Influence Actions

The SRD does not seem to cover Influence Actions, so I'm putting in a bit of information.

Influence can be Elite or Underworld. Elite Influence and Underworld Influence are two separate backgrounds.

For each dot in Influence, choose a group that your influence comes from. Elite Influence can include things like banks and television. Underworld Influence can include things like gangs and hackers. Some things, like police, can be either. Use your imagination.

Each dot in Influence gets you one Influence Action per month (not per game). Effects of Influence actions last one month.

## Uses

Influence Actions have specific uses that are distinct from normal downtimes. Unless otherwise specified, Influences only work against Influences of the same category (Elite to Elite & Underworld to Underworld).

### Targeted Influence Actions:

* **Attack:** Reduce someone else's Influence level for one month. When using Influence of the same categories, spend two actions per point of Influence reduction. To attack the opposing category, spend three actions per point of reduction.
* **Defend:** Spend one Influence Action to protect yourself against Attack actions. Each Defend Action reduces the effectiveness of every Attack by one. If someone attacks two levels of your influence, your level is only reduced by one. If someone else attacks that same month, your defense is still active and the second attack is also reduced.
* **Block:** Interfere with other expenditures of Influence to perform a specific activity (buying a gun, getting theater tickets, etc.). Anyone attempting to use Influence to perform that activity must use one extra Influence action per action that you spent to Block.
* **Boost:** Temporarily increase another character's effective Influence. Spend a number of Influence actions equal to the target's current Influence to give them another level of Influence for one month. One action increases your target's Influence from one to two, two actions increase from two to three, etc.

### Indirect Attacks:

Use two influence actions to block one of another character's downtimes. If all of the character's downtimes are removed, further attacks reduce one of its backgrounds by one dot per two actions spent. If all downtimes and all backgrounds are removed, further attacks reduce the character's starting Blood by 3. Which downtimes and backgrounds are affected decided by the ST.

### General Influence Actions:

There are a number of specific actions that you can do. Each one takes only one action, but you only have access to the levels equal to or lesser than your level in the relevant Influence category. If you can justify an activity as appropriate to one of your specializations, you can perform actions of one level higher than your Influence level.

Note: There are actions at levels higher than six, which you can achieve by getting boosts from other characters. I haven't added them yet, because I think it's unlikely that anyone will be amassing that much Influence without the involvement of at least one person who owns the book. Someone might add them later.

#### Elite Actions:

* **Level 1: A Friend in Need:** Use one Elite Influence action to borrow resources (a yacht, a restaurant, fancy clothes, etc.) with a value of up to $1,000 per level of Elite Influence that you have.
* **Level 2: Gossip & Insider Trading:** Spend one Elite Influence action to learn of any uses of Elite Influence in the last three months that touch your specializations. You learn the effects and the mortal institutions affected, but not the characters performing these actions.
* **Level 3: Bureaucratic Errors:** Spend one Elite Influence action to manipulate the system to your advantage. Mess with paperwork, obtain a legal weapon, get official or official-looking paperwork.
* **Level 4: Smooth Over:** Spend one Elite Influence action to make inconvenient or embarrassing problems disappear. Bribe witnesses, squash news stories, etc.
* **Level 5: No Party Crashers:** For 24 hours per Elite Influence action spent, you control all security access and police response to an area the size of a large manor or small office building and general access within a half mile radius around it. The area is Masquerade safe and completely protected, and anyone using any kind of Influence to interfere with the area must overcome a level 5 Block.
* **Level 6: Everything Has a Price:** Spend one Elite Influence action to acquire a major favor that might not be legal, such as a jail break, acquiring a large amount of illegal drugs, or planting a false news article.

#### Underworld Actions

* **Level 1: Free Travel:** Spend one Underworld Influence action to travel anywhere in the city without interference by the criminal element. Law enforcement will also be likely to look the other way.
* **Level 2: Word on the Street:** Spend one Underworld Influence action to learn of any uses of Underworld Influence in the last three months that touch your specializations. You learn the effects and the mortal institutions affected, but not the characters performing these actions.
* **Level 3: Illegal Favors:** Spend one Underworld Influence action to acquire a major favor that might not be legal, such as a jail break, acquiring a large amount of illegal drugs, or planting a false news article.
* **Level 4: Airing Dirty Laundry:** Spend one Underworld Influence to cause a city-wide incident, such as a gang war or protest. You may also shut down area-wide utilities, interfere with emergency services, or assassinate a stock NPC rated 4 or less.
* **Level 5: Lockdown:** For 24 hours per Underworld Influence action spent, you control all security access and police response to an area the size of a large manor or small office building and general access within a half mile radius around it. The area is Masquerade safe and completely protected, and anyone using any kind of Influence to interfere with the area must overcome a level 5 Block.
* **Level 6: Pulling Strings:** Spend one Underworld Influence action to manipulate the system to your advantage. Mess with paperwork, obtain a legal weapon, get official or official-looking paperwork.