Guile (sage study)

From The Authentic D&D Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
Guile.jpg

Guile is a sage study in the fields of Grace and Streetwisdom, describing the skill a character has in deceiving others about the character's intent, integrity, appearance and reason for being. The study enables the character to adopt a disguise or level of confidence, enabling them to spy where they do not belong and even rise within the hierarchy of organizations to which they do not legitimately belong. Meanwhile, others will feel inclined to believe the character's words and veracity — and empower the character to move about freely and gain what information and access they need.

Much of this study preys upon the gullibility of others, who are easily tricked or manipulated into courses of action. Thus the sage abilities described below include numerous ways to dupe others and gull them of their respectability, wealth and skepticism, often drawing them into the character's plot so as to make them unknowing participants in their own undoing.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

  • Acceptance: enable a brief relationship with an individual in authority, gaining their trust and counsel for a day.
  • Begging: enables unusual skill at encouraging others to give money.
  • Find Place: provides skill in being hired or in receiving courtesy service from strangers.
  • Passing Through: enables the character to fleetingly move past persons of authority without receiving notice.
  • Personal Style: allows PCs to temporarily improve their charisma through grooming.


Authority Status

  • Gaslight: sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual's own memory, perception or judgement, leading the victim towards an intended action.
  • Insert Memory: plant a plausible, minor memory in an NPC's thoughts regarding an event that took place at least a year ago, such as having met once before at some event.
  • Sheeple: motivate people towards a panicked action upon a pre-existing fear or prejudice by direct suggestion.


Expert Status

  • False Cult: inveigles others into a deceptively religious cult, the survival of which is ultimately doomed, but which enables the character to exploit a large group of people for a time.
  • Swampland: successfully entice others to invest in a false scheme or enterprise with a minimum of evidence or personal status.


Sage Status

  • True Cult: transforms a false cult into a legitimized, widely respected institution, one that will ultimately be expected to outlive its founder.


See also,
Assassin Sage Abilities
Thief Sage Abilities