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I want a way to hire a arcane magic user but keep it off the books as it were. What I mean by a real fake job is something similar to the way a smuggler can say they're in the import/export business and be 100% truthful while lying through their teeth especially if they have a legitimate trading house as a cover. However magics so unique I can't think of something that will work especially since I also need it to be able to use up a reasonable amount of GP (spell components, books etc) and allow access to a range of people commoners to nobility. Anyone have any ideas of a job I could use as a cover?
Alchemist, sage, tutor, research scientist,.... Part of it depends on what particular skills the wizard in question has. If he's got mad skills in craft (violinmaker), he can simply say that his components are the ingredients in his secret varnish.
hire him as a consultant.
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Wow posting during the server issues really duplicated the thread is there a way we can get these merged?
Its not the spells or the like that's the issue I want a way to keep them close without it being obvious they're a magic user. Tutoring only works if you have someone to tutor, security and consulting raises the same issue of why your consulting/providing security. Merchant maybe but they aren't really being kept close for that.
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Wow posting during the server issues really duplicated the thread is there a way we can get these merged?
Like I said I want a job that doesn't scream magic user so no Alchemist, sages or the like. Tutor only works if you have someone to tutor and you need to explain what your tutoring in. Research scientist again what are you researching.
Like I said I'm trying for a situation where the magic user is . . .
1) Readily available.
2) Has an explanation of why they're getting paid a large amount.
3) Can say I"m doing X without people thinking it odd or that they're a magic user.
For instance a smuggler can say "I'm in the import/export business see there's Talberds Trading company with 3 ships that ply the inner sea carrying various trade goods to our neighbours." any kind of detection or the like will reveal they're telling the truth they just aren't saying that the trading company only covers 30% of their profits with the rest coming from illegal goods smuggled in and out of the various ports.
I want something similar for a mage where they can say "I do X" and have it be believable. Best I've come up with is librarian or the like but that makes vanishing the money a bit hard and there is a certain associaation of bearded scholar in the library with magic use. Its a problem because magic is so unique anything I think of doesn't have a nice match to real world jobs that could work as a cover.
hmmm ...
"I work with books"
"so you're a bookbinder?"
" ... sure."
edit: keeping it vague is the whole point, no matter what people ask after you say "books", just confirm: librarian, papermaker, author, researcher, anything goes as long as it's about books in some form.
bonus points if you can keep it completely deadpan everytime you utter the sentence.
"I'm a scribe."
Technically true. Vague, potentially highly paid (for high quality or sensitive documents).
Barber. As in, just as good a barber as Sweeney Todd.
Tailor. Puts a little extra sparkle in that hemline.
Lamplighter. Get some mileage out of that cantrip selection.
Gods! You could make a twist on nearly any profession.
Cooper: welds the metal hoops on Cinderella's carriage wheels...
Historian, scribe, biographer, chronicler, bookmaker, bookseller, antiquities dealer, appraiser, (choose knowledge or profession skill) consultant, traveling scholar, archaeologist, anthropologist, researcher (for "science," or something else entirely), collector...
Spymaster. Mercenary captain.
Stage magician is always a good one.
"How did you make the milk in your top hat disappear like that? That's amazing!"
*Deadpan* "Just a little Prestidigitation, my good man, and lots of practice."
Bodyguard.
Having some well-built dude with the looks of a lumberjack in leather armor with a sword on his hip as a bodyguard. As soon as thing get bad he raises his arms and Sh** get real, enemies never knew what hit them.
"I though you said he was a bodyguard?!",
"well ... we're safe now, aren't we?"
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Translator. The common definition is for translating one language to another, and it lets an otherwise ordinary (but trusted) person into some very important meetings. But it is also useful for commoners. Specific enough to prevent prying, and most questions will revolve around what you speak and where you learned it. Confidentiality is part of the gig, so you don't have to talk about your work directly.
The alternate meanings ("to change the form, condition, nature, etc., of; transform; convert"; "to bear, carry, or move from one place, position, etc., to another; transfer") effectively translate to "I use magic" and "I deal with contraband", giving you lots truth-detection cover.
Ideally you already have a high int score to know a lot of languages already. Bonus points for being able to use magic to actually carry out your faux job as necessary, even if your int score is low.
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"What's your job in this group?"
"I am a stocker."
"So... you manage inventories?"
"That's one of my duties."
"What else do you do?"
"I stock people."
"You're a slaver?"
"No, I put people in stocks."
"So, like a guard or a warden?"
"That's one of my duties."
"There're more?"
"Yes."
"Do tell."
"I make a delicious stock as well as a very sturdy stock."
"What kind of soups are those?"
"The first one is chicken, the second is for crossbows, not soups."
"So, are you paid so much because you can multitask all of these duties?"
"No, I am paid because I use divination spells to aid in the brokering of stocks."
"Why didn't you just say that from the start?"
"Because I am not just some stock stocker of stock stock, I am a stocker of exceptional skill and stock."
~as recorded by the town guard prior to the defendant's detainment~
My arcane trickster was a Tailor. Google tailor of panama.
Librarian so they can have a large research area.
Shipbuilder is what I would go with. Ships are mobile, easy to lose and really expensive. One rank in Craft (Ships) would provide good cover, and a 9th level Wizard with Fabricate really is the best shipbuilder.
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A lot of it depends on who YOU are.
Are you a wealthy person with a large estate?
Major Domo/Seneschal/Chamberlain
This is the person in charge of managing your household, including hiring and managing servants and maintaining supplies. He will have a significant budget to purchase things for the household. Note that in houses of royals and major nobles this person is usually a noble of lesser rank.
Are you in charge of a business or merchant operation?
Litigant (Lawyer)
Obviously a litigant would be expected to keep business between you and he private, would not necessarily be around all the time but would answer when you called, and they do get paid quite a bit.
Are you involved in the local government?
Secretary
A personal secretary was a common position, and a personal secretary of a king or major noble also commonly functioned as a spymaster. Since they are expected to handle private communications of their lord they would be expected to keep their mouth shut about their dealings, and also would have a budget that was significant.
Are you a part of a standing army or mercenary company?
Chief Quartermaster
Since the quartermaster is in charge of purchases for the army he will have a significant budget. A force of mid-size or greater will have several quartermasters and he could be the head one, with the lower ranks doing all the real work.
Assistant Software Developer
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Sounds like what you need is a front. Basically you hire a couple of people to hide the activities or another, often laundering money, for instance. I would go with, curator. I'd probably build a small crappy museum with stuff. A curiousity shop. You can say you spent your money to obtain whatever hoaky thing you want to display and pretend it's real and just funnel that money into what's going on behind the scenes. You know, assuming he'd go along with it. It's public, unregulated, and people expect a fair amount of insanity or huxsterism to try to get a few penny's from naive or curious travelers.
Caretaker/curator of a "private collection". (actually a collection of spells and magic, but could be taken as art/books etc) If someone asks about the money, it's for new additions to the collection. A commoner can emphasise the menial side of it (cleaning, mending, sorting etc), a minor noble can emphasise history and valuable items.
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Sounds like what you need is a front. Basically you hire a couple of people to hide the activities or another, often laundering money, for instance. I would go with, curator. I'd probably build a small crappy museum with stuff. A curiousity shop. You can say you spent your money to obtain whatever hoaky thing you want to display and pretend it's real and just funnel that money into what's going on behind the scenes. You know, assuming he'd go along with it. It's public, unregulated, and people expect a fair amount of insanity or huxsterism to try to get a few penny's from naive or curious travelers.
Someone's been watching Lillyhammer, OR has real-life knowledge that is... ahem... impressive! ;)
Professor of Theoretical Physics. All the money comes from research grants. You have nobles as patrons, commoners as laborers, and everyones in between as interns, assistants, and students.
And as a wizard everything you do is physics. Theoretically.
I stand by the old standby that is prostitution. You can RP away Sense Motive checks if you're vile enough about content and offend the "sensor's" sensibilities.
"What do you do?"
"A little of this, a little of that."
"Like what?"
"Well, this is This" (points to someone fugly) "and that is That." (points to something even fuglier) "I could offer a demonstration, but you'll have to pay for the privilege."
Just declare the wizard your favorite, become their patron, invite them to all your parties, have them live and dress luxuriously. Spread rumors the wizard is on all the drugs, but only the most costly, goes through prostitutes and so on to explain where the money goes.
Have the wizard dedicate any writings etc to you and you've got it.
"I'm a scribe."
Technically true. Vague, potentially highly paid (for high quality or sensitive documents).
How about an accountant?
Heck, say he is doing an audit. The owners of the company have found that the boxes of wine bottles came up a bit empty one too many times and the bag of diamonds for a raise were not delivered. So they sent a trusted employee to watch over the situation and make sure everything is there.
That way, they can wonder around and randomly mumble while moving their hands (they are doing inventory). The spell pouches are some products that often end up getting stolen, so he holds them for safe keeping. His book has the spread sheets, and he checks them every morning. He can wander about at his own discretion because he is keeping an eye on everyone.
Heck, even if people noticed he does spell casting, you could make an excuse that he is trusted for a reason (since the thieves might be using magic themselves; spell casters are the best at catching spellcasters....)
The act works best if your spellcaster has a stick up his rear already, and he constantly gets on the nerves of everyone else. Have some of the hirelings complain about him over tankards at the tavern. Have the party rogue/sneaky person try to palm a few things during loading/unloading (make sure it is public) and have him get caught. Generally make sure that there is friction between this auditor and the people who have always been with the the group. That will lower suspicions.
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Even with a cover job, if you're going up against someone who's trained in Sense Motive who has a reason to be suspicious, it's still going to be an opposed Bluff vs. Sense Motive check to not reveal that you've got a hidden agenda.
The cover is to reduce the odds someone will get suspicious. Also, having "convincing proof" - a well-supported cover - could grant up to a +10 bonus on your Bluff check.
Doctor or physic that is hired to travel with you would be a decent cover for a mage in hiding who can really identify all that goop they keep with for spell weaving anyway and you would pay them a bunch.
Prostitute who specializes in object insertion (maybe that is to graphic)
Woven basket maker is clearly the most obvious profession for any wizard.
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Never meant to imply that a cover job is a useless tactic, just not one that eliminates risk. For a con, you need someone at the helm with the good social skills and the talent of thinking of one's feet, which includes misdirecting prying eyes and ears from the one guy you need, but is still the weak link in blowing your cover. Anyone thinking of running a con should watch The Sting as instructional material.Even with a cover job, if you're going up against someone who's trained in Sense Motive who has a reason to be suspicious, it's still going to be an opposed Bluff vs. Sense Motive check to not reveal that you've got a hidden agenda.The cover is to reduce the odds someone will get suspicious. Also, having "convincing proof" - a well-supported cover - could grant up to a +10 bonus on your Bluff check.
Agreed. Though a wizard who expects to be running cons could have a decent Bluff modifier on his own.