Reputation tracks how the party is perceived by the various factions, settlements, and organizations of the Wasteland. Reputation affects trade prices, quest availability, NPC behavior, and whether a faction is willing to interact with you at all.
Reputation Score
Each faction tracks the party’s reputation as a numerical score from -10 to +10. The score determines the faction’s Reputation Tier, which has mechanical effects on Bartering, Speech, and general interactions.
| Score | Tier | Barter Shift | Social Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| -10 to -8 | Hostile | -3 | Attack on sight. No interaction possible. |
| -7 to -5 | Unfriendly | -2 | May refuse services. Hostile pricing. Will not offer quests. |
| -4 to -2 | Distrusted | -1 | Wary and suspicious. Limited services. |
| -1 to +1 | Neutral | 0 | Default. Standard interaction. |
| +2 to +4 | Accepted | +1 | Willing to help. Fair prices. Basic quests available. |
| +5 to +7 | Friendly | +2 | Full services. Good prices. Advanced quests and information. |
| +8 to +10 | Allied | +3 | Best prices. Exclusive services. Military support. Faction resources. |
New factions start at Neutral (0) unless the party’s actions or origins dictate otherwise.
How Reputation Changes
The GM adjusts reputation based on the party’s actions. Reputation shifts should feel earned — players should understand why a faction’s opinion of them changed.
Positive Actions (Examples)
| Action | Typical Shift |
|---|---|
| Small favor (deliver a message, share minor information) | +1 |
| Complete a quest for the faction | +2 to +3 |
| Save faction members from danger | +2 |
| Major service (defend a settlement, eliminate a significant threat) | +3 to +4 |
| Extraordinary act (change the course of a faction war, save a leader’s life) | +4 to +5 |
Negative Actions (Examples)
| Action | Typical Shift |
|---|---|
| Refuse a quest or break a minor promise | -1 |
| Steal from faction members | -2 |
| Kill faction members | -3 to -5 |
| Betray the faction or sabotage their operations | -5 to -8 |
| Ally with a rival faction openly | -2 to -4 |
Cross-Faction Reputation
Some actions affect multiple factions simultaneously. Helping the Brotherhood of Steel might improve Brotherhood reputation (+2) while worsening reputation with factions that oppose them (-1 to -2). The GM should consider the political landscape when awarding reputation shifts.
Not all factions are aware of the party’s actions with other factions. A secret alliance or covert sabotage may not affect reputation with uninvolved factions unless word gets out.
Shared Party Reputation
Reputation is tracked as a single score per faction for the entire party. Factions perceive the group as a unit — when the party raids a camp or completes a quest, the faction’s opinion of the whole group shifts.
Individual Modifiers
Specific characters may have personal reputation modifiers that adjust their individual interactions with a faction, separate from the party score. These come from:
- Origins: A Brotherhood Initiate has a personal +2 modifier with Brotherhood merchants by default
- Traits: A character with the Raider trait may be recognized by raider factions, giving them a personal modifier
- Personal Actions: A character who personally commits a significant solo act (saving a faction leader, assassinating someone) may earn a personal modifier
When a character with a personal modifier is the one interacting with the faction (making the Barter Test, rolling the Speech check), their personal modifier is added to the party’s reputation score for that interaction.
Example: The party has +3 reputation with the Brotherhood (Accepted, +1 Barter shift). The Brotherhood Initiate character has a personal +2 modifier. When the Initiate does the trading, the effective score is +5 (Friendly, +2 Barter shift). When another party member trades, the effective score remains +3 (Accepted, +1).
Personal modifiers typically range from -2 to +2. Larger modifiers should be rare and reflect extraordinary personal history with the faction.
Reputation and Barter
Reputation directly affects the Barter System. The Reputation Tier’s Barter Shift is added to the starting price tier when calculating prices:
Starting Tier = Standard + Demand Shift + Reputation Shift
See the Barter System page for the full price calculation system.
| Reputation Tier | Barter Shift | Effect on Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile | -3 | Faction will not trade with you |
| Unfriendly | -2 | Severely inflated buy prices, terrible sell prices |
| Distrusted | -1 | Worse than standard pricing |
| Neutral | 0 | Standard pricing |
| Accepted | +1 | Slightly better pricing |
| Friendly | +2 | Good pricing, access to better stock |
| Allied | +3 | Best possible pricing, access to exclusive or restricted goods |
The Market Savvy milestone (Barter +3) sets a floor on your starting tier at Standard, which protects you from the worst pricing even with bad reputation. But Market Savvy cannot force a Hostile faction to trade with you — they refuse interaction entirely regardless of your Barter skill.
Reputation and Speech
Reputation affects Speech Tests with faction members:
- Hostile/Unfriendly faction members may refuse to speak with you at all, or require a high-DC Speech Test just to initiate conversation
- Distrusted faction members are suspicious — the GM may increase Speech DCs or require additional persuasion
- Neutral is the baseline — standard DCs apply
- Accepted/Friendly faction members are more receptive — the GM may reduce Speech DCs or provide information more freely
- Allied faction members treat you as trusted insiders — they may share secrets, provide warnings, or offer assistance without requiring Speech Tests
The GM adjudicates these effects based on context. There is no fixed DC modifier for Speech from reputation — it depends on the situation and the NPC’s personality.
Reputation and World Access
Higher reputation tiers unlock access to faction-specific content:
| Tier | Access |
|---|---|
| Hostile | Nothing. The faction is your enemy. |
| Unfriendly | Faction territory is dangerous. Patrols may confront you. |
| Distrusted | Can enter faction territory but are watched. Limited services. |
| Neutral | Standard access. Basic services and trade. |
| Accepted | Quest access. Faction merchants stock better items. |
| Friendly | Advanced quests. Access to faction-specific equipment and services. Information sharing. |
| Allied | Exclusive quests. Faction military support. Access to restricted areas, technology, or training. Faction may provide Followers. |
Recovering Reputation
Once reputation drops, recovering it is difficult. Factions remember betrayal.
- Minor offenses (-1 to -3) can usually be recovered through quests, apologies, or compensation
- Moderate offenses (-4 to -6) require significant effort — major quests, valuable gifts, or eliminating a shared enemy
- Severe offenses (-7 to -10) may be partially irrecoverable. Some factions will never fully trust you again. The GM may cap recovery at a certain tier (e.g., “You can recover to Distrusted but never above Neutral with this faction”)
The Speech skill can help with reputation recovery — persuading a faction leader that your past actions were justified or that you’ve changed. But Speech alone cannot undo major betrayals. Actions speak louder than words.
GM Guidance
Tracking Reputation
Keep a simple table of faction names and scores. Update it when the party takes significant actions. Not every minor interaction needs a reputation adjustment — focus on meaningful moments.
| Faction | Score | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Brotherhood of Steel | +3 | Accepted |
| Diamond City | +1 | Neutral |
| Raiders (Ironclad Gang) | -6 | Unfriendly |
| Goodneighbor | +5 | Friendly |
When to Reveal Reputation
Players should have a general sense of how factions feel about them, but they don’t need to see the exact number. Describe NPC attitudes through narration:
- “The Brotherhood guard nods at you as you approach — they seem to recognize your group favorably.”
- “The merchant eyes you suspiciously and keeps one hand near the alarm bell.”
- “The raider patrol leader squints at you. ‘You’re the ones who hit our camp last month, aren’t you?‘”
If players ask directly, you can tell them their approximate tier (“You’re somewhere between Accepted and Friendly with the Brotherhood”) without revealing the exact score.
Reputation as a Story Tool
Reputation is not just a mechanical modifier — it’s a narrative engine. Factions that like the party will offer quests, share information, and provide support. Factions that dislike them will create obstacles, send patrols, or hire bounty hunters. The party’s reputation landscape should shape the campaign’s political dynamics and create consequences for their choices.
Quick Reference
Reputation Score: -10 to +10 per faction, shared by the party
Score Tier Barter Shift -10 to -8 Hostile -3 -7 to -5 Unfriendly -2 -4 to -2 Distrusted -1 -1 to +1 Neutral 0 +2 to +4 Accepted +1 +5 to +7 Friendly +2 +8 to +10 Allied +3 Key Rules:
- Shared party score + individual character modifiers
- Barter Shift adds to starting price tier (see Barter System)
- Market Savvy protects pricing but can’t force Hostile factions to trade
- Actions affect multiple factions — helping one may hurt another
- Recovery from severe reputation loss may be capped by the GM