Boons

Introduction

[Based on Stroyteller's Handbook, First Edition]. Boons are the currency of the Kindred. Simply, if you owe boons to people you are in debt. If they owe boons to you, then you are in credit. Simple arithmetic should suffice to determine your "balance" on a particular day. So, the more boons you possess over others and the fewer you owe, the richer than you are. A boon, in essence is a favour that a Kindred has done. For example: "If you use your police influence to find this mortal thief, I'll give you a minor boon". Boons are self-enforcing. That is, once you owe one, it's on your honour to pay it when it is demanded. In game terms, the boons should be registered with a harpy. That is, your name, their name and the type of boon.

Types of Boon

Boons are ranked in size, much as an attribute would be in the Tabletop game. As with Mind's Eye Theatre, a word is also used to describe the boon. Boons are scored between · and ····· ·.

Here are the details:
• Trivial Boon: Delivery, helping with a plan.
•• Minor Boon: Assisting with a plan, Important Advice. Solicited Information
••• Standard Boon: Assistance in Battle, Helping the other out of trouble
•••• Major Boon: Direct intervention in a very dangerous battle, Saving the life of a Kindred's immediate kin.
••••• Life Boon: Saving the life of another Kindred.
•••••• Legendary boon: Directly assisting a Kindred to achieve Golconda.

Trivial, Minor, and Standard boons are relatively common. Major boons are uncommon. Life boons are Rare. In all of kindred history, a Legendary boon has never been registered. Of course, it is between the negotiators to come up with a suitable price (and that is subjective. What is major to you could be trivial to someone else. Bartering is perfectly acceptable, and nay indeed expected!)

Life boons are treated a little differently. They are demanded. That is, if you save his life, you demand the life boon. If he refuses, cook up some nasty form of revenge. Historically, the kindred that have demanded life boons have got them - but be reasonable when you demand them. A pack of Ventrue Childer is not a threat to most ancilla. An enraged Lupine on the other hand, is. (So, demand for the first case and be laughed at. Demand for the second, and he'll pay up!). If you hold a Life Boon over someone, they are your slave until the boon is paid off (i.e. they save YOUR life).

Transferring Boons

Boons are currency. If you can find a market for your boon, you can sell it for whatever you want (including other boons). Simply inform the debtor that you've transferred the boon and who to. Again, barter for the best deal for your boon.

Ignoring Your Debts

Of course, the Kindred can ignore boons that someone holds over them. What happens then is usually up to the Harpies, and of course, the offended party. Example: Having used the police influence to catch the thief, the creditor then informs the debtor that he wishes to cash in his boon. He informs the debtor of the terms, and the debtor refuses. At this point, the creditor can use his police contacts to hassle the debtor (for example). He can also go to the Harpies and tell them that the debtor has ignored a demanded boon that was given in good faith. The Harpies can immediately award (for free) the negative status trait of Untrustworthy.

Status and Boons

Princes can effectively demand anything that they want under the "security of the city" and the second tradition. If you can find a way of doing a Prince a "favour" then the Prince may grant you a boon. The same is true of Clan Heads to a certain degree (they can order things "for the good of the clan"). Of course the reverse is not true. It is only a very weak Prince that doesn't get a boon out of you when you ask him if you can create a childe.

Archons typically will live outside of the system of boons. However, it is not unheard of for them to grant boons. Caution is advised however. Pestering an Archon for a boon when he's demanding information from you will get you into lots of trouble. (most likely is that he'll agree to the boon, you tell him the information, and then he executes you for "stalling the Justice of the Camarilla"). And as very few Harpies will risk angering the Justicars by assigning negative status to their Archons, you won't have much backup when the Archon refuses to help you take the throne of your city.

Conclusions

That's it. Boons are currency, they vary in size, and they can be traded. The Harpies administer the system, and if you break your word on them, expect bad things from all sides including the harpies. (As anarchs have no status, they don't care about boons. So don't expect them to do anything with boons at all). Princes and other High Status individuals can usually manoeuvre out of giving boons away, and the bigger the Kindred, the sharper it's teeth.

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