Contacts Stunts
Active Networks
Center of the Web
Whether or not you lead it, you are like the spider at the center of a web regarding any organization of which you are a part. Information about the organization flows your way naturally, taking one time increment less to reach your attentive ears than it would normally, and so long as you are able to make any sort of contact with the outside world, you are quickly able to find out information about your organization’s dealings. You also gain +1 to Contacts rolls related to your organization. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.18.3)
Discreet Enquiries
You are unusually subtle when it comes to gathering information. Whenever you seek information and an opponent rolls Contacts to be alerted to this activity, you may roll active opposition against them.
The Strength of One Becomes the Strength of Many
Once you begin a contacting effort, it becomes self-sustaining, as people you talk to talk to other people, who talk to others in turn. In effect, you will always get an answer; it is only a matter of time. (Fate System Toolkit, p.99)
Ubiquity
(requires Center of the Web.) First, this stunt steps up the intensity of your Center of the Web stunt – information flows your way a total of two time increments faster. Second, this stunt removes the restriction “so long as you are able to make any sort of contact with the outside world.” Your ties into the organization are so thoroughly widespread that the outside world makes every reasonable effort to stay in contact with you. For a fate point, your organization can even make some fairly unreasonable efforts to stay in contact. (Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.18.3)
Cold Opens
The Bonds of Man Stretch to the Horizon
There is no place where you do not know someone, including places you have never been before. You will find a friend wherever you go. (Fate System Toolkit, p.99)
Bounty Board
Whenever you enter a settlement, you can look for work. After an hour or so, you find a job that either pays well but is dangerous or is not too dangerous but doesn’t pay that well. If you spend a fate point, it both pays well and is not too dangerous. (Fate System Toolkit, p.41)
Criminal Underbelly
Whenever you enter a settlement for the first time, you can spend a fate point to declare that the local criminals know you. Choose one of the following: they have a lead on a promising job, they’ll give you and your companions free room and board for a few weeks, or they’ll help you with something right now but you might owe them afterward. (Fate System Toolkit, p.42)
A Friend in Every Port
Whenever you enter a settlement, you may declare you’ve visited it before and roll Contacts against Fair (+2) opposition. If you succeed, you have a friend there who owes you one favor—nothing costly or life threatening. If you succeed with style, your friend will do any one thing for you that is within his power. (Fate System Toolkit, p.35)
Friends Everywhere
Your network of contacts extends around the world. You never suffer any increased difficulty on Contacts rolls from being in an unfamiliar area.
Specific Groups or Subjects
Absolute Authority
You are good at being in charge. +2 to Contacts as long as you are in a position of direct authority over those you intend to contact.
Chain of Command
You are a soldier, and other soldiers answer to you. Add two to your Contacts skill when using it to deal with soldiers from your organisation.
Common Interests/On the Watch
You know people who know things about the things that you want to know about. Pick a broad subject (e.g. the royal court, baseball, university politics). Add +2 to Contacts when using it to enquire about that subject.
Eye for Talent
+2 to Contacts when seeking promising young people. (Peter Blake)
I'm Looking for Mr. Brown
You are extremely good at tracking people down. +2 to Contacts whenever you are seeking a specific person whose name you know.
Member
Pick a specific organisation. You belong to that organisation. Whenever you want to get in touch with its other members, gain +2 to Contacts.
Noble Born
+2 to Contacts when seeking another member of the aristocracy. (Peter Blake)
Renowned Courtesan
+2 to Contacts when seeking lonely people who would be sexually attracted to you. (Peter Blake)
Salesman's Network
All good salesmen build up a network of satisfied customers over time. Pick a type of product. Add two to your Contacts skill when looking for or dealing with makers, sellers, or notable consumers of that type of product.
Too Cool for School
All the kids wanna be just like you. +2 to Contacts when dealing with young adults of middle school or high school age.
Walk the Walk
Your travels have taken you to every corner of the globe. +2 to Contacts rolls when dealing with foreign lands or cultures. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.7.1)
New Actions
Big Man
Pick a specific field of endeavour, such as crime, business, politics, espionage, or the occult. Within this field, you are considered a person of great importance. You may roll Contacts instead of Resources for anything which might fall under the auspices of members of that field. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.7.2)
Big Name
(requires Big Man.) You’re so well known that an awareness of your name has crossed over into other areas as well. The first time you deal with someone who’s heard of you (spending a fate point can assure that they have), and you’re using your name, you get a +2 bonus to a Provoke or Rapport roll. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.7.2)
Big Reputation
(requires Big Name.) Your reputation has reached great proportions, and people are willing to believe all sorts of things about you. For a fate point, you may use your Contacts skill instead of Deceive, Rapport, Provoke, or Will, provided those you are dealing with are aware of your reputation (a second fate point will nearly always assure that they are). This stunt combines with the bonus from Big Name, getting the character a +2 to Contacts when using it instead of Provoke or Rapport. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.7.2)
Ear to the Ground
Whenever someone initiates a conflict against you in an area where you’ve built a network of contacts, you use Contacts instead of Notice to determine turn order, because you got tipped off in time. (Fate Core, p.101)
Insider
You are able to navigate bureaucracies easily, not because you understand them, but because you know people embedded in the bureaucracy who can provide shortcuts. You may roll Contacts instead of Resources when dealing with any sort of bureaucratic entanglement. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.7.1)
My Buddy Has One of Those
Your friends are very willing to let you borrow whatever you need. You may use your Contacts skill instead of your Resources skill to “buy” things. Everything obtained this way has the aspect Not Actually Mine with one free invocation against you. The difficulty of an attempt to obtain something with Contacts may or may not be the same as the difficulty of an attempt to buy that same thing with Resources, at the GM's discretion. The time required may also vary.
Talk the Talk
(requires Big Man.) Whenever dealing with members of your chosen field, you may roll Contacts instead of Rapport. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.7.2)
The Weight of Reputation
You can use Contacts instead of Provoke to create advantages based on the fear generated by the sinister reputation you’ve cultivated for yourself and all the shady associates you have. You should have an appropriate aspect to pair with this stunt. (Fate Core, p.101)
Other
I Know a Guy Who Knows a Guy
Sometimes it’s not who you know, but who the people you know, know. Many of your contacts are, themselves, very well connected. +2 to Contacts when you attempt to corroborate information you’ve gotten from another of your contacts. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.7.1)
Rumormonger
+2 to create an advantage when you plant vicious rumors about someone else. (Fate Core, p.101)