Template:Importance
Importance
Your formally recognized place in society is distinct from your personal fame and fortune. To influence others through established channels (asopposed to relying on popularity or bribery), you must purchase one or more types of social rank, each of which has unique benefits and drawbacks.
Status
5 points/level or -5 points/level
Status is a measure of social standing. In most game worlds, Status levels range from -2 (serf or street person) to 8 (powerful emperor or godking), with the average man being Status 0 (freeman or ordinary citizen). If you do not specifically buy Status, you have Status 0. Status costs 5 points per level. For instance, Status 5 costs 25 points, while Status -2 is -10 points. Status also costs money to maintain (see Cost of Living).
Status is not the same as personal popularity (see Reputation) or the popularity of your racial or ethnic group (see Social Regard, and Social Stigma). Status can sometimes influence others' reactions, but its main effect is to spell out where you stand in the social pecking order. In short, Status represents power.
High Status
Status greater than 0 means you are a member of the ruling class in your culture. Your family may be hereditary nobles (e.g., Plantagenet, Windsor), successful businessmen or politicians (Rockefeller, Kennedy), or some other type of big shots. You may even have achieved Status by your own efforts. As a result, others in your culture only defer to you, giving you a bonus on all reaction rolls.
High Status carries various privileges, different in every game world; your GM will give you this information. Note that any high-Status person is a likely target for kidnappers and social climbers, and that some criminal types hate "the ruling class."
Low Status
Status less than 0 means you are a serf or a slave, or simply very poor. This is not the same thing as Social Stigma. In medieval Japan, for instance, a woman could have high Status, but still get a -1 on reactions due to the Social Stigma of being female. A modern-day criminal could theoretically have any level of Status in conjunction with the Social Stigma of a criminal record.
The interaction of Status, Social Stigma, and Reputation can give interesting results. For instance, a person who is obviously from a lower social class, or even a disdained minority group, might earn such a reputation as a hero that others react well to him.
Status as a Reaction Modifier
When the GM makes a reaction roll, the relative Status of the characters involved can affect the reaction. The GM can roleplay NPCs as he likes, of course, but here are some general guidelines:
Higher Status usually gives a reaction bonus. When dealing with a social inferior, apply the difference between your Status levels as a reaction bonus – except, of course, when dealing with someone who resents Status. For instance, if you have Status 3, those of Status 1 react to you at +2, and those of Status 0 react at +3.
Lower Status may give a penalty. If you are dealing with a higher-Status NPC who is basically friendly, your Status doesn't matter (as long as it's positive). After all, the king has a far higher Status than his knights, but he reacts well to them ... most of the time. But if the NPC is neutral or already angry, lower Status makes it worse ("How dare you, a mere knight, tell me my battle plan is foolish?"). Again, apply the difference in Status levels as a reaction modifier, but in this case it gives a penalty.
Negative Status usually gives a penalty. If your Status is so low as to be negative, those of higher Status always react badly to you. Apply the difference between your Status and the NPC's as a reaction penalty, but no worse than -4.
Recognizing Status
Status only affects reaction rolls if it is obvious to those around you. In some settings, your bearing, dress, and speech communicate your Status. Indeed, if you have very high Status, your face may be easily recognized – or perhaps the gaggle of servants that surrounds you gets the message across.
In other societies, you will have to produce physical proof (ID cards, signet rings, etc.), pass a test, or submit to ultra-tech or magical scans before you will be recognized. Status costs no fewer points in such societies; you may get fewer reaction bonuses, but you can also live a normal life, and it is far more difficult for someone to impersonate you.
Classless Meritocracies
In many societies, especially feudal ones, Status is the primary form of social rank. However, some societies, notably modern and futuristic ones, claim to be "classless." This does not mean that social rank doesn't exist! It just means that merit – most often in the form of wealth, education, or public service – replaces entitlement or birthright as the determiner of relative social position.
In a classless society, the GM may wish to limit the amount of Status that PCs can buy directly to only two levels. This represents some combination of higher education, professional license (such as in law or medicine), respected family name, and cultural achievements (anything from "rock star" to "poet laureate"). The only way to obtain higher Status is to get it for "free" from high Wealth or Rank.
In a society where some form of Rank – not Status – is the official yardstick of power, it takes finesse to turn high Status to your advantage. For instance, you might come from a "good" family and have a decent education, allowing you to buy Status 2 outright. You might also be rich (Multimillionaire 1) for +2 Status and hold local office (Administrative Rank 3) for +1 Status. This would give you Status 5 in total. To overrule a senior bureaucrat with Administrative Rank 6 and Status 2, though, you'll have to use your social connections. You might have more clout in high society (Status 5 vs. Status 2), but he outranks you in the eyes of the law (Rank 6 vs. Rank 3)!
Rank
1 point/level, 5 points/level or 10 points/level
Specific sectors of society – e.g., the civil service, the military, and certain powerful religions – often have internal ranking systems, distinct from Status. If an organization like this has significant social influence, or access to useful resources, then its members must pay points for their rank within the organization.
Rank comes in levels. Each Rank has authority over those of lower Rank – regardless of personal ability. In most cases, there are six to eight levels of Rank. The GM should determine the highest Rank available to starting characters, usually Rank 3-5.
Unlike Status, Rank costs no money to maintain. On the other hand, almost all forms of Rank come with a Duty. Rank often has stringent prerequisites, too – typically one of the traits given under Privilege or a minimum skill level. These things have their own point costs, not included in the cost of the Rank.
In a given society, there are usually several systems of Rank; the precise varieties depend on the game world. In most cases, you may hold more than one kind of Rank, although the GM is free to rule that holding one sort of Rank precludes holding another.
Rank may coexist with Status. If so, then high Rank grants additional Status at no extra cost: +1 to Status at Rank 2-4, +2 to Status at Rank 5-7, and +3 to Status at Rank 8 or higher. This represents society's respect for senior members of important social institutions. If you hold multiple types of Rank, then you may claim a Status bonus for each of them.
Alternatively, one form of Rank might replace Status; for instance, Religious Rank in a theocracy. In societies like this, Status does not exist. Each level of Rank gives all its usual benefits plus the effect of an equivalent level of Status.
Rank is worth 5 points per level if it coexists with Status, or 10 points per level if it replaces Status. Common varieties of Rank include:
Administrative Rank
Position within a governmental bureaucracy. When dealing with other administrators, differences in Rank work just like differences in Status. At TL5 and higher, a large bureaucracy might have several varieties of Rank: one per government department, and possibly extra categories for the senate, judiciary, etc. (Defense or law-enforcement officials use Military or Police Rank instead.) Note this on your character sheet; e.g., Administrative Rank (Judiciary).
Gladiator Rank
Gladiators, doctores, and lanista may have some level of Gladiator Rank. This is a form of Courtesy Title (see GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks). Characters may purchase up to 5 levels of Gladiator Rank. However , only a lanista can have Gladiator Rank 5; this is functionally equivalent to, and requires, Status 1. Gladiators generally cannot promote to Rank 5; gladiators do not become lanista during the course of a normal career . For details of these ranks, see Gladiators: Ranking System. 1 point/level.
Merchant Rank
Position within a national or transnational organization of merchants. This could be anything from the mercantile culture of the Aztecs (where Merchant Rank verged on being Status) to the "merchant marine" of a modern or futuristic society (where Merchant Rank often parallels Military Rank during wartime).
Military Rank
Position within a military organization. Each organization is structured differently. In general, personnel that are not specifically leaders will be Rank 0-2, while low-level officers and senior enlisted men will be Rank 3-4. Rank 5 and higher is normally limited to major commands and duties where the officer is responsible for extremely valuable or rare resources. Limited-duty officers, specialists, and personnel with little actual responsibility or command authority have a lower Rank in GURPS terms, despite possibly possessing titles identical to those of a higher Rank; represent this with one or more levels of Courtesy Rank.
Police Rank
Position in a police force. Each agency has its own variety of Rank. You must buy Legal Enforcement Powers before you can buy Police Rank; this is the difference between a patrol officer (Police Rank 0, for 0 points) and an ordinary citizen (no Police Rank, also 0 points). Note that in a police state, there is no difference between Police Rank and Military Rank.
Religious Rank
Position in a religious hierarchy. Each religion has its own variety of Rank. You must buy Clerical Investment before you can buy Religious Rank; this is the difference between a novice (Religious Rank 0, for 0 points) and a layperson (no Religious Rank, also 0 points). Other common requirements include a minimum level of Theology skill and being of a particular sex or race. Differences in Rank work just like differences in Status when dealing with co-religionists and those who respect your faith.
Special Rules for Rank
A number of special situations might arise in play for those with Rank.
Temporary Rank
Those of higher Rank may temporarily increase your Rank for a predetermined amount of time – until the end of a project, battle, etc. This process is called brevetting in the case of Military Rank. To keep temporary Rank, you must meet all the usual requirements and pay the appropriate point cost.
Courtesy Rank
Those who have formerly held Rank may retain that Rank as "Courtesy Rank" for only 1 point per level. Those who currently hold a title that carries little real authority may also take Courtesy Rank. Courtesy Rank is for social situations only; it gives you a fancier title.
Rank for Spies
Officers of national intelligence services often possess a special category of Military Rank, distinct from that of line soldiers. Employees of civilian intelligence agencies usually possess some variety of Administrative Rank instead. Finally, some counterintelligence officers are actually police, and hold Police Rank. Those playing spies should consult with the GM before purchasing Rank of any kind!
Privilege
Variable
You may buy special privileges within your society – e.g., a hard-to-obtain license, an "in" with an influential social group, or an exemption from certain laws – that allow you more latitude in your actions. Such advantages are not directly linked to Rank or Status. For instance, a spy with low Rank might have a "license to kill," while his commander, a bureaucrat with much higher Rank, is bound by all the rules of polite society.
Privileges include the advantages of Claim to Hospitality, Clerical Investment, Legal Enforcement Powers, Legal Immunity, Security Clearance, Social Regard, and Tenure.
Social Restraints
Your social situation can instead deprive you of freedom. This can take many forms: an onerous obligation; the need to hide your deeds or lifestyle in order to avoid persecution; or widespread disdain for your cultural group, occupation, or social class. Such traits are considered disadvantages – see Duty, Secret, and Social Stigma. All of these traits are externally imposed. If you are limited by your values, see Self-Imposed Mental Disadvantages instead.