Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 CzarCascade Mar 12, 2015 12:08:04	I'm contemplating on a new season 2 character that is essentially from the fallen Tiamat cult but I wanted to roleplay through the theme of getting into the adventure league camp...   If I take the Charlatan background feature, can I use my false identity in the form of belonging to a faction?   Essentially, I would be a factionless, mercenary type, but can I present that false identity to get the same information / missions of a factioned character during an adventure? I realize I may not accumulate renown...but it would be interesting from a RP perspective. Especially as the character builds a real history and a true / valid information base.
#2 TheBreen Mar 12, 2015 12:48:32	CzarCascade wrote:
#3 CahPahkah Mar 12, 2015 12:53:42	Logistically, I'd suggest actually belonging to a faction even if, for roleplay reasons, it's only as part of your 'cover identity'.   That way gets you the benefits of faction membership (which your cover identity should have, anyway) without raising any potential red-flags for DMs, like giving faction benefits to someone who may-or-may-not qualify. You also get to accumulate renown.   Also, actually joining the faction and accumulating renown would make your sudden but inevitable betrayal that much sweeter -- you can leave the faction at any time, forfeiting the renown you've earned.
#4 CzarCascade Mar 12, 2015 13:04:36	TheBreen wrote:
#5 Kalani Mar 12, 2015 13:14:42	This is a very interesting concept. The only problem I have is that it opens the possibility of the character accruing renown in two factions.   Charlie the Charlatan (to use the earlier example) might actually be a member of the Zhentarim who has infiltrated the Harpers under the guise of Harry the Harper. He is loyal to his true faction, but would gain "virtual" renown within the Harpers, climbing the ranks and ferreting out their secrets - which he then sells to his parent faction (he is zhentarim after all, nothing for free).   I would allow it in this instance however, as the character doesn't actually have renown in both factions - Harry has renown with the Harpers, and Charlie with the Zhentarim. The fact that the same character can play off both factions would make for a very interesting concept.
#6 Oraibi Mar 12, 2015 14:23:40	I wouldn't allow it for AL play. In a home game context it makes perfect sense.
#7 Coredump00 Mar 12, 2015 15:23:49	CzarCascade wrote:
(Reply to #2) QwertyAzerty	TheBreen wrote:
#9 Pauper Mar 13, 2015 8:38:33	This is an interesting character concept, and one I wouldn't mind seeing at the table.   As long as your character's main identity wasn't a member of a faction, I wouldn't have a problem allowing the false identity to gain renown in a given faction. But the AL rules are pretty clear on the question of factions -- as soon as your character (regardless of the identity assumed) joins a second faction, she loses all renown with any previous faction.   So you'd either have to choose to focus on being Harry the Harper or Zeke the Zhent, or neither of them is going to be very well connected in their factions.   Note: while the Charlatan background does specify that you only have one well-documented alternate identity at the time of character creation, it also allows for the creation of new alternate identities in play. For AL purposes, however, your character, regardless of how many identities she possesses, can only gain renown with one faction at a time.   -- Pauper