Post by Skir on Sept 13, 2012 11:24:01 GMT -8
Business Ownership
Businesses are an important asset in the vampire community and they become important and memorable pieces of the setting as well, such as the Nine Circles Club. They help define the world, and they help vampires accomplish things in a way that doesn't involve Celerity or Thaumaturgy. Because Disciplines and powers get the most detailed write ups in the books as to what their capabilities are, they are always the "go to" solutions to situations that come up because you have a good idea of what to expect.
I think that's fine, but telling a good story is also about letting up on the predicability a bit, and finding new and creative ways to let the characters move through the situation. Even though skyscrapers and power are a big theme in Vampire, we hardly ever get to see the industry tycoon Ventue helming their corporate empires like a fleet admiral, or the jaded Toreador club owner getting anything out of their hot nightclub except a setting to pretend we are lounging in.
This is because these things are ill defined and unreliable. After all, if anyone can "just say" they own a successful oil drilling operation, or "just say" they have an airstrip of their own, it's hard for the Storytellers to want to give that character a strategic advantage that other players aren't getting since they did nothing to earn it.
This is a system to define the building and earning of these resources and what they give you in exchange.
System:
Business Basics
Businesses range from 1 to 5 dots. All new businesses begin at 1 dot, but already existing mortal enterprises may be able to be purchased in game with appropriate story.
As the owner or the controller of the business, you are able to gain a benefit from having it. That benefit comes either in the form of money taken off the top after operating expenses, or a special perk unique to the format of the business. You can choose one or the other at the top of the month when Resources refresh. The perk can either be one unit (which may be more than one actual item) of what the business provides per rank of the business, or you can combine them together for one higher quality or more useful result,
For example, if the business is an Automotive Factory, it may produce one basic car per level of the businsses. A Rank 3 Factory could produce 3 cars that you could take home with you, OR one car with two steps toward masterwork features like higher Top Speed or Armor.
Alternately, if the perk isn't needed that month, you can simply take cash, as perscribed by the level of the business.
A Business on an item card looks like this:
The Nine Circles Nightclub
Level: 3
Perk: Blood
--
Growing a Business
Growing a business takes time, financial administration (Intellgence + Finance) and capital at each stage.
Level 1: One month, 1 success, 10,000 or Finance 1 (Strip mall store, small workshop)
Level 2: Two months, 2 successes, 50,000 or Finance 2 (Botique outlet, Sawmill)
Level 3: Three months, 3 successes, 150,000 or Finance 3 (Destination store with thriving E-Business, Iron Foundry)
Level 4: Four months, 5 successes, 1 Million, or Finance 4 (Franchised big box, Shipyard)
Level 5: Five months, 7 successes, 15 million or Finance 5 (Ubiquitous All Purpose Retailer, Industrial megacomplex)
Only one business can be in progress at a time, per character, and that character must make the Int+Finance roll at the end of that period and achieve the successes necessary, though retainers are considered other characters and can be put in charge of this process. The process can be passed off between characters between stages. If the Finance roll does not generate the required successes, the funding is lost, and the time must be restarted.
At ST Discretion, certain storyline factors may add or subtract time from the businesses grow period. For example, contacting an ally to secure a special deal on raw materials might cut the grow time by 1 month. Or, a Bureaucracy Influence action by a rival might tie up the process in tons of red tape and add 3 months to the time. Story always has a way to create modifiers on system.
---
Perks and Payout
Every business has a Perk which it can provide you. Selecting a perk is a largely open ended process and can be whatever you and the storyteller agree upon, but here are some examples:
J&B Construction
Perk: Construction jobs - It can provide one small project per level (residential home or smaller) or larger projects and jobs (Office Park at 3, Skyscraper at 5)
Mafia Cleanup service
Perk: Corpses - For all your necromantic needs
Nine Circles Nightclub
Perk: Blood - Easy access to susceptable provides blood points per month to use any time.
Forgery Outfit
Perk: Alternate ID - Justification for levels of Alt ID
Munitions Factory
Perk: Ammunition - one crate of ammunition (5000 rounds) per level, or small quanities of special munitions at combined levels.
If skipping the perk, business pay an amount in cash:
1: $500
2: $1,500
3: $5,000
4: $10,000
5: $25,000
--
Businesses are persistant in the world once created unless destroyed through plot and story. They do not cost exp, and their ownership can be transfered IC to another character simply by giving them the item card that represents control of the business. See your Paper ST to get your monthly payout the first game of each month, or simply inform us of which benefit you'd like to gain normally and it will be in your Player Folder.
Businesses are an important asset in the vampire community and they become important and memorable pieces of the setting as well, such as the Nine Circles Club. They help define the world, and they help vampires accomplish things in a way that doesn't involve Celerity or Thaumaturgy. Because Disciplines and powers get the most detailed write ups in the books as to what their capabilities are, they are always the "go to" solutions to situations that come up because you have a good idea of what to expect.
I think that's fine, but telling a good story is also about letting up on the predicability a bit, and finding new and creative ways to let the characters move through the situation. Even though skyscrapers and power are a big theme in Vampire, we hardly ever get to see the industry tycoon Ventue helming their corporate empires like a fleet admiral, or the jaded Toreador club owner getting anything out of their hot nightclub except a setting to pretend we are lounging in.
This is because these things are ill defined and unreliable. After all, if anyone can "just say" they own a successful oil drilling operation, or "just say" they have an airstrip of their own, it's hard for the Storytellers to want to give that character a strategic advantage that other players aren't getting since they did nothing to earn it.
This is a system to define the building and earning of these resources and what they give you in exchange.
System:
Business Basics
Businesses range from 1 to 5 dots. All new businesses begin at 1 dot, but already existing mortal enterprises may be able to be purchased in game with appropriate story.
As the owner or the controller of the business, you are able to gain a benefit from having it. That benefit comes either in the form of money taken off the top after operating expenses, or a special perk unique to the format of the business. You can choose one or the other at the top of the month when Resources refresh. The perk can either be one unit (which may be more than one actual item) of what the business provides per rank of the business, or you can combine them together for one higher quality or more useful result,
For example, if the business is an Automotive Factory, it may produce one basic car per level of the businsses. A Rank 3 Factory could produce 3 cars that you could take home with you, OR one car with two steps toward masterwork features like higher Top Speed or Armor.
Alternately, if the perk isn't needed that month, you can simply take cash, as perscribed by the level of the business.
A Business on an item card looks like this:
The Nine Circles Nightclub
Level: 3
Perk: Blood
--
Growing a Business
Growing a business takes time, financial administration (Intellgence + Finance) and capital at each stage.
Level 1: One month, 1 success, 10,000 or Finance 1 (Strip mall store, small workshop)
Level 2: Two months, 2 successes, 50,000 or Finance 2 (Botique outlet, Sawmill)
Level 3: Three months, 3 successes, 150,000 or Finance 3 (Destination store with thriving E-Business, Iron Foundry)
Level 4: Four months, 5 successes, 1 Million, or Finance 4 (Franchised big box, Shipyard)
Level 5: Five months, 7 successes, 15 million or Finance 5 (Ubiquitous All Purpose Retailer, Industrial megacomplex)
Only one business can be in progress at a time, per character, and that character must make the Int+Finance roll at the end of that period and achieve the successes necessary, though retainers are considered other characters and can be put in charge of this process. The process can be passed off between characters between stages. If the Finance roll does not generate the required successes, the funding is lost, and the time must be restarted.
At ST Discretion, certain storyline factors may add or subtract time from the businesses grow period. For example, contacting an ally to secure a special deal on raw materials might cut the grow time by 1 month. Or, a Bureaucracy Influence action by a rival might tie up the process in tons of red tape and add 3 months to the time. Story always has a way to create modifiers on system.
---
Perks and Payout
Every business has a Perk which it can provide you. Selecting a perk is a largely open ended process and can be whatever you and the storyteller agree upon, but here are some examples:
J&B Construction
Perk: Construction jobs - It can provide one small project per level (residential home or smaller) or larger projects and jobs (Office Park at 3, Skyscraper at 5)
Mafia Cleanup service
Perk: Corpses - For all your necromantic needs
Nine Circles Nightclub
Perk: Blood - Easy access to susceptable provides blood points per month to use any time.
Forgery Outfit
Perk: Alternate ID - Justification for levels of Alt ID
Munitions Factory
Perk: Ammunition - one crate of ammunition (5000 rounds) per level, or small quanities of special munitions at combined levels.
If skipping the perk, business pay an amount in cash:
1: $500
2: $1,500
3: $5,000
4: $10,000
5: $25,000
--
Businesses are persistant in the world once created unless destroyed through plot and story. They do not cost exp, and their ownership can be transfered IC to another character simply by giving them the item card that represents control of the business. See your Paper ST to get your monthly payout the first game of each month, or simply inform us of which benefit you'd like to gain normally and it will be in your Player Folder.