Dynasties and Demagoges
| Author | Chris Aylott |
| Publisher | Atlas Games |
| Publish date | 2003 |
| OGL Section 15 | dynasties |
The material below is Open Game Content
PERICLES
10th-Level Human Politician/5th-Level Aristocrat/3rd-Level Fighter
CR 17; SZ M (humanoid); HD 10d4 + 5d8 + 3d10 + 18; hp 76; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk melee +11 (1d6+1, shortsword); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SA Aura of Power, Compelling Promise, Matching Speech, Personal Touch, Public Appeal, Public Support, Quid Pro Quo, Satisfying Ambiguity, Seniority, Sense of the Room; AL LG; SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +14; Str 12, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 18
Skills: Appraise +7 (+9 to evaluate an abstract document), Bluff +14, Climb +4, Diplomacy +21, Gather Information +13, Intimidate +9, Jump +4, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +12, Knowledge (geography) +11, Knowledge (history) +11, Knowledge (law) +12 (+14 to create and understand legal texts), Knowledge (local) +13, Listen +2, Perform (music) +8, Perform (oratory) +18 (+20 to make legal arguments), Ride +7, Sense Motive +13, Spot +2, Swim +8
Feats: Alertness, Commanding Voice, Expertise, Inspired Leader, Information Network, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
Aura of Power (Su): Any character who can see and hear Pericles must make a Will save (DC 29) to voice a disagreement with him or disobey his direct commands while in his presence. Aura of Power is a mind-affecting charm ability.
Compelling Promise: Pericles gains a +2 influence bonus to Diplomacy checks when he makes a promise to be fulfilled later. He is not required to fulfill the promise.
Matching Speech: Pericles inspires confidence and trust by talking in the same way as the person he is trying to influence. This gives him a +2 reaction bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, and Perform (oratory) checks.
Personal Touch: When Pericles greets someone, he may make a Knowledge (local) check (DC 15) to remember a flattering fact about him. He may make this check for each character he meets, but he may only make it once every 24 hours for any specific character. If he succeeds at the check, he may mention this fact in his greeting and gain a +2 bonus to one Bluff, Diplomacy, or Sense Motive check involving that character. The bonus must be used within one hour after it is received.
Public Appeal (Sp): Once per day, Pericles may compel an audience of up to 500 people to perform a simple, non-violent task for him. He must speak to an audience for at least 10 minutes. He may then attempt a Perform (oratory) check (DC 25). If he succeeds, he may compel the audience to perform a simple set of instructions no more than 50 words long, and describing no more than three actions. If the politician asks the audience to perform an obviously dangerous action, each member may make a Will save (DC 24). Pericles may make a Will save to avoid being compelled by another politician’s Public Appeal, and receives a +2 competence bonus to the Will save. Public Appeal is a mind-affecting charm ability.
Public Support: Pericles can rally the people to his cause. He must speak to an audience for at least 30 minutes. He may then make a Perform (oratory) check. The DC is 15 + 1 for each 100 members of the audience. If he succeeds, he gains a +1 competence bonus for each 100 members of the audience. He may use this bonus for any one Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Perform (oratory) check on any matter on which the opinion of that audience has a bearing. He must use this bonus with 24 hours of receiving it. If the politician fails a Perform (oratory) roll to gain Public Support, he may not attempt the roll again for a month.
Quid pro Quo (Sp): Pericles gains the ability to make unusually binding deals with another party. The politician and the other party must agree to a deal that imposes obligations on both parties. Both parties then make a Diplomacy check. If the other party wishes to break the deal, that party must succeed at a Will save versus the higher result of the two Diplomacy checks. Pericles is not bound to the deal, and automatically succeeds at the Will save to break it.
Satisfying Ambiguity: Pericles can communicate several different (sometimes even contradictory) messages within the same words. To do so, he makes a Perform (oratory) check (DC 16) while speaking with the audience he wishes to affect. He may choose to send up to five messages, and may choose which members of his audience receive which message. Each message requires at least five minutes of oration to communicate and adds +2 to the difficulty of the Perform (oratory) check. For audiences of 10 or less, Pericles may choose which individual receives which message. For audiences of more than ten, he may divide the group along simple differences. Race, class, and alignment are all useful differences, whether separately or in combination.
Seniority: Pericles gains a +2 reaction bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks when dealing with another politician with fewer than 10 politician prestige class levels.
Sense of the Room: Pericles may make a Sense Motive check (DC 18) to learn the needs and goals of a group of people. Each attempt requires ten minutes of conversation with the members of the group. If the check is successful, he understands what each person in the group hopes to accomplish and why. He is aware of any differences in agenda between the members of the group, and which members of the group (if any) are withholding relevant information.
