Not every organization supports its
agents the same, and sometimes there are even levels of access within
the same organization. This level of support needs to be noted, even
if that support basically means nothing. However, just like the other
variables how well the organization supports its members can
determine how you handle it.
[Caveat: This applies to how the
organization treats its members in general. A hero and a villain will
obviously be treated very differently, with a hero getting access to
anything anyone can get him, whereas someone who is generally
disliked will be lucky to get a can opener. Someone with a reputation
for getting the job done while getting good press or making others
feel good is obviously going to get anything he wants, to the limit
of the organization's ability, whereas someone with a reputation for
dead or severely partners, who just does what he wants, or is
generally a jerk will have problems getting more than basic support
even at the best of times. This means that the Golden Boy (of Girl)
of an agency will find all the support while the agency's Bad Boy (or
Girl) will usually have problems.]
A supportive organization will find
ways of supporting its members no matter what, to its limits. The
reason can be pragmatic, such as military organizations; they have a
job to do, and they must give their members every legitimate chance
to succeed at that job. They also have to explain their budgets; if a
soldier goes into a situation with minimal gear, you know someone is
going to answer for it given how big military budgets get. This
applies to clubs as well; you would be surprised how well a club will
make sure its members are prepared when club pride is challenged,
even if its resources are limited to determining the nesting habits
of local birds.
A hostile organization, however, seems
dedicated to messing with its members. This is either because its
leadership is apathetic to its membership or has created too many
bureaucratic hoops to go through. There are also organization that
have become so corrupted with politics and fear of legal suits that
their members have little support from an organization that is scared
to do anything. Consider the Japanese police for a moment; they need
to be polite to everyone, they most likely have links to local gangs,
and there are complications based on familial relations. It may not
seem hostile, but it meets our definition here, as all of those
features make it notoriously unwilling to do anything unless it has
to. Little wonder that the yakuza end up settling so many problems!
The irony of this situation is that the
lighter the universe, the more hostile an organization is going to be
towards its own members, especially if that organization is
law-enforcement, as politics and legal issues throw the organization
into a quagmire. Conversely, the darker the universe, the more likely
the organization is going to be supportive, as it realizes that its
power relies on a solid front, so offenders are dealt with whatever
force can be summoned against them. This is why cultists are scarier
than cops; the common goal with no legal limitations versus the legal
quagmire gives the cultists an edge.
The lesson for writers? The local bird
club can be scary in a noirish environment, as everyone supports one
another, which includes all that firepower that seems to float around
those universes despite draconic laws, especially when you realize
that the individual members tend to be rich, and therefore have
resources. Conversely, an order of knights is going to find it hard
to deal with a dragon when they know that they are going to have to
deal with destruction of property suits if they do anything to save
the citizenry. Getting people together is never easy...
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