So the guy is relatively friendly, those that know his reputation may be a little leery of him though. Like I said nice guy, will even help you out, even if it costs him. Would totes even make large donations to keep an orphanage afloat. (Cliche out of context I know, but the character I'm basing this guy off of did do this. Seeing as a large part of his story in the game is left a mystery, this was something to show you that perhaps there was another side to him) But, how he makes his money is where it would come into question. He is a businessman, who sells his talents to the highest bidder and gets the job done, by whatever means necessary. I'm not talking the RAARGH kill everything type of necessary, but the oh, you won't cooperate? Lol we'll be in touch. Then comes back with some dirt good for blackmailing and saying, "How bout now?", kind. Note though that he is a businessman and doesn't take every job. He just tends to weigh risk and reward, rather than the morality of it. He will absolutely take a job as a hired bodyguard, he will slay monsters for you, but he will also take jobs of a shady nature if he believes it can be done low profile, he will even take jobs that work against people he likes and respects, though this holds nothing on his opinion of them or how he would treat them outside of what he was hired to do, to him it's just business. He also tends to avoid the just, hey kill this fellow because we said so jobs, to high profile and potentially bad for business. Hopefully avoiding any labels of "Murderhobo."
I'd say that should suffice for the general idea. Now I'm sure that on the good evil axis he would be neutral. I'm more wondering about the law chaotic axis here. I'm guessing at the very least he wouldn't be chaotic, I'm guessing he would fall on neutrality on this axis as well?
I have very little knowledge of the factions. Only ones I have the slightest knowledge of are Liberty's Edge and The Silver Crusade (I'm guessing they're paladins and the like). Those don't seem like good fits. So thoughts?
I'm not sure about factions. Alignment... this will surprise you, but I'd probably go with (using UC) either a 2/6 (LN) or 2/7 (LE).
The lawful is not in question: while mercenaries are often N/NE, this guy's got a clear code of ethics (no arbitrary killing, no obvious illicit acts, won't harm friends and innocents unless the contract demands it, will consider his contracts before signing them, and most importantly will see them through) well beyond what an ethic-neutral would do.
But he's also a guy whose ethics are based on his image, his reputation, and his business; he'll operate against friends for the right coin, and justify it as an occupational hazard. He'll do illicit things, so long as he can do it covertly. He's also a bit "Machiavellian" in his zeal for the contract: by whatever means necessary, short of arbitrary killing.
If he's not evil, I think he's walking that line.
Hm, then this poses another question as I have ran into this sort of thing before. Sure I can brand him LN all I want. But is he to close to evil for society play? I seem to have a theme here of characters I think would be fun to role-play being slightly to evil in concept for PFS.
Lol seriously makes me want to make a topic arguing Lawful Evil for society play!! but I'm sure that has been hashed out many times already. :P
You're talking PFS factions, right? The Exchange would likely be a good fit for him.
For the record, you can totally get away with playing Lawful Evil in PFS... You just write Lawful Neutral on your character sheet and join the Dark Archive.
Righto, thanks so much! Will take a look at the exchange and dark archive. Hopefully I can get some insight on if he is a little to evil. Would hate to have another character be branded to evil. Especially when this character will be going in as a level 2 character, thus beyond the whole oh just redo him point.
I'm not familiar with PFS's take on it, but a couple more constraints on "whatever means necessary," and perhaps another ethic that would remove the "would take contracts against people he likes and respects," and you should be fine.
Perhaps you maintain a list of people that have done right by you. Before taking a contract, you make your prospective client aware that you have this list and will not act against anyone on it; and if it comes to light that a listed person is a contract target, that it shall be grounds to terminate the contract. Your client, therefore, will need to identify his target so that you can verify that it's not on the list.
This always includes the current employer (because you are not a turncoat,) and whatever player-characters you join up with are somehow under this aegis (whether as employers, fellow employees, or simply those you are employed to help.)
This should swing you firmly into LN.
Honestly I never really thought of the guy I'm basing this off of as evil, I suppose I was looking at him under the light of stereotypical evil, ya know ill intent towards everyone, seeking power to dominate all yada yada. Perhaps he is slightly self serving and that is grounds enough for evil? I suppose I did specifically point out the whole will work against respected peers for coin. Ugh now I just wish he had more revealed about him in game to show more of his good side that was so faintly eluded to. Would have more to work with on why he isn't all that bad. :(
Perhaps looking at the Pathfinders (as well as fellow adventurers as they ARE Pathfinders) as sort of a trump card when it comes to loyalties. Since I joined the Pathfinders as essentially my only long term employer and see any contract that would jeopardize my good standing with them as a sort of liability that could cause me to lose my most profitable and stable source of revenue. That would at least prevent anything from causing me to turn on my group. I can't come up with a good reason to not screw over anyone else tho. From a moral standpoint I could but that goes against the main thing the character who inspired this did. He did a job that inadvertently caused someone he held in high regards to die. He was even talking to his employer during this and the man asked him if he respected this man who he was working against, garnering this by how he spoke of him, with which he responded, "Respect him I do, but Leviathan's Claw always gets the job done." (Leviathan's Claw being his organization)He did mourn for him though and was sad it turned out that way. I don't want to lose this sort of strictly business attitude. I suppose I may have to give a little though.