Eye Of Balor Magazine

Reputation Track

In the Cradle of YE 500, your crew’s actions ripple outward. Every raid, deal, betrayal, or heroic rescue shifts how the major factions and local powers view you. Reputation is tracked on a simple scale from –5 to +5 for each significant faction or group. All crews start at 0 with every faction unless the Game Master grants a starting bonus or penalty based on backstory (rare).

How Reputation Changes
The Game Master adjusts reputation by ±1 after major successes or failures that directly affect a faction (examples: successfully smuggling goods past Luyten patrols, betraying a rival pirate syndicate, saving a Fringe Freehold outpost from raiders, or botching a job for Corporate Raiders).

• Only one reputation change per faction per session (maximum).
• The Game Master has final discretion on whether an action warrants a shift and which faction(s) it impacts.

Reputation Effects (Cumulative)
These bonuses and penalties apply to the entire crew whenever interacting with the faction (social rolls, deals, encounters, etc.).

• +1 to +2: Minor favor — +1 to all social Action Rolls (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidate, Broker, Streetwise) with members of that faction. Black-market deals become easier (GM may reduce TNs by 1–2 or offer better prices).
• +3 to +4: Solid standing — the faction actively offers jobs, contracts, or discounts (–10% on gear, services, repairs, or bribes from that faction). Patrols or guards may look the other way for minor crimes.
• +5: Ally status — full trust. Free berthing/refueling at faction-controlled stations, possible reinforcements or safe passage during ops, access to restricted gear or intel.
• –1 to –2: Mild distrust — prices increase (+10% on gear, bribes, repairs), occasional harassment (extra security checks, minor shakedowns).
• –3 to –4: Bounty or wanted status — faction places a bounty or alert on the crew. Patrol encounters become more frequent (GM rolls for random checks or ambushes). Social rolls suffer increased difficulty (GM may raise TNs by 2–4).
• –5: Hunted — the faction actively sends ships, agents, or assassins after the crew. Safe havens close; encounters turn lethal on sight.

Example Factions
These are the most common major groups crews interact with. Reputation is tracked separately for each.

• Luyten Empire
• Corporate Raiders
• Rival Pirate Syndicates
• Fringe Freeholds

Additional Factions
The Game Master may add or track reputation with other groups as the campaign develops (e.g., Teegarden Directorate, specific black-market guilds, Void Dharma monasteries, Inanna cults, Wolf 1061 Freeholds, or even Outsider factions if contact occurs).

Why Reputation Matters
The Cradle is small — word travels fast. A crew that builds +5 with Fringe Freeholds might find safe bolt-holes and cheap repairs, while –5 with the Luyten Empire means constant Navy patrols and bounties. Reputation is a living mechanic: it rewards smart alliances and punishes reckless betrayal. Use it to drive long-term campaigns where the crew’s legend (or infamy) shapes the jobs they can take and the enemies they face.