Reputation
In Ars Magica, characters have statistics for their 'reputation and personality traits as well as for their physical and mental abilities. Partly, this reflects the importance of personal reputation in medieval society. It also helps the storyguide role-play the reactions of NPCs.
How Reputation Works
Beginning characters only have a Reputation if they have a Virtue or Flaw -- including a Social Status Virtue or Flaw -- that grants one. This, most characters start out with no Reputation at all.
Gaining and Increasing Reputation
During play, any notable actions and accomplishments may cause the character to gain a new reputation, according to the rules on page 167 of ArM5.
Keeping track of Reputations
ArM5 states on page 167:
It makes a certain amount of sense to say that once a character has established two different reputations, people tend to have preconceptions about him and it is hard (read, nearly impossible) to establish a third. Instead, notable deeds tend to feed one of the character's existing reputations, or be ignored by the public.
Statistics for Reputation
In ArM5, a reputation score consists of three elements:
- Score: The numerical rating, or "level" of the reputation. This increases according to the rules on page 167
- Content: What the character is known for: this could be anything, from a personality trait (honesty, resourcefulness) to accomplishments (successful Crusader, master of Terram), to relationships (ally of Durenmar covenant)
- Type: The group who is aware of the reputation. In ArM5, this can be a local reputation (known to everyone who lives near the character), a Hermetic reputation (known throughout the Order of Hermes), or the rarely-used ecclesiastical reputation, known within the Mythic Church. New types of reputation are possible: for example, HoHS introduced the idea of a House Acclaim, which for House Bonisagus is a House reputation (applying only within House Bonisagus).
List of Example Reputations
Here are some sample reputations you can use for your characters. Please feel free to edit this page and add to the list. Note that reputation is not always deserved.
- Beautiful
- Bewitched
- Courageous
- Clever
- Dead (as in, "I heard you were dead.")
- Generous
- Gullible
- Hot-tempered
- Liar
- Ruffian
- Strong
- Skilled at (Ability)
- Thief
- Treacherous
- Trustworthy
- Well-connected to (community)
- Well-spoken
- Wise
References
References for Earlier Editions
- Companion Social Class, ArM4 page 37
- Reputation, ArM4 page 61
- Reputations, ArM4 page 191
- (Covenant) reputation, ArM4 page 208