# Reputation

Reputation measures a hero’s fame, notoriety, and renown. It includes one’s lineage and deeds—both glorious and infamous. It is expressed in sagas, songs, gossip, curses, and boasts. As a hero’s Reputation increases, so does their notoriety.

# Gaining Reputation

A hero gains Reputation by drawing the attention of others. Marriage, birth, making a vow, breaking a vow, owning a famous weapon, going on a Viking raid—these are all examples of things that can increase a hero’s Reputation.

Reputation does not increase because of experience checks. Instead, it is handed out at the gamemaster’s discretion, based on deeds and achievements. Reputation can also increase through negative deeds. It does not decrease as passions do; breaking an oath, behaving dishonorably, or committing foul deeds can make one just as famous (or even more so) than noble actions or heroic achievements.

Reputation Gains (following) lists a variety of examples of how Reputation may be acquired. Note that deeds must be known to others; heroes gain no Reputation for actions taken in secrecy or obscurity. The gamemaster may use these examples as listed, modify or augment as needed, or use them as guidelines for actions outside those described.

# Reputation Gains

# Notable Deed (+1D3 Reputation)

Swearing an oath of some import.
Defeating an equally powerful foe.
Outstanding use of a skill; achieving success in a noteworthy endeavor.
A noteworthy marriage.
Taking part in a great journey.
Becoming a parent in a fortuitous birth.
Having an important guest.
Making a shrewd alliance.
Taking an important role in a worship ceremony.
Having a poet or bard tell stories about one’s deeds.
A weird accident or stroke of luck.
Lying and being discovered.
Breaking an oath of import.
Acting discourteously to guests in your home or hall.
A particularly significant fumble or visible failure.
Losing a family member or ally.
Breaking an alliance.
Minor sacrilege.
Bringing minor shame upon one’s family.

# Extraordinary Deed (+1D6 Reputation)

Swearing an epic oath.
Defeating a superior foe (or number of foes).
Critical use of a skill at an opportune moment.
An outstanding success in an extraordinary endeavor.
A prestigious marriage.
A major alliance.
Being the subject of a popular tale or well-known song.
A freak stroke of luck.
Gaining a major enemy.
Significant act of sacrilege.
Betraying or bringing harm to someone under your protection (such as a guest).
A major criminal act.
Breaking a major oath.
Kin-slaying.
A spectacular fumble or highly visible failure.
Bringing major dishonor upon one’s family.
Becoming an outlaw.

# Heroic Deed (+2D6 or more Reputation)

Achieving a legendary success at a nearly impossible endeavor.
Leading an army to victory or defeating one single-handedly.
Defeating an enemy of divine or immortal nature.
Marrying a noble or becoming one.
Being the focus of a divine prophecy.
Building an epic structure, such as a new major temple.
A spectacular defeat.
Slaying one’s parents or children.
An act of the darkest treachery or infamy.

Reputation from a single act provides only one award, though the gamemaster may modify the reward for multiple occurrences of the same deed, up to the total of the possible roll.

It is possible to gain Reputation for an act and lose Honor for it, as well. Such is how infamy is born.

# Tracking Reputation

The player should track the sources of the hero’s Reputation and how much has been gained. Once Reputation has increased, it does not decrease. One merely becomes famous for different things.

# Using Reputation

Reputation is used in two ways: to identify a hero and their deeds and to impress others.

# Identifying a Hero

Reputation may be used by nonplayer characters to identify a hero and the nature of their fame, or for a hero to determine if they have heard of a particular nonplayer character. The gamemaster should apply any appropriate Reputation bonuses or penalties. A hero may try to augment their Reputation (or that of another person) with Orate or Sing, if they want to increase the chance of the nonplayer character recognizing them (which might be important if that hero wants to be recognized by a goði or even a foreign noble). If the gamemaster considers it appropriate, a hero trying to identify someone else can use (Homeland) Lore to augment the subject’s Reputation.

If the roll succeeds, the one making the roll has heard of the other and of their deeds—for good or ill. This may affect how the nonplayer character reacts to the hero. Someone with a reputation for violence, outlawry, and amoral deeds might not get a good reception!

Someone with a reputation can always try to deny who they are, although such actions are considered dishonorable, and may be opposed by the Honor passion.

# Impressing Others

Reputation may be used to augment Charm, Orate, or Sing. Similarly, the gamemaster may allow the hero to attempt to sway a nonplayer character’s reaction to the hero.

To use Reputation to augment another skill, roll against the hero’s Reputation:

Critical Success: The hero’s Reputation adds a +50% bonus to the skill.
Special Success: The hero’s Reputation adds a +30% bonus to the skill.
Success: The hero’s Reputation adds a +20% bonus to the skill.
Failure: The hero modifies the skill by –20%.
Fumble: The hero modifies the skill by –50%.

# Reputation Bonuses and Penalties

Heroes get a Reputation bonus or penalty based on the social distance of the audience. Usually, a hero’s Reputation among their kin is increased, as family members tend to spread the word about exceptional relatives. Conversely, a hero’s Reputation diminishes with strangers and outsiders. Famous heroes might be completely unknown in distant regions of the country or abroad.

# Reputation Modifiers Table

Circumstances	Modifier
From the same family	+25%
Well-traveled/gossiper/well-connected	+10—25%
From the hero’s home quarter of Iceland	-
Outside of the hero’s home quarter but from within the same homeland	–25%
Outside of the homeland where they earned most of their Reputation, but within the Norse homelands and occupied regions. (e.g., Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, etc.)	–50%
Outside of the geographical region where they earned most of their Reputation	–75%

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