PRIMUS Agents: San Francisco: Brownie Points Explained

The Brownie Point System

            The PRIMUS system for allocating equipment is heavily based on Aaron Allston’s Brownie Point System detailed in Super Agents.

            Assault agents, intelligence agents, and Avengers all possess a starting level of Brownie Points from which they draw equipment.  Additional Brownie Points are awarded to agents for successful completion of missions, commendations, injury in the line of duty, and for other meritorious conduct – whenever the GM awards experience points, Brownie Points should also be awarded.   Increases in rank within the organization also result in increases in Brownie Points.  Brownie Points may be deducted from agents for misconduct, unsuccessful missions, death of civilians, or unjustified killing of criminals.

            It is also important to realize that Brownie Points are a gaming mechanic, not an actual organizational function of PRIMUS.  Brownie Points represent gained or lost prestige within the agency, reputation, and can reflect of rank. 

Circumstances                                                         Brownie Points

Character/Team Accomplished Major Objective                         +2
Character/Team Accomplished Minor Objective                         +1
Character/Team Performed Mission Secretly                             +1
Character Performed Unauthorized Actions that Worked             +1
Character/Team Overcame Unexpected Resistance                   +1
Character/Team Captured Enemy Agents                                +1
Enemy Agent/Villain Unnecessarily Killed by PRIMUS Agent          -1
Enemy Agent/Villain Messily Killed by PRIMUS Agent                   -2
Agents Blew Their Cover                                                      -1
Lost Expensive or Secret Equipment                                       -1
Messy/Severe Property Damage                                            -2
Damage to Important or Famous Property                               -3
Team Member(s) Died During Mission                                      -2
Secret Mission was Publicized                                              -2
Main Objective was Not Attained                                          -2
Character/Team Performed Unauthorized Actions That Failed     -3
Civilian(s) Died                                                                  -3
Many Civilians Died                                                             -4
Prominent Civilian(s) Died                                                    -5
Mission Was Very Important                                               +1*2

All assault and intelligence agents start with twenty Brownie Points, instead of zero. Iron Guard receive their armor for “free,” and start with ten Brownie Points instead of twenty.   It is expected that agents will increase their Brownie Points rather than decrease as the campaign progresses, but agents are allowed several bad missions early in their career without serious repercussion.  However, should agents fail repeatedly in their missions and lose all twenty starting Brownie Points, once they reach zero, the agent would be pulled off duty and an inquiry into his or her competence would follow.

Brownie Points are the currency by which agents purchase their equipment.   The real cost of equipment is deducted from the number of equipment points a PC’s Brownie Points enable him to have, and PCs cannot draw over their allotment without conning the weapons agent into it with the appropriate skill roll!  For dangerous missions, GMs can increase the number of equipment points PCs have available, though these gains are only for the duration of the mission. 

For every eight Brownie Points subsequently earned, five equipment points are added.  Agents are eligible for commendations and awards after every sixteen Brownie Points earned, though whether or not the agents receive those awards depends also on how political they are within PRIMUS.   If GMs feel PCs are progressing too rapidly through the chart, increase brownie point to equipment point increments to every 16 BPs per 5 Equipment points, instead of every eight BPs per 5 Equipment points. 

Promotion to Agent Commander among the assault agents and to Special-Agent-In-Charge among intelligence agents is accompanied by an automatic gift of ten Brownie Points.  Demotion back to the ranks carries with it an automatic deduction of ten Brownie Points.