Four days left after this post.

I’ve nearly made it.

Today #RPGaDAY2020 wants us to think about..

For this post I’m jumping from the usual default of D&D 5e to another RPG system. That system being the Genesys RPG from FFG (and now Edge Studio).

The second source book released for Genesys was Android Shadow of the Beanstalk (SotB).

A setting in a cyberpunk universe created by FFG. I love this setting, I fell in love with it when I was introduced to it with the Android Netrunner lcg.

So getting this source book was a no brainer for me. Plus the Worlds of Android book is a great companion for creating adventures in this rich futuristic world.

With the release of SotB we were given a new mechanic to the system. That being the favour economy.

“The favour economy is, at its core, an exchange economy. The core game mechanic of this economy is that a character can exchange a favour for a favour of equal value with another character (as long as both characters are willing to make the trade).” SotB page 80.

In SotB there are three categories in the favour economy: small favours, regular favours, and big favours.

The table from the SotB source book below gives examples of the sort of things favours could be.

The cool thing is that the favour economy is also tied in with factions within SotB. Factions are basically corporations, street gangs, etc.

During character creation, “…you may (but you don’t have to) choose one faction. Your character owes a favor to someone in that faction.” SotB page 53.

Being aligned with a faction gives a character access to favours only that faction can do. Although you don’t have to be in the faction to owe them a favour.

Owing a favour during character creation is a great way to get a boost to your characters starting equipment. For example it could mean a runner character starts off with a better deck than normal.

The draw back is you never know when that favour may have to be paid back.

I love this favour economy mechanic it’s so thematic. It screams cyberpunk, life on the streets, struggling to survive.