Once the GM has introduced a new element, each player in turn defines how their character perceives their relationship with one other player character.
Defining the relationship
The player declaring the relationship can choose to fill any one of the five relationship slots available:
- Favourite: you are dedicated to or love them; they makes you feel connected to the world.
- Guru: you turn to them when things don’t add up; they can explain what it’s all about to you, and help you understand why you should do something.
- Mentor: you might aspire to be like them; you seek out their practical guidance; they help you decide what you should do.
- Protégé: they look up to you (at least you think so); you give them guidance and influence, because you want to.
- Responsibility: you have a duty or obligation to them; when you give them help and support, it’s because you feel you have to.
Add a brief description to explain the nature of the relationship.
Relationship perspectives
The relationship is based entirely on how the character defining it perceives their connection with the other character.
The target character is under no obligation to reciprocate the relationship.
Because it is subjective, the target also has no choice about being defined in someone else’s special relationship.
When relationships are used
A nominated relationship can be used like a mundane identity to create Of course I can situations that come into play. For example, of course I can get a backstage pass, my protégé runs that club.
Each relationship has a percentile value, which allows it to be used as a target for certain kinds of social conflicts and checks. It can be used in coercions against the relationship target, or as a substitute for Lie, Connect, Notice, Status and Struggle checks when the relationship target is involved.
Unlike most identities (avatar and adept ones excepted), the value of a relationship can go up and down as it is nourished and neglected or abused. A relationship can end or be lost. New relationships can also be added.
Establishing the relationship strength
The starting value according to the related upbeat ability for the relationship type:
- Favourite: set by Status (Isolation meter)
- Guru: set by Notice (Unnatural meter)
- Mentor: set by Connect (Violence meter)
- Protégé: set by Fitness (Helplessness meter)
- Responsibility: set by Knowledge (Self meter)
At this stage, only the characters’ Unnatural meters have been notched, which sets the value for Notice, and therefore the Guru relationship. As more meters are notched, bear in mind how this affects the starting value of associated relationships that you have or want to create.
Relationships to GM characters and organisations
Although the cabal creation process states that players should relate their character to another player character, the worked-through example does have one of the players (Sakinah) forging their first relationship between their character (Lauren) and a GM character (Grace).
Sakinah … draws a line from Lauren to Grace, the GMC, and labels it “Responsibility.” “I got her into Otradovec’s orbit before I knew what was really going on. Now she’s brainwashed and I want to save her.”
So, a player can choose to fill a relationship slot with a non-player character or organisation from the outset. This is fine. They will get an opportunity to make another connection to a player character later. They should strongly consider cementing that as a relationship.
Further relationships
By the end of the character phase, each PC will have defined 2 or 3 relationships, and will be left with 3 or 2 gaps. New relationships to people as well as organisations can be added later, once the campaign has begun.
If the GM agrees, a player can declare a new relationship in an unused slot, starting at 5%. To jumpstart a new relationship, the group can pursue it as a cabal objective for a character. Once the objective has been completed, a new relationship is defined with a starting value at half the final objective score.
Note that a character can only carry one type of relationship for each other character or organisation. For example, they couldn’t have the cabal as both their mentor and their guru. Bear this in mind when adding further relationships.
Reference: UA3 Run p29 | p28 pdf, UA3 Play p37 | p36 pdf.