ROGUE - GUILDSMAN Diplomat Kit Description: Diplomats are Guildsmen who act as arbitrators and advocates for governments, trade guilds, and merchant companies alike. At lower levels in particular, they often function as heralds and official messengers, carrying diplomatic messages or public announcements on behalf of their superiors, gradually working their way up to the point where they are the chief negotiators and deal-makers within their guild, government, or company. Diplomats are respected for their reputation as honest negotiators and for their critical eye for evaluating business, trade, and treaty agreements and their ability to address concerns, build consensus, quiet dissent, and generally broker all manner of disputes between disparate factions and interest groups. They are professional negotiators (and sometimes politicians), and are able to work in bureaucratic circles with consummate skill and tact. To succeed in their profession, their lack of caprice and their trustworthiness must be unimpeachable. Requirements: As a standard Guildsman, but they must possess Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma of at least 13. In addition, half-orcs, half-ogres, and tieflings cannot become Diplomats, as they simply are not trusted by other races to a sufficient degree to be accepted in such circles. Weapon Proficiencies: Diplomats generally wear no armor so as to avoid arousing suspicion in others regarding their intentions; however, they are capable of wearing any type of armor that they wish (but see Special Hindrances). They may become proficient only in size S weapons, plus the staff. Thief Abilities and Modifiers: Bribe Official, Detect Illusion, Forge Document, Read Languages At 5th level, Diplomats gain the ability to Detect Noise and Escape Bonds. They have the normal amount of discretionary points for a Guildsman. Special Benefits: Diplomats are skilled spokespeople and can talk their way through many difficult situations, allowing them the following abilities: Agents: As a standard Guildsman. Character Insight: As a standard Guildsman, but with a +20% bonus due to a Diplomat's acute awareness of verbal and nonverbal cues. In addition, Diplomats can use this ability to detect any spoken lie (as long as the speaker is aware that he or she is lying). This ability is automatic and need not be declared by the Diplomat as an action. Magically disguised lies (e.g., undetectable lie, misdirection, Otto's silver tongue) can be detected at half the normal chances. A failed roll indicates that no information is gained, but false information will never be gained. Diplomacy: Diplomats can truly shine in situations where they are able to speak calmly, clearly, and with authority to others. They are so skilled in working out disputes, smoothing over social gaffes and faux pas, and persuading others to come around to their point of view that any time a reaction roll with creatures of at least Low intelligence with whom the Diplomat can communicate arises, a Diplomat can bring his or her Diplomacy to bear. The Diplomat should attempt a Diplomacy proficiency check with a bonus equal to his or her level and a penalty equal to the level of the highest-level individual with whom he or she speaking. If the check succeeds, two reaction rolls should be made instead of only one, and the Diplomat may choose which result occurs. Note that the use of Diplomacy assumes that the Diplomat has some opportunity to bring his or her negotiating skills to bear, requiring at least 1d10 rounds, reduced by one round per three levels of experience (rounding down, to a minimum of one round). It is often possible for a Diplomat to claim "diplomatic immunity" for many legal difficulties that he or she might encounter. To attempt this, a Diplomat must attempt Bureaucracy and Diplomacy proficiency checks, with appropriate modifiers based on the severity of the crime and the nature of the legal system of the land where the crime occurred. If both succeed, the Diplomat has succeeded in getting off without penalty. If either fails, the Diplomat will be released from any imprisonment but will receive an official reprimand and must pay one-half of any fines that would normally accrue for their crime or infraction. Such an action is considered a minor 'black mark' on the Diplomat's record, and he or she will suffer a -1 penalty the next time he or she attempts to move up the 'career fast track' with Guild Advancement. If both checks fail, the Diplomat's immunity will be denied and he or she will suffer the full normal penalties for his or her actions. If this occurs, a Diplomat will suffer a permanent 'black mark' that will apply a -1 penalty to all future attempts to use rapid Guild Advancement. This also applies if a Diplomat gets into trouble with the law and elects not to use his or her Diplomacy to get out of it, assuming that his or her employer ever finds out. Guild Advancement: As a standard Guildsman. Guild Membership: As a standard Guildsman. Guild Training: As a standard Guildsman, but only in the ability to use magical scrolls. None of the other benefits of Guild Training are gained. Memorization: Diplomats often must memorize messages, so that no written documents can be found that might incriminate an employer or reveal secret information. A Diplomat's exceptional memory allows him or her to recall in detail virtually anything that has been committed to memory. This can be a fragment of a conversation, a mental image of a place, or the words read on a printed page. To use this ability, the DM should roll an Intelligence check for the Diplomat with a -2 penalty. Failure indicates that the memory is too vague to be of any use, while success indicates that the DM tells the Diplomat what he or she wishes to remember. A natural 20 indicates that the Diplomat has misremembered and the DM should give some sort of misleading information about what he or she is trying to remember. Public Relations: As a standard Guildsman, but a Diplomat gains new Modern Language and Local History proficiencies every three levels, rather than every five. In addition, the benefits of his or her Local History proficiency are doubled when dealing with politicians and leader-types of any local culture with which they are familiar. In addition, since their status and role are easily recognized by all intelligent cultures and their training provides them with a smattering of courtesies and customs from nearly every culture imaginable, and this allows them to gain a +2 bonus to reaction rolls with all outside sentient creatures, even if communication with them is impossible. Secrecy: Discretion is an essential element of all good diplomacy, and Diplomats are well-trained at keeping secrets. A Diplomat can invent a message code 'on the fly', making a message completely unreadable (even with comprehend languages) to anyone who does not know the secret of the code by making a successful Forge Document roll when writing the message. While it is true that anyone with the Read Languages thieving skill can attempt to 'crack' such codes by making a successful check at half the normal chance of success, since Diplomats must often work out such ciphers themselves when reading dispatches from others they are able to decipher coded messages using their full normal Read Languages percentage, rather than halving it as usual. A creature who attempts to decipher a code and fails must wait until he or she gains a level of experience before trying again. Any creature to whom the code has been explained can decipher it with a simple Reading/Writing proficiency check (automatically successful for Diplomats receiving coded messages for which they know the code). In addition to the use of secret codes, Diplomats themselves are well-trained to avoid being influenced or persuaded by others and to avoid giving away more than they wish to, and this mental discipline grants them a +2 bonus to saving throws (-2 to psionic power scores) vs. any form of mind-affecting attack or divination and to rolls to resist torture or interrogation. Also, Diplomats of 10th level and may attempt an unmodified save vs. spells to avoid divinations or mind- affecting attacks that normally allow no saving throw. Special Hindrances: Diplomats must be in the employ of some arm of government or a large mercantile concern or guild of some sort. They are negotiators, functionaries, and advocates, however, and not truly central members of such organization. As a result, they receive very little Guild Training (i.e., only in the area of scroll use, never in the use of a trade skill or weapon) and never become part of Guild Leadership, nor do they have the ability to start their own diplomatic company. They must always remain in the employ of a larger organization. In fact, because their services are so frequently in demand Diplomats have double the normal chance to be sent off on a diplomatic mission each time they gain a level. Further, a Diplomat is expected to uphold the good name of his or her employer at all times and is more likely to be severely disciplined if his or her actions bring dishonor or cause political complications than a typical Guildsman. The specifics of such stringent discipline are left to the DM, but could include a Diplomat being forbidden to associate with individuals of a particular race, culture, nationality, or company affiliation. The consequences of disobedience can be severe (see Special Benefits: Diplomacy for an example, in the case of a failed attempt to exercise "diplomatic immunity") Diplomats spend the bulk of their time learning their political trade, which results in a relative lack of combat practice. As a result, they also suffer a -1 penalty to all attack rolls, and they suffer the normal Dexterity check penalties for wearing heavy armor as a penalty to all die rolls. Bonus Proficiencies: Bureaucracy, Diplomacy Required Proficiencies: Etiquette, Heraldry, Law, Reading/Writing Preferred Proficiencies: Administration, Ancient History, Artistic Ability, Awareness, Calligraphy, Cartography, Ceremony/Ritual, Charm, Crowd Working, Debate, Haggling, Language (Modern), Local History, Mental Resistance, Mercantilism, Numeracy, Numismatics, Observation, Persuasion, Public Speaking, Scribe, Sixth Sense, Supernumerate ***DISCLAIMER*** As with all postings by me of classes or races, it should be noted that portions of the information contained herein were inspired by or derived from information in published works of TSR, Inc., and may contain references to those works, quotations or passages of text (especially in the area of 'Character Description', where applicable sections from TSR works were often carried over more or less intact into my campaign world), or particular powers or abilities invented by TSR staff writers. No relationship with TSR, Inc., is to be implied by this use, nor is any attempt being made to solicit profit or remuneration of any kind. I have read the TSR Online Policy document, and have tried to accommodate the stipulations contained therein. In instances where I have lifted an essentially complete class or race without significant alteration, I have not included these in my postings but instead have inserted a reference to the appropriate D&D sourcebook for those curious in including it in their campaign. Only variations that include a significant component of original work, alteration, or reformulation (including the compositing elements from various TSR sources into new combinations) of have been included in this set of postings. Jason Eric Nelson < tjaden@u.washington.edu >