Membership

Membership in The Expanse Roleplaying Game represents a character's formal connection to, and influence within, a large organisation. Unlike honorifics, which are titles reflecting a character's reputation that others react to, membership grants specific access and authority due to one's standing in a group.

What it Represents

• Membership signifies a character's influence within an organisation.
• It measures their connection to large groups of people.
• Organisations can be diverse, ranging from governments (e.g., Martian Navy), corporations (e.g., Star Helix Security), media outlets, religious groups (e.g., The Mormons), to criminal syndicates (e.g., Golden Bough Society, Loca Greiga).

How Membership is Gained and Advanced

• Character Creation: Characters can start with membership based on their backgrounds or professions. It can also be a benefit from a character's chosen drive (specifically, a Rank 1 Membership increase).
• In-Play Progression: Characters advance through the ranks of an organisation by being awarded a rank increase by the Game Master (GM).
• Interlude Activity: Once awarded, characters must spend an interlude performing the "Advancement" activity to solidify their new rank. This may require an advanced ability test, such as Communication, if the GM feels it necessary to "close the deal" and demonstrate the character's worthiness. The success threshold for this test is typically low (5-10).
• Talents: The Executive talent explicitly grants the character a Membership in a new organisation or advances their rank in an existing one.

Levels/Ranks of Membership

Membership is structured into three distinct ranks, each offering increasing benefits and responsibilities:

Rank 1: Recruit

• Bonus: New recruits receive a +1 bonus to all rolls related to positive dealings within the organisation's ranks. This bonus can increase to +2 if the character already had good relations with the group.
• Access: They gain access to the group's basic resources, such as provided services, shared credit accounts, company housing, or discounted professional services. Military and security organisations may provide access to equipment and weapons not available to civilians.
• Status: Recruits are often tested and evaluated before being given greater trust or access. They typically know only their immediate superiors and fellow recruits. They are expected to prove themselves.

Rank 2: Respected Member

• Bonus: After proving themselves, respected members gain a +2 bonus to any tests involving other members of their organisation at their rank or lower. They also receive a +1 bonus in social interactions with non-members who have reason to respect or fear their organisation.
• Access: They gain access to their group's full organisational resources, which usually includes other personnel. They can command subordinates to perform easy encounters or use organisational resources to pay recruits to handle tasks of average difficulty. This extends to wealth, equipment, information, and access to high-ranking individuals with connections.
• Expectations: At this rank, members are expected to act in the group's best interests and not to waste resources on personal goals.

Rank 3: Authority Figure

• Influence: This is the pinnacle of power within an organisation, often achieved only by those who founded the group.
• Control: Authority figures have full control over the group's priorities and actions. This control does not extend to what members think about the group, only what they must do to remain loyal.
• Social Bonus: They gain an additional +1 bonus (for a total of +2) in social situations where their control of the group would impress non-members.

Impact on Gameplay

• Access to Jobs and Services: Membership can be a prerequisite for accessing military shipyards or for securing contracts with government or corporate clients.
• Resource Management: An organisation's Economy rating can reduce the difficulty of Income tests for purchasing goods, with the character's Membership rank capping the maximum reduction. Membership can also be used towards payment for services, establishing credit, or securing discounts on repairs and maintenance for ships.
• Social Dynamics: Membership influences how NPCs react to characters and can provide bonuses in social tests. Certain social stunts, like "In Good Standing" or "Oozing Confidence," can leverage Membership benefits. The Journalist stunt "Fourth Estate" even allows for temporarily gaining a Membership rank when covering an organisation.
• Narrative: Disparate ranks among player characters or conflicts between organisations can create compelling roleplaying opportunities. The GM may also give Membership to important NPCs so they can participate in stunts that use these traits.