Player Leverages
By Quinn Foster
One of the new mechanics and background traits that Turmoil in Thudor utilizes is “Leverage.” As described in our character background generator, Leverage “is a special service, resource, or ability that points to your character’s origins and their role within their faction.” It is an important element of a player character’s backstory, but also as a mechanical purpose by providing a one-time bonus in debates. How does one utilize Leverage to its fullest extent, though? This article aims to discuss Leverages in detail and how players and DMs can use them to create interesting stories.
Mechanics
The primary mechanical function of Leverage comes during debate encounters in-game. As mentioned in the step-by-step process in the article about debate encounters, a player can utilize their Leverage once per debate during conversation to provide an automatic +2 bonus to their party’s leverage roll for a single round. Multiple players can use their individual Leverages in the same round, but each player can only use their Leverage once during a debate.
In regards to role-playing, a player character using Leverage is making a promise to call in a favor, and use their connections to support or hinder a party’s goals. It is a factor introduced to the negotiation to find the player’s desired outcome. For example, say a party of players is debating to get a group of refugees to leave a building they’ve occupied. An Order of Stone character with the “Sanctuary” Leverage can use that Leverage to convince the refugees they can find shelter at a temple of the Order, appealing to their desire for that +2 bonus to their roll.
The single use of Leverage per debate is meant to limit its overuse. After all, promising the same thing over and over again during the same negotiation doesn’t help anyone. Similarly, although players can use their Leverage again in future debates, they’d be wise to refrain from using it too much, especially in debates with the same parties. If a player uses a Leverage to promise one party a service but then promises that party’s opposition in a future debate, for example, the first party can see that as a betrayal. Maybe they’ll turn against the player down the line. Players should use their Leverages strategically, and the DM should be prepared to enact consequences should they use them irresponsibly.
Backstory
As mentioned previously, a player’s Leverage is a unique service or ability they possess provided to them by their factional affiliation. Like the other traits assigned by the background generator, Leverage is meant to inspire players when making their characters for this particular setting. With that in mind, it also serves to inspire different types of characters within the same faction. An Ivory Conclave character with the “Mercenaries” Leverage, for example, may come from less-than-legal origins, while an Ivory Conclave character with “Allies by Trade” may have been employed in a merchant’s guild for a long time.
None of these kinds of origins are set in stone, of course, and the Leverages allow for a great deal of flexibility for backstory. Consider the “Mercenaries” Leverage again. Is the mercenary company the character is connected with a respected, professional organization with a history in aiding the law? Are they simply thugs-for-hire the player character uses to remove people opposing their business ventures? Players should work with their DM to build upon their Leverages and how they serve their characters.
What about when Leverages seem to overlap with one another? For example, the Ivory Conclave’s “Mercenaries” and High Assembly’s “Comrades in Arms” both involve utilizing martial organizations that can solve problems with force. When questions like this are asked, the players and DM should talk about the limits and abilities of each. The military’s services provided with “Comrades in Arms” will not do anything that breaks the law and can help with non-military problems like disaster relief. “Mercenaries,” meanwhile, can solve problems that require circumventing law, but may not be organized enough to handle large problems like the army can.
Some of these specifics may be affected or changed depending on how the player uses their Leverage to build their character’s backstory. In any case, though, it’s important for constant dialogue between player and DM to make sure they make sense and allow for a fun game.