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Quicksilver Syndicate
Alignment: NE
Headquarters: Rook’s Ridge, Daggermark
Leader: Mistress of Crows
Structure: Multinational corporation
Scope: Regional
Resources: Local guildhalls in thirteen major cities across Avistan, liquid assets worth millions of gold pieces, and a network of agents, collaborators, and informants

Created as a tool of revenge against the Pathfinder Society, the Quicksilver Syndicate often competes with Pathfinder field teams and adventurers in the hunt for magic items and similar treasures. Although it resembles a thieves’ guild, the Syndicate commits theft on contract rather than for direct profit, sometimes in exchange for favors. Syndicate agents steal property, pilfer information, and kidnap creatures for their clients. They also plant evidence and instigate scandals to divert attention or to fulfill a patron’s grudge. The Syndicate is unconventional in that it recruits thieves from unlikely places; it counts numerous fey, such as quicklings and forlarren, among its ranks.

Structure and Leadership
The Syndicate includes four groups specialized in different criminal activities. The Magsmen excel at burglary and filching information, while the Blackjacks operate as smugglers and kidnappers. The Mummers, disguised as traveling entertainers, recruit new members. Finally, the Knuckles serve as enforcers, eliminating threats through blackmail and intimidation, with murder sanctioned as a last resort.

Syndicate members owe allegiance to Mistress Crow, an enigmatic First World refugee. She commands her lieutenants, the Harrowed Cabinet, through dreams and messengers. The Cabinet includes the Syndicate’s thirteen most accomplished thieves, each in charge of a different guildhall. When a thief ascends to their ranks, he draws his nickname and a glimpse at his fortune from an ancient Harrow deck.

Goals
To outsiders, the Syndicate sells thievery for gold. In truth, the organization cares little about wealth as long as its actions harm the Pathfinder Society or disrupt the Society’s plans. Mistress Crow lets nothing interfere with the vendetta against her former comrades, even at the expense of profits.

The Syndicate expends substantial effort enlisting fey creatures, with emphasis on enchanters, illusionists, and diviners, as well as individuals with supernatural stealth. The Syndicate gains strength by offering refuge to creatures shunned by the mundane world.

Public Perception
Although many people have heard of the Syndicate, few outside the criminal world understand its goals. For corrupt nobles and merchants, the Syndicate offers the best chance to retrieve a stolen or coveted item. When its agenda against the Pathfinders permits, the Syndicate strives to keep clients satisfied.

Spellblight Cage
Aura moderate abjuration; CL 7th
Slot none; Price 7,500 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
Description
Constructed of twisted bands of iron with a hinged door on one side, this cage appears sized to hold a Diminutive creature. If either a minor or major spellblight targets the cage possessor, the spellblight cage automatically captures the affliction instead. The cage holds one spellblight at a time, and it can capture only one every 24 hours. An imprisoned spellblight resembles a miniature will-o'-wisp, shedding light equal to a candle. Whether occupied or not, the cage grants the wielder a +2 resistance bonus on all saving throws against spellblights and their effects.

As a standard action, the wielder may open the cage and release the trapped spellblight. The affliction immediately flies from the cage and attacks the nearest enemy spellcaster or creature with a spell-like ability within a 50-foot line of sight. If two eligible targets are equidistant from the cage, the spellblight attacks the target with the fewest spellcaster levels. Much as if the targeted creature cast a spell or used a spell-like ability in an area of spellblight, it must make a saving throw (DC 14 Will saving throw for a minor spellblight, or a DC 22 Will saving throw for a major one) or gain a random spellblight affliction of the appropriate strength (Ultimate Magic 95).

If a target successfully saves against the affliction, or if no eligible targets are within 50 feet of the cage, the released spellblight dissipates harmlessly.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, bestow curse, remove curse; Cost 3,750 gp

I have a question about the use of more recent WotC books in desgining adventure submissions for DUNGEON. Specifically, in this case, the excellent TOME OF MAGIC.

I am designing a submission proposal that would work especially well with one of the new classes introduced in ToM.

I know that when using non-core books for adventures -- the Fiend Folio, for example, the designer needs to include info on that monster in the adventure, since the assumption is that readers do not necessarily have the FF.

How does this work for new spellcasting classes, such as the binder, introduced in ToM? Is this a case where it is just best not to use non-core material, but rather find a way to use a core class instead? I imagine that word limitations alone might force this path. Does use of something as rule-heavy as a new class from a non-core book pose too many problems, or make the adventure inaccessible for too many readers?

If it *is* permissible to use a new spellcasting class like the Binder in a DUNGEON adventure, how much info should be included?

I would greatly appreciate any help, advice, suggestions that people (editors, designers, gurus) could provide.

Thanks in advance!

I finished reading Richard Pett's excellent adventure, "The Styes" last night and was suitably impressed. One aspect I liked about the adventure was its overall tone and feel. I can only guess that the adventure draws some inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," but that is just my guess. Anyone who is thinking about running this adventure should read that story for additional ideas and flavor.

(The other two adventures in the issue were likewise high quality, entertaining, and filled with nifty atmosphere...but that's a different thread...)

Ever since issue #34 of DRAGON, and ever since the very first issue of DUNGEON, I have enjoyed these wonderful monthly gaming magazines.

One article that I know would fascinate me -- and perhaps interest other readers -- would be an insider's "virtual tour" of the overall effort that goes into just one month's issue of both magazines. The article could perhaps describe the kinds of work each staff does, the overall (immense) workload, how some decisions are made, what the staff talk about when putting together an issue, etc.

Granted, this article is tangential to gaming in general, but perhaps it might be enough of a human interest type thing that people would enjoy it.

Of course, I appreciate the irony of asking someone on staff to write an article (i.e., do more work) to describe how much work they do already...

Just a thought.