Social Power

Three ratings on a character sheet measure the parts of a character's life that money, XP, and skill rolls cannot. Together they describe a character's standing — what they can reach for outside their own two hands.

• Resources — what you can afford. Property, gear, lifestyle, material support.
• Contacts — what you can find out. Sources, channels, social access, the people who tell you things.
• Allies — who acts with you. Loyal hands, comrades, crew, the people who come when you call.

All three use the same engine. A rating from 0 to 5. Anything at or below the rating is routine. Anything above costs more than the asking. Each pillar carries its own examples of Costs, because failing to afford a thing, failing to learn a thing, and failing a friend are not the same failure.

Cross-Pillar Costs

Favor markets touch each other. A contact wants to be paid for the leak. An ally needs intel before they will move. A buyer wants someone they trust to vouch for you. The Cost rule reflects this. When a character pushes beyond one pillar, the GM may name a cost paid from a different pillar.

A dot lost across pillars is a real cost. It recovers on the same mission-end drift rules as a within-pillar reduction.

Which Pillar?

When a player wants something:

• "Do I have it?" → Resources.
• "Do I know about it?" → Contacts.
• "Does someone help me with it?" → Allies.

Two pillars can apply to a single ask. Land the spend on whichever does the primary lift; pay any secondary lifts as cross-pillar Costs.

Standing Is Not Capability

None of the three pillars cost XP. None of them measure how good a character is at anything. They measure how the world is arranged around them. A character with high Resources, Contacts, and Allies is not better at their job. They are better placed to do it. The three ratings drift with the fiction. That is the whole point.