P a t h f in d e ® r C h r o n i C l e ™ s LoyaLty over aLL Every campaign has organizations that pull the secret strings of the world, toppling monarchs or leading revolutionaries toward freedom and war. These secret societies, bardic colleges, wizard academies, military orders, and religious cults capture the imagination—and now your PCs can join Golarion’s own movers and shakers with the Pathfinder Chronicles Faction Guide. This book presents a new and detailed rules system for PCs who throw in their lot with one or more of these groups, as well as the responsibilities—and rewards—that membership entails. With membership in a faction, PCs gain a whole new reason to adventure, as well as countless roleplaying opportunities in any sort of campaign, from dungeon crawl to courtly intrigue. In addition to new goals and motives, membership in a faction comes with tangible in-game benefits. Gain enough of a reputation with the Hellknights, f and a PC can become a fearsome lictor, complete with Hellknight minions. Gain prestige with the Pathfinder Society, and a PC adventurer can get his foot in the door to become a venture-captain. Everything your players need to infiltrate the halls of power is right here. Inside this book, you’ll find: ► Rules on how to gain prestige with various factions and how to use it to secure items, boons, and allies. ► Twenty-four sample factions and the specific benefits of joining them—these factions include the fearsome Red Mantis assassins, the notorious Whispering Way, the righteous Eagle Knights of Andoran, the demon-hunting Mendev Crusaders, the calculating Prophets of Kalistrade, and the blasphemous Church of Razmir. ► Standard rewards available through every faction, such as helpful spells, expert hirelings, and access to specific magic items and equipment. FFaaccttiioonn ► New feats, spells, magic items, and traits for all factions. This book is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Joshua J. Frost, Jason Nelson, and the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting but fits easily into any fantasy game world. GGuuiiddee and Sean K Reynolds ® TM paizo.com/pathfinder Printed in China PZO9221 Faction Headquarters Mendev Crusaders Mendev 9Old Cults 9 Whispering Way Carrion Hill Gallowspire Church of Razmir Razmiran 9 9Bloodstone Swords Varisian Wanderers Bloodstone Tor Magnimar Lantern Bearers Avennara Prophets of Kalistrade Druma The Ninth Battalion 9 Earth Axle Green Faith Verduran Forest Bellflower Network Cheliax Eagle Knights Lion Blades Hellknights Ulfen Guard Andoran Cheliax Taldor Aspis Consortium 9 Cheliax Kitharodian Academy Oppara 9 Arcanamirium Pathfinder Society Absalom 9 Risen Guard Sothis Red Mantis Mediogalti Island Shackles Pirates The Shackles Faction Guide A Pathfinder Chronicles Supplement This Pathfinder Chronicles book works best with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook and the Pathfinder Bestiary. Although it is suitable for play in any fantasy world, it is optimized for use in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting. Table of Contents Introduction 2 Mendev Crusaders 30 Arcanamirium 6 Ninth Battalion 32 Aspis Consortium 8 Old Cults 34 Bellflower Network 10 Pathfinder Society 36 Bloodstone Swords 12 Prophets of Kalistrade 38 Church of Razmir 14 Red Mantis Assassins 40 Eagle Knights 16 Religious Factions 42 Green Faith 18 Risen Guard 44 Hellknights 20 Shackles Pirates 46 Kitharodian Academy 22 Ulfen Guard 48 Kusari-Gama 24 Varisian Wanderers 50 Lantern Bearers 26 Whispering Way 52 Lion Blades 28 Appendices 54 Credits Authors: Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Hal Maclean, Publisher: Erik Mona Tim Hitchcock, Jonathan H. Keith, Michael Kortes, Jason Paizo CEO: Lisa Stevens Nelson, Jeff Quick, Christopher Self, Sean K Reynolds, Vice President of Operations: Jeffrey Alvarez and Todd Stewart Corporate Accountant: Dave Erickson Cover Artist: Kerem Beyit Director of Sales: Pierce Watters Interior Artists: Christopher Ocampo, MuYoung Kim, Sales Manager: Christopher Self Mike Sass, and Kyushik Shin Technical Director: Vic Wertz Events Manager: Joshua J. Frost Creative Director: James Jacobs Managing Editor: F. Wesley Schneider Special Thanks: The Paizo Customer Service, Website, Editing and Development: Judy Bauer, Christopher Carey, and Warehouse Teams Rob McCreary, Sean K Reynolds, and James L. Sutter Editorial Assistance: Jason Bulmahn Paizo Publishing, LLC Senior Art Director: Sarah E. Robinson 7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120 Production Specialist: Crystal Frasier Redmond, WA 98052-0577 paizo.com Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.) Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide is published by Paizo Publishing, LLC under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Module, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC. Printed in China. Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide R a ewaRds foR llegiance Prepare for your PCs to step into a larger world. groups are already detailed in other books. Instead, it’s a In the classic roleplaying tradition, the PCs are guide to how you and your players can create characters independent heroes, and though they may undertake that are integrated with those groups and with the missions for powerful patrons, their association is campaign you want to run. Each group entry talks about usually temporary, with no long-term benefits. This the mission and outlook of the group, why PCs might want book is about something different. to be a part of it, and what the advantages are (both social The concept of factions is familiar from books and and mechanical) of membership in a group. movies: mysterious organizations with hidden agendas, The Faction Guide is part of a style of play that presumes some secretive and others very public with their activities. characters are actively plugged in to the power brokers and Their members are contacts, associates, and informants organizations in the world of Golarion. Moreover, their for the heroes of the story, able to provide information, connections with these organizations are rich and deep, resources, or even backup or rescue in a pinch. The heroes affording characters both benefits of membership as well as might meet them by chance, seek them out for help, or be the opportunity to advance. Players involved with Pathfinder sought by them as their own reputations increase. Society Organized Play are familiar with this concept, This book, though, is not simply a guidebook about including factions (Andoran, Cheliax, Qadira, Osirion, and factions that exist in the world of Golarion, as most of these Taldor) within the larger Pathfinder Society as a whole. 2 Introduction A party of adventurers may include members of several but they usually avoid open conflict with their rivals in the different factions, all of them working toward a common interest of keeping the favor of local governments that allow overall goal but each individual member having received them to operate freely in their territory. special instructions from his faction regarding information Choosing a Faction or actions of particular importance to him and his faction. Working factions into your home campaign requires Every faction has a unique history, culture, style, and some extra effort on your (the GM’s) part, either tailoring specialty. Each has its own modus operandi in the ongoing published adventures or adding details to adventures of struggle for power and influence on Golarion, and each your own design to incorporate the idea of characters as offers its members different boons. Choosing a faction can members of secret (or not-so-secret) societies, fellowships, be as important as choosing a character class or race—it and orders with goals and visions beyond the next payday. defines a character in the campaign and ties him to his You may have some decisions to make concerning which faction’s destiny. Before you allow your players to choose factions you want to use; you want players to find factions their factions, peruse each faction carefully and see which that interest and excite them, but some factions may not fit ones fit well with the theme of your campaign. If you don’t for the campaign because of alignment, location, mission, wish to allow evil characters, for instance, you might think or focus. The reward for this extra effort is a richer twice about allowing characters to become part of the campaign, one where PCs really feel themselves a part of Hellknights or the cult of Razmir, and if your campaign the living, breathing campaign world of Golarion. is set in the wilds of Varisia, it might be reasonable to disallow the Risen Guards of Osirion as they have little f B action asics interest or influence there. It’s not about restricting your PCs improve their standing within their faction by players; it’s about creating a rational and logical campaign succeeding in missions relating to or coming from setting where options fit together and where players won’t a faction. In a given adventure, or even in between be frustrated by making a choice that won’t have much to adventures, you should think about the factions the do with the campaign. That said, if a player has a great characters in the party have chosen to represent. Their character concept that he’s excited about for a faction that factions might ask them to assassinate a crime lord, you don’t think would work, give the player a chance to protect an innocent merchant caught in a crossfire, save pitch the idea. Explain the reasons why his faction choice a kidnapped child, hand off an important letter, foil an might be hard to play in the campaign, but if he really assassination, recover a specific stolen relic, or locate a wants to try it, let him give it a go. letter of marque. Whatever the mission, a positive outcome Bear in mind that a PC need not be from a particular earns the character a Prestige Award (PA). country to become a member of a faction, even if that faction As a character’s prestige increases, her faction rewards her itself is closely associated with that country. Likewise, excellent service with ever-increasing boons. In this section, characters of any class can join a faction. Thus, even a you’ll find an expanded system of rules that describes the wizard born in the Mwangi Expanse can become an Eagle kinds of rewards and privileges a character can access as her Knight of Andoran. PCs are not necessarily bound to work Total Prestige Award (TPA) increases and how she can use with a single faction. Although it is simplest to stay with one her Prestige Award for a variety of benefits that reflect her faction for a character’s career, there is no reason a PC can’t faction’s willingness to assist her in times of need. gain prestige within more than one group (though trying to work with two rival groups is unlikely to turn out well). Faction Secrecy Lastly, characters should not be required to join a faction. Governments and religious, political, mercantile, or Those uninterested in the idea can ignore it, but those who cultural organizations may vary a great deal when it comes find it appealing have an additional option for customizing to dealing with factions and their activities. Some factions, their characters and how they fit into the world. like the Mendev Crusaders and the Hellknights of Cheliax, Character Class versus Faction are blatantly public in their actions and their efforts to recruit others to their cause. Others are subtler in their Following a brief overview of the faction, each entry explains plots and operate in the shadows; even where their presence the goals and the general alignment of the group; PCs who are is known, local leaders often turn a blind eye to their part of the faction need not match this alignment precisely, existence and activities as long as they don’t make trouble. but it serves as a guide to the faction’s general attitudes and The more secretive factions often look down on those who values. Each description also includes the headquarters of act openly, but every faction must weigh the value of a public the faction and one of its primary leaders. To help guide presence and reputation versus the ability to operate without players, for each faction there is a list of character classes that interference. Factions have alliances and rivalries to be sure, are best and least suited to membership and advancement. 3 Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide Sample Faction Missions example, a character allied with the Eagle Knights gains prestige with that faction for breaking up a slaving ring, while As the PCs set out from northern Molthune to seek a Razmiri cultist gains prestige for converting unbelievers adventure, a member of the Green Faith faction may be to the faith and sending tithes back to Razmiran. At your tasked to deliver a peace offering to the lizardfolk shaman discretion, a character may earn prestige for an adventure who rules the marshy forest along the Marideth River, even if it’s not part of an “official” mission for a faction—a while a member of the Eagle Knights of Andoran needs to 7th-level paladin who’s freed many slaves probably has discover whether the lizardfolk are the ones who have been earned prestige with the Eagle Knights even if she’s never taking captives along the River Road and selling them into taken orders from a member of that faction. slavery. A member of the Church of Razmir is also interested When a character’s Prestige Award increases, her TPA in those captives since his faction might want to buy the and CPA increase by the same value. For example, Jothalia captives (or find out who else is buying them and try to has 5 TPA and 2 CPA with the Eagle Knight faction; if she eliminate the competition). Meanwhile, a member of the completes a mission for them and her PA increases by 2, dwarven Ninth Battalion could care less about the lizardfolk she now has 7 TPA and 4 CPA. and the swamp but would be willing to travel there because Not every adventure or encounter needs to relate to a the road through the swamplands leads toward the Lost faction mission, nor does every faction have an interest in Mines in the foothills of the Mindspin Mountains—and his every possible adventure, but as a general rule you should dwarven patrons want him to discover whether the rival strive to provide equal opportunity for PCs of all factions goblin and orc tribes are still battling there or bring back to earn prestige. If you cannot find a place within a given the heads of the rival chieftains. adventure for the interests of a particular PC’s faction, make a point of integrating opportunities later on for that These are by no means hard rules—if an assassin wants to PC to achieve some faction goals. join the Mendev Crusaders, it can be done, but she is going The ability to earn prestige should be routine, but it to have a harder time achieving the faction’s goals than a need not be automatic. If a PC fails at her appointed tasks paladin would. Each faction provides a description of special or passes up opportunities to further her factions’ goals, resources available within the faction—not only material she does not earn prestige simply because her player goods and services, but also unique feats, spells, equipment, showed up to play. By choosing to play using a faction, and magical items only available to faction members, as a player is agreeing to “play along” with faction goals in well as titles, honors, privileges, and opportunities that can order to obtain faction rewards. If the PC does not fulfill be accessed by gaining prestige in the faction. her obligations as a member of the faction, she should not expect to rise in the faction’s esteem. P a Restige waRd The rate at which characters’ prestige increases varies A character’s Prestige Award (PA) is an abstract way to track depending on the whether you use Fast, Medium, or Slow his growing renown and reputation within a faction. advancement (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 30), but on average, characters should be able to increase their PA by 3 to 5 points Total and Current Prestige Award per experience level, whether acquired by completing several Just as a character has a maximum hit point value when small missions or tasks or one more difficult or significant fully healed and a current hit point value when injured, that task. Over the course of a long campaign like a Pathfinder character has a Total Prestige Award (TPA) and a Current Adventure Path, characters might expect to increase their PA Prestige Award (CPA). TPA represents the character’s by 40 or more points, especially if the campaign is tightly overall reputation within a faction. CPA represents how linked to the factions players choose. much influence the character currently has within that If you want to expand how you use prestige in a game, you faction in terms of favors owed to him and his ability to could also use the characters’ PA to replace or supplement influence others and make use of the faction’s resources. standard treasure awards. In a campaign where looting Characters may spend CPA to acquire goods or services (see the dead or robbing tombs is frowned upon, you could use Spending Prestige Award), which means that a character’s PA to help fill the gap in character resources that would CPA is usually less than his TPA, just as an adventuring normally be satisfied by pillage and plunder. character’s current hit points are usually less than his total Losing Prestige hit points. CPA can never be higher than TPA. Prestige should be seen as an enticement rather than an Earning Prestige instrument to punish PCs, but a character can lose prestige Characters earn prestige for performing missions for a for betraying faction secrets to outsiders, causing the faction or otherwise advancing the faction’s goals. For death of a faction member, stealing from or lying to their 4 Introduction faction brethren, befriending or allying with members of influence that NPC. If the NPC’s faction opposes more opposed factions, and so on. A typical penalty would be the than one of the PC’s factions, only the faction with which loss of 1–3 CPA. In extreme situations, however, a character the PC has the highest TPA counts. might incur such a negative reputation within his faction Spending Prestige that his CPA and TPA decrease by 5 or even 10 points for a major transgression, possibly resulting in loss of rank and A character’s CPA total reflects the goodwill, political privileges within the faction. This does not force characters capital, and personal favors she has built up through service to forfeit boons already acquired, but it may prevent them to the organization. While a character’s TPA can provide from obtaining any new boons or benefits for which they certain titles and privileges, most tangible benefits of no longer qualify at their lowered TPA, and they must work faction membership are acquired when a character spends to get back in the good graces of their peers. his CPA on temporary boons, favors, aid, spellcasting, or other services (see the Appendix). Regardless of whatever Benefits of Prestige honorific titles a character has earned through his Total A character’s Total Prestige Award represents her Prestige Award, the cost for obtaining boons remains the trustworthiness and status within their faction. The same—an exalted Vision of the Fifteenth Step of the Church simplest representation of this prestige is that for every of Razmir must spend 1 CPA to have a remove curse or dispel 10 points of her Total Prestige Award, she gains a +1 magic spell cast on his behalf, just like a new initiate. bonus on Diplomacy checks with members of that faction. Once a character’s CPA is spent, it is spent permanently; In addition, she may learn certain feats or spells or be it is not recovered automatically like lost hit points or able to purchase unique magical items or other goods ability score damage. The character can, of course, earn that are restricted to those whose TPA reaches a certain more PA, which adds to both her TPA and her CPA, but benchmark. Her faction contacts can allow her to buy or spent points are gone. sell goods whose value exceeds the normal gp limit of the Characters may not spend CPA during combat, and local area or that might be of questionable legality. Finally, for the sake of simplicity you may limit characters to depending on the organization, a character’s TPA might spending CPA once per gaming session (this keeps players afford her certain titles and incidental privileges. from saving up their PA in large amounts and spending it all at once, making an adventure too easy). It is possible Dealing with Allied Factions for a player to spend his character’s PA even if the PC is Many factions have close associations and alliances with dead; in essence, this represents the PC having made other groups, and earning prestige in her faction can allow prior arrangements with his faction to perform certain a character to enjoy some of the benefits of membership actions on his behalf, such as recovering his dead body and and prestige within allied factions as well. Each faction returning it to a specific location or having it raised. entry describes whether that faction is allied with any You can add to the services presented in this book or create others. When dealing with members of an allied faction, your own factions. The monetary equivalent of 1 point of PA a character may treat her TPA as if it were half its actual is approximately 375 gp, though characters should normally amount, including the related bonus on Diplomacy checks only be able to spend PA on services, not physical goods. with, and buying and selling goods through, the allied PCs may not pool their earned prestige to obtain items or faction; she can also spend CPA to obtain boons from an services, or for any other purpose, even if they are members allied faction, though the costs are increased by 1. of the same faction. As a general rule, PA is designed to be spent by characters on themselves; PA costs increase by 1 Dealing with Opposed Factions when the benefit is to other characters instead of to the Just as factions have allies, so too do they have enemies. member of the faction. However, PCs in a home game are The very same prestige that can make a PC famous within ultimately free to spend their PA as they see fit. her faction and among allies can make her infamous in A character’s ability to spend PA is dependent on his the eyes of opposing factions, and avoiding attracting being in contact with other members of his faction, and unwanted attention from her faction’s enemies or those unless noted otherwise, most factions tend to have agents, friendly to them is one reason that some characters keep contacts, or headquarters in settlements that are at least the their faction allegiances secret. If a character’s faction size of a large city. To reflect the difficulty of contacting a allegiance is known, the initial attitude of an NPC of the faction agent in a smaller settlement, PA costs increase by opposing faction is treated as one step worse than normal 5 in communities smaller than 5,000 people. This change, (for example, Indifferent becomes Unfriendly, Unfriendly of course, can vary by organization; for the Green Faith, becomes Hostile), and for every 10 points of the character’s for example, the opposite is true—PA costs increase by 5 in TPA, she takes a –1 penalty on Diplomacy checks to communities larger than 5,000. 5 Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide g c c ood lass hoices a X RcanXaXMXXiRXiuM Alchemist, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard c c c hallenging lass hoices T he Arcanamirium is Absalom’s foremost magical Barbarian, Fighter, Rogue academy. Practicality and generalism are emphasized h there at the expense of flashiness, abstraction, and eadquaRteRs specialization. Journeymen are encouraged to practice The Arcanamirium is a large complex, taking up what and experiment with industrial and commercial uses for would be several city blocks in the Wise Quarter of Absalom. magic, and many of Absalom’s export goods owe their Inside is a veritable city of dorms, classrooms, offices, higher quality to the innovations of an Arcanamirium parks, and monuments. The buildings tend toward gothic maven’s transmutations. The Arcanamirium strives to architecture. Most of the buildings abut and intertwine, populate the world with wizards who are capable of using allowing knowledgeable denizens to traverse the entire magic to help those around them, not just in times of academy without once venturing outside. crisis but for everyday needs as well. J oining g : a M a oal PPlied agic scendant Once a year, an open entry exam is held at the Arcanamirium. The wizards of the Arcanamirium believe that magic The exams are individual and individualized, testing exists to be put to use. The academy recognizes that the current magical ability, magical aptitude, scholarship, and more magic impacts the lives of ordinary people in helpful ability to follow directions. While each docent issues the ways, the better its reputation will become among the exams in a slightly different way, the one universal is that masses. An angry mob with torches and pitchforks is less every applicant has to have some aptitude for magic. Those likely to materialize if the commoners know they owe their who succeed are granted admission to the Arcanamirium, standard of living to the small magical improvements that becoming students. the Arcanamirium favors. Arcane spellcasters’ magical ability determines their rank in the school: at 1st level they’re apprentices; at 2nd a : n lignMent and 3rd level, journeymen; at 4th and 5th level, mavens; The Arcanamirium is a pragmatic organization and doesn’t and at 6th level, arcanscenti. This ranking determines go in for complex ideology beyond its core tenet that magic the status of the student on the Arcanamirium campus. can make the world a better place. Professors and students While all are students, a maven is likely to be accepted by alike act on the philosophy that nothing is free and that less experienced students as a teacher’s assistant, and an anything worth having is worth paying for. This belief has arcanscenti is respected much like a visiting professor. led to the Arcanamirium’s waiver system, wherein poor Experienced mages may join the Arcanamirium as apprentices work their way through school while their associates (rather than as students), gaining approximately richer contemporaries spend their hours studying. Absalom the status of students of their level. receives many of the benefits of the Arcanamirium’s g P researches, but always for a price, never for free. aining Restige Gaining prestige within the academy is often as simple l eadeR as contributing new information, such as a new spell or Archdean Lady Darchana of House Madinani (N female magic item not found elsewhere in the school. Solving a human wizard 14) is also the Second Spell Lord of Absalom. high-profile problem in a way that emphasizes the value Of course, in an academic environment, leadership is easier of practical magic can bring prestige as well, especially in theory than in practice, and interference by the Primarch if it is done in the public eye. In addition to specific of Absalom causes constant complications. Lady Darchana missions furthering the goals of the Arcanamirium, does a good job of keeping the docents moving in the same members gain 1 PA each time they gain a level in an general direction through a combination of patronage, arcane spellcasting class. arm-twisting, and charisma. Her second-in-command, R the Metadame Vannessir of House Tevineg (N human esouRces female wizard 9) is a force to be reckoned with, since her The Arcanamirium has one of the largest libraries of magic position is appointed through byzantine procedures that scholarship in western Golarion. Students can browse at largely protect her from Lady Darchana’s interference. As will through the main stacks, which include every major Sergeant-at-Wands, Vannessir exerts some control over the scholarly work on combining magic with almost every curriculum, making her an important obstacle or ally. human endeavor. 6 Arcanamirium 1 Restricted sections relate to topics deemed too dangerous normal 1,000 gp per week per spell level cost listed on page for students or secrets held closely by the Arcanamirium. 219 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Most obscure and dangerous spells (and all those with the 15 TPA, 2 CPA: Access a special section of the library evil descriptor) reside in the special sections. for 1 week and gain a +10 bonus on any Knowledge check. In addition to spells and scholarly works, the This bonus does not stack with the +4 bonus on one check Arcanamirium is filled with scholars who are willing to listed on page 55. trade or even give away information on magical techniques. 15 TPA, 2 CPA: Transcribe an uncommon or rare There is an informal information chain, and questions spell (at the GM’s discretion) from the school’s library about a particular topic will eventually be directed to an into a wizard’s spellbook or alchemist’s formula book. expert on the field in question. This benefit does not require a Spellcraft check or any 1 TPA: When in the Arcanamirium library, gain a +5 additional transcribing costs. on Knowledge (arcana) checks. The check takes 1 hour, reflecting the need to reference the appropriate materials. This bonus does not stack with the +4 bonus on one check listed on page 55. 1 TPA: Study in the library, whether for general knowledge or common spell theory. For GMs who require characters to research before adding spells to a wizard’s spellbook or alchemist’s formula book, library access provides sufficient research for this purpose. 1 CPA: Gain a +5 bonus on any one Profession or Craft check representing 1 week of work. This benefit requires daily access to the library for 1 hour each day during the week the check occurs. 1 CPA: Transcribe a common spell (any spell listed in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, or any spell the GM feels is common in the world) from the school’s library into a wizard’s spellbook or alchemist’s formula book. This benefit does not require a Spellcraft check or any additional transcribing costs. 5 TPA, 1 CPA: Become familiar with an uncommon or rare spell (at the GM’s discretion) from the school’s library, allowing a bard, sorcerer, or similar spellcaster to select it as a spell known at the next available opportunity (this benefit allows such a caster to gain access to bard or sorcerer spells from sources other than the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook without having to do spell research or find a copy of the spell while adventuring). 5 TPA, 1+ CPA: Borrow a magic item from the school’s collection for 1 week. The CPA cost is 1 per 1,000 gp of the item’s market price. Increase this cost by 1 CPA if the item must travel far from Absalom, by 1 CPA if the use doesn’t further the interests of the academy, and by an additional 1 CPA if there is a significant risk of the item’s loss or destruction. Most of the school’s items are utilitarian (such as a lyre of building) rather than destructive or flashy (such as a horn of blasting). The school does not lend out charged items or items that are destroyed after use. 15 TPA, 2+ CPA: Perform independent spell research to create a new spell. This research takes 1 week, and the cost is 2 CPA per spell level of the new spell. This replaces the 7 Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide g c c ood lass hoices a X c sPis XoXnXsXoRXtiuM Fighter, Rogue, Sorcerer, Wizard c c c hallenging lass hoices Most people of Avistan and northern Garund Cleric (of a good deity), Druid, Paladin view the Aspis Consortium as just another trade h syndicate, albeit possibly the largest and one neither eadquaRteRs controlled by a specific state entity nor bound within any The Aspis Consortium maintains powerful centers of single nation’s borders. Aspis employs a vast pool of hired influence regionally in areas of interest and exploitation mercenaries and local labor eager to earn Consortium (such the Mwangi port of Bloodcove and Magnimar in coin, and their business certainly enriches many. Clients Varisia). However, the strongest of these power centers is and employees alike are puppets for the Consortium’s found in the city where the Aspis Consortium was first agents and merchant lords, earning them considerable founded—the old Chelish capital of Westcrown. This good will and oftentimes a blind eye turned to other, branch shifts the location of its meetings more than any darker rumors. other branch; locations vary between heavily warded mansions, crypts, and even private rooms at inns. g : P a a oal Rofit Bove ll J Morals, laws, loyalties, and national boundaries fall by the oining wayside in the name of wealth. The Aspis Consortium acts The Consortium has many hirelings, but becoming an superficially like many other merchant and trade cabals, actual employee or member of the organization requires but unlike them, it actively manipulates the market and dedication and talent—a common laborer gains none of its patrons to achieve its vast wealth. From the lowest dock the benefits of this faction other than the daily silver of worker who cares for nothing save for earning his promised his wage. Unusual folk (such as adventurers) can join after pay, to the soldier of fortune willing to spill blood for coin, proving themselves in specialized missions. the Consortium’s masters rely on the supreme power of g P human greed to further even darker aims. aining Restige Achieving goals that lead to profit, access to resources, or a : ne lignMent the elimination of competitors is the key to gaining status Aspis Consortium members are in it for themselves and in the Consortium. their own profit. But they realize that by working within R the Consortium’s loose framework and increasing its esouRces profit, they enrich themselves, even if they must be the The Aspis Consortium has money, and given that its tools of their superiors at times, while likewise using their members are spread across much of Avistan and Garund, it inferiors as ignorant puppets. Members will do anything can count on ready assistance from either formal members in the name of monetary profit, from slave trading and or locally hired muscle, even in remote regions. It has access smuggling to market manipulation by extreme means such to raw and manufactured goods from those distant places as engineering crop failure, causing plague, sinking ships as well, often for much cheaper costs and in more abundant to lower availability of imported goods, and obtaining supply than the market typically supports. As Aspis agents exclusive development and import rights by any means tap into markets in corners of the globe barely known to necessary (including wiping out indigenous natives who most nations and only tentatively explored by groups such prove uncooperative). as the Pathfinders, they often have exclusive access to resources found there. l eadeR 1 CPA: Arrange overland or ocean-going transport from The Aspis Patrons each have their own personal goals, which Avistan to the Mwangi port of Bloodcove or the Sargavan they attempt to keep secret from their fellows; of course, they port of Eleder. all ultimately work toward an unknown goal at the direction 10 TPA: Acquire the Bronze rank and a bronze of the Aspis Prophet, the enigmatic and possibly inhuman Consortium badge. person manipulating them all. The three Patrons living 10 TPA, 1 CPA: Intercept a caravan (or other mundane, in Westcrown who are likely to interact with immediate ground-based transportation) or cargo ship at a specific underlings are Arvemis the Benighted (NE male half-fiend location, seizing the goods and hiding them nearby. Add 1 human sorcerer 8), Muriel Azphitra (LE female human cleric CPA to the cost to spare the lives of the victims. If multiple of Zon-Kuthon 7), and Kara Thistlecauldron (NE female agents are interested in the same shipment, whoever bleachling gnome alchemist 8). spends the most CPA ends up in control of it. 8