Protection, bodyguards and abilities
New characters are protected from kills. Bodyguards give you abilities that make you harder to find and kill. They replaced the Panic Room.
New characters are protected from kills. Bodyguards give you abilities that make you harder to find and kill. They replaced the Panic Room.
UnlocksBodyguards need Empire level 0, 5, 10 or 20 depending on the guard. Go to Ground needs a Safehouse panic room.CostsWages are prepaid: $200,000 to $900,000 per day. Each ability also charges cash when used.On successThe ability runs for its time, then cools down.On failureNone. An ability always works once used.RiskBodyguards do not stop a kill by themselves. Protection ends when its time runs out.On deathContracts and cooldowns belong to your character. A new character starts with none.Improves withEmpire level for more guards, Safehouse level for Go to Ground, premium for a second guard slot.
How do I hire a bodyguard?
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123451Open The Empire and the Bodyguards tab.
2Pick a guard you meet the Empire level for.
3Choose 1, 3 or 7 days, then tap Hire.
4Wait for the guard to settle in. It takes 60 minutes.
5Open Abilities and tap Use on the guard's ability.
You have 1 slot. Premium adds a second.
Who can I hire?
Wages are paid in advance. Firing a guard refunds nothing.
| Guard | Ability | Empire level | Wage per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Moreau | Rush the Job | 0 | $200,000 |
| Sal Francis | Ask Around | 5 | $350,000 |
| Carmen Vasquez | Shake the Tail | 10 | $600,000 |
| Bruno Castellano | Lockdown | 20 | $900,000 |
What do the abilities do?
| Ability | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Lockdown | $250,000 | Bullets needed to kill you x1.5 for 60 minutes. Cooldown 12 hours. |
| Ask Around |
00,000 | Shows how many searches and tails are on you, never who. Cooldown 24 hours. |
| Shake the Tail |
,000,000 | Ends every tail on you. Cooldown 24 hours. |
| Rush the Job | $250,000 | Your next search lands at its best time. Cooldown 24 hours. |
What is Go to Ground?
It comes from your Safehouse panic room, not a guard.
- Searches on you take twice as long and succeed 25% less often.
- At your safehouse, nobody can start a search on you.
- Your own searches and tails are dropped, and you cannot shoot.
- It costs $500,000, less 1% per level, to a minimum of 50%. The cooldown is 12 hours, falling to 10 hours at level 10.
- Ending it early does not shorten the cooldown.
What happens when a contract ends?
- With Auto-renew on, the next term is charged if you can pay.
- If you cannot pay, the guard leaves. Premium gives a 24-hour grace period.
- Premium also cuts the settling-in time to 30 minutes.
Can I use an ability I do not have?
Yes, with Pull Some Strings on the Abilities page.
- It buys 1 use of a guard's ability for points: 10, then 15 on the second use that day.
- You can use it twice a day, and you still pay the ability's cash cost.
- Premium members get On Call, a free Ask Around.
How does newbie protection work?
- A first character is protected for 15 days. Later characters get 6.
- While protected you cannot attack or investigate players, and players cannot attack you.
- Disable Protection on the Kill page ends it at once.
Tips
- Lockdown is the only ability that raises the bullets needed to kill you.
- Cooldowns start on use, so wait before you pay again.
- A new character has no guards. Hire again.