We will be using all sorts of optional rule systems. Skill Unlocks from Unchained are one main one; Verbal Duels, Influence, Affiliations, Personas (standard and Masked), Mysteries and Investigations, Rumors, Research, Contracts, Downtime, Duels, Gambling and Games of Chance, Investments, Building and Organization rules, and all that sort of thing; if it's in Ultimate Intrigue, chances are it'll get used. If it has to do with intrigue and isn't found in UI, chances are it'll get used.
I strongly encourage you to examine the Building and Organization rules, as well as the Persona rules, as the Leadership feat is not so much being replaced as being dramatically enhanced by these two; the better your persona and organization, the better your chances of succeeding at your goals.
I strongly encourage you to consider the uses of news, art, and propaganda both overt and subtle in history, whether for revolution, war, or political change; the Artistry skills (and to a lesser extent the Craft skills) will enable you to spread your thoughts much farther than your voice can reach.
Though you may not yet have access to them, of note are the rules for Personas and Masked Personas.
Personas
Personas are a measure of how influential you can be in the world; at the end of the first adventure, we will put these together. For a game like this, these are very useful -- especially so for the more public figures of the Military Genius, the Reliable Statesman, and the Influential Merchant, but useful as well in some ways for the Criminal Mastermind and the Distressed Prelate. Your personas will give you dedicated agents to work for you, admirers, and possibly even friends in high places; your personas will make you the critcial linchpins in ending the Red Revolution.
Masked Personas
While vigilantes are the most obvious users of masked personas (and can do so with a speed and reliability that is staggering to see), these rules allow otherwise-ordinary people to keep a 'mask' behind the mirror, as it were. The long-time masters of the masked persona are actually the Gray Gardeners; few if any of them are vigilantes, yet their identities remain hidden. Many if not all of the PCs will acquire a masked persona (again, at the end of the first adventure); the primary development of it will have been accomplished prior to the campaign, with its fruits being seen only now.
Because this is a PbP, we have the opportunity to use neat scripts and that sort of thing for different languages. For this campaign, we will use those languages that can be found in Google Translate. When doing so, for audible speech, use the Latin-alphabet phonetic translation (typically found underneath the box in which the script translation appears) so that we can read what it sounds like. If, however, the conversation is telepathic, mental, or if the words are physically written down, use the language's own script, if it has something else (Arabic, the Cyrillic alphabet, etc.), which is usually found inside the translation box.
Taldan is the 'Common' trade tongue, pretty much everyone uses it, therefore we use English.
Azlanti ==> Latin
Varisian ==> Spanish
Chelaxian ==> Italian
Garundi ==> Hebrew
Keleshite ==> Arabic
Hallit ==> Russian
Mwangi (Polyglot, I guess?) ==> Sesotho
Mwangi-related ==> Igbo
Shoanti ==> German
Ulfen ==> Norwegian
Vudrani ==> Punjabi
Osiriani ==> Amharic
Skald ==> Icelandic
Tien (Tian-Shu, Lung Wa)==> Chinese Traditional
Dan (Tian-Dan, Xa Hoi) ==> Myanmar
Dtang (Tian-Dtang, Dtang Ma) ==> Vietnamese
Hon-La (Tian-La, Hongal) ==> Mongolian
Hwan (Tian-Hwan, Hwanggot) ==> Korean
Minatan (Tian-Sing, Minata) ==> Indonesian
Minkaian (Tian-Min, Minkai) ==> Japanese
Druidic ==> Welsh
Elvish ==> Tamil
Dwarves ==> Ukranian
Gnomes ==> Armenian
Halfling ==> Greek
Draconic ==> Macedonian
Isarn
CN metropolis
Corruption +2, Crime +1, Economy 0, Law +2, Lore +2, Society 0
Qualities Cultured, Defiant, Gang-Ridden*, Notorious, Rumormongering, Under-City*
Danger +40; Disadvantages Impoverished, Martial Law, Oppressed**
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Demographics
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Government Fascistic autotocracy
Population 42,800
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Marketplace
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Base Value 4,800gp Purchase Limit 50,000 gp Spellcasting 4th
*** Minor Items 4d4 Medium Items 2d4 Major Items 1d4
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* - Modified (Gang-Ridden derived from Cruel Watch)
** - Downgraded
*** - Available magic items are re-rolled at the end of every week; obviously, you can commission one, or try to find out if someone is wanting to sell or is about to finish making an item you're looking to acquire.
Stat Usage
Spoiler:
Each of a settlement's stat blocks are added to certain rolls, as follows:
Corruption +2: To Bluff vs. city officials/guards, Stealth outside (not underground)
Crime +1: To Sense Motive vs. Bluff, Sleight of Hand to pick pockets
Economy 0: To Craft, Perform*, Profession to Generate Income
Law +2: To Intimidate to force friendly, Diplomacy vs govt officials or to call guard
Lore +2: To Diplomacy to Gather Info, KS when using city libraries
Society 0: To Disguise, and Diplomacy to alter attitude of govt official
Danger +40: To random encounter table rolls (or chance for encounter)
These apply to all appropriate rolls, whether by you or by an NPC; obviously, the 'Danger' stat is essentially GM-only. If you are using Hero Lab and have ShadowChemosh's Adjustments, you can apply a 'Skill Bonus, Situational' for each of these, and that'll show up on your sheet in the correct places.
* - Due to Cultured, Isarn is always considered to be Prosperous (+1 to Economy) for the purpose of certain checks to generate income; briefly, the check has to create or express something 'artistic' in the 'high art' sense of the term -- statuary, paintings, opera, drama, orchestral music, and the like. Street musicians play the lute and sing arias and solos, or band together and perform 'chamber music' and the like. 'Low' art -- bawdy comedies and music, farcical plays, street art/graffiti, and similar activities, fiddlers with monkeys -- do not receive this bonus, but do not receive any penalty; the point is the people appreciate the 'high art' more.
Credit; In the classic Western movie “Tombstone” (1993) Val Kilmer, as Doc Holliday, says to Johnny Ringo, “I'm your Huckleberry, that's just my game.”
Update: I just realized GM TWO's main account is "The Wyrm Ouroboros" which makes my earlier question regarding the revolution to end all revolutions, both psychic and stoopid!
Again, my apologies; I meant to post on Wednesday, but my network went *plonk*.
Will the following please report to the Discussion Page:
For the position of the Influential Merchant:
Kittenmancer with Manush Karapetyan, a gnome Mindchemist Alchemist / Alley Witch / Conspirator Investigator
In addition, I will be tentatively expanding the game to include three characters who are not currently part of the Conspiracy. If this proves to be overwhelming, I will be dropping characters as necessary, but I'd like to try this anyhow. Call it 'The Vigilante Files', and will these three also report to the Discussion Page:
Ever_Anon with Estelle Delsarte, an Elf Empiricist Investigator / Avenger Vigilante
Wandering Wastrel with Eponine d'Ambreville, a Human Exploiter Wizard / Avenger Vigilante
Helix Missionary with Athanas Sylvain, an elf Flying Blade Swashbuckler / Stalker Vigilante
Lobster, Alias ad Tempus, Jared, Lessah, thank you all four for the time and effort you put into your characters. They are great concepts, and by all means keep them handy for use (possibly with retooling) should someone drop out, or should I look to expand the game; you four and these characters will be the first I look to should that happen.
