#ultimate intrigue

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Subsystems and You 10: Nemeses

 Perhaps even more compelling than the final boss of a campaign themselves, there are few things more memorable than a compelling recurring villain, someone who time and time again is there to act as a foil to the party, and thwart or be thwarted by them.

The nemesis might indeed be a major part of the main conflict, or they might be a relatively two-bit villain who just won’t die or give up. Heck, depending on their reason for opposing the party they might not even be evil. An extreme stickler for law and authority might take extreme offense to a freewheeling band of vigilantes, for example.

In any case, the Nemeses system from Ultimate Intrigue provides a way for GMs to keep track of how their recurring villain feels about the party, and therefore how much resources they are willing to put into acts against them, as well as various stratagem challenges that the nemesis may put forth in their attempts to do so. This has the added benefit of providing an excuse for all sorts of story rewards of XP and more for the party.

 The first step to having a nemesis is to provoke the potential nemesis. Now this is entirely up to GM fiat. They may have planned for the party to have this nemesis from the get-go, or the party might surprise them and end up vexing someone who the GM decides would definitely hold a grudge. Either way, the GM has final say on who becomes a nemesis.

From there, the GM determines what sort of nemesis there are (which this subsystem provides plenty of examples), which will determine what types of stratagems they might use, and inform how they go about it.

They also gain a nemesis score, which upon reaching certain thresholds, will upgrade the degree of enmity the nemesis feels for the party, and therefore, how vicious the stratagems they bring against them will be. These can be as basic as providing extra funding to a group of villains the party will face, to as overt as outright murdering someone or something the party cares about.

Periodically, whenever the GM feels it makes sense, they will enact an appropriate stratagem for the situation and the nemesis’s level of enmity, representing their attempts against the party. Some can be thwarted, but others must be endured, and offer XP rewards for the party if they succeed.

What’s more, each stratagem also comes with an opportunity, some misstep or vulnerability that the nemesis exposed in taking action against the party, which can lead to new encounters or adventures as a keen-minded party take advantage of them, all getting them close to the final confrontation with their nemesis.

Such a final confrontation varies a lot by the nature of the nemesis and their role in the greater campaign. They might be the final boss themselves, a minion of the true villain, or perhaps a third party that may try to align with the true villain in order to get at the party (which may result in anything from being betrayed by the true villain, coming to realize that their own villainy was a dark path, or simply ending up being a pawn for the greater villain, whichever you like). Either way, no matter where in the campaign your final confrontation ends up being, it should lead to a sufficiently dramatic and high-stakes conclusion… unless you plan to throw a plot twist and have them come back anyway!

 I could probably do an entire week’s special on writing a good villain, but I’ll save that for another time. For now, that does it for this week’s special. I hope you enjoyed it! Tune in next week for more archetypes and character options!

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Base Class Review: Vigilante part 5

 Conclusions

 The concept of vigilantism as a heroic pursuit relies on a core premise: That the normal authorities are unable or unwilling to pursue justice. This is easy to achieve for superheroes, certainly, as their powers allow them to face off against threats that your average police force would be helpless against.

However, for more mundane vigilantes, the question quickly turns to the more “Unwilling” side, at least partially, if not entirely. Stories of cities with corrupt police forces that are in the mob’s pocket, or serving a government and wealthy elite that view the law as a restriction on the common folk, including minorities, while they themselves have no restrictions, concepts that have become disturbingly familiar in the last few decades.

On the other hand, a disturbing amount of vigilantes in real life have been the sort that harbor malicious worldviews, and in their hatred, have convinced themselves that those they hate are an enemy that the authorities are too restricted by laws and bleeding-heart societal mores to exterminate. This is where your mass killings come from.

 Needless to say, the vigilante class comes with some baggage these days, however, there are some good aspects too. Going back to the original idea of people acting where others cannot, that concept of stepping up to the plate to help others, that is where heroism is born.

Conversely, even supervillains can get in on the positivity, as those who have been reviled for their differences often find common ground in fantastical figures that fight back against a society or authority that rejects them. One of my favorite tropes is the “villain” that fights to make the society that labels them so a better place.

 More so than any other class, the vigilante is tied to the idea that injustices cannot be allowed to perpetuate, and that any person with a good heart and the nerve to try and don the mask and fight for what is right. Some may call them cowardly for hiding their face, but they know better than anyone that their enemies fight dirty, and hiding one’s face is merely the most logical defense against the powerful.

 That does it for this week, but tune in next time for more archetypes and content!

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Subsystems and You 8: Research

 Libraries and other repositories of knowledge are a major boon for adventurers that wish to learn some esoteric secret or otherwise hidden lore, but the baseline system used for gaining information from them is lackluster at best. Simply rolling a knowledge skill you already possess with a bonus and spending a few in-game hours is not really mechanically engaging. Sometimes you want the discovery of information to be engaging, which is where today’s subsystem comes into play.

The Research subsystem from Ultimate Intrigue(which first appeared in the Mummy’s Mask AP) is meant to provide a more compelling interaction with research materials as your characters go through the process of delving through book after book (or other information repositories) to find what is relevant.

 Essentially, this system provides a DC based on the complexity of the body of information, based on its size and organization (or lack theirof), as well as a sort of hit point, or knowledge points that characters deplete as they make successful rolls for each day of research. The exact amount they damage the kp pool is based on their expertise with the skill they are using to do so, which can range from a d4 plus intelligence to a whopping d12.

As they pass certain thresholds of kp, they learn useful tidbits that form part of the information they are searching for, most often teasing towards the most important or relevant bit of lore at the end when all the kp is depleted.

It’s difficult to dive into bigger libraries and find what is needed, but it is possible even for level 1 characters due to how each subsequent dedicated day spent provides cumulative bonuses as their search narrows, which is where the other factor of this system comes into play: Time Crunch.

What is meant by this is that any information you wish to glean from this subsystem is likely on a timetable of relevancy. Take too long, and crime lords cover up other evidence, the bad guy figures out how to use the McGuffin first, the rare lifesaving herb goes out of season, et cetera. Of course, as a GM, consider carefully party composition and their various skills when determining a good average time that it would take for them to succeed.

 Given the right theming for the library, the right information the party needs, and a nice and dramatic time limit, and this system can be considerably more thrilling than an ordinary knowledge skill check. That being said, it should probably be reserved for occasions where the information is not widely-enough available that characters could reasonably recall it on their own, and it super relevant for the plot progression, because overusing it for every time the party wants to try and recall knowledge with a bonus will just bog the game down.

 That does it for today, but this week isn’t over yet!

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Hallucinist (Investigator Archetype)

Perception and intellect have always been a big part of any successful investigator, and pathfinder’s investigator class boast both, with the occasional help from their knowledge of pseudo-arcane alchemy.

Some, however, take alchemical enhancement to a whole other level, using the way certain toxins bend the senses to notice what others do not, to make logical leaps that few others could on their own. These hallucinists regularly imbibe such drugs and hallucinogens, and as such are able to handle the bizarre sensory input they grant, a fact they use to their advantage, not just in enhanced perception, but also in terms of using them against less-acclimated foes.

Regardless, we’ve tackled similar alchemical themes before with the likes of the psychonaut alchemist, which bends perception to an even greater degree of preternatural awareness. So it makes sense that these chemists would likely be part of the same sort of school of thought.

Though they may seem loopy and erratic, there’s no denying that their chemically-enhanced awareness gets results.

 Learning to craft a mind-altering mixture is the first thing these investigators learn to do, refining it with experience. This psychoactive substand increases their attention to detail, but also increases their sensitivity to light, granting them the ability to see in low light, and later, total darkness. It also grants them sight beyond sight, seeing invisible things and even perceiving the auras of living things. However, the concoction messes with their equilibrium and coordination.

Their interest in drugs give them an insider’s perspective when identifying them and mixing them, and they can, with effort, render both mundane and magical drugs inert with a few added chemicals.

Using said drugs also increases their resistance to such things, eventually making them completely immune to drugs, though they can choose to reduce their immunity to partake in the effects.

Altered perception allows them to see the unseen, but it can be overwhelming to others. As such, these investigators learn rudimentary magic to share their experiences with those around them, creating illusionary vistas, phantom assailants, and even bizarre mixing of the senses. They can even later bend how other things are viewed by supernatural senses that others possess, altering the auras of objects and creatures.

The hyperawareness of these detectives also plays into combat, and with a little inspiration while under the effects of their drugs, they can study and predict the behaviors of multiple foes at once, gaining the advantage even when outnumbered.

Interested in a chemically-enhanced investigator with unique powers? This might be useful. Albeit, the drug-related powers not tied to their concoctions may have varying use depending on the presence of such substances in your game, but being able to get magical sense and multiple studied combats at once can be quite useful, especially when fighting larger groups of foes when taking actions to study foes quickly becomes expensive.

 It goes without saying that archetypes and character options that depict drug use should really only be used by those mature enough to understand the difference between drugs in the real world and those in a fantasy world. Also, accurately depicting a character under the influence can and should be a lot more nuanced than acting like a stereotypical stoner, so keep that in mind. Also consider how important GM description is in making the hallucinations and bizarre, skewed information feel authentic.

  Mysterious murders have a city’s constabulary vexed, and things have only gotten worse when the head investigator witnessed the killer while under the effects of her mind-enhancing concoctions, fleeing in a panic from “The Horror Behind the Face”

 The Moon Blossom drug dealing ring has never been fully been uprooted, because even the guard uses their substances. Obstensibly to get an edge, but the more they use them, the more they need. One can’t argue the results though.

 Most planar scholars know of the ethereal plane, the plane of shadows, and the plane of dreams, which all border the material world. However, some posit a sort of space on the border between the material and these planes, a sort of otherworld that can’t be accessed by planar travel, but glimpsed by an altered mind. Those that subscribe to this often use drugs to try and see what secrets they can uncover by viewing it.

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Guildbreaker (Ranger Archetype)

Two weeks ago we did an entry on the Guild Agent archetype, and talked about thieves guilds in general. Now today we’re exploring an archetype that wants to destroy such organizations.

To clarify, the guildbreaker is not specifically anti-thieves guild, but rather trains to face off against organizations that they cannot abide, be they good or evil or something else. Some may be lawbringers seeking to put the kibosh on organized crime or insidious cults, or they might be anarchists or villains that want to undermind authority. Regardless, they study their chosen foes much as others do specific groups of beings to better defeat them.

This comes with its own challenges, of course, since organizations are a part of civilization, for the most part. Meaning intrigue and politics factor into the tactics of these foes, and those the guildbreaker must use against them.

 Though they can still train against specific creature types, these rangers also can train themselves against specific organizations, learning their methods, their calling cards, their tactics, all with the purpose of bringing them down as they would any favored enemy.

To a guildbreaker, the city is like a jungle in its own right, but also like a body of water, every action affecting each part, and with a keen eye and ear, be traced back to its source. As such, but simply listening to the local rumormill and interacting with others, they can learn about the goings on of the city, all without asking any direct questions.

To make their desires to defeat organizations a reality, these warriors learn to turn their knowledge of an organization against it, allowing them to masquerade as a member to infiltrate within. This goes so far and so deep that they can even fool truthtelling magic, but only in regards to direct questions about their membership and loyalty. Indirect questions can still trip them up.

Being in an urban environment means dealing with crowds, and these rangers learn to rapidly navigate them, finding no hindrance.

Interested in an urban ranger more suited to taking down the villainous organization(s) the party will be facing? This might be the right choice. Most ranger builds will apply here, but the choices of what organizations and guilds to target with their abilities will be affected by the presence and relevance of such opposing groups.

 The reasons behind their enmity with various organizations are likely as diverse as the organizations they might possibly go up against. An archetype like this is just begging to be paired up with the villainous groups from the new Villain Codex. Have fun and be creative!

  Convinced that the arcane academy of Spenza is a den of evil, Detective Baldana has been digging deep into their history, and practicing with casting spells from concealed wands, all to get closer and blow the “conspiracy” wide open. What she doesn’t realize it the truth is more terrible than her wildest suspicion.

 Having had enough of adventurers foiling their well-laid plans, the secret society has been orphaning children with agents posing as sellswords, then summarily adopting them, hoping to create agents trained to tear apart adventuring guilds with bloody-minded intensity. It will be years before it comes to fruition, but the recent rumors of murderous adventuring troops are disturbing to say the least.

 The specially assembled squadron of the guard devoted to breaking up organized crime would be well on their way to eradicating the thieves guild of Mareonne, if it were not for them being hamstringed at every turn by the corrupt officials and nobility. The frustrations of these justice-seekers only grows, and now a mysterious patron has appeared, offering them a new target, the very nobility that impedes them.

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Subsystems and You 2: Verbal Duels

Last time we talked about subsystems, we did an entry on mage duels and their sister system: regular duels. Today, we’re going to look at another form of duel, one that takes place without bloodshed (usually), and revolves around besting foes in a battle of wits.

Verbal duels take many forms, and can be used to represent a bevy of social conflicts and interactions, everything from friendly debates, to legal trials, to political debates, public arguments, price haggling, and so on.

These duels can be a fun way to spice up social interactions both in and outside your intrigue-centered games.

 In verbal duels, each participant has a reserve of determination that fuels their ability to continue the debate. As the duel progresses, participants lose determination, making this the equivalent of hit points for the purposes of the duel.

Each duel is a series of arguments, one person making an opening statement, which the other then concedes or makes a counterargument against, the first person may then make a counterarguement against this, the process repeating with the stakes raising with each exchange, until one fails the skill check to deliver the counterargument, or concedes the point, at which point the loser finds the accumulated stakes of that exchange sap away at their determination. Then a new exchange begins with a new point, until finally there is an overall victor.

Of course, the content of your arguments is also an important factor, since different argument and counterargument strategies interact with each other differently. General rules such a repetition weakening follow-up arguments, and so on, apply.

From there, subtle factors are at play, as well, such as edges, which can be provided by magic, bonuses normally directly applied to relevant skills, and so on, which provide rerolls to various arguments. Furthermore, the attitude of the audience, if any, can be sussed out ahead of time, and even influenced, granting bonuses on specific types of arguments. Furthermore, Even starting determination and edges can be manipulated depending on the social advantage a participant has over the other, such as a famed prosecutor being hard to defeat even with evidence, though the same might not be true if their illegal practices of manipulating testimonies and evidence are brought to light publically.

 Like any subsystem, it takes research on the part of the GM and the players to use effectively, but it can be a fun way to add a fun bit of complexity to what might otherwise be just a simple series of diplomacy rolls.

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Ultimate Intrigue Finalists

Here are the character sheets for all five of the Pathfinder Ultimate Intrigue Giveaway finalists. We’ll be drawing the winner next week!

Here’s Yitsl the Lizardfold Monk by Austin Jutte. Character sheet by Troy.

Shiro the Half-Elf Oracle by Leith Vance. Character sheet by Skid.

Ragnar Rockgroin the Mountain Dwarf Cleric by Matthew Fields. Character sheet by Grant.

Gynzell Dazinko Hightain Winklebyre the Gnome Alchemist by Ian Saderholm. Character sheet by Matthew. (Typical noob forgot to cast him.)

And rounding out the party is Iridia Schnellwasser (Quickwater) the Half-Elf Paladin by Katja Hauser. Character sheet by Joe.

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dont know if you will talk about it, but have you looked over ultimate Intrigue? Its got some REALLY good advice on different spells and things for how to conteract them or add mystery to them like detect alignment or blood biography. And appearently it explains alot of uses for skills and other things like that. personally I think its really interesting, but Im not super great at finding a use for it yet.

I haven’t looked at it!  It sounds really nifty, but I usually don’t read much beyond the Core Rulebook and Monster Manual.  Though I do sometimes scan the other Pathfinder books just because the art is so pretty.

If my players want to use something from outside the core rulebook, I usually approve it as long as it still fits within the campaign setting.  A couple of my friends own a bunch of the Ultimate books, so I can browse their shelves when I need to reference something.

I’ll definitely take a look the next time I’m in my local gaming store. :)