# Competencies

Competencies are a faction's equivalent of skills. Like characters, factions roll their competencies when they want to accomplish something that matters. Having a competency assumes that the faction has the necessary means in the form of personnel, equipment, expertise, assets and contacts.

Naturally, there is a matter of scale. There are tiny local factions like neighborhood gangs and gigantic global factions like megacorporations. When factions of different scales confront each other, their Influence is used as a modifier to their competency rolls. The same holds true when a faction acts against a character or progress, but the faction's focus or disposition is used instead.

Factions have six competencies, arranged in a pyramid. One at level 3, two at level 2 and three at level 1. They are assumed to have all other competencies at level 0.

* *Black ops* — Sabotage, assassination, and other things requiring a dirty hand.
* *Corruption* — Dishonest and fraudulent conduct of business. Bribery.
* *Diplomacy* — Managing relations with other factions in a sensitive and effective manner.
* *Finance* — Finding and managing money and other liquid assets. Getting loans. 
* *Human resources* — Having, finding and keeping the best people for the job.
* *Intelligence* — Getting information through contacts, data mining, espionage or any other means.
* *Legal* — Using laws, regulations and bureaucracy to your advantage.
* *Logistics* — Managing the supply chain. Getting something to the right place at the right time.
* *Manufacturing* — Making things in large volumes.
* *Marketing* — Positioning a product or idea so that it achieves success.
* *Net ops* — Fighting in the net. Having data security. Breaking others' data security.
* *Operations* — Running a multi-level organization. Managing subordinate factions.
* *Public relations* — Getting along with people. Persuading, apologizing etc…
* *Research and Development* — Creating new technology.
* *Resources* — Having liquid and fixed assets. i.e. being rich.
* *Security* — Defending against physical threats.
* *Strategy* — Making and executing complex plans with multiple layers.
* *Trading* — Buying and selling things. Making a profit.
* *Urban warfare* — Literally, fighting with other factions in a city.