Prestige Guidelines

Current Prestige System

Prestige may be awarded by any primary Coordinator for a wide variety of activities. These prestige-worthy activities fall into four general categories.

  1. Administration (Up to 80 per month) 
    • Serving as a primary coordinator or assistant (Up to 50 prestige per position)
    • Serving as a primary storyteller or assistant (Up to 50 prestige per position)
  2. Non-Administrative Game Support (Up to 50 per month, but no single bullet point can yield more than 30 prestige per month)
    • Providing a game site
    • Securing a new game site
    • Submitting a complete plot (comes from ST prestige budget)
    • Portraying non-player characters (comes from ST prestige budget)
    • Creating an in-character newspaper (or doing game articles in a real-life newsletter)
    • Moderating a sanctioned IC email list
    • Serving as an IRC operator
    • Creating or updating a website
    • Donating materials needed for game
    • Attending an organizational meeting not required by an office
    • Providing lodging to players after an event (counts as 1 hour)
    • Other similar tasks
  3. Social/Non-Game Support (Up to 50 per month, but no single bullet point can yield more than 30 prestige per month)
    • Creating or updating a website
    • Securing a site for an event
    • Organizing social events for 5 or more members
    • Producing a newsletter
    • Recruiting a new member
    • Philanthropic donations of time, goods or money per drive per month
    • Establishing a new chapter
    • Creating a recruitment flyer
    • Donations of materials to the club or club social function
    • Attend a meeting as general member (maximum 1 hour)
    • Transporting a member long distance (over an hour) to the game or social event without reimbursement
    • Other similar tasks
    • Donating blood or supporting a blood drive is an exception to time-based prestige and is worth 25 prestige points.
  4. National and Regional Convention Events – These activities are awarded outside of
    monthly caps, but are instead capped at 100 prestige during the convention. Pre-convention work is limited to 30 prestige points per month leading up to the convention. Only conventions sponsored by the NCA or TSM are eligible for this additional cap. The following items are considered contributions to convention events:

     

    • Organizing a convention
    • Volunteering at a convention
    • Creating flyer or banner for the convention.
  5. Modern Enigma Standards (previously called Ordeals) and Timely Renewal – These activities are awarded outside of monthly caps. Completion of club-created educational materials amounts depend on the standard passed. Early renewal yields 50 general prestige points, and is applicable once per calendar year.

 

Conducting Prestige Reviews

Table of Contents

Introduction

As the The Modern Enigma Society has grown, it has used a number of different systems to reward its members for the volunteer work they have performed. This added complexity has made reviewing long-running prestige logs into a fairly involved process, but this guide is intended to provide a clear and easy to follow method for conducting these reviews.

This guide contains details and advice on the national review process itself, guidelines on how to handle members returning from a long absence, reconstructing logs that have been lost, and specifics for each prestige system that has been implemented in the The Modern Enigma Society to date.

Most of the guidelines within this document are useful to apply at all levels, particularly since these guidelines will be applied when the prestige is eventually reviewed at a national level. Local coordinators should be familiar with these guidelines, and should use their best judgment when applying them to local reviews.

Why even do reviews?

Why can’t we just trust the members to keep track of their own prestige points? Most often, it’s not lying and cheating that cause problems with prestige logs. Instead, it’s misunderstandings by either the members recording the prestige or even the coordinators awarding the prestige.

When doing reviews, keep in mind that the goal of the prestige system is not to allow people to play more powerful characters. That is just a side benefit. Rather, it is a way to recognize the contributions of the membership. If a member is being recognized for work that was not done, or is not recognized for work that was performed, then there is a problem to be remedied.

Remember also that the member being reviewed is a real person, not just a list of numbers and dates. It is very easy for a member to take modifications during a review as criticism. Try to be as diplomatic and friendly as possible. Show some compassion and the process will go much more smoothly.

Step One: The Prestige Log

Members are responsible for maintaining their own prestige log. While it is recommended for a member’s direct coordinator to also keep a backup copy, and chapter, domain and other reports help to track this prestige, the ultimate responsibility for maintaining a prestige log still remains with the member.

If a member does not have their own log, we can and will attempt to reconstruct those awards that we have access to. Searching old chapter and domain reports is an excellent start, and if prestige was reported correctly, will turn up most or all of the member’s prestige awards. Sometimes other archives can be searched, or perhaps an old coordinator may still have a previous copy of the log. If nothing else works, the member’s coordinator chain and the The Modern Enigma Society Council may approve a blanket prestige grant as a lump sum if the member’s contributions are known, even if the specific awards cannot be found.

Returning Members

It is not uncommon for members to rejoin the The Modern Enigma Society after an absence of several months, or even years. Sometimes the returning member has all of their old records, but more commonly they do not. Upon returning to the The Modern Enigma Society, these members are able to claim all the prestige earned while previously a member, though their prestige log should be reviewed as normal when they do come back.

While a member always has been ultimately responsible for maintaining their own records, with this type of situation no exception to that responsibility, we will still do everything possible to reconstruct those records. Just like a member who has otherwise lost their log, we will check old reports and otherwise try to put together a solid record of their prestige awards.

The log itself needs to note each individual prestige award along with the date earned (not the date awarded), category, amount, and a short (one line) description of what the member did to earn the prestige. It is also useful to note the coordinator that awarded the prestige, particularly for regional and national prestige.

All entries earned during a particular month should be grouped together to speed up the review process. Note that awards should be listed during the month earned, not when they were reported. If a member was a list moderator during April, but the prestige wasn’t reported until July, it is still listed with the awards for April (and applies towards April’s caps).

Remember that more detail is better than less. Instead of using “Chapter Meetings: 15 prestige,” say “Chapter Meetings x3: 5/4, 5/11, 5/25.” For regional and national awards, the awards are often summarized online for verification – including a URL for this summary is always appreciated, and speeds up your review process.

When submitted for a national review, it is required that the prestige log be submitted to national using the national prestige template. This is an Excel spreadsheet available from the ANC: Prestige’s web site. If you do not have, or do not with to install Microsoft Excel, you can use OpenOffice, a free download that is able to open and manipulate Excel spreadsheets (among other things). If you cannot put your log into the national format yourself, please contact your regional staff for assistance.

Here is an example of a sample (partial) prestige log:

Date Description Category Gen. Reg. Nat. Notes
Feb 2003 List Moderator, Clan A and Tribe B Admin 6 0 4 http://listmod.prestige.html
Feb 2003 CC Chapter of Gratuitous Example Admin 40 0 0  
Feb 2003 Organizing Domain Picnic Org Support 15 0 0  
Feb 2003 Donations to regional food drive Comm Service 16 4 0 RC Report for Feb 2003
Feb 2003 Membership Renewal Misc 50 0 0  
Mar 2003 List Moderator, Clan A and Tribe B Admin 6 0 4 http://listmod.prestige.html
Mar 2003 CC Chapter of Gratuitous Example Admin 40 0 0 45 awarded, reduced due to Admin cap
Mar 2003 Narrated at regional convention Events 0 25 0 RC report for Mar 2003
Apr 2003 List Moderator, Clan A and Tribe B Comm & Web 4 0 2 http://listmod.prestige.html
Apr 2003 CC Chapter of Gratuitous Example Admin 45 0 0  
Apr 2003 Plotline accepted by DST ST Support 5 0 0  

One item missing from many of the normal prestige charts is the ordeals. If they are not listed within a category on the charts for the appropriate time period (such as the current prestige system), just list them in their own category.

Locked Totals

When your log has been previously reviewed at the national level (not regional or lower, but national), the totals from that review are locked into place. Though you should still keep a copy of your prestige log, you no longer need to maintain verifications for each award, as they are all now verified. You can also then submit future logs that start with a single line at the top with your verified totals (please include the date your log was locked) and just include prestige earned since then.

If you earned prestige prior to your previous national review, but it was not included in the log reviewed at the time for whatever reason (such as being unable to verify at the time, or having not been reported yet), you can still include these awards in your next review. Just list them immediately after the single line with your verified totals, including the dates they were earned. The reviewers will need to compare it to the old, approved log for caps, and to avoid duplicate awards, so please send a copy of your previously approved log as well.

Step Two: Review Process

Many members find the prestige review process to be frustrating and adversarial. The reviewer should keep this in mind at all times and work to alleviate these concerns. Reviewers are concerned with keeping prestige awards consistent from member to member, domain to domain and region to region, not looking to find people to punish. The reviewer should always work with the member being reviewed to keep things as smooth and efficient as possible.

The first person to review a member’s prestige log is always their direct coordinator, or a designated assistant. If this coordinator has the authority to award the Member Class being reviewed for, the process is then over. If the member is applying for a Member Class higher than what their direct coordinator is able to award, then the log is then passed to the next coordinator in the chain who then reviews it and either awards the appropriate Member Class (if able to do so), or passes it once again up the chain.

For Member Class 12 and higher (as well as in some cases where conflict of interest or something else may push the review to national), the final review if the log is done by the national prestige review team. Once a log has been reviewed by the national team, the log is finalized and archived. Once “locked” by the national team, those awards are no longer subject to review, and only awards that have not yet been reviewed by the national team need to be submitted for your next prestige review.

The review process itself is actually fairly simple:

Check individual awards

Each award should be compared to the guidelines that were in place at the time of the award. For example, a member has an award listed in their log granting them 55 general prestige for being a chapter coordinator during June of 1999. That time period used the third prestige system (1/1/1998 – 9/30/1999), and the guidelines listed for CC is 25-50 per month. The award of 55 general prestige is above this guideline, so it is adjusted down to 50 upon review.

To review the prestige efficiently, be sure that entries are organized by the date earned (not when they were reported). Each month’s awards should be examined to ensure they are within the caps that were in place that month. For example, if a member has five awards listed for attending organizational meetings, for 5 general prestige each, all in February of 2001, this would require an adjustment. The guidelines in place at the time limit organizational meetings to 20 prestige per month, so the fifth meeting would be adjusted to be worth zero prestige.

Retroactive changes

There are a few items which were being applied differently depending on the region or area the member was in, so clarifications to those items were made retroactive to the beginning of the prestige system. Specifically:

  • Organizational meetings are not worth prestige if attendance was required for that officer.
  • Organizational meetings are limited to 20 prestige per month.
  • Clean-up or setup of an event site is limited to 20 prestige per month.
  • Transportation or cam-taxi is limited to 10 prestige per month.
  • Crash space or cam-hotel is limited to 10 prestige per month.

Please note that these do NOT apply to the current prestige system (4/1/03 to present).

During a national review, all national and regional awards should be verified, as it is (usually) assumed that local coordinators have already verified general prestige awards. Acceptable verifications for regional and national awards include a list of awards on a sanctioned web site, a report or email from the officer granting the award, or confirmation from whomever holds the appropriate office now. Remember that storytellers are not able to grant prestige – confirmations must always come from a coordinator with the authority to award the prestige in question.

Awards should also be compared to the position(s) the member held at the time to ensure that they are not earning multiple prestige awards for the same activity. If a member is receiving prestige in the Administration category for being a Chapter Coordinator, they should not also receive prestige in the Organizational Service category for attending chapter meetings – this is part of the job duties of a chapter coordinator.

Administration vs. Other Awards

This is a sensitive subject, and one that often causes a great deal of conflict among members, but if approached with reason and an eye towards ensuring the member is awarded the prestige they have actually earned, should not cause undue complications.

There are many awards in the prestige charts that are often performed by various officers. If a member happens to be the officer in question, and thus receiving prestige for holding that office, they should not also be receiving prestige separately for the various activities that make up the duties of that office. Some examples include:

  • As mentioned elsewhere in this document, certain officers are required to attend certain meetings. These meetings should not result in prestige, but rather the officer should receive less prestige for their office if they do not attend.
  • Prior to 4/1/04, the ST Support category was only for non-storytellers, as it was expected that storytellers would assist as needed – that assistance was part of the prestige awarded for their office. After 4/1/04, they became eligible for awards in this category if and only if they were providing assistance outside of their jurisdiction.
  • The regional storytellers (and by extension their assistants) are expected to narrate at regional events as part of their job duties, and thus should not be awarded prestige separately under the Event Services category for this duty. As with any officer whose job duties are significantly greater during a given month than usual, however, they are most certainly eligible for Exceptional Service awards for spending a great deal of time on their job duties during that month.

If, during the review process, a member is found to have a large quantity of prestige that appears to be part of their job duties (particularly common in association with events), it is recommended that rather than simply stripping this prestige, that some time be spent in examining the situation. In most of these cases, the prestige in the incorrect category should indeed be removed, but their award in the Administration category and/or Exceptional Service category should be increased as well. As always, the goal here is not to remove legitimately earned prestige, but rather to ensure that awards are consistent across regions, and to ensure that records are notated correctly.

Exceptional Service awards should also be verified, as they require regional or higher approval. Remember that any prestige in excess of the listed caps is considered to be in the Exceptional Service category. In cases where the member did do something outstanding to earn an Exceptional Service award, but proper approval was not obtained at the time, the member’s regional coordinator should be consulted to see if the award may be approved during the review.

At times, the reviewer should also spot check chapter reports to ensure that the awards being included in the log were being reported. Allowance does need to be made for a chapter coordinator failing to report, or reporting inaccurately, but spot checks can sometimes show irregularities that are worth investigation.

Each alteration should be clearly noted so that the member is fully aware of the reasons for that alteration (over cap, outside of guidelines, doesn’t match what was reported, etc). At no time should a member have their log adjusted, but not be given a reason for it.

Unusual Circumstances

There are some situations that arise rarely, but are still encountered from time to time by reviewers.

Gen Grants: Before prestige points were used to determine what power level a player had access to, the The Modern Enigma Society used Gen Grants. Since then, gen grants have been converted to a specific prestige amount. Details are listed in Appendix 1 of this document, but it is important to note that all Gen Grants must be documented.

Regional and National Multipliers: When regional and national prestige were first implemented, it was expected that they would be awarded in smaller amounts. This was not universally enforced, and became confusing, so the amounts were then set to be identical to general prestige amounts. Those who were awarded the smaller amounts, however, had those amounts increased to the new standard. Details are in Appendix 2 of this document, including when these adjustments should and should not be made.

MC Grants: Prior to Dec 2, 2003, coordinators were able to grant any MC they were able to approve even if the member had not earned sufficient prestige for that MC. In these cases, the coordinator had to explicitly state that they were granting the prestige to support the MC, not simply the MC itself, and this must be documented. If the MC was granted, however, then their prestige totals as of that date are adjusted to the appropriate amount. After Dec 2, 2003, this could still occur, but only by a resolution of the The Modern Enigma Society Council.

If there are questions about a prestige log, the member should be consulted to settle them. This is particularly important when dealing with verifications, as the member often has information that will assist in verifying an award that otherwise may not be easy to find. In all cases, the reviewer should remain polite, constructive and professional in all dealings with the member.

Step Three: Determine Member Class

With the review completed, this step is quite simple. Simply add up the resulting amounts (particularly easy if the log is in a spreadsheet) and calculate the appropriate member class on the chart below.

One possible complication is if the appropriate MC after the review is lower than the MC the member has previously been approved for. In these cases, barring intentional fraud or other violations of the rules, the member is allowed to maintain their current MC. They will, however, need to earn sufficient prestige before advancing any further.

For example, John Doe was approved for MC 8 by his domain coordinator. When applying for MC 9, it is found that after caps are applied and other adjustments are made, he only has 2550 prestige – enough for MC 7. He retains his MC 8, with all the benefits of that MC, but cannot apply again for MC 9 until he earns 850 more prestige (for a total of 3400, enough for MC 9).

The other possible roadblock to awarding the Member Class is in the rare case where a member has demonstrated a lack of respect, ethics and otherwise fails to uphold the values of the The Modern Enigma Society. Member class is a symbol of dedication and service to the club and its values, and accepting a higher Member Class is agreeing to serve as an example of this service and dedication to the other members of the club.

If a coordinator performing a review feels that the member’s past behavior does not warrant this level of reward, that coordinator may decline to award the Member Class even if sufficient prestige has been earned (subject to appeal, of course). If this is done, the coordinator must also provide reasons for the decision, suggest a course of action to correct the issues, and a time frame after which the member may be reconsidered. Decisions of this nature should be used as an opportunity for improvement, not as a punishment.

Member Class Chart
Member Class Total Prestige Regional & National National Approval required
1 Associate 0 0 0 Chapter coordinator
2 Journeyman 100 0 0 Chapter coordinator
3 Artisan 300 0 0 Chapter coordinator
4 Contributor 600 0 0 Chapter coordinator
5 Sponsor 1000 0 0 Chapter coordinator
6 Steward 1500 0 0 Domain coordinator
7 Benefactor 2100 0 0 Domain coordinator
8 Advocate 2700 0 0 Domain coordinator
9 Advisor 3400 100 0 Regional coordinator
10 Patron 4100 300 0 Regional coordinator
11 Mentor 4800 600 0 Regional coordinator
12 Luminary 5400 900 100 National coordinator
13 Executive 6100 1200 300 National coordinator
14 Fellow 6900 1500 800 National coordinator
15 Trustee N/A N/A N/A The Modern Enigma Society Council

Once the review is complete and the member class has been awarded (and after any disagreements or appeals are settled), the member should be issued a card to document the results of the review. It should show the member’s new Member Class, the date of the last prestige award listed in the review, as well as current prestige totals. It should also include the name and position of the reviewer (and elected coordinator they work for if the reviewer is an assistant) and the date the card itself was issued.

When the log is reviewed by national for the first time (usually at MC 12), the national review team will review all prestige awards, starting at the beginning, even though it has all been previously reviewed by local and regional officers, both to check for errors and to make sure that awards are consistent from region to region. For this reason, until your log is reviewed and approved by national, always maintain all prestige, even if it has already been reviewed at the chapter, domain or even regional levels.

 

Past & Present Prestige Systems in Chronological Order

Appendix 1: First Prestige System: up to 2/30/1997

The first prestige system used mostly Gen Grants rather than actual prestige points. Gen grants must verified as described below. Prestige from positions should be verified (copies of old reports will do), but other prestige can be accepted unless it is truly excessive. Note that prestige earned prior to a Gen Grant is replaced by the Gen Grant itself – you don’t get to claim both the prestige points and the Gen Grant.

Although prestige was not divided into General, Regional, and National at this time, awards that are clearly and obviously regional or national in nature can be converted to regional or national prestige with the approval of the RC or NC as appropriate. Prestige from regional or national positions or contributions to the Requiem are good candidates for conversion, but only if they can be adequately verified. Without solid verification (reports, copies of that Requiem, etc), the prestige can still be included (within reason), but as general prestige.

Prestige Item Amount
First Ordeal (Code of Amaranth / Rite of Passage) *100 (one time only)
Second Ordeal (Code of Praxis) *150 (one time only)
Third Ordeal (Lore of Thespis) *150 (one time only)
Early Renewal *50 (once each year)
Active officer, must report (Coordinator, Storyteller, Director, Assistant, etc) *40 / month
Donating blood 25
Attending a business or storyteller meeting (unless required to attend) 5 (max 20 / month)
Cleaning a game site, after a game 5 (max 20 / month)
Conducting a major (25+ people) non-sanctioned-game event 30
Assisting with a major (25+ people) non-sanctioned-game event 15
Conducting a minor non-sanctioned-game event 15
Assisting with a minor non-sanctioned-game event 5
Playing a major NPC at a sanctioned game 5
Submitting a storyline that is used by the St in a sanctioned game 2 – 10
Editing a Chapter or Domain newsletter 5 – 20 / month
Submission to a Chapter or Domain newsletter 2 – 10
Grunt work on Chapter or Domain newsletter 1 – 10 / month
Hosting a meeting (maintaining meeting space or property) 1 – 10 / month
Work at a Non – The Modern Enigma Society event (convention, etc.) 5 / hour of volunteer time

There was a recommended cap of 100 prestige per month, not counting prestige from acting as an officer, ordeals or early renewal (all marked with * above). More than 100 prestige in a month would need to be approved by the RC at the time. Items that do not fall into these categories were allowed on a case by case basis – compare them to current guidelines for fairness. Generally, 5 prestige per hour is a good estimate.

Gen grants can be documented in two ways: either a signed document or email by someone able to grant the Gen Grant (you may have to track down and old RC or BoD member), or proof that the member held an office for over a year resulting in an automatic Gen Grant (usually in the form of old reports). It is not reliable to have a friend of the member verify it.

A DC was able to grant 12th through 10th Gen, an RC could grant up to 7th Gen, and the Board of Directors could grant any Gen. Lower Gens could be granted if and only if the officer’s own Gen can be verified to be at least one better than that granted. Automatic Gen Grants are per the following table:

Gen Grant Position (must be held for a year)
10th Chapter Coordinator, Chapter Narrator or Storyteller
8th Domain Coordinator, Domain Storyteller
7th Assistant to a member of the Board of Directors
5th Regional Coordinator, Regional Storyteller
4th Member of the Board of Directors

Once verified, a Gen Grant is then converted to a specific amount of prestige and applied to the new system. The amounts themselves are as follows:

Gen Grant Prestige Awarded
12th 100 general
11th 300 general
10th 700 general
9th 1300 general
8th 2100 general
7th 3000 general + 100 regional (3100 total)
6th 4300 general + 300 regional (4600 total)
5th 4500 general + 800 regional + 100 national (5400 total)
4th 5400 general + 700 regional + 800 national (6900 total)
Appendix 2: Second Prestige System: 3/1/1997 – 12/31/1997

In 1997, a new system for prestige was introduced which placed more emphasis on prestige than on Gen Grants. This is when Member Class (1 through 15) was introduced, as well as the national, regional and general prestige types. The guidelines for awarding prestige amounts remained the same.

It was the intention at the time that regional and national prestige would be given out in smaller amounts (1/2 and 1/4 respectively) than the same level of general work. This proved complicated and was misunderstood by many members, so the conversion process was done away with. At the end of this system, regional and national prestige awards were multiplied (x2 and x4 respectively) to be on the same level as general (assuming they were originally awarded at the lower rate). However, in those places that had not taken the initial reduction into account, these multipliers were sometimes still used, creating even larger inconsistencies.

To resolve this, apply the same standards and guidelines to regional and national prestige as you would to general for this period. If the values are low (had not been multiplied), raise them. If they are high, lower them. This is the best way to remain consistent and fair to all members.

For instance, Heather was an ARC in Region A, and Mark was an ARC in Region B. Heather was given 20 Regional Prestige per month under this system, while Mark was given 40 Regional Prestige each month. Under the conversion, Regional Prestige was doubled. Mark retroactively made his 80 per month for this period. This should be cut back to 40 Regional each month, which is the standard amount under this system. Heather was somehow not aware of the conversion, and left hers at 20. This should be raised to 40 Regional each month as per the conversion multiplier.

At the time, regional prestige could be awarded by a regional coordinator or member of the Board of Directors. National prestige could only be awarded by a member of the BOD. Typically, Regional positions, including Assistants, received Regional prestige. Board positions, including Assistants, received National prestige. Other Regional or National items should be carefully considered. Proof in the form of an email or letter is very helpful.

Use the table for prestige awards in Appendix 1 for specific award amounts.

Appendix 3: Third Prestige System: 1/1/1998 – 9/30/1999

This system used the same Member Class levels, but the amounts of prestige needed for the MC levels changed. This also included more formal limitations on prestige for different types of activities. Before, there was a loose limit of 100 prestige per month not counting offices, ordeals, or membership renewals, exceeded only with RC approval. In this third system, the limits could not be exceeded at all. On the other hand, within these limits a member can receive over 200 prestige each month.

National

Prestige Item Amount
Administration Max 50 / month
City Developer (setting up a new area, must report) 0 – 30
CC / CST / DC / DST (duty and required report) 25 – 50
CC / CST / DC / DST assistants 0 – 30
RC / RST (duty and required report) 25 – 50 Regional
RC / RST assistants (ARC or ARST) 0 – 30 Regional
Director / BoD (duty and required report) 25 – 50 National
Assistant to a Director 0 – 30 National
The Modern Enigma Society Sponsored Community Service Max 50 / month
Independent blood donation 15
Blood as part of The Modern Enigma Society Blood Drive 25
Item donations at The Modern Enigma Society drive (food, clothing, book, etc.) 1 – 5 / item
Organizing the The Modern Enigma Society presence at a charity event 10 – 25
Participating in The Modern Enigma Society charity event 5 – 15
Organizing The Modern Enigma Society fund-raiser, any level 10 – 25
Donating needed material for The Modern Enigma Society use 1 – 5 / item
Publications Max 50 / month
Editing a Chapter or Domain newsletter 5 – 20
Editing a Regional newsletter 5 – 20 Regional
Accepted submission to a Chapter or Domain newsletter 1 – 15
Accepted submission to a Regional newsletter 1 – 15 Regional
Accepted submission to Requiem (National newsletter) 1 – 15
Grunt work on any newsletter 1 – 10
Art and Public Relations Max 40 / month
Artwork for The Modern Enigma Society publication (newsletter, flyer, etc.) 5 – 30
Making The Modern Enigma Society flyer 5 – 10
Making The Modern Enigma Society brochure 5 – 20
Sanctioned The Modern Enigma Society Web sites, may have several pages
Creation of a static Web site, requiring no updates 2
Creation of a static Web site, requiring occasional updates 10
Maintenance of a static Web site, occasional updates 3
Creation of a semi-dynamic Web site, monthly updates 20
Maintenance of a semi-dynamic Web site, monthly updates 5
Creation of a dynamic Web site, weekly updates 30
Maintenance of a dynamic Web site, weekly updates 10
Creation of a phenomenal Web site, constant updates 40
Maintenance of a phenomenal Web site, constant updates 20
Storytelling Support Max 15 / month
Accepted Storyline 5 – 10
Accepted NPC (detailed background, goals, etc.) 5 – 10
Playing an NPC 5 / full session
Attending an ST meeting 1 – 5
Convention Service Max 25 / month
Organizing / creating event 5 – 25
Pre-event assistance 1 – 10
Representing the The Modern Enigma Society at a non-Cam event (e.g. Con) 5 / hour
Working as part of The Modern Enigma Society help force 5 / hour
Organizing a seminar or panel 5 – 10
Participating as a speaker at a seminar or panel 5 – 15
Narrating at a LARGE event (20+) hosted by the The Modern Enigma Society 10
Narrating at a SMALL event (5-19) hosted by the The Modern Enigma Society 5
Organizational Service Max 30 / month
Securing a game site 5 – 20
Maintaining / cleaning up game site 1 – 5 / game (max 20 / month)
Organizing a large (20+ members) social event 10 – 20
Organizing a small (5 – 19 members) social event 5 – 10
Assisting with a large social event 1 – 10
Attending a chapter / domain / regional meeting 1 – 5 / mtg (max 20 / month)
Transport for 2+ members for a sanctioned event (3+ hours) 2 – 5 (max 10 / month)
Lodging / crash space for 2+ out-of-town members 5 – 10 (max 10 / month)
Recruiting a new member (after they receive membership number) 5
Soliciting business sponsorship for any level of the The Modern Enigma Society 5 – 20
Ordeals (Only one award per ordeal)
The Laws of the Tome 100 General
The Code of Chapters 150 General
The Lore of Thespis 150 General
Renewals  
Early Membership Renewal (prior to expiration) 50 General / renewal

Items normally worthy of general prestige could be made regional prestige by an RC or higher. Likewise, general or regional items could be made into National by a member of the Board of Directors.

Appendix 4: Fourth Prestige System: 10/1/1999 – 7/31/2001

This system was less of a major overhaul than just adding a few refinements. The following clarifications were made:

  • Specialist Advisors and their assistants were added to the chart.
  • Listmod awards were added.
  • A category for ‘Other Service’ was added for activities that did not fit into another category. It could also be used for exceptional awards, but only with RC approval.
  • Charity donations were limited to 20 prestige per month in addition to the overall cap of 50 per month for all charitable activities.
  • Sanctioned The Modern Enigma Society web sites needed to be sanctioned by the The Modern Enigma Society Web Administrator.
  • Storytelling Support was only for non-storytellers. These items were assumed to be part of normal ST duties. They may also have applied to STs out of their jurisdiction (for instance, a CST visiting another Domain).
  • For Organizational Service, recruiting a new member was changed to 5 – 10 prestige, to encourage developing areas to increase their membership.
Prestige Item Amount
Administration (1) Max 50 / month
City Developer (setting up a new area, must report) 0 – 30
Coordinator / Storyteller / Board Member officers (must report) 25 – 50
Assistants to *C / *ST / Board (including venue STs) 0 – 30
Specialist Advisors (formerly SSTs) 0 – 40
Assistant Specialist Advisors (formerly ASSTs) 0 – 30
The Modern Enigma Society List Moderators 0 – 8 / list (up to 20 / month)
The Modern Enigma Society Sponsored Community Service Max 50 / month
Independent blood donation 15
Blood as part of The Modern Enigma Society Blood Drive 25
Item donations at The Modern Enigma Society drive (food, clothing, book, etc.) (2) 1 – 5 / item (up to 20 / month)
Organizing the The Modern Enigma Society presence at a charity event 10 – 25 / event
Participating in The Modern Enigma Society charity event 5 – 15 / event
Organizing The Modern Enigma Society fund-raiser, any level 10 –25 / event
Donating needed material for The Modern Enigma Society use (2) 1- 5 / item (up to 20 / month)
Publications (1) Max 50 / month
Editing The Modern Enigma Society newsletter 5 – 20 / issue
Accepted submission to The Modern Enigma Society newsletter 1 – 15 / article
Grunt work on any newsletter 1 – 10 / issue
Art and Public Relations Max 40 / month
Artwork for The Modern Enigma Society publication (newsletter, flyer, etc.) 5 – 30 / item
Making The Modern Enigma Society flyer 5 – 10
Making The Modern Enigma Society brochure 5 – 20
Sanctioned The Modern Enigma Society Web sites, may have several pages (3)
Creation of a static Web site, requiring no updates 1 – 2
Creation of a static Web site, requiring occasional updates 2 – 10
Creation of a semi-dynamic Web site, monthly updates 5 – 20
Creation of a dynamic Web site, weekly updates 10 – 30
Creation of a phenomenal Web site, constant updates 20 – 40
Maintenance of a static Web site, occasional updates 0 – 3
Maintenance of a semi-dynamic Web site, monthly updates 0 – 5
Maintenance of a dynamic Web site, weekly updates 0 – 10
Maintenance of a phenomenal Web site, constant updates 0 – 20
Storytelling Support (for non–storytellers) (4) Max 15 / month
Accepted Storyline from a non-ST 5 – 10 / storyline
Accepted NPC (detailed background, goals, etc.) 1 – 10 / NPC
Playing an NPC 5 / full session
Attending an ST meeting 1 – 5 / meeting
Convention Service (5) Max 50 / convention
Organizing event / con staff pre-event assistance 5 – 25
Representing the The Modern Enigma Society at a con / working Cam table 1 – 5 / hour (max 10 / con)
Volunteering at a con as part of The Modern Enigma Society help force 1 – 5 / hour (max 25 / con)
Organizing or speaking at a con seminar or panel 1 – 5 / hour (max 20 / con)
Narrating at a large (20+) sanctioned game at a con 1 – 10
Narrating at a small (5-19) sanctioned game at a con 1 – 5
Organizational Service Max 30 / month
Securing a game site 5 – 20
Maintaining / cleaning up game site 1 – 5 / game (max 20 / month)
Organizing a large (20+ members) social event 10 – 20
Organizing a small (5 – 19 members) social event 5 – 10
Assisting with a large social event 1 – 10
Attending a chapter / domain / regional meeting (6) 1 – 5 / mtg (max 20 / month)
Transport for 2+ members for a sanctioned event (3+ hours) 2 – 5 (max 10 / month)
Lodging / crash space for 2+ out-of-town members 5 – 10 (max 10 / month)
Recruiting a new member (after they receive membership number) 5 – 10
Soliciting business sponsorship for any level of the The Modern Enigma Society 5 – 20
Other Service Max 30 / month
Service items not in other categories Coordinator judgment
Exceptional service exceeding normal limits (RC approval) Coordinator judgment
Ordeals (Only one award per ordeal)
The Laws of the Tome 100 General
The Code of Chapters 150 General
The Lore of Thespis 150 General
The Wisdom of the Stage 50 General
Renewals  
Early Membership Renewal (prior to expiration) 50 / renewal

Notes:

(1) Administration and Publications (and some other types of service as well) work may be made Regional or National depending on the level of office or newsletter.

(2) Materials donated to the The Modern Enigma Society or to a charity tend to favor those who have the resources to have such things in the first place. It has been a long standing tradition that “buying prestige” is unfair to other members. Therefore, these monthly limits should never be exceeded, even as the Other Service Category.

(3) Web sites are sanctioned by the Coordinator at the appropriate level (RC for a Regional Web Site, etc.). When updates are made the site designer should inform the Coordinator of what changes were made and the Coordinator will determine prestige for maintenance at the end of each month.

(4) Storytelling Support is generally for non-storytellers. It may also be used for Storytellers outside of their jurisdiction. But for instance a DST gets no prestige for playing an NPC at a chapter game in his own domain.

(5) Members are encouraged to help out by volunteering a conventions whenever possible. This supports the con and keeps the The Modern Enigma Society on good terms with them. Members who far exceed these limits can be awarded more prestige in the Other Service category, or under different categories (such as Storytelling Support for playing an NPC).

(6) Officers get no prestige for meetings when they are there in an official capacity. It is considered part of their regular duties to attend these meetings. For example, at Domain Meetings, the DC, DST, ADCs, and CCs will get no prestige.

Appendix 5: Fifth Prestige System: 8/1/2001 – 3/31/2003

This was another revision of the prestige awards. Several amounts were fine-tuned, associate officers were added, events were split into three different types, and the ‘Other Service’ category was changed to ‘Exceptional Service’, and requires RC approval.

Prestige Item Amount
Administration and Governance (1)(2) Maximum of 50 / month
City Developer (setting up a new area), report required 25 / month
Holding a principal office (Coordinator, Storyteller, Board Member), Report required 0-50 / month
Associate (8) to a principle office (reports to Board Members, National Council Members, or Regional Officers), may be required to file reports. 0-40 / month
Assistant (8) to a principle officer, as well as associate officers (including venue STs and Global Specialist Advisors), may be required to file reports 0-30 / month
List moderators on the dppw.tamu.edu server (Official Lists) Maximum of 20 / month
List moderators not on dppw.tamu.edu server (9) (should be limited in base to chapter list, regional clan list, or be considered essential to the operation of the region.) Maximum of 10General/month to a max of 20/month for the sub category of list moderation.
The Modern Enigma Society Sponsored Community Service (3) Maximum of 50 / month
Donating blood independently 15
Donating blood as part of The Modern Enigma Society blood drive 25
Donating an item as part of The Modern Enigma Society drive 1-10 per item (e.g., food, clothes, books)
Organizing the The Modern Enigma Society presence at a charity event 25 per event
Working at The Modern Enigma Society charity event 5 per hour (Max 15 / Event)
Organizing The Modern Enigma Society fund raiser 10 per event
Donating requested materials for The Modern Enigma Society use 1 – 10 per item (Max 30 / Month)
Publications (2) Maximum of 50 / month
Editing The Modern Enigma Society newsletter 25 / issue
Having a written submission accepted by The Modern Enigma Society newsletter 0-10 per article
Doing grunt work for The Modern Enigma Society publication (e.g., stapling, copying) 5 / issue
Art and Public Relations (4) Maximum of 40 / month
Accepted or requested artwork for The Modern Enigma Society publication (e.g., newsletter, flyer) 0-10 per item
Making The Modern Enigma Society flyer 10
Making The Modern Enigma Society brochure 15
Sanctioned The Modern Enigma Society Websites (sites may have multiple pages)  
Creating an informational web site requiring no updates 3
Creating an informational web site requiring monthly maintenance 10
Creating an informational web site requiring weekly maintenance 20
Creating a phenomenal web site requiring no maintenance 10
Creating a phenomenal web site requiring monthly maintenance 20
Creating a phenomenal web site requiring weekly maintenance 40
Updating an informational web site requiring no maintenance 2
Updating an informational web site requiring monthly maintenance 5 / month of maintenance
Updating an informational web site requiring weekly maintenance 10 / month of maintenance
Updating a phenomenal web site requiring no maintenance 5
Updating a phenomenal web site requiring monthly maintenance 10 / month of maintenance
Updating a phenomenal web site requiring weekly maintenance 20 / month of maintenance
Storytelling Support from Non-Storytellers Maximum of 15 / month
Accepted storyline from a non-storyteller 5 per storyline
Accepted NPC with detailed goals, etc from a non-storyteller 5 per NPC
Playing an NPC for a full session 5 per full session
Mentoring a new member (e.g., teaching game rules, RP tips; recommended by the presiding ST) 5 per formal session
Event Service (5) (6)  
The Modern Enigma Society Sponsored Conventions Max 100 / event
Organizing event, staff pre-event assistance 20 / month (max 50 / event)
Volunteering for an event help force 5 / hour (max 50 / event)
Organizing or speaking at a seminar or panel 5 / panel (max 40 / event)
Narrating at a sanctioned game at an event 5 / hour
Playing an NPC at an event 5 / session
Donating items for event 1 – 10 / item (max 25 / event)
Representing the The Modern Enigma Society at the event (working Cam table) 5 / hour (max 40 / event)
The Modern Enigma Society Attended Conventions Max 50 / event
Organizing event, staff pre-event assistance 10 / month (max 25 / event)
Volunteering for an event help force 5 / hour (max 25 / event)
Organizing or speaking at a seminar or panel 5 / panel (max 20 / event)
Narrating at a sanctioned game at an event 5 / hour
Playing an NPC at an event 5 / session
Donating items for event 1 – 10 / item (max 10 / event)
Representing the The Modern Enigma Society at the event (working Cam table) 5 / hour (max 40 / event)
The Modern Enigma Society Special Events Max 25 / event
Organizing event, staff pre-event assistance 10
Volunteering at an event help force 5 / hour (max 15 / event)
Organizing or speaking at a con seminar or panel 5 / panel (max 10 / event)
Narrating at a sanctioned game at an event 5 / hour
Playing an NPC at an event 5 / session
Organizational Service Maximum 30 / month
Securing a game site 15
Maintaining or cleaning up a game site 5 per game, max 20/month
Organizing a small social event (5-19 members) 5
Organizing a large social event (20 members) 15
Organizing a small 24 hour event (10-40 members, social and gaming) 15
Organizing a large 24 hour event (41 members, social and gaming) 25
Assisting with a large social event 5
Attending organizational meetings (e.g., chapter meetings, domain meetings, regional meetings, national meetings) (7) 5
Transporting 2 members for a sanctioned event (3 hours) 5, max 10
Providing lodging for 2 out of town members for a sanctioned event 10, max 10
Recruiting a new member (after they receive their membership number) 10
Soliciting business sponsorship for the The Modern Enigma Society 20
Ordeals (Members receive prestige only once for passing each ordeal)
The Law of the Tome (the first ordeal has been renamed several times) 100 general
The Code of Chapters 150 general
The Lore of Narration (formerly the “Lore of Thespis”) 150 general
The Ordeal of Creation (formerly “Wisdom of the Stage”) 50 general
Exceptional Service (3) Maximum of 30 / month
Service to the organization not listed in other categories Coordinator judgment
Exceptional service above and beyond expectations (requires at least RC approval) Coordinator judgment
Renewals  
Early Membership Renewal (must be prior to expiration) 50 per renewal

(1) These are the upper limits for administration positions. Generally, officers should receive about 10 prestige less than the cap for their completed usual duties. Months that officers go above and beyond their usual duties, they should be awarded more prestige, possibly up to the maximum. Rarely should this occur more than 3-4 times a year, and unheard of to occur nearly every month.

(2) Administration, governance and publications work (and some other types of service as well) may be made regional or national depending on the level of office, newsletter, or magazine.

(3) Materials donated to the The Modern Enigma Society or to a charity tend to favor those who have the resources to have such things in the first place. It has been a long-standing tradition that “buying prestige” is unfair to other members. Therefore, these monthly limits should never be exceeded, even in the “Other Service” category.

(4) Web sites must be sanctioned by the supervising coordinator (e.g., RC for a regional web site). When the site designer makes updates, he or she should inform the coordinator of those changes. The coordinator will determine the prestige award for this maintenance at the end of each month.

(5) Non-recurring game events are divided into three categories: The Modern Enigma Society sponsored conventions, The Modern Enigma Society attended conventions, and special events. The Modern Enigma Society sponsored conventions include ICC and regional events. The Modern Enigma Society attended conventions include Dragon*Con, Gen Con, and Norwescon. Members are encouraged to volunteer at conventions whenever possible, as their support is good publicity for our organization. Special events include your yearly Goth Ball or Garou camp-out. Non-gaming social events and your regularly scheduled games do not count in this category. For prestige purposes, determine the event type before the event ever happens.

(6) All activities associated with an event go under the event category. This includes raising money for the event, donating office supplies, or going to a planning meeting. If a particular item is not listed (such as a meeting or running a fund raiser) use the guidelines from other categories, but place the item in the Events category.

(7) All members who attend chapter, domain, regional, or national meetings receive prestige; with the exception of officers required to be in attendance. These meetings are part of the required activity of the staff and do not result in earned prestige. Guest attendees who have been allowed to observe at a staff meeting are not eligible for prestige. Similarly, guests to chapter and domain meetings (such as members from one chapter attending another chapter’s meetings) do not receive prestige. If a non-staff member is invited to attend a staff meeting for the benefit of the staff (such as a member taking minutes for the meeting, or a guest speaker), that invited member may earn prestige for Organizational Service.

(8) Both associate and assistant officers are appointed assistants to a primary officer. The main difference is that associate officers have an increased scope of duties and many have assistants of their own. Examples of associate officers include (but are not limited to) GSA’s, Directors (Conventions, Memberships, etc), and city developers. Final determination over whether a position is associate or assistant shall be made by the primary officers on the BoD, National Council, or Regional Level that are employing the associate / assistant.

(9) The Regional Coordinator must approve all non-The Modern Enigma Society.white-wolf.com lists. The Regional Storyteller, will work in conjunction with the Regional Coordinator in determining which list will be approved as in character list. Non-The Modern Enigma Society.white-wolf.com lists are required to have as a minimum either an ARST or an ARC subscribed. Non- The Modern Enigma Society.white-wolf.com lists should be limited in base to chapter list, regional clan list, or be considered essential to the operation of the region.

The guidelines for prestige awards are as follows:

5G For the top ten percent of the most active lists
3G For moderately active lists
1G For lower ten percent
0G For inactive lists

Maximum award per month in the Administration category for non- The Modern Enigma Society.white-wolf.com list is 5-10G/month per list to a max of 20/month for the sub category.

Non- The Modern Enigma Society.white-wolf.com lists will be required to file a report with the ARC of Communications.

Appendix 6: Sixth Prestige System: 4/1/2003 – 5/31/2013

While substantially the same, this prestige revision substantially increased caps in addition to fine-tuning specific awards. Many clarifications were also introduced with a more specific description of each award.

ADMINISTRATION (max of 80/month)

Only rarely should an officer be awarded the maximum allowable award for that position. Failure to perform duties such as reporting, responding to e-mail, etc. should result in a lower award. Awards for assistants should take into account the amount of work required for that position relative to other officers. Generally, however, an assistant should receive approximately half the prestige of their immediate supervisor, based on the workload they handle in that month.

National or Global level principle officer 0-50 per month
Members of the The Modern Enigma Society Council. Awarded by the Club Director. National prestige. The club director is a paid employee of White Wolf and does not receive prestige for the position. The finance director and conventions director are volunteers though appointed by White Wolf.
Associate to National or Global-level Principle Officer 0-50 per month
Any associate appointed by a member of the The Modern Enigma Society Council who reports monthly. Awarded by the appointing officer. National prestige. Prestige recommendations are to be included in the monthly report and will be awarded as recommended unless adjusted or denied by the national coordinator.
Assistant to National or Global-level Principle Officer 0-40 per month
Any Assistant appointed by an associate of the The Modern Enigma Society Council who reports monthly. Prestige recommendations are to be included in the monthly report and will be awarded as recommended unless adjusted or denied by the national coordinator.
Regional-level Principle Officer 0-40 per month
Regional coordinator (RC), regional storyteller (RST). RST awarded by the RC, RC awarded by the NC. Regional prestige.
Assistant to Regional-level Principle Officer 0-40 per month
Any assistant appointed by the RC or RST who reports monthly. Awarded by the RC. Regional prestige.
Domain-level Principle Officer 0-50 per month
Domain coordinator (DC), Domain storyteller (DST), Chapter Coordinators (CC), Venue Storytellers (VST). DST and VST prestige recommended by the DC and confirmed by the RC. DC awarded by the RC. General prestige.
Assistant to Domain-level Principle Officer 0-40 per month
Any assistant appointed by the Principal Officer who reports monthly. These include Assistant Venue Storytellers and Assistant Domain Coordinators. Awarded by the DC. General prestige.
Independent Chapter Level Principle Officer 0-50 per month
Chapter coordinator (CC), Venue Storyteller (VST). Both awarded by the RC. General prestige.
Assistant to Chapter Level Principle Officer 0-40 per month
Any assistant appointed by the CC or VST who reports monthly. A VST must report monthly to the designated Regional Officer appointed by the RST. Awarded by the CC. General prestige.

CITY DEVELOPMENT (Max of 20/month)

City Development 0-20 per month
Individual working to form a group in a city currently without The Modern Enigma Society presence within 30 miles. Must report monthly to the RC or designated assistant. Awarded by the RC. General prestige.

COMMUNICATION and Web Design (Max of 50/month)

As with officers, list moderators and IRC/Discord operators should receive awards in keeping with the amount of work performed relative to other list moderators and IRC/Discord ops. Only the lists with the highest volume should receive the maximum allowable award, while most should receive about half the maximum award. Prestige awards for web design are very subjective and amounts should be decided with care. Important to note is the complexity of the site, both in number of pages, quantity of information, and technical or dynamic elements of the page. Only extensive, highly complex, dynamic websites should receive the maximum allowable award.

Most websites are local and result in awards of General prestige awarded by a DC or CC. The regional or national coordinators may request a website for regional or national consumption-any regional or national prestige awarded as a result must be granted by the RC or NC respectively.

The Modern Enigma Society List Moderator 0-10 per month per list, max 10
Moderator of an e-mail list on the The Modern Enigma Society mail server. National and global lists warrant 1-5 General and 0-5 National prestige, regional lists warrant 1-5 General and 0-5 Regional prestige while local lists warrant 1-10 General prestige. Awarded by the National Technical Administrator.
Other List Moderator 0-10 per month per list, max 10
Moderator of a general e-mail list NOT on the The Modern Enigma Society mail server (such as a chapter’s OC or IC lists). Must be approved and tracked by the RC or appointed assistant. Awarded by the RC. IC lists must be approved by the appropriate level storyteller (such as the DST for a Domain level IC list). Awarded by the RC. General prestige.
IRC Operator 0-10 per month
Operator for one or more sanctioned IRC channels. Awarded by the National Technical Administrator’s office and ratified by the National Coordinator.
IRC Venue Supervising Operator 0-15 per month
Supervising operator for all of the channels of a particular venue. Awarded by the National Technical Administrator’s office and ratified by the National Coordinator.
Website creation 5-30 one time
Includes initial creation of a website as well as major redesigns that change at least half of the existing site.
Website maintenance 0-15 per month
Includes making normal updates, handling trouble reports, fielding suggestions for improvements, etc.
Donating web space 0-10 per month
Providing server space for the website to reside on. Also includes associated features such as e-mail boxes and the like.

COMMUNITY SERVICE (Max of 70/month)

Most charity drives are local and result in awards of General prestige awarded by a DC or CC. The regional or national coordinators may sponsor a regional or national drive-any regional or national prestige awarded as a result must be granted by the RC or NC respectively.

Donating blood as part of The Modern Enigma Society blood drive 25 per donation
Includes whole blood and partial blood donations. Partial blood donation refers to aphaeresis, i.e. plasma or platelets. Any monetary compensation must be donated to charity in order to receive the prestige award. Donor must provide proof to their chapter coordinator that the donation of plasma (and money, if applicable) was done.
Transportation for blood drive 10 per trip, max 20
Includes transporting two or more members who donate blood. This may not be received in the same month as a donation of blood (see previous).
Independent blood donation 15 per donation
Includes whole blood and partial blood donations. Partial blood donation refers to aphaeresis, i.e. plasma or platelets. Any monetary compensation must be donated to charity in order to receive the prestige award. Donor must provide proof to their chapter or domain coordinator that the donation of plasma (and money, if applicable) was done. Awarded by DC or CC. General prestige.
Donating items as part of The Modern Enigma Society charity drive 1-10 per item, max 30 per charity
Includes any donated items. Must be part of a charity drive that has been announced to members of at least one domain or chapter. Only very exceptional items (computers, furniture, etc.) should earn more than five prestige per item.
Volunteer time as part of The Modern Enigma Society charity drive 5 per hour, max 30 per charity
Labor donated to charities as part of an organized The Modern Enigma Society charity event or drive announced to at least one domain or chapter. May include time spent at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, park cleanups, local libraries and other charitable institutions.
Organizing charity drive 0-20 per drive, max 20
Organizing a blood drive, charity drive, volunteer event or charitable fund raiser. Must be approved by a principle officer prior to the drive. Principle officers and assistants assigned to charity functions are not eligible for this award.
Donating needed materials to the The Modern Enigma Society 1-10 per item
Includes any items requested by the The Modern Enigma Society. Must be announced to the members of at least one domain or chapter so that anyone has the opportunity to donate.
Organizing The Modern Enigma Society fund raiser 0-10 per event
Any event that raises money for the operation of the The Modern Enigma Society. Ongoing or permanent fundraisers should be delegated to assistants and awarded prestige in the Administration category. Principle officers and assistants assigned to fund raising functions are not eligible for this award.

PUBLICATIONS & PR (Max of 50/month)

Most publications are local and result in awards of General prestige awarded by a domain or chapter coordinator. The regional or national coordinators may request a publication for regional or national distribution-any regional or national prestige awarded as a result must be granted by the RC or NC respectively. Web publications such as Domain/Chapter Newsletters for ease of distribution would be included in this award, not under Communications.

Editing The Modern Enigma Society newsletter 10-25 per issue
Includes accepting and approving submissions, layout and design, proofreading, providing filler material, etc.
Assistant Editor 5-15 per issue
Includes accepting and approving submissions, layout and design, proofreading, providing filler material, etc.
Designing The Modern Enigma Society flyer 5-10 per flyer
Includes accepting and approving artwork, layout and design, proofreading, etc. If more than one person assists, this award should be split between them.
Designing The Modern Enigma Society brochure 5-10 per brochure
Includes accepting and approving artwork, layout and design, proofreading, designing copy text, etc. If more than one person assists, this award should be split between them.
Art or article published in The Modern Enigma Society publication 5-10 per article
Granted once per article written, not once each time published. The editor of a publication is eligible for approving and publishing their own article only with special dispensation from the principle coordinator requesting the newsletter, and only once per issue.
Grunt work for The Modern Enigma Society publication 0-10 per issue
May include assisting the editor with layout, design, proofreading, etc. Also includes copying, collating, stapling, errand running, etc. associated with a newsletter, flyer or brochure. The editor of a publication is not eligible for grunt work awards for the publication they edit.
Donations for The Modern Enigma Society publication 1-10 per item, max 25
Donations of photocopying, software, etc. used in the production of The Modern Enigma Society publication.

EVENT SERVICES

Events must be sponsored by an appropriate principle officer who then grants all prestige associated with that event. A domain or chapter coordinator sponsors local events, a regional coordinator sponsors regional events, and the national coordinator sponsors national or global events. An RC may award regional prestige, and the NC may award national prestige.

The Modern Enigma Society-Sponsored Conventions (Max of 100/event):

These are multiple-day events operated entirely by the The Modern Enigma Society. Must be sponsored as a convention by a coordinator and a storyteller with jurisdiction and either regional or national authority.

Organizing an event 0-20 per month, max 50
Includes pre-con and post-con organizational work.
Volunteer at a convention 5 per hour, max 50
Any volunteer time donated at the convention, including setup, tear down, security, hospitality, cam table, etc.
Organizing or speaking at a seminar or panel 0-15 per panel, max 50
Panel must be announced to the convention attendees and sanctioned by the organizers.
Narrating a sanctioned game at the convention 5 per hour, max 50
Includes the lead storyteller for the game and any appointed assistants. Official narrators must be identified to the players at the game.
Playing an NPC in a sanctioned event game 5 per session
May not be awarded if the player elected to assign experience traits to a character for that game session. Narrators for the game are not eligible for this award.
Donating needed materials to the convention 1-10 per item, max 50
Donating items necessary to operate the convention.

The Modern Enigma Society-Attended Conventions (Max of 75/event):

These are multiple-day events operated by an organization other than the The Modern Enigma Society, but with The Modern Enigma Society presence approved by the organizers of the convention. Must be recognized as a convention by a coordinator and a storyteller with jurisdiction and either regional or national authority.

Organizing an event 0-15 per month, max 40
Includes pre-con and post-con organizational work, both for the The Modern Enigma Society presence or the non-The Modern Enigma Society portions of the convention.
Volunteer at a convention 5 per hour, max of 40
Any volunteer time donated at the convention, including setup, tear down, security, hospitality, cam table, etc. for both the The Modern Enigma Society presence or the non-The Modern Enigma Society portions of the convention.
Organizing or speaking at a seminar or panel 0-10 per panel, max 40
Must be announced to the convention attendees and approved by the convention organizers. Includes non-The Modern Enigma Society seminars and panels.
Narrating a sanctioned game at the convention 5 per hour, max 40
Includes the lead storyteller for the game and any appointed assistants. Must be identified to the players at the game. Includes only sanctioned The Modern Enigma Society games.
Playing an NPC in a sanctioned game 5 per session
May not be awarded if the player elected to assign experience traits to a character for that game session. Includes only sanctioned The Modern Enigma Society games. Narrators for the game are not eligible for this award.
Donating needed materials to the convention 1-10 per item, max 40
Donating items necessary to operate the The Modern Enigma Society presence at the convention.

The Modern Enigma Society Special Events (Max of 50/event):

These are special events operated by the The Modern Enigma Society that do not meet the requirements for a convention as previously detailed. Must be recognized and sanctioned as a special event by the regional coordinator and storyteller.

Organizing an event 0-10 per month, max 25
Includes pre-event and post-event organizational work.
Volunteering at an event 5 per hour, max 25
Any volunteer time donated at the convention, including setup, tear down, cooking, etc.
Narrating a sanctioned game at the convention 5 per hour, max 25
Includes the lead storyteller for the game and any appointed assistants. Must be identified to the players at the game.
Playing an NPC in a sanctioned game 5 per event
May not be awarded if the player elected to assign experience traits to a character for that game session. Narrators for the game are not eligible for this award.
Donating needed materials to the convention 1-10 per item, max 25
Donating items necessary to operate the event.

STORYTELLING SUPPORT (Max of 20/month)

Most storytelling assistance is local in nature and result in awards of General prestige awarded by a DC or CC. The regional or national storytellers may request assistance for regional or national plots or events-any regional or national prestige awarded as a result must be granted by the regional or national coordinator, respectively. All awards in this category should be awarded only in cooperation with the storyteller staff.

Storytellers operating in their own sphere of responsibility are not eligible for awards in this category. For example, storytellers within a particular domain are not eligible for additional awards for work done inside that domain as it is part of their storytelling duties. Assistance provided to other domains would still qualify.

Submitting an accepted plotline 1-10 per plotline
Must be approved by the accepting storyteller. Full plot kits should receive the full award while plot ideas and partial plot kits should receive a lower award.
Submitting an accepted NPC 1-5 per NPC
Must be approved by the accepting storyteller. Fully-detailed NPCs with backgrounds, motivations, etc. should receive the full award while bare character sheets with brief story notes should receive a lower award.
Playing an NPC in a sanctioned game 5 per session
May not be awarded if the player elected to assign experience traits to a character for playing NPCs the full game session.
Mentoring a new player 5 per formal session
Includes providing advice and help with character creation, roleplaying hints, setting and background information, etc. to any player new to this particular venue or to the The Modern Enigma Society organization. One session should be at least 30 minutes. Must be approved by the mentored player as well as the awarding coordinator. Always general prestige.
Attending a storyteller meeting by request 5 per meeting, max of 10
Your presence must have been requested by the storyteller staff.
Narration/ST Aid 5 per full session
Narrator may not be part of the domain or domain storytelling staff, but may receive for narration duties during a sanctioned game. It may include check-in table as well as narration, but must be for the full session.

ORGANIZATIONAL SERVICE (Max of 40/month)

All awards in this category are awarded by the domain or chapter as general prestige.

Securing a game site 10-20 per site
Locating a new site and making arrangements for The Modern Enigma Society use. Only awarded once per site. If two or more people assisted, split the award between them. Principle coordinating officers and assistants assigned to organizing games or site maintenance are not eligible for this award.
Providing a game site 10 per game
Acquiring a game site and providing it to the The Modern Enigma Society free of charge. Includes providing one’s own home for games. If two or more people assisted, split the award between them. Members who receive this award are not eligible for “Securing a game site” for the same site.
Set up and/or clean up a game site 1-5 per game, max 20
Awarded once per game/meeting. Members who both set up and clean up still receive the award once for that event.
Organize small social event (5-14 persons) 5 per event, max 10
If two or more people assisted, split the award between them. Principle coordinating officers and assistants assigned to events are not eligible for this award. Only official The Modern Enigma Society events with a presiding coordinator qualify for this award.
Organize large social event (15+ persons) 10-15 per event, max 30
Principle coordinating officers and assistants assigned to events are not eligible for this award. Only official The Modern Enigma Society events with a presiding coordinator qualify for this award.
Assist with large social event (15+ persons) 0-10 per event
Principle coordinating officers and assistants assigned to events are not eligible for this award. Only official The Modern Enigma Society events with a presiding coordinator qualify for this award.
Attend organizational meetings 5 per meeting, max 10
Officers required to attend a meeting due to their position are not eligible for this award. Members attending a meeting for a domain, chapter or other group of which they are not a part are not eligible for this award unless their presence was requested to contribute to the meeting.
Transporting 2+ members to a sanctioned event 5 per trip, max 10
Must involve at least two hours of driving round trip.
Providing lodging for members for an event 5 per person, max 20
Must be for the night before and/or the night after an event. Awarded once per person per event.
Obtaining business sponsorship 20 per business
Awarded for successfully soliciting a business sponsorship for the The Modern Enigma Society, including events, domains, chapters, etc. Only awarded once per business per half calendar year (once in Jan through June, one in July through Dec).
Special Projects 5-15 per month
These projects may include but are not limited to assisting an officer in the compilation of prestige, character sheets, check in tables, research, etc. but do not include jobs that should be assigned to an assistant in that chain. For example, doing check-in for a game when not a part of the coordinator staff, or aiding with transcriptions during character audits when not part of the storytelling staff. If the project is persistent it should be awarded as an Assistant under administration. This award may not be claimed more than twice per calendar year.

MISCELLANEOUS (Limited by Sub Category)

These awards are always general prestige and awarded by the domain or chapter coordinator under very specific circumstances.

Recruiting a new member 10 per member, max 50
New member must attend at least four games and obtain The Modern Enigma Society membership number. If two or more members are responsible for the new member, split the award between them.
Early renewal 50 per renewal
Awarded to a member who renews before their expiration date. May only be awarded to each member once per calendar year.

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE (Max of 50/month)

A regional coordinator, or The Modern Enigma Society Council member may award up to 50 prestige to an individual who has performed far beyond the guidelines listed elsewhere in the prestige system. The regional coordinator may award general or regional prestige. A member of the The Modern Enigma Society Council may award general, regional, or national prestige.

Appendix 7: Seventh Prestige System: 6/1/2013 – Present

Prestige may be awarded by any primary Coordinator for a wide variety of activities. These prestige-worthy activities fall into four general categories.

  1. Administration (Up to 80 per month)
    Serving as a primary coordinator or assistant (Up to 50 prestige per position)
    Serving as a primary storyteller or assistant (Up to 50 prestige per position)
  2. Non-Administrative Game Support (Up to 50 per month, but no single bullet point can yield more than 30 prestige per month)
    Providing a game site
    Securing a new game site
    Submitting a complete plot (comes from ST prestige budget)
    Portraying non-player characters (comes from ST prestige budget)
    Creating an in-character newspaper (or doing game articles in a real-life newsletter)
    Moderating a sanctioned IC email list
    Serving as an IRC operator
    Creating or updating a website
    Donating materials needed for game
    Attending an organizational meeting not required by an office
    Providing lodging to players after an event (counts as 1 hour)
    Other similar tasks
  3. Social/Non-Game Support (Up to 50 per month, but no single bullet point can yield more than 30 prestige per month)
    Creating or updating a website
    Securing a site for an event
    Organizing social events for 5 or more members
    Producing a newsletter
    Recruiting a new member
    Philanthropic donations of time, goods or money per drive per month
    Establishing a new chapter
    Creating a recruitment flyer
    Donations of materials to the club or club social function
    Attend a meeting as general member (maximum 1 hour)
    Transporting a member long distance (over an hour) to the game or social event without reimbursement
    Other similar tasks
    Donating blood or supporting a blood drive is an exception to time-based prestige and is worth 25 prestige points.
  4. National and Regional Convention Events – These activities are awarded outside of
    monthly caps, but are instead capped at 100 prestige during the convention. Pre-convention work is limited to 30 prestige points per month leading up to the convention. Only conventions sponsored by the NCA or TSM are eligible for this additional cap. The following items are considered contributions to convention events:
    Organizing a convention
    Volunteering at a convention
    Creating flyer or banner for the convention.
  5. Modern Enigma Standards (previously called Ordeals) and Timely Renewal – These activities are awarded outside of monthly caps. Completion of club-created educational materials amounts depend on the standard passed. Early renewal yields 50 general prestige points, and is applicable once per calendar year.

 

Primary Coordinators will use the following rules to award prestige:
1. For each hour of work involved in the prestige-worthy non-philanthropic activity, 5 prestige points should be awarded. For philanthropic work, the rate is 10 prestige points per hour. No single bullet point above may earn more than 30 prestige points per month unless specified in this document.
2. For each $2 worth of items or money donated to a local sanctioned philanthropy (i.e. to a philanthropic event), 1 general prestige point is be awarded. For regionally sanctioned philanthropies, the rate is $3 per 1 prestige points. For nationally sanctioned philanthropies, the rate is $5 per 1 prestige points. An item’s worth is determined by receipt or with coordinator judgment. All donations are awarded and recorded under the same bullet point.
3. The prestige value for items donated to the club for games or social functions are calculated with 1 prestige point (of whatever type the coordinator is empowered to award) for every $2 spent on the item. Cash donations for prestige are not awarded outside of philanthropic giving. Prepaid cards are eligible for prestige as long as the card is used immediately to purchase items for the sanctioned event.
4. For primary officers, prestige will be awarded based on job performance criteria. The required duties for primary officers are listed in the Officers section of the handbook. Completion of all of the required duties will result in 50 prestige points. Failure to successfully complete any of the required duties will result in 40 prestige points. Each successive failure to complete a required duty will result in a decrease of 10 prestige points, with a minimum of 0 prestige points awarded for the month. Primary officers are responsible for determining how much time their assistants will be awarded prestige for, and individual assistants may not receive more than what the primary officer receives. Primary officers award prestige from their prestige budget, which is listed next to their required job duties in the Officers section of the handbook.
a. Storytellers – Supervising one or more games or two or more subordinate primary officers; Updating the database and all applications; Complete and on time reports
b. Coordinators – Confirming game sites for all venues or supervising two or more subordinate primary officers; Completing prestige reviews in a timely manner; Complete and on time reports