Our campaign just had our first PC death and I was wondering how adding the replacement PC factors into the Persona system. I'm thinking that since the new PC isn't necessarily a political figure or already a member of a spy network they should probably start without any points, but I am concerned that might put them too far behind their fellow players. How have other DMs handled this in the past?
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So I've run this twice, once with Persona and once without. I'd recommend without, but that's not what you're asking and I don't want to be That Guy :)
The party lost one PC the first time I ran this (prior to the TPK that ended the campaign in book 2). The way I handled it was to work with the player so the replacement PC was a part of Martella Lotheed's network already. She has an extensive network beyond just 4-6 adventurers, so it makes sense that if she hears of their loss (or even if not) that she sends help. It also provides a good in for a new PC to mesh with the group immediately without straining believability (i.e., it avoids making the PCs say: "We're trying to play the spy game, and hey, let's just open up to this total stranger who is completely new to us and hasn't been a part of the various schemes in the war for the crown...")
If you do that, you can give them Persona that's in line with the other players--the new PC has been working their own agents and cells just the same as the existing PCs, just "off screen" so to speak.
Just how I worked it. YMMV.
So I've run this twice, once with Persona and once without. I'd recommend without, but that's not what you're asking and I don't want to be That Guy :)
Interesting that you removed it entirely. I considered it, but it seems like my players are actually enjoying it, and it seems to become important by book 5. Did you edit those portions of the adventure when you ran it or skip them entirely?
Your advice seems helpful, and makes a lot of sense. I'll definitely try to push my player towards playing another of Martella's agents.
As long as your players are enjoying it, that's great. I found that it was just a lot of tedious book-keeping that accomplished nothing in terms of the plot. I'm running it the second time now, almost through book 4, and haven't seen the need for any of it. I found everything that "requires" it as written, can be handwaved away or skipped.
It helps that I don't use XP, so removing pieces of a campaign don't really cost the players anything. I just level them when the story demands it.
A subsystem of rules described in the adventure path in question.