Grassroots Movement (sage ability)

Through the use of history and speaking directly to others, the character is able to influence others towards adopting political policies that were once held to be historically true within the region where the character speaks. The historical context must be real, but the motivation of the influenced people to reclaim that context need not depend upon other circumstances and realities that were true of that time in history.

There are limitations to what the movement can achieve, yet nevertheless the people of the immediate region that can be reached by word-of-mouth may be encouraged to adopt legislation, demand the stepping down of a new authority, a decrease in taxes, greater adoption of the region's traditional religion, the execution of criminals or political enemies of the state and civic improvements, as well as the end to an existing war or the initiation of war.

The character must express a desire to speak to as many people as possible within the space of one week. During that week, the character will influence up to 1d6 persons per point of charisma. If the character is a cleric who has established a congregation of not less than 50 regular parishioners, the character will influence 1d8 persons per point of charisma rather than 1d6.

The total will indicate the % chance of the movement "catching fire" that week. If the percentile roll is a failure, the character may continue to Agitate throughout the next week - however, the character must discount 4 points of their charisma the second week. If the movement fails again, the succeeding week the character must discount 8 points of their charisma. This continues until either the movement catches fire or the character fails to have sufficient charisma to produce a percentile chance.

If the movement catches fire, this will mean that those influenced by the character will themselves seek to spread the word. The character will now roll 1d6 (or 1d8) for every person previously influenced. This will represent the total number of influenced persons that week. The final total - hereafter referred to as the 'crowd' - needs to carefully recorded and kept.

This number will, at the end of the week, join together and seek out the character, calling for leadership. The character that has initiated the grassroots movement is then free to give a speech suggesting one of five policies: the speaker may Rabble-rouse the crowd; the speaker may Rally the crowd to march upon an authority capable of making a change and deliver the crowd's demands; the speaker may incite the crowd to passively Disobey the State; the speaker may encourage the audience to agitate for desired change in a peaceful, obedient manner; and finally the speaker may have a change of heart and call for the crowd to Disperse.

Having reconciled the effects of each (details to be found in the links), the character must now move on. If the character wishes, they may attempt again, beginning from a new location, but this will guarantee arrest of the character following the movement no matter what policy the character attempts. Still, the character may attempt to incite another violent act, another march, another call to disobedience or further pestering of the government if the character so wishes.

See History