Editing Age of Dragons: Ambassador-Courtier
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''Most importantly, the Argent response would lead to the assured, painful and violent death of '''Hungry-for-Battle''', the Ascendancy general in charge of the assault. That Blood Dragon had duelled with '''Voice of Reason''' no less than one hundred and fifty years ago, and left a nasty claw-scar on the Solar's left cheek. It had taken a lot of work to see the Blood Dragon moved up the list of generals to lead this raid, to assure that the Ascendancy force would be inadequate for the job, to make sure that the Argent had a pathological hatred of Blood Dragons and to position the surrounding factions so that the Ascendancy would be cut off from retreat after this attack. It had been a lot of work, but it had been worth every iota of effort.'' | ''Most importantly, the Argent response would lead to the assured, painful and violent death of '''Hungry-for-Battle''', the Ascendancy general in charge of the assault. That Blood Dragon had duelled with '''Voice of Reason''' no less than one hundred and fifty years ago, and left a nasty claw-scar on the Solar's left cheek. It had taken a lot of work to see the Blood Dragon moved up the list of generals to lead this raid, to assure that the Ascendancy force would be inadequate for the job, to make sure that the Argent had a pathological hatred of Blood Dragons and to position the surrounding factions so that the Ascendancy would be cut off from retreat after this attack. It had been a lot of work, but it had been worth every iota of effort.'' | ||
− | ''Negotiation, persuasion and the art of manipulation - these were the tools and weapons of this Ambassador-Courtier, and as '''Hungry- | + | ''Negotiation, persuasion and the art of manipulation - these were the tools and weapons of this Ambassador-Courtier, and as '''Hungry-Claw''' would soon discover, words could cut far deeper than claws.'' |
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Whereas a human might be pleased to persuade an adversary to adopt a certain course of action for the next year, or to socially outmanoeuvre someone in court, Dragons play out their social conflicts on far greater levels. With words in the right places, a dragon can cause kingdoms to topple or enemies to be ostracised from society. They can smear the most loved hero as a traitor, or bring the most unlikely allies into the fold. Likewise, a Dragon will happily work over much larger timescales to achieve his goals, recognising that a major victory that takes one hundred and fifty years is likely worth a lot more than one hundred and fifty trivial victories that take a year each. | Whereas a human might be pleased to persuade an adversary to adopt a certain course of action for the next year, or to socially outmanoeuvre someone in court, Dragons play out their social conflicts on far greater levels. With words in the right places, a dragon can cause kingdoms to topple or enemies to be ostracised from society. They can smear the most loved hero as a traitor, or bring the most unlikely allies into the fold. Likewise, a Dragon will happily work over much larger timescales to achieve his goals, recognising that a major victory that takes one hundred and fifty years is likely worth a lot more than one hundred and fifty trivial victories that take a year each. | ||
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− | === | + | ---- |
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+ | =Lifepath Powers= | ||
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+ | ==The Connected Web of Breath (Experience Rating: 1 or Less)== | ||
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+ | ''At this stage the Ambassador-Courtier has begun mastery of the fundamentals of his craft, exploring the power of words and diplomacy, and learning the ways of influence and intrigue. He begins to perceive that every spoken word has consequences, and that society consists of a connected web of breath. He gains the following powers:'' | ||
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+ | * '''Improved Social Evasion''' | ||
+ | During Social Conflicts, an Ambassador-Courtier can use the Strategy ''Evasion'' on spotting 4+ Pneuma dice, instead of the usual 5+. | ||
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+ | * '''Improved Social Focus''' | ||
+ | During Social Conflicts, an Ambassador-Courtier can use the Strategy ''Focus'' on spotting 4+ Pneuma dice, instead of the usual 5+. | ||
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+ | ==A Veteran of Hard Words (Experience Rating: 2 or Less)== | ||
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+ | ''With passing time the Ambassador-Courtier is hardened by his experiences and others will find it far harder to sway him. He is not only more wilful, but also cannier and wilier, more able to deflect the manipulations of others. He gains the following powers:'' | ||
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+ | * '''Mode of Argument''' | ||
+ | During Social Conflicts, an Ambassador-Courtier who deals at least one point of Mental Resilience damage during a turn regains 1 point of Mental Resilience himself at the end of that turn. | ||
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+ | * '''Barrier of Wits and Suspicion''' | ||
+ | The Ambassador-Courtier has a ''passive social defence value'' equal to half his current Experience Rating, rounded down. As his Experience Rating increases, so too does this passive defence value. | ||
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+ | ==Suspires of Words and Binding (Experience Rating: 4 or Less)== | ||
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+ | ''To gain an edge over his opposition, the Ambassador-Courtier may learn a handful of suspires that will improve and supplement his skills.'' | ||
− | + | * '''Suspires: Lesser Lore of Words''' | |
− | + | The Ambassador-Courtier may learn suspires from the ''Lesser Lore of Words'', which concerns itself with the magic of names and language. Knowledge of these spells must be acquired in-game. | |
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− | + | * '''Suspires: Lesser Lore of Binding''' | |
+ | The Ambassador-Courtier may learn suspires from the ''Lesser Lore of Binding'', which concerns itself with the magic of agreements, contracts and pacts. Knowledge of these spells must be acquired in-game. | ||
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− | == | + | ==Master of Intrigue (Experience Rating: 6 or Less)== |
− | + | ''By this stage the dragon is a weaver of intricate webs of intrigue, working almost subtly and invisibly to attain his goals. He is instinctively and intellectually aware of the larger social context of every utterance, and is able to track the repercussions and echoes of the smallest whispered word.'' | |
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− | + | * '''Pulled Strings''' | |
− | + | The Ambassador-Courtier no longer needs spies and servants to work his will at a distance - he simply twists any lesser beings in the vicinity into being his unwitting agents. In social conflict, he is always assumed to have the resources and connections to be able to make ''indirect attacks'', even if he is completely new to the area and seemingly without any support. Also, he can use the ''focus'' strategy at any range he is able to attack (rather than being limited to close range as normal). | |
− | + | * '''A Subtle Knife''' | |
− | + | The dragon can attack someone socially without them realising who is attacking them. When making an attack during a social conflict, the dragon can spot three 5+ Pneuma dice in order to conceal his identity. If he does so, then any mental resilience damage done to a target that turn will seemingly be without source - the target will either think that the weakening of his position is due to the vagaries of fate and fortune, or will randomly blame someone else. | |
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− | + | ==Master Magus of Words and Binding (Experience Rating: 8 or Less)== | |
− | + | ''The Ambassador-Courtier's skill in his chosen sorceries grows, and he attains command of draconic sorceries of great potency.'' | |
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− | * ''' | + | * '''Suspires: Greater Lore of Words''' |
− | + | The Ambassador-Courtier may learn suspires from the ''Greater Lore of Words'', which concerns itself with the magic of names and language. Knowledge of these spells must be acquired in-game. | |
− | * ''' | + | * '''Suspires: Greater Lore of Binding''' |
− | + | The Ambassador-Courtier may learn suspires from the ''Greater Lore of Binding'', which concerns itself with the magic of agreements, contracts and pacts. Knowledge of these spells must be acquired in-game. | |
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− | + | ==Fruition of the Millennial Seed (Experience Rating: 10 or Less)== | |
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− | + | ''Over his centuries, the ambassador-courtier has laid a complex web of intrigues, favours and influences all across the entirety of the realm. This web goes beyond geographic borders, across species and factions, and is anywhere and everywhere the dragon wants it to be. The ambassador-courtier need only apply the slightest pressure on this web and he can achieve massive effects. Within a single day the dragon can set into motion any single event that can conceivably be achieved through politics, be it the fall of the Ascendancy, an end to the Dragonwar or the utter destruction of a breed.'' | |
− | The | + | * '''The Millennial Seed''' |
+ | This power can only ever be used once by a dragon, as it represents the completion of a lifetime of manoeuvring and subtle planning. The GM and the player should collaborate to discuss exactly how the event will come to pass, and how long it takes (be it weeks, years or millennia). Regardless, the intervention's effects are inevitable and can only be cancelled by another Ambassador-Courtier using this same power to negate the effect. | ||
− | + | At the GM's discretion, a Dragon that somehow manages to keep taking his Experience Rating higher and higher may get the chance to "seed" another event - perhaps one for every +5 Experience Rating beyond 10 that he gains. | |
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− | + | ---- | |
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− | = | + | =Lifepath Resources= |
− | + | [[Category:Age_of_Dragons]] | |
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− | [[Category:Age_of_Dragons |