and they lose the Driver associated with that Branch. Sponsors may choose to sell the Branch to another Company instead, for any price or terms they deem fair- Sponsored Drivers transfer over to the new Company, but have their Relationship reset.
Between races, Events can arise. Some events are instigated by Sponsors, some arise naturally (hidden roll for each player, on a hit roll to determine what event.) Events can target Drivers or CEOs. Most are situation-specific, but the general format of each event is described in this space.
Scandal- Scandals rarely arise on their own- the most common scandals are related to poor Relationships and active mudslinging by a competitor. Every turn a driver is embroiled in Scandal, he must make a Relationship roll to maintain any current sponsorships, and he must make a roll to dodge Fame loss. Even if the driver makes both of these checks, he still takes a -1 Relationship Penalty.
CEOs embroiled in Scandal must make Relationship rolls to remain employed at their company, and if they stay they must roll to dodge Prestige loss. If the CEO of a sponsor is controlled by a player, he can step in to unilaterally decide whether to retain a driver embroiled in Scandal- retaining the driver requires the CEO to make a Relationship check to avoid both of them being fired, but also improves his Fairness Image. Even if the CEO is successful in his Relationship checks, he still takes a -1 Relationship Penalty.
How a Scandal ends depends on what caused the Scandal in the first place- minor Scandals arising from random events or enemy action commonly last one turn, Scandals arising from poor relationships persist until the relationship is mended.
Interview- You are interviewed by a media outlet, commonly the third party Lakitu Brothers but sometimes anther, less reputable news agency. Interviews are conducted through a combination of RP and standard RTD mechanics- successful interviews may improve an aspect of your image, while poor interviews may cause your image to worsen. If your interviewer is antagonistic, you suffer a penalty to your interview roll, while a helpful interviewer provides a bonus.
Dilemma- You are forced to choose among a set of options, normally at the expense of the other. Commonly, these are opportunities to improve your Fame, Coin, or Image at the expense of one or both of the other stats.
One-off Endorsement- You are asked to advocate for a product or ideology not directly related to one of the MKL Sponsors. Such endorsements typically pay in Coin, but sometimes affect Image, and may alter relationships with MKL Sponsors.
Image is not indicative of how a given entity actually behaves- rather, it is the public perception of that entity. Drivers, CEOs, and Companies all have an image to maintain. Certain actions and events may alter an entity's Image. Image mostly affects Relationships, although edge cases may arise.
The image of a Company is the average of the CEO and all the drivers they sponsor. Each company is trying to project a certain image based on their intended customer base- all drivers and CEOs who reinforce this image gain a Relationship bonus equal to the degree they reinforce it, while those detract from it suffer a similar penalty.
The CEO and the Drivers have different roles in Image management. The CEO has the most active approach, and can use Company funds to influence his own image or the image of any driver. The Driver has a reactive approach, and can only respond to image-altering events.
The following is a list of Images and some ways they can be altered. Ratings go -4 -2 0 +2 +4 depending on severity of rating. Events can impose temporary images not listed here, most often negative.
Fairness- This Image relates to how fairly an entity conducts itself. High ratings are Honorable and Just, while low ratings are Shady and Crooked. It is assumed all companies want to be perceived as Honorable regardless of their normal Modus Operandi, and will take steps to cover up their misdeeds.
Glamor- This Image is about how wealthy and extravagant the entity appears. High ratings are Glitzy and Ostentatious, while low ratings are Simple and Blue-Collar.
Straightforwardness- This Image reflects how direct an entity is in their dealings. High ratings are Direct and Forthright, low ratings are Sneaky and Underhanded.
Family Friendliness- This Image reflects whether an entity is popular with families and children, or sexy teens. High ratings are G and PG , low ratings are M and R
Marketability- This Image reflects how easy it is to identify with an entity. High ratings are Worldwide and Multiversal , low ratings are Local and Niche
Education- This Image reflects the education level of the entity, and determines which segment of the greater population identifies with them. High ratings are Witty and Intelligentsia , low ratings are Everyman and Simple
The shenanigans associated with Kart racing are entirely incidental to the actual operation of the company- Sponsorship is just a means to improve their business and public image. Industries are what the Sponsor actually does, and reflect the image they need to maintain to target their intended audience.
A company is often composed of multiple branches. Each Branch may consist of a single Industry, and supports one Driver. Drivers only have to keep their Image in line with their associated Branch- CEOs need to balance their Image with all the Branches of the Company. Industries are organized by how profitable they are- each PP results in an extra d6 being rolled for starting Wealth.
Military Complex- PP3 Weapons Manufacture, Arms Dealing, and Mercenary Groups fall under this category. Military Complex favors Low Straightfowardness, Low Family-Friendliness and High Glamor.
Entertainment- PP3 TV, Movies, Radio, and Games all fall into this category. Entertainment prefers High Glamor, High Marketability, and Low Family-Friendly.
Technology- PP3 Computers, Gadgets, and Electronic Device Manufacture fall into this category. Tech prefers Low Marketability, Low Straightforwardness and High Education.
Pharmaceuticals- PP3 Medicine, Health/Beauty Care, and anything dealing with Advanced Chemicals falls into this category. Pharmaceuticals prefers High Education, High Straightforwardness and High Family-Friendliness.
Heavy Industry- PP3 Resource Harvesting, Manufacturing, and Construction fall into this category. Heavy Industry prefers Low Family-Friendliness, Low Glamor and Low Education.
Foods- PP2 Groceries, Restaurants, and Agribusiness fall into this category. Foods prefers High Straightforwardness and High Family-Friendliness.
Consumer Goods- PP2 Apparel, Appliances, and Furniture fall into this category. Consumer Goods prefers High Marketability and High Straightforwardness.
Transportation- PP2 Travel Agencies, Passenger and Freight transport all fall under this category. Transportation favors High Marketability and High Family-Friendliness.
Mom & Pop- PP1 This covers any organization that embraces their small-ownership roots. Favors Low Marketability. Incompatible with all other Industries.
Self-Promotional- PP1 This covers organizations founded to further the agenda of an individual. The CEO has no Relationship with the Company, and cannot be removed from power for any reason. Incompatible with all other Industries.
Players may choose to be the CEO of a Sponsor rather than a Driver. CEOs can be generic characters, or they can be established Nintendo characters like Giovanni or K. Rool, provided that another player is not already using that character. CEOs must maintain a good relationship with their associated Sponsor to maintain employment. CEOs are the people who take Actions on behalf of their Sponsor, and are responsible for managing their Sponsor's Drivers.
Players can take control of any unclaimed CEO, or they can start their own Sponsor. To found a Sponsor Group, the Player chooses the main industry of their Sponsor and rolls starting Wealth as appropriate. Sponsors start play with 1 Prestige.
Particularly wealthy Drivers may decide to found their own Sponsorship Group. They spend 10 Coin/PP of the Industry they want to start, and start with 0 base Prestige. Drivers may continue driving by Sponsoring themselves, or they can retire from the track and focus on being a CEO, Sponsoring other Drivers.
Conversely, CEOs who decide to retire from the world of management can choose to become Drivers- they start with 5 Coin as normal, but keep any Image and Relationship scores they had.
For the sake of GM sanity, there can only be 15 Sponsors maximum. If a player wants to CEO a Sponsor, but doesn't want to take control of an existing one, they can buy out an NPC Sponsor Group by losing Starting Coin equal to that Sponsors Coin+Prestige.
Alright, I think I've poked at that enough for now. Is it at all comprehensible? Obviously unbalanced? Let me know what y'all think!
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Topic: Roller's Block (RTD Brainstorming Thread) (HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY) (Derm is 5k) (Read 746250 times)