Cryptopoly

An important asset to achieve this is the Cryptopoly a network of affiliated occult organisations with influence throughout all spheres of sleeper life. The conspiracies that make up this network each have a different name, but all are headed by an Illuminate who reports to a Silver Ladder caucus. A Silver Ladder is not limited to their own Allies, Contacts, Resources or Status, but can access any of the resources available in the Cryptopoly -- provided they share their assets in turn.

Benefits

The Silver Ladder have learnt the benefits of division of labor. Rather than each mage spreading themselves thin and taking, say, Resources •• + Contacts •• + Allies (Police) •••, those in the Silver Ladder have learnt to specialise and are more likely to take a straight Allies (Police) •••• then take a free Allies (Cryptopoly) •••• allowing them access to the network (whilst also sharing their allies with the network).

The Silver Ladder have also learnt about delgation of responsibility. Rather than directly taking something like Resources ••••• themselves, they are far more likely to take Retainer ••••• and have their minion start a new Cryptopoly conspiracy (with it's own name and the retainer as Illuminate). The Illuminate then gets 10 dot to spend on Allies, Contacts, Resources, Status and their own less powerful Retainers, allowing the character control of more resources (see The Silver Ladder, p.60). These resources can also then be shared with the Cryptopoly.

Even better, the Silver Ladder have also learned the wisdom of shared costs. While other mages pool their resources for powerful Sanctums, Hallows, Libraries and the like, the Silver Ladder have also learnt how to share the cost of their Illuminate retainers (see The Silver Ladder, p.59). Characters can work together and contribute a few dots each to relatively cheaply add new retainers to the Cryptopoly, sacrificing direct control for broader reach.

Available Cryptopoly Resources

Please contact the VST of the relevant city to access resources.

Armidale

Organisation	Illuminate (if known)	Merits
Name	NPC	Allies (area) • Contacts •• (area1, area2) Resources ••• Status (area) ••••

Brisbane

Organisation	Illuminate (if known)	Merits
Threads of Destiny	Strider	Contacts ••• (Occult, Criminal, New Media/Hacker)
Name	NPC	Allies (area) • Contacts •• (area1, area2) Resources ••• Status (area) ••••

Melbourne

Organisation	Illuminate (if known)	Merits
Name	NPC	Allies (area) • Contacts •• (area1, area2) Resources ••• Status (area) ••••

Perth

Organisation	Illuminate (if known)	Merits
Name	NPC	Allies (area) • Contacts •• (area1, area2) Resources ••• Status (area) ••••

Sydney

Organisation	Illuminate (if known)	Merits
Name	NPC	Allies (area) • Contacts •• (area1, area2) Resources ••• Status (area) ••••

Addendum Rules

(Note that these are from the Nov 2012 addendum, so may change for the 2013 chronicle.)

• Cryptopoly [Silver Ladder]:
  • A PC Illuminate may designate any of his Merit-based NPCs as part of his Cryptopoly.
  • Allies: Cryptopoly may be used to access social merits that are part of the Cryptopoly up to the rating of the user’s Allies: Cryptopoly. This requires a Manipulation + Socialize + Allies (Cryptopoly) draw.
    • Accessing Allies within a Domain does not incur a penalty to the level of Allies. Doing so within a Region incurs a –1 penalty, within a nation a –2 penalty and between nations a -3 penalty.
    • If the merits sought are directly controlled by another PC, they may be accessed without a roll with the consent of the owning PC.
    • If the merits sought are directly controlled by another PC and consent is not given, they may only be accessed if the controlling PC is not actively using them at that time.
    • If more than one PC attempts to access the same particular merit, the most successes gain access.
  • A PC may take Allies: Cryptopoly without an XP cost. This must be recorded in the database at Low Approval.
    • To do so, a PC must have at least one relevant social merit at the same level as their levels in Allies: Cryptopoly.
    • If a character has taken Allies: Cryptopoly without an XP cost, all their relevant social merits up to the value of their Allies: Cryptopoly are accessible as if they were part of the Cryptopoly.
    • If a PC takes free levels in Allies: Cryptopoly, and another character (PC or NPC) seeks to access their social merits, then the PC does not automatically keep control of his social merit, but must contest the draw with Manipulation + Socialize + [the social merit contested].
  • Cryptopoly Merits held by NPCs not purchased with XP can also be accessed through use of Allies: Cryptopoly. It is High Approval to assign more than 20 points of social merits to an NPC-controlled Cryptopoly.