Machinate (sage ability)

Provides for the character to form a conspiracy with a non-player character.

Each ally that the character obtains through schmoozing or by other means has a 1 in 10 chance of possessing a questionable morality – which the character will be able to recognize having obtained this ability. This will allow the character to feel secure in approaching said individuals with a proposition – a scheme or the beginnings of a conspiracy – without fearing that the approached individual will cease to be an ally.

The onus for devising the scheme falls upon the player character. Having suggested such, the player character must make a wisdom check - if successful, this indicates that the ally finds the plan well made. Failing the roll will not affect the alliance at all - but the ally cannot be approached with the same plan ever again, or with any plan for at least a month.

The element must include the possibility of evident risk for both the character and the ally – consequences, therefore, for both must be equally threatening. Both, for example, must risk being killed or imprisonment with the same likelihood. Furthermore, expectations for both parties must also be seen as equal to the amount of effort. The ally will take less than the character if it is clear the character is taking a greater risk.

Keep in mind that if the character is plainly stronger or more able than the ally (say, the character is ninth level and the ally isn't a levelled character at all), then they must measure risk differently! The DM is asked to use the best discretion in determining the equal distribution of risk.

So long as these requirements are met, any activity may be attempted, even those of the most criminal nature. Of course, the character may justify their actions in a variety of ways, depending on the player's imagination.

If the character is participating in an ongoing conspiracy which has – so far – proven successful, the character will receive a +1 bonus to their wisdom check above for every ally already involved. Thus, if the character has a 13 wisdom and has already convinced 2 allies of questionable morality to join, then the character would need to roll equal or less than 15 in order to bring in a third (so long as both other characters are present when the offer is made and the risk remains evidently equal among all involved). With sufficient support, bringing in more participants becomes automatic, limited only by the number of questionable allies the character can locate.

Take note that moralistic allies may also be approached – but the character in doing so must suffer a -6 penalty to their wisdom check, while a fail would result in the ally cutting off all further ties with the character.

It is assumed that these good allies, if unapproached, know nothing about the character's illicit activities. However, if the character is ever exposed to one or all of good allies, then the character must roll their wisdom for each as though they had been approached, still with the -6 penalty (it's assumed the character is given a chance to explain). Such exposure does not then introduce the good ally into the conspiracy, but will enable the character to keep that individual as an ally.

See Politics