Agent of the Sovereign Crown [Archive] - Wizards Community

Agent of the Sovereign Crown [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lasrifriir
06-18-04, 10:19 PM My first prestige class, whew, it was fun writing it down. I’ve had this idea sitting around in my head for a while, and on the night after my last final I was able to concentrate enough to transcribe it down here. I recognize that it is probably overpowered, but it is also mainly a roleplaying PrC. Feedback is welcome, even needed :). Happy end of the school year everyone, and enjoy reading this.

Agent of the Sovereign Order
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/FR_ART/People/ElaithCraulnober.jpg

Most monarchies prefer to solve their diplomatic and economic issues with brute force, oppressing all those who try to stand up against their brutal regime. Those are the ones that last for the shortest amount of time: the peasantry eventually rebels, a leader emerges, and the cycle repeats itself over again.

However, some crafty rulers find that their problems are more easily solved through guile and manipulation rather then oppression and fascism. Long ago, the first of those rulers founded the first order of the Sovereign Order, an elite (and most often secretive) sect of agents skilled in the fine arts of subterfuge and artifice. They work behind the scenes, acting as spy, emissary, and militant all at once. One mission for the crown may be infiltrating and gaining the trust of a paranoid and dangerous cult, while the other may be convincing the local paladin’s chapter house to kill the demon being worshipped, while yet another may be personally dealing with that demon’s minion assassins that are attacking the noble houses.

Rogues, with their vast repertoire of skills and penchant for shady enterprises, are naturals at both the Open Agent and Secret Police facets of this class. Bards as well, make excellent choices due to their jack-of-all-trades attitudes and ear for rumors. Monks, surprisingly, are adept at the Secret Police option, due to their mundane appearances and vast array of skills suited for stealth. Multiclass Rogue/Diviners are valuable indeed, since it is the rare monarchy that underestimates the power of information as well as magic. Barbarians are generally too obvious to become an Agent, while Paladins may find some of their practices dishonorable. Druids are of a decidedly neutral bent and care little for politics, and the Rangers seldom stray far enough from the forests to care about the empires surrounding them. Multiclass fighter/rogues are common as well, with the combination of fighting power and sneak attacks attracting many Secret Police.

Requirements:

Feats: Skill Focus (Diplomacy) and Nobleborn* for Open Agent, or Skill Focus (Sense Motive or Intimidate) and Persuasive for Secret Police
Skills: Diplomacy/Sense Motive/Intimidate 8 ranks, Knowledge (nobility or royalty) 8 ranks for Open Agent, or Knowledge (underworld) 8 ranks for Secret Police, Disguise 4 ranks, Speak Language (two beyond native language)
Special: The character must gain a position within a monarchial government, and be officially appointed by either the king or queen (actual titles may vary). This is usually obtained by completing a task vital to maintaining the security of the crown, although exceptions exist. Open Agents must also be of some relation to the crown’s current leadership, almost always through blood.
Alignment: Any non-chaotic.
Hit Die: d6

* = New feat, see below

Class Skills
The agent of the Sovereign Order’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:
Are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft (any) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (royalty or underworld) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 6+ Int Modifier

Ten Level Prestige Class:

BAB: Average (As Rogue)
Saving Throws:
Fortitude: Bad (As Rogue)
Reflex: Good (As Rogue)
Will: Good (As Wizard)

Special Abilities:

1____Agent Path I
2____Contact
3____Eloquent Speech +2
4____Man/Woman of Many Faces
5____Agent Path II
6____Eloquent Speech +4
7____-
8____Contact
9____Eloquent Speech +6
10___Agent Path III

Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the agent of the Sovereign Order.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Agents of the Sovereign Order gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Agent Path: Before gaining their first level, an Agent of the Sovereign Order must choose whether they will be an Open Agent or Secret Police.

Open Agents rule publicly with the monarchy’s authority behind them, gaining the support of local authorities and much of the populace. They are rare however; as most monarchies find that the rumors of their manipulating and enigmatic “secret police” are far more effective then agents with a public face.

Secret Police (the more romantic may call them Secret Agents) are agents who technically do not exist, lurking in the shadows with a dagger in one hand and a fistful of gold in the other. They eliminate threats to the crown’s leadership before they even exist, and those manipulated by them rarely see their faces, let alone learn their names. They are frequently major figures in the information gathering underworld, hording rumors and secrets that are vital to the crown's security and acting upon them accordingly.

It should be noted that the majority of Open Agents are good, while most Secret Police are neutral with evil tendencies.

The Agent of the Sovereign Order gains the following benefits if he chooses the Open Agent path:

Open Agent I: Upon gaining his first level in this prestige class, the Agent of the Sovereign Order is issued writs that announce his identity and his right to use the authority of the crown. While presenting these writs, he gains a +4 bonus on any Diplomacy check to allow him into a secured area. His reputation also precedes him, giving him a +2 general bonus on Intimidate checks with individuals who have reason to fear his authority (the two bonuses are not cumulative).

Open Agent II: Upon reaching 5th level, the Open Agent receives the Leadership feat for free. If he already has it, he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Leadership score. These followers are mainly people loyal to the crown, while a few may be people who owe their lives to the agent and his actions. His cohort is usually an official bodyguard appointed by the crown.

Open Agent III: At 10th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order is recognized as the official leader of the Sovereign Order. He no longer needs writs to gain the bonus, and adds double his charisma bonus to all Charisma based skill checks. The bonus does not stack with the existing Charisma bonus, and the bonus may not surpass his Agent level. In addition, the Agent had proven himself in the eyes of the monarchy, and is given the title of Duke (may vary) and is given authority over a large tract of land with several important cities.

The Agent of the Sovereign Order gains the following benefits if he chooses the Secret Police path:

At each Secret Police path level (at 1st, 5th, and 10th levels) the Agent gains an extra 1d6 Sneak Attack damage, as per the rogue ability. If he already has the ability, they stack.

Secret Police I: The Secret Police live by the credo: “A single knife in the dark can do more good than a thousand swords at dawn”. Whether that is a figurative knife or a tangible knife does not matter. At 1st level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order gains Poison Use, as per the Assassin ability. He has also begun gaining contacts in the information underworld, and may add up to half his Agent of the Sovereign Crown level (rounded down) to his Gather Information checks.

Secret Police II: At 5th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order is recognized as a valuable member of the order. He may issue orders to lower level agents, as long as they are within the aims of the crown (GM’s discretion). In addition, he has gained a network of information contacts throughout a certain section of the empire. As long as he is trying to gain information about that area in that area, he may make Gather Information checks in a quarter of the usual time.

Secret Police III: At 10th level, the Agent is hailed as the leader of the Sovereign Order. He has also established an aura of mystique and dread about him that few men will ever hope to accomplish. He adds his Agent of the Sovereign Order level to all Intimidate checks. At this point, there is little that escapes the Agent’s spiderweb of contacts and information gatherers. Assume that he may make a number of Gather Information checks equal to his Intelligence modifier per day that require no time. (Rationale being that the character already has the rumor or information on hand)

Contact: At 2nd and 8th level, the Agent gains a contact (see Unearthed Arcana). For Open Agents, they are usually from the Influence background. For Secret Police, they are usually from the Information background.

Eloquent Speech: The agent’s travels have led him far and wide, allowing him to practice his oratory and methods of persuasion on numerous cultures and peoples. At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order gains the listed bonus on Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks.

Man/Woman of Many Faces: At 4th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order has perfected the ability of blending into a crowd and avoiding unnecessary attention. He gains and +10 bonus on Disguise checks, and may make them in ½ the time of a normal character.

Note that much of the above assumes that there is a seperate Sovereign Order for every monarchial government in the campaign world, whose orders and beliefs may not always coincide (*cough* Plot Hook Generator *cough*) An alternate concept might be a single Sovereign Order throughout the entire world, that is dedicated to keeping monarchies in power. A good-aligned Order might truly believe that monarchies are the most pure form of government, while an evil one may act only in the interests of it's members. The DM should decide what role the Order has in his/her campaign world before they let a player take this prestige class.

New Feat:

Nobleborn [General]
You were born to a noble family, and waste no opportunity using your heritage to your advantage.
Prerequisites: This feat may only be chosen at first level.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks while dealing with other nobles or members of the aristocracy. You also start with double the normal amount of gold for your class.
strockrow
06-18-04, 11:45 PM I like this class alot, although I feel like the open agent is more powerful than the secret police agent. Maybe as a booster, you could give the secret police agent sneak attack +1d6 at every agent path level (+1d6 at 1st level, +2d6 at 5th level, +3d6 at 10th level... so on)
Lasrifriir
06-21-04, 03:39 PM Yes, that's reasonable, it fits in with the more proactive role that I see most Secret Police fulfilling as well. I'll add it in.

Any more comments anyone?

(Edit: Typo)
strockrow
06-21-04, 05:48 PM Good day, Mr. Bond.

I think it's great.
Lasrifriir
06-29-04, 01:29 PM As of 06/29/04, 1:30 Eastern Time:

Added artwork, changed some wording around and added some ideas.

An example character and flavor text will be up soon.

Au revoir.
strange_person
06-30-04, 12:21 PM I agree it could be a little on the powerful side, but (in this case anyway) with great power comes great responsibility. You've got lots of useful diplomatic powers for pursuing your own agenda, but not a lot of time in which to use them.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lasrifriir 06-18-04, 10:19 PM	My first prestige class, whew, it was fun writing it down. I’ve had this idea sitting around in my head for a while, and on the night after my last final I was able to concentrate enough to transcribe it down here. I recognize that it is probably overpowered, but it is also mainly a roleplaying PrC. Feedback is welcome, even needed :). Happy end of the school year everyone, and enjoy reading this. Agent of the Sovereign Order http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/FR_ART/People/ElaithCraulnober.jpg Most monarchies prefer to solve their diplomatic and economic issues with brute force, oppressing all those who try to stand up against their brutal regime. Those are the ones that last for the shortest amount of time: the peasantry eventually rebels, a leader emerges, and the cycle repeats itself over again. However, some crafty rulers find that their problems are more easily solved through guile and manipulation rather then oppression and fascism. Long ago, the first of those rulers founded the first order of the Sovereign Order, an elite (and most often secretive) sect of agents skilled in the fine arts of subterfuge and artifice. They work behind the scenes, acting as spy, emissary, and militant all at once. One mission for the crown may be infiltrating and gaining the trust of a paranoid and dangerous cult, while the other may be convincing the local paladin’s chapter house to kill the demon being worshipped, while yet another may be personally dealing with that demon’s minion assassins that are attacking the noble houses. Rogues, with their vast repertoire of skills and penchant for shady enterprises, are naturals at both the Open Agent and Secret Police facets of this class. Bards as well, make excellent choices due to their jack-of-all-trades attitudes and ear for rumors. Monks, surprisingly, are adept at the Secret Police option, due to their mundane appearances and vast array of skills suited for stealth. Multiclass Rogue/Diviners are valuable indeed, since it is the rare monarchy that underestimates the power of information as well as magic. Barbarians are generally too obvious to become an Agent, while Paladins may find some of their practices dishonorable. Druids are of a decidedly neutral bent and care little for politics, and the Rangers seldom stray far enough from the forests to care about the empires surrounding them. Multiclass fighter/rogues are common as well, with the combination of fighting power and sneak attacks attracting many Secret Police. Requirements: Feats: Skill Focus (Diplomacy) and Nobleborn* for Open Agent, or Skill Focus (Sense Motive or Intimidate) and Persuasive for Secret Police Skills: Diplomacy/Sense Motive/Intimidate 8 ranks, Knowledge (nobility or royalty) 8 ranks for Open Agent, or Knowledge (underworld) 8 ranks for Secret Police, Disguise 4 ranks, Speak Language (two beyond native language) Special: The character must gain a position within a monarchial government, and be officially appointed by either the king or queen (actual titles may vary). This is usually obtained by completing a task vital to maintaining the security of the crown, although exceptions exist. Open Agents must also be of some relation to the crown’s current leadership, almost always through blood. Alignment: Any non-chaotic. Hit Die: d6 * = New feat, see below Class Skills The agent of the Sovereign Order’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft (any) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (royalty or underworld) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex). Skills Points at Each Level: 6+ Int Modifier Ten Level Prestige Class: BAB: Average (As Rogue) Saving Throws: Fortitude: Bad (As Rogue) Reflex: Good (As Rogue) Will: Good (As Wizard) Special Abilities: 1____Agent Path I 2____Contact 3____Eloquent Speech +2 4____Man/Woman of Many Faces 5____Agent Path II 6____Eloquent Speech +4 7____- 8____Contact 9____Eloquent Speech +6 10___Agent Path III Class Features: All of the following are class features of the agent of the Sovereign Order. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Agents of the Sovereign Order gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Agent Path: Before gaining their first level, an Agent of the Sovereign Order must choose whether they will be an Open Agent or Secret Police. Open Agents rule publicly with the monarchy’s authority behind them, gaining the support of local authorities and much of the populace. They are rare however; as most monarchies find that the rumors of their manipulating and enigmatic “secret police” are far more effective then agents with a public face. Secret Police (the more romantic may call them Secret Agents) are agents who technically do not exist, lurking in the shadows with a dagger in one hand and a fistful of gold in the other. They eliminate threats to the crown’s leadership before they even exist, and those manipulated by them rarely see their faces, let alone learn their names. They are frequently major figures in the information gathering underworld, hording rumors and secrets that are vital to the crown's security and acting upon them accordingly. It should be noted that the majority of Open Agents are good, while most Secret Police are neutral with evil tendencies. The Agent of the Sovereign Order gains the following benefits if he chooses the Open Agent path: Open Agent I: Upon gaining his first level in this prestige class, the Agent of the Sovereign Order is issued writs that announce his identity and his right to use the authority of the crown. While presenting these writs, he gains a +4 bonus on any Diplomacy check to allow him into a secured area. His reputation also precedes him, giving him a +2 general bonus on Intimidate checks with individuals who have reason to fear his authority (the two bonuses are not cumulative). Open Agent II: Upon reaching 5th level, the Open Agent receives the Leadership feat for free. If he already has it, he gains a permanent +2 bonus to his Leadership score. These followers are mainly people loyal to the crown, while a few may be people who owe their lives to the agent and his actions. His cohort is usually an official bodyguard appointed by the crown. Open Agent III: At 10th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order is recognized as the official leader of the Sovereign Order. He no longer needs writs to gain the bonus, and adds double his charisma bonus to all Charisma based skill checks. The bonus does not stack with the existing Charisma bonus, and the bonus may not surpass his Agent level. In addition, the Agent had proven himself in the eyes of the monarchy, and is given the title of Duke (may vary) and is given authority over a large tract of land with several important cities. The Agent of the Sovereign Order gains the following benefits if he chooses the Secret Police path: At each Secret Police path level (at 1st, 5th, and 10th levels) the Agent gains an extra 1d6 Sneak Attack damage, as per the rogue ability. If he already has the ability, they stack. Secret Police I: The Secret Police live by the credo: “A single knife in the dark can do more good than a thousand swords at dawn”. Whether that is a figurative knife or a tangible knife does not matter. At 1st level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order gains Poison Use, as per the Assassin ability. He has also begun gaining contacts in the information underworld, and may add up to half his Agent of the Sovereign Crown level (rounded down) to his Gather Information checks. Secret Police II: At 5th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order is recognized as a valuable member of the order. He may issue orders to lower level agents, as long as they are within the aims of the crown (GM’s discretion). In addition, he has gained a network of information contacts throughout a certain section of the empire. As long as he is trying to gain information about that area in that area, he may make Gather Information checks in a quarter of the usual time. Secret Police III: At 10th level, the Agent is hailed as the leader of the Sovereign Order. He has also established an aura of mystique and dread about him that few men will ever hope to accomplish. He adds his Agent of the Sovereign Order level to all Intimidate checks. At this point, there is little that escapes the Agent’s spiderweb of contacts and information gatherers. Assume that he may make a number of Gather Information checks equal to his Intelligence modifier per day that require no time. (Rationale being that the character already has the rumor or information on hand) Contact: At 2nd and 8th level, the Agent gains a contact (see Unearthed Arcana). For Open Agents, they are usually from the Influence background. For Secret Police, they are usually from the Information background. Eloquent Speech: The agent’s travels have led him far and wide, allowing him to practice his oratory and methods of persuasion on numerous cultures and peoples. At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order gains the listed bonus on Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks. Man/Woman of Many Faces: At 4th level, the Agent of the Sovereign Order has perfected the ability of blending into a crowd and avoiding unnecessary attention. He gains and +10 bonus on Disguise checks, and may make them in ½ the time of a normal character. Note that much of the above assumes that there is a seperate Sovereign Order for every monarchial government in the campaign world, whose orders and beliefs may not always coincide (cough Plot Hook Generator cough) An alternate concept might be a single Sovereign Order throughout the entire world, that is dedicated to keeping monarchies in power. A good-aligned Order might truly believe that monarchies are the most pure form of government, while an evil one may act only in the interests of it's members. The DM should decide what role the Order has in his/her campaign world before they let a player take this prestige class. New Feat: Nobleborn [General] You were born to a noble family, and waste no opportunity using your heritage to your advantage. Prerequisites: This feat may only be chosen at first level. Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks while dealing with other nobles or members of the aristocracy. You also start with double the normal amount of gold for your class.
strockrow 06-18-04, 11:45 PM	I like this class alot, although I feel like the open agent is more powerful than the secret police agent. Maybe as a booster, you could give the secret police agent sneak attack +1d6 at every agent path level (+1d6 at 1st level, +2d6 at 5th level, +3d6 at 10th level... so on)
Lasrifriir 06-21-04, 03:39 PM	Yes, that's reasonable, it fits in with the more proactive role that I see most Secret Police fulfilling as well. I'll add it in. Any more comments anyone? (Edit: Typo)
strockrow 06-21-04, 05:48 PM	Good day, Mr. Bond. I think it's great.
Lasrifriir 06-29-04, 01:29 PM	As of 06/29/04, 1:30 Eastern Time: Added artwork, changed some wording around and added some ideas. An example character and flavor text will be up soon. Au revoir.
strange_person 06-30-04, 12:21 PM	I agree it could be a little on the powerful side, but (in this case anyway) with great power comes great responsibility. You've got lots of useful diplomatic powers for pursuing your own agenda, but not a lot of time in which to use them.