Urbanity (Party) Mechanic

How often do you go?

To determine how often you get to act at such a party, roll StrMind with any Carousing, Mingling, Cocktail Party type skills you might have. Some people might have bonuses to this roll depending upon the publicity leading up to the party. Klothos, for instance, is publicly known to be the hostess of the whole affair, and probably gets a +3 for that.

1-3 successes	Go every four phases.
4-6 successes	Go every third phase.
7-9 successes	Go every other phase.
10-12 successes	Go every phase.
13-higher	(At 13+, people got phases to give to others, and at 20, Ciernan got the ability to extend or cut short the party duration by 8 phases).

How long does the party last?

Phases are numbered sequentially, starting with 1, and growing to the limit of sustainability of the party.

The party will end when:

• Any combat ends. (IE If at any time, actions of party guests force the GMs to call for speed rolls and break into the standard combat mechanic, the instant that combat is over, the party is over.) or
• The phase of the party is greater than the sum total of the current urbanity of all party guests. (IE If, when party phase 27 is about to begin, the guests have a total urbanity of 26 or lower, the party will end rather than continuing.)

How do I gain urbanity?

Generally, you can gain urbanity in many ways, mostly related to partying activities.

Basic examples follow:

Bring someone a drink	+1
Bring someone some food	+2
Dance with someone	+1 per phase up to dance roll successes
Make sparkling conversation	+1 per phase up to conversation successes
Flirting	+1 per difference in seduction/resistance rolls

Some of these things have limitations: eating must be done at a table, no one can eat more than twice, flirting with the same person repeatedly often leads to party departure, no one can be holding more than two drinks at a time, etc. Note that none of these activities can be performed alone. All require at least one other person. The limitation is that you can't get urbanity by talking / dancing / bringing drinks for someone with less urbanity than you have. Nor can you gain urbanity talking / dancing / bringing drinks for someone with more than 5 more urbanity than you have.

How do I lose urbanity?

There are two basic ways to lose urbanity. The first is being gauche. Basic examples follow:

Walking on the dance floor	-1 per phase
Holding more than 1 drink	-1 per three phases
Wasting food/drink	-1 when wasted

The other way to lost urbanity is to spend it "conducting business". No one may conduct any business while their urbanity is negative. You may drive yourself up to your StrMind negative in urbanity by conducting business. (IE Someone with 1 urbanity may spend 5 asking a business question, if their StrMind is at least 4. Someone with -2 urbanity can not even arrange a later meeting regardless of their StrMind.)

Basic examples follow:

Arrange a later (non-romantic) meeting	spend 2 urbanity
Ask a yes/no question (truth serum rules)	spend 4 urbanity
Ask a short answer question (truthful but evasive)	spend 5 urbanity
Buy a "favor" from someone	spend 6 urbanity
Propose Marriage	spend 23 urbanity
Personal Goals	Varies depending upon goal.

How do I Cross Class Lines?

Reaching down, you simply give someone with less than you, some of your accumulated urbanity by interacting with them. Spend 1 urbanity for every 2 you give them. (66% efficiency.)

Reaching up, you can do something gauche when interacting with someone who is higer than you, in such a way that everyone turns to stare at the both of you. Spend 2 urbanity to make them lose 1.

Special Events

(These weren't included in the greensheet at the time):

• Round 10: Ladies' Choice. Women may whisk the men of their choice to the dance floor, no matter where on the map anyone is.
• Round 15: Mood Lighting. Men may whisk the women of their choice to the dimly lit comfortable corners of the room.
• Round 20: Happy Hour. Anyone may whisk to the bar.
• Round 25: The Midnight Hour. Everyone loses 10 urbanity.