Background System

Below I've posted the rough draft of a system I've been working on with the intention of introducing into Planescape. It is not complete, as this is merely a test to gauge reactions. I should probably say more, but I'm lazy and it's late.

Backgrounds
Characters are not isolated from the planes around them. They make friends, earn a reputation, even grow in power and status. Likewise, in the ideologically charged multiverse few people manage without making an enemy or two along the way or garnering some bad karma. Backgrounds represent such qualities of character that cannot be represented properly with levels and feats. One should not have to sacrifice a feat to represent a position within a guild after putting in a substantial amount of role-playing, nor should they be completely at the whim of the DM in terms of their character’s future. Backgrounds give players a general system for elaborating on their character’s past, the advantages they have in life, and even a little bit of their future.
Backgrounds are loosely quantified by a rank system based from 0-5 for most games. The higher a rank in a Background is the more you can get out of it. This doesn’t mean that Contacts 3 equates to exactly 3 reliable friends, or even that Reputation 5 means everyone knows you. Rather, these figures are subjective boundaries based on the unique life of your character and the judgment of the DM. The DM determines what your contacts know, what you can do with your status, and so on. Nor are they required to allow a Background if they feel it would interfere with the story somehow. If you don’t trust your DM enough to leave such details in their hands, you probably shouldn’t be playing Planescape with them anyways.
Most Backgrounds represent social interactions such as contacts and status, while others measure a quality not within your control such as destiny or visions. Furthermore, some, but not all, Backgrounds allow for multiple applications. For instance, you can have Status in more than one organization and you would measure your rank in each separately. On the other hand, you only have one rank in Destiny. Each Background explains how it may be applied.
Character Creation: Starting level characters begin with 3 ranks to distribute among the various Backgrounds as befitting their past and the approval of the DM. More Backgrounds may be obtained by acquiring Disadvantageous Backgrounds as discussed below. Keep in mind that anything above 3 is quite extraordinary for a beginning character, and there needs to be a good reason why you have it. For that matter, players are encouraged to think up a bit of their character’s history before the game in order to justify the Backgrounds they have. Something along the lines of “I went to a tavern and met 2 people” would not suffice. The more meaning you give to your Backgrounds the more unique they are from character to character and the more the DM has to work with in terms of plot.
Gaining Backgrounds: You may gain additional ranks in a Background through two means: role-playing, and purchasing them with belief points. Acquiring Backgrounds through role-playing means simply playing your character as normal; when the DM feels that you have acquired a significant in some area they will tell you that your rank in that Background has increased, even if you didn’t have any ranks to begin with. In the case of Disadvantageous Backgrounds, this means that you’ve gotten yourself into a bit of trouble that’s not going to disappear as soon as you leave town. You should never role-play for the purpose of increasing your rank in Backgrounds; it is a side effect of good role-playing and pursuing your character’s in-game agendas. Therefore, whether the DM does or does not give you more Backgrounds for a particular action shouldn’t be a large concern as you play the game.
The other way to increase your rank is by following your character’s beliefs and earning Belief Points. This is not meant to quantify the power of belief in the multiverse. Rather, those that live their life as they truly believe they should tend to be invigorated, confident, and focused. Others obtain the respect of others through their dedication and conviction. In either case the end result is they better socialize with others, particularly those of similar outlooks, and have the drive to achieve their goals faster and more efficiently. In the end, it’s purpose is to promote better role-playing. More information about the Belief System can be found below.

Contacts
Contacts are the friends and connections that your character has developed throughout their journeys who are interested in trading rumors and information. Each application of this Background applies to one organization or region; the higher your rank, the more knowledgeable your contacts there are. It’s up to the DM what qualifies as a region for sake of this Background, but not even the most influential figures know everything that’s going on through an entire plane or layer. Contacts (Sigil), Contacts (Fraternity of Order), and Contacts (Ysgard:Asgard) are all valid applications of this Background and you could have each at different ranks. You likely have a handful of people in the organization or region who are willing to supply you with inside information, including any underlings of theirs who may be willing to deal with you. Most of the time they’ll want something in return, be it something as simple as money or information you might have that they want.
Using Contacts: Most of the time Contacts do not travel, meaning that communication may become difficult, especially when on different planes. It’s up to you how you keep in touch with them, whether it’s through lettered correspondents or magical connections. You may have established a place to meet them on a regular basis or have a couple of middlemen that you can speak to at various locations throughout the multiverse in order to get word to them. In the end you may simple hop through a portal to meet them directly, but it’s unlikely they’ll do the same for you unless their getting something big in return.
Contacts are not guaranteed to assist you, or do so for free. Unlike someone you bribe in a tavern, however, they’re in favor of maintaining connection with you. They won’t deliberately provide you with misleading information and will probably take you at your word that you’ll return the favor in the future. It’s up to the DM whether you can get the information you want from them, depending on your rank in Background and the needs of the story.
Gaining Contacts: Making new contacts is as simple as meeting the right people and establishing some sort of agreement with them (which almost always involves payment, of course). You may run into them at a tavern, find them after hitting the streets for information, or get to know them while escaping a particularly tight situation. If you help them out or show that you’re their kind of person, chances are they won’t mind talking to you again. They’ll also probably want to know about you, as well; it’s a two way relationship, after all.
While there is no limit to the number of people you may know within an organization or region, being friends with a dozen peons probably isn’t going to provide you with all the information you could get out of their master. Increasing your rank in an application of Contacts means the DM feels that your new acquaintance(s) contributes enough to significantly increase your overall knowledge of what’s going on.
Losing Contacts: Easy come easy go. There are any number of reasons why you might lose rank in an application of Contacts. You may have endangered them to the point that they no longer wish to associate with you or actually gotten them killed. They may feel that you’re cheating them or using the information they provide you against their own interests. If you’ve earned a Reputation for trouble or brutality they may avoid you like the plague for their own sake, or their superiors may be coming down on them for letting too many secrets slip to the wrong ears. Due to the fact that the Background reflects connections with multiple individuals lose of Contacts is normally gradual; you won’t lose more than one rank at a time except for in the most extreme circumstances. Still, it’s typically harder to regain rank within a organization or region after losing it.

Destiny
Though you may not know it, fate has something in store for you. Down the line you’re destined to take part in something important, whether it’s giving birth to a future archmage or preventing a dead god from being reborn. You’re probably not aware of what your Destiny is, though it may be spoken of in visions and prophecy, but you and those around you recognize the potential for great things. No matter how many adventures and plots you are a part of you only have one rank in Destiny, which reflects the overall purpose fate or the gods have for you.
Using Destiny: The Destiny Background provides no mechanical effects. Instead, it is a pact you make with the DM that your character will have great things in store for them later in the campaign’s plot. It is your choice whether to work out the nature of your destiny with the DM when creating your character or leave it in their hands to decide. Naturally, the exact details remain a mystery to you until it is revealed throughout the campaign. It is entirely up to the DM when and how to bring your fate into the game, the trouble it will cause you, the rewards it will bring you, and if any actual mechanical effects come from it. In the end, however, it’s your choice whether your character accepts their fate or fights against it. Neither path is bound to be easy.
Gaining Destiny: Few people gain Destiny throughout their life; either the gods have plans for you or they don’t. Still, drastic events have drastic consequences, and your character may become caught up in events larger than anything they ever dreamed. Should someone else fail to fulfill their fate, either by their own choosing or by certain death, it may be mysteriously passed on to you without your knowledge (or choice). You may gain a higher Destiny by catching the eye of a powerful exemplar or deity based on your actions and be drawn into their multifold plots. In any event, it’s never a small matter.
Losing Destiny: The simplest way to lose Destiny is to fulfill it. Once you’ve played your role to completion, fate typically doesn’t have anything else in store for you. Assuming that fulfilling your destiny didn’t involve your life ending, you simply lose all your ranks in this Background. For some this is a liberating experience, free at last to make their own way, while others languish without purpose after a lifetime of feeling the calling of fate. If your character rebels against their destiny long enough they may begin to lose it, though this is never as easy as a simple choice, as fate has a twisted way of getting what it wants.

Status
This Background reflects your rank or influence within an organization such as a faction, guild, or religion. You likely achieved your position through hard work, a dedication to your organization’s cause, and a good bit of political maneuvering. You’ve gained some level of respect and power within your organization and with it the privileges and responsibilities due someone of your station. It’s also made you new allies and enemies, both within your organization and beyond. Your status often correlates to a rank within the organization, though not always. You may have retained some status from a position you once held, made some significant contribution to the organization’s creation or development, or be very close to someone with an official rank. Naturally the benefits of this Background extend only so far as your organization holds influence and your position is recognized.
Though you may have Status in multiple organizations, you typically cannot be a member of competing groups. So while you could have both Status(The Dustmen) and Status(Church of Hades), you could not have Status(Church of Bane) and Status(Church of Hades). The two are going to conflict eventually, and your superiors are not likely to believe in your dedication when split between different sects.
Using Status: The higher your influence, the more you people you know, the more strings you can pull, and the more you can expect others to comply with your wishes. What power your status grants you is typically restricted to within your organization and is limited by it’s own structure. Some groups may strictly define who you may speak with, who you can give orders to, and the exact rewards for your service. Others simply encourage their members to listen to those who have obtained some position of prestige, as they’ve already proven themselves worthy of respect. Whatever the perks of the job, more status also means additional responsibility, more opportunity, and greater risk of failure.
Gaining Status: Every organization has its own system of rank and advancement, though two factors tend to apply throughout the multiverse: ambition and politics. Even the most noblest orders tend to have their own inner factions and rivalries, and those that do not learn how to work the system rarely get far. Likewise, individuals that don’t make efforts to increase their status don’t give their superiors much reason to give it to them. That being said, gaining status in an organization requires time, dedication, and that extra something to draw attention your way. Whether that something is exemplary service, subservience to superiors, ruthless ambition, or simply strong faith depends on the nature of the organization and your peers. Lawful organizations tend to have a rigid system for advancement involving a lengthy chain of command and procedures to handle promotions, while chaotic organizations often base status on reputation, power, and popularity.
Losing Status: Far easier than gaining status, a character can lose influence within an organization for failure to perform duties, losing faith in the order’s goals, overstepping one’s bounds, or simply falling out of favor. Losing status is the primary punishment for those who do not give more to the organization than they take, those who seek to simply use their affiliation and status to give themselves power and prestige and simply lack focus and dedication. Often losing status is accompanied with a public reprimand, demotion in rank, or even physical punishment, though it may be something as simple as being snubbed by former peers. It’s very difficult to reclaim lost status with those above you refusing to forget your transgressions and lose beneath you looking to out perform you in order to further their own advancement.

Reputation
Reputation represents how far the tales of your deeds have spread throughout the planes and the amount of respect, admiration, or fear they’ve earned you. Many planewalkers earn at least a little bit of fame for their actions and adventures throughout the multiverse, while the true legends may have more name-recognition, and thus power, than some of the gods. Many choose to travel the planes purely for the respect it earns them and the possibility of being remembered for generations after their death. Depending on the stories being told about you, a decent reputation can open doors normally closed to you – or make you enemies of people you don’t even know.
Using Reputation: This is perhaps the most fickle Background, as whether someone has heard of you and how they react to the stories varies wildly from region to region and person to person. The noblest paladin may find himself unwelcome in the taverns of Arborea because of the overly lawful deeds he’s committed, after all. Reputation is never as simple as renowned hero or infamous villain. What Reputation does bring you is recognition; people know a bit of your experience and are unlikely to treat you as if you’re green or inconsequential. Furthermore, the stories that are told of you will shape how people interact with you; if you’re known to have a quick temper and the power to back it up, folks will think long and hard before double crossing or otherwise provoking you. If you’re known to be a man of your word, people will trust you more often than not, even if you are one of the most evil bastards the planes have spit out. Otherwise, characters with a degree of Reputation are often given some of the benefits of Status without the level of responsibility, such as free dinner and lodgings at an inn, bribes to ward off your wrath, or even assistance from other legendary figures. Most of the time the benefits of Reputation come on their own; while you can certainly throw your name around and expect results, those who are really something don’t need to brag about it, and folks know it.
Gaining Reputation: Reputation is one of the easiest Backgrounds to gain over time by planewalkers as tales of your deeds, both noble and foul, spread throughout the planes. Virtually every action you take, whether it’s giving money to a beggar or stealing from a noble’s estate, adds some weight to your name and makes it more likely that people have heard of you. Furthermore, as your character gains in level they are bound to take on greater challenges and become involved in events of larger importance, which likewise adds to your reputation. Increasing rank in Reputation means that the tales of your deeds have reached the point where people begin treating you differently, with greater awe, fear, or both. It’s not simply the quantity of your actions, but the quality and manner in which they are spoken of. Many a hero has spread their reputation by hiring the right bards to sing their praises; many a villain has become infamous for particularly clever debauchery.
Losing Reputation: The respect of the general public is lost as one might expect: through foolishness and failure. Characters that fail to live up to the reputation they’ve made for themselves destroy their own image and the value of their name. Someone seen lying drunk in the mud outside a tavern isn’t going to be held in the highest esteem by anyone, and for the famous rumors of misfortune and weakness spread fastest of all. A character may lose all of their reputation in a single night (or at least however long it takes word to travel), instead becoming little more than a joke and a memory. Your enemies may even make efforts to tear down your reputation and turn fans against you through lies and propaganda in order to weaken your position. Most are all to willing to believe in the worst of people.