Reputation System

The reputation system in Wanderfolk is a per-NPC score from -100 to +100 that governs shop prices, job access, companion recruitment, and village acceptance. It spreads between NPCs through the gossip network, making every social interaction a strategic decision.

Reputation Tiers

How to Gain Reputation

• Complete jobs — the most reliable method. Farm work, forge work, and deliveries all earn rep.
• Give gifts — items valued by the NPC’s role and culture
• Helpful conversations — being kind, sharing useful information
• Defend the village — fighting off bandits and monsters near villagers
• Respect cultural values — following the village’s customs

How to Lose Reputation

• Break promises — NPCs remember what you said you’d do
• Insult NPCs — rude dialogue triggers reputation loss
• Violate taboos — cultural taboos cause severe reputation hits (see Villages & Cultures)
• Steal or harm — theft and violence against villagers
• Let companions die — losing an NPC in combat costs -8 to -20 reputation depending on culture

Global Reputation

Your global reputation is a weighted average of all individual NPC reputations in a village. NPCs with higher social influence count more:

Global reputation determines village-wide effects. Even if one NPC loves you, a low global reputation means the village as a whole is hostile.

Banishment

Banishment means permanent exile from a village. There are two paths to banishment:

1. Global reputation drops below -90 — the entire village expels you
2. Elder reputation drops below -90 — the elder unilaterally banishes you

Banishment is a game over condition. If you’re banished from all nearby villages, survival becomes nearly impossible. Manage your reputation carefully — it’s easier to prevent a decline than to recover from one.

Recovery

Reputation recovery is slow and requires consistent effort:

• The deeper into negative territory, the harder it is to climb back
• Negative reputation spreads faster through the gossip network than positive
• Focus on the most influential NPCs first — elder and shopkeeper opinions ripple outward
• Jobs are available even at moderately negative reputation, making them the safest recovery path

Civic Renown

Beyond individual NPC reputation, each village tracks your civic renown — a cumulative standing score earned through public deeds. Renown never decays and progresses through five tiers:

Renown is earned through actions that benefit the village — defending against bandit raids, completing bounties, farming, donating resources, and other public contributions. Each tier triggers a ceremonial announcement where the village elder publicly recognizes your standing and nearby NPCs react.

Estate lots are the most tangible reward. Non-origin villages have empty houses and farm plots that can be purchased with gold, but high enough renown earns them for free. Reach Champion and the village offers a house. Reach Village Hero and you gain a farm plot. You can own property in multiple villages.

Related Articles

• Making Friends — practical guide to building reputation from scratch
• Gossip Network — how reputation spreads between NPCs
• Villages & Cultures — cultural taboos that cause severe reputation hits
• Trading — how reputation tiers affect shop prices
• Village Defense — defending villages to earn reputation and civic renown
• AI NPC Games — how AI-powered NPCs work in modern games