Resources & Resource Points

If the AI hasn’t set special circumstances, every avatar has a typical living standard. They have a place to live, a couple of friends, some clothes and some everyday stuff. Resources grants things such as extra gear, contacts or financial resources. The AI has final say when it comes to resources, as some of them might change the entire dynamic of the game.
  A rank five in the resource Sway would work best in a game of high-end political nature where the avatars will get deeply involved. Each player can spend 7 resource points. The listed resources are bought on a one-for-one basis.
  It’s also possible to spend resource points to increase the rank of Abilities and Aptitudes. Three resource points will grant you an additional point to spend on Aptitudes, while two resource points can be spent for an additional Ability point, and finally, one resource point can be spent to gain an additional specialty;
Spending 3 Resource Points will give +1 Aptitude
Spending 2 Resource Points will give +1 Ability
Spending 1 Resource Point will give +1 Specialty
Spending 1 Resource Point will give +1 Resource
   

Access

For starters, the avatar needs at least rank 1 in the Computers Ability in order to buy this resource. Access shows how many backdoors, hack-points and restricted systems a person can access on The Circuit. Why a person has this access varies.
  An active GIC operative may have been given clearance by ISA, while a freelance site engineer has cultivated this access illegally over the years. It also shows how well a person knows the weaknesses of any computer system. Access is used up during chapters, but replenishes during each new chapter. Each point of access burnt gives a +2 modifier to any computer roll which entails hacking, information gathering or the changing of protocols and overrides. When spending access points, automatic success is granted even under stress.
   

Allies

Allies are friends that you can trust to help you, and they expect the same from you. They can provide safe haven, information and job offerings. Allies are never very powerful as such, but are probably pretty average people that you know from your line of work or from your earlier days. Each dot represents an ally. The player and the AI have to work out the ally’s exact details.
   

Contacts

With contacts you have a more mercenary relationship than with allies. Contacts are often in a position that’s useful to your avatar. Crime bosses, influential delegates from the forum or maybe even a contact in ISA. But information, equipment or whatever the contact can provide isn’t free.
  Cold cash or a favor in return of equal value is the usual deal. Contacts don’t owe you a thing, and they’re not your friends and they will not jeopardize themselves for crumbs. Each dot represents a single contact that you have and the AI has the final say on a contact’s position of influence. A senator’s aide might be okay, while a senator might be a bit over the top. Both contacts and allies can be lost and gained during play.
   

Economy

You might have inherited money, saved up or won the lottery. Whatever the reason you have a stack of cash tucked away that exceeds your normal means. This money can only be spent after the game has begun. Discuss with the AI what amount this would be.
   

Gear

There is a large variety of special equipment available, and Gear shows what kinds of such equipment you own from the start. This gear is either specially designed or so expensive or rare that an avatar wouldn’t ordinarily be able to have access to it from the start. The gear is often unique in some way. The gear listed here are just examples that can be used as guides for the AI and the player when creating their own to fit their campaign and stories. COGs are not covered under Gear.
  Example;
* Rather insignificant but useful device, like a lingo sphere with ten human languages programmed in.
** An experimental gun with a nano pod which can transform normal ammunition to stun or armor piercing rounds with the push of a button before firing.
*** Experimental A-class ship with a built-in micro VIN.
**** B-class civilian spaceship, complete with a built-in VIN.
***** C- class civilian spaceship with a VIN, RT-Drive and stasis units (no ghost drive).
   

ID

You have accumulated several identities apart from your own. These documents and files are first-rate forgeries and stand up to any scrutiny. Where and why you got these documents varies from character to character. A GIC employee might have gotten them as a part of his job, while a raider probably used his contacts to obtain them. Each dot gives you an extra identity. These can be very useful at times.
   

Sway

This reflects your political pull in the GIC. You have a say in the halls of power and your word carries some weight. How you gained your sway varies between individuals. Maybe you bribed your way in, or just earned it the legal way. Each dot expands your sphere of sway as well as gives you a certain notoriety.
  Sway can be very useful. At level one you might only get box seats for the big games in Mondus or Claret through your political sway, while at the highest level you are a factor in making decisions in war situations.
  Sway can be divided into several sub-groups. The AI and the players must decide what works for them but here are some suggestions: Marine Corps, Consolidated Fleet, Church of Infinitology, ISA, LED, Raider Guilds, Kiru Guilds, Merc Guilds, General Local Sway (Xindos, Stoneshade, etc.)
  The sway works similar to the GIC sway but differs in some ways. Having sway in ISA will not necessarily make anyone recognize you, given the nature of the agency. Having sway within the Raider Guilds won’t make people on the street recognize you, or even other raiders if they haven’t met you before, but they will know your name and heard of your escapades. The downside is that LED and some fleet personnel probably have heard of you as well. It’s a fine balance and it’s up to you to make it work.
  Examples;
* You might have been an aide on the campaign trail; you don’t have that much influence and a few people in the Inner City might recognize your face.
** The advice you have given has proven to be quite astute. Some people recognize your face in the Inner City and the Nimbus. A few even remember your name.
*** Everyone working with politics on Claret and Mondus knows your name and that your political knowledge is extensive and that your advice often hits the mark. Most people on Mondus and Claret know your face and some know your name. You might be an extremely prominent forum member.
**** Everyone that has access to the Circuit knows your name and face. You are very influential and even the members of the senate know who you are. You might be one of the six leading forum delegates.
***** Everyone that has heard of the GIC recognizes your name and face. If you’re not the main envoy of a senator, you have somehow reached the same political prominence. The avatar has one or more team members. The reasons behind why they have joined him vary just as much as the characters themselves. Maybe they’re old war buddies, apprentices, or maybe they’re just friends that live on his ship (if he has one) and in return they provide their aid as engineers, cooks or whatever.
  Team members are Non-Player Avatars. They often have a couple of useful Abilities which are helpful to the avatar. A freelance pilot would do good to shack up with a navigator that is schooled in GLCs for example. Each dot represents a team member with a certain use (navigator, an engineer, etc.) and a narrow repertoire. Alternately, you can spend two dots for a team member that’s specialized but a bit more versatile (like an ex-Marine gone navigator, perhaps with some combat Abilities as well).
   

Linguistics

Every avatar gets two languages for free. They’re fluent in Intra and their own language (Spanish, Russian, English, etc.). Each dot in Linguistics gives them fluency in an additional language.
   

COG

This resource gives you access to a COG and some applications for it from the outset. Each level will specify how much COG equipment the avatar will have access to at the start of the game. Instead of buying an extra NAP (nano application), the player can choose to upgrade NAPs he already has in the COG. So, at level two he can choose to have a level two NAP instead of two level one applications (see equipment for more information on COGs)
  * Pick a COG worth 3000 cr
**Pick a COG worth 3000 cr, plus two NAPs.
*** Pick a COG worth 3000 cr, plus three NAPs, or a NETSS, or a TCI (battle or flight) with a (flight) scanner link upgrade or (battle) strategy upgrade.
**** Pick a COG worth 3000 cr, plus four NAPs, or a NETSS with two NAPs or a TCI (battle or flight) with a (flight) scanner link upgrade or (battle) a strategy upgrade, and a non-TCI- specific NAP (visor, array, etc).
***** Pick a COG worth 3000 cr, plus five NAPs, or a NETSS with three NAPs, or a TCI (battle or flight) with two (flight) scanner link upgrades or (battle) two strategy upgrades, and two non-TCI specific naps (visor, array, etc).