Law, heat & standing · Magehold Fairwinds Wiki

Law & heat#

Contraband, wild casters and unlicensed casting raise heat. At Charter ports high heat means inspections. Forged papers, a Smuggler's Nook, bribes and silver tongues help.

Heat (Wanted Level)

Heat (the flame icon in the top-center bar) measures how hard the law is looking at you. Carrying contraband, having a wild caster, or casting spells in front of Crown ships without a Guild Casting Permit raises Heat. At Heat 3+ (or Heat 2+ if you have Lowborn crew aboard), Charter ports inspect your ship on arrival. Heat slowly drops as you travel.

Standing

A tag such as Crown +1 is a change in your standing: what one of the powers of the sky thinks of you. Each of them (the Crown, the Guild, the Clans, the Compact, the Free Captains) goes from −3 to +3. Good standing opens extra choices in events, and better prices and pay; poor standing closes them and can bring trouble. The Ship screen's Standing tab shows where you stand.

Heat: Your wanted level with the law (0–10, shown by the flame icon in the top bar). Carrying contraband, having wild casters aboard, or casting spells in front of Crown ships without a Guild Casting Permit raises Heat. At Heat 3+ (or Heat 2+ if you have Lowborn crew aboard), Charter ports inspect your ship on arrival; at Heat 5+, Excise patrol ships hunt you. Heat drops slowly as you travel.
Standing: Your reputation with each faction (Crown, Guild, Clans, Compact, Free Captains, Undertow). High standing unlocks better prices and event options; negative standing makes them hostile.
The Charter: Crown law governing magic and trade. Charter ports inspect ships with high Heat and penalize unlicensed spellcasters.
The Excise: Crown customs police. Excise patrol ships inspect vessels for contraband and unlicensed mages.
Forged papers: Consumable fake ID papers. Automatically passes 1 customs inspection or unlocks special event options.
The Guild: The trade syndicate that controls shipping contracts, ports, and your starting ship loan.