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Mastering Intrigue / Influence / Organizational Influence

Sample Organizations

Source Ultimate Intrigue pg. 114
The sample organizations in this section span all possible levels of influence. The organizations that are relevant to each GM depend upon the campaign.

Other ideas for organizations that are not detailed below include an assassin’s guild, a bardic college, a merchant’s guild, a museum, a secret society, and a university.

Small-Time Gang

CN weak organization
Size 15 members
Key members
Greedy Jenny (LE female human sorcerer 1)
Martin Quickfingers (CN male halfling rogue 2)
Values This small-time gang of petty crooks is always willing to accept new members who prove their skills.
Public Goals When caught, these criminals claim that they only steal enough to survive.
Private Goals Martin would like to recruit other down-on-their luck individuals to join the growing organization, while Jenny cares only about her own profits.
Allies The small-time gang is allied with local beggars, who provide them with information in exchange for small amounts of food and clothing.
Enemies The town guard has not yet caught wind of these thieves, but it would oppose them if it knew of their activities.
Membership Requirements The PCs must steal an item worth at least 20 gp, and donate half the value of the item to the small-time gang.
Influence Limitations A PC must join the thieves formally to rise above Rank 1. If a PC rises to Rank 3, Martin sees that PC as a threat and tries to eliminate her. Defeating Martin makes that PC the leader of the organization, and increases her rank to 4.
Benefits These petty thieves band together to help each other survive and profit.
Rank 1: borrow resources (10 gp), case (+6), lookout (1 way, +6)
Rank 2: borrow resources (50 gp), diversion (+6), gather information, pickpocket (+8), put in a good word
Rank 3: borrow resources (250 gp), reciprocal benefits
Rank 4: borrow resources (500 gp), command team (1d4 1st-level rogues)
New Benefits The petty thieves grant the following unusual benefits.
Case: A group of thieves cases an area, searching for guards, hiding places, and entrances. The thieves’ total Perception skill bonus is +6.
Diversion: A group of thieves creates a diversion to allow the PCs to sneak past guards or other watchful eyes. The thieves’ total Bluff skill bonus is +6.
Lookout: A thief acts as a lookout, monitoring one direction for oncoming guards or witnesses. The thief’s total Perception skill bonus is +6.
Pickpocket: A thief attempts to take a specific item from a specific person. The thief’s total Sleight of Hand skill bonus is +8. If the thief believes the situation is too dangerous, she informs the PCs and refuses to attempt the task—in this case, the favor is not expended.

Thieves' Guild

LE moderate organization
Size 200 members
Key members
Chief (LE male half-orc ranger 7)
Kalgeen (LE female human wererat rogue 5)
Values This thieves’ guild has a strict code of conduct for its members, who must look out for each other at all times and may never steal from each other’s friends or relatives. The guild values loyalty and resourcefulness.
Public Goals The guild has no publicly stated goals.
Private Goals The guild seeks to expand its reach into additional settlements.
Allies The guild is allied with a local group of merchants.
Enemies The thieves’ guild has made enemies among the organizations that it regularly targets and local law enforcement officials.
Membership Requirements The PCs must steal an item worth at least 250 gp, and donate half the value of the item to the thieves’ guild.
Influence Limitations A PC must formally join the thieves’ guild to rise to Rank 2. To rise to Rank 4, the PCs must execute a complex heist (see pages 118–129).
Benefits While this thieves’ guild cannot operate openly, it helps its members scope out potential jobs.
Rank 1: borrow resources (100 gp), case (+10), lookout (2 ways, +10)
Rank 2: borrow resources (500 gp), diversion (+10), gather information, pickpocket (+12), put in a good word
Rank 3: borrow resources (2,500 gp), reciprocal benefits, remove evidence, rob, search black market
Rank 4: borrow resources (5,000 gp), command team (1d4 3rd-level rogues or 3d4 1st-level rogues)
New Benefits The thieves’ guild grants the following unusual benefits.
Case: Per the benefit under small-time gang above, except the thieves’ total Perception skill bonus is +10.
Diversion: Per the benefit under small-time gang above, except the thieves’ total Bluff skill bonus is +10.
Lookout: A pair of thieves act as lookouts, monitoring up to two directions for oncoming guards or witnesses. The thieves’ total Perception skill bonuses are +10.
Pickpocket: Per the benefit under small-time gang above, except the thief’s total Sleight of Hand skill bonus is +12.
Remove Evidence: A group of thieves carefully enters a scene where the PCs committed a crime and removes evidence. This eliminates any obvious clues, such as the body of a victim or notes the PCs left at the scene, and increases the Perception DC to find more subtle clues by 5.
Rob: The thieves’ guild sends an agent to steal a specific item from a secured location. The agent has a +10 total skill bonus on Stealth checks and a +12 total skill bonus on Disable Device checks. This benefit costs from 1 to 3 favors, depending upon the danger involved. The thief expects the PCs to pay half the value of the stolen item.
Search Black Market: The thieves’ guild locates any type of item whose value is up to the base value of the settlement, even if the item is illegal in that settlement, and arranges for the PCs to purchase it.

Mage's Guild

N strong organization
Size 520 members
Key members
Archmage Theona Tethril (N female human diviner 9)
Master of Wards Falariel (NG male elf abjurer 7)
Values The mages’ guild values curiosity, creativity, and magical aptitude.
Public Goals To regulate the use of magic for the public good.
Private Goals The mages’ guild seeks out arcane knowledge that it deems too dangerous and stores such information in its heavily secured secret library. The master of wards protects the books from public access, while the archmage uses them to learn more about the people who would abuse the dangerous knowledge contained within the tomes.
Allies The mages’ guild is on good terms with several nearby universities and the alchemists’ union.
Enemies The mages’ guild has made several enemies among evil cults and other organizations that make use of profane knowledge.
Membership Requirements To join the mages’ guild, a PC must spend 1 week teaching spells to guild members, or bring a spell or bit of arcane knowledge to the guild that it does not already possess in its libraries.
Influence Limitations The PCs must all join the mages’ guild before they can reach Rank 2.
Benefits This guild of mages provides training to its members, and casts spells for them.
Rank 1: borrow resources (100 gp), spell library (Core Rulebook spells only)
Rank 2: arcane library, borrow resources (750 gp), gather information, item crafting, put in a good word, spell library spellcasting (1st- and 2nd-level spells)
Rank 3: borrow resources (1,500 gp), reciprocal benefits, spellcasting (3rd- and 4th-level spells)
Rank 4: borrow resources (4,000 gp), spellcasting (5th-level spells)
New Benefits The mages’ guild grants the following unusual benefits.
Arcane Library: The PCs gain access to the guild’s library, allowing them to potentially learn secrets relevant to their current adventures (consider using the research system on pages 148–153 to handle research in the arcane library).
Item Crafting: The mages’ guild crafts a custom-ordered collection of scrolls, potions, or wondrous items for the PCs. The items cost their usual market value in gold pieces plus 1 favor for every 2 days of crafting required.
Spell Library: The mages’ guild provides the PCs with access to its extensive library of spells. The PCs can learn a spell in the library. Spells from the Core Rulebook cost 1 favor, and all other spells that are available cost 2 favors.
Spellcasting: The PCs can expend favors instead of paying the typical cost for spellcasting services. A 1st- or 2nd-level spell costs 1 favor, a 3rd- or 4th-level spell costs 2 favors, and a 5th-level spell costs 3 favors. The cost and availability of spellcasting is based upon the levels of the guild’s members (in this guild, a 5th-level spell always comes from the archmage herself, and consequently is quite expensive).

Crime Syndicate

NE preeminent organization
Size 15,000 members
Key members
Lady Alixis Drosain/Lyra (N/NE female human vigilante 12)
Nikolas Trivoy (N male human investigator 7)
Whisper (NE female human slayer 10)
Zadreni (N male human bard 9)
Values The syndicate values skill and ambition, but also discretion and loyalty.
Public Goals The crime syndicate’s public goals are to manage and regulate crime, to deliver valuable goods and services, and to invigorate the local economy.
Private Goals Overall, the syndicate’s members seek wealth, power, and prestige. While Lyra has emerged as the undisputed leader of the syndicate, the vigilante will not be satisfied until she controls the open market as well, under her social identity of Lady Drosain. Nikolas is growing increasingly suspicious of Lyra, and he painstakingly seeks material he could leverage against her.
Allies While few organizations would publicly admit to an alliance with the crime syndicate, many groups benefit from under-the-table dealings.
Enemies The crime syndicate has made enemies of several prominent organizations in nearby nations, including the royal house of a neighboring kingdom.
Membership Requirements Steal a unique and iconic item, such as the prize painting in a museum’s collection. Alternatively, establish a legal business whose illegal side dealings provide the PCs with a net profit of at least 100 gp per month.
Influence Limitations Each time the PCs wish to reach a new rank, they must prove their worth to the organization, with a task more spectacular than their last demonstration. The syndicate has plenty of members, and does not spare time for those who are unwilling to prove their worth. PCs must declare their allegiance to reach Rank 1, and they must become full members before they can reach Rank 2.
Benefits This crime syndicate can protect its members from the consequences of all but the most heinous crimes.
Rank 1: borrow resources (100 gp), case (+15), diversion (+15), gather information, lookout (4 ways, +15)
Rank 2: borrow resources (1,000 gp), put in a good word, remove evidence, rob, search black market
Rank 3: borrow resources (5,000 gp), command team (1d4 NPCs of 3rd level, or 3d4 NPCs of 1st level), destroy evidence, market manipulation, reciprocal benefits
Rank 4: black market mastery, borrow resources (15,000 gp), command team (1d4 NPCs of 6th level, or 5d4 NPCs of 3rd level)
New Benefits The crime syndicate grants the following unusual benefits.
Black Market Mastery: The crime syndicate explores the full extent of its black-market contacts to find an item for the PCs. It can locate almost any type of item whose value is below the settlement’s base value. The PCs can use black market mastery to search for one item below the settlement’s base value per favor they expend. Alternatively, the PCs can use black market mastery to search for a single item above the settlement’s base value, at the cost of 3 favors. There is a 50% chance each month that the syndicate locates the requested item. If the PCs seek a unique item, the syndicate may be able to provide the PCs with the location of that item for the cost of 2 favors.
Case: Per the benefit under small-time gang, except the thieves’ total Perception skill bonus is +15.
Destroy Evidence: The crime syndicate makes evidence of a crime that the PCs committed disappear. This ability functions as remove evidence (see thieves' guild above), except that the Perception DC to find any evidence at the crime scene increases to 30 (or by 10, whichever is higher). The syndicate also discourages witnesses from testifying against the PCs, using a combination of intimidation, bribery, and even memory-altering magic. This benefit costs 3 favors.
Diversion: Per the benefit under small-time gang, except the thieves’ total Bluff skill bonus is +15.
Lookout: A group of thieves act as a lookouts, monitoring up to four directions for oncoming guards or witnesses. The thieves’ total Perception skill bonuses are +15. This ability costs 2 favors. Alternatively, the PCs can purchase the lookout ability as listed under the thieves’ guild for 1 favor.
Market Manipulation: The crime syndicate can manipulate market forces to drive business away from the PCs’ rivals and toward any businesses the PCs own. This ability produces an amount of additional money for the PCs that depends upon the extent of the manipulation. This windfall comes in the form of increased results using whichever rules you are using to determine the success of the PCs’ businesses (such as the downtime rules). For each favor spent, the PCs can earn at most 1,000 gp (to a maximum of 5,000 gp).
Remove Evidence: Per the benefit under thieves’ guild.
Rob: Per the benefit under thieves’ guild.
Search Black Market: Per the benefit under thieves’ guild.

National Military

LN preeminent organization
Size 18,000 members
Key members
General Agnar (LG female dwarf fighter 10)
General Rortian (LN male human cavalier 12)
Values The military values order, discipline, loyalty, and service.
Public Goals The military’s goal is to protect the people of its nation and to fight against its enemies.
Private Goals General Rortian seeks to enhance his personal glory by embarking on a campaign to expand his home nation’s territory.
Allies The military of this nation is on good terms with most political organizations within the nation. It is formally allied with the militaries of allied nations.
Enemies The enemies of this military are the political and military organizations within enemy nations. Membership Requirements Joining the military as a recruit requires the PCs to undergo training and prove their ability to follow orders.
Influence Limitations Most militaries maintain a strict hierarchy of command. The PCs must be promoted to a higher military rank before they can increase their influence rank within the military.
Benefits This military force takes pride in its highly trained and well-equipped soldiers.
Rank 1: acquire arms (350 gp), borrow resources (100 gp)
Rank 2: acquire arms (750 gp), borrow resources (750 gp), command team (1d4 1st-level warriors), gather information, put in a good word, retrain
Rank 3: acquire arms (magic), borrow resources (2,500 gp), command team (5d4 3rd-level martial NPCs), reciprocal benefits
Rank 4: borrow resources (18,500 gp), command legion, command team (70 HD worth of NPCs, none of which can be more than 7th level)
New Benefits The national military grants the following uncommon benefits.
Acquire Arms: The national military gathers a collection of mundane weapons and gear from its armory for the PCs. The PCs can purchase this collection for 1 favor or its standard market price. At Rank 1, the combined value us 350 gp or less. At Rank 2, the value of this collection increases to 750 gp. At Rank 3, the PCs can purchase magic weapons and armor from the military at a 10% discount by spending 2 favors. For the purposes of item availability, the military counts as a metropolis.
Command Legion: The national military grants the PCs command of a medium army for 1 week per favor expended. This force comprises 100 2nd-level fighters who follow the PCs loyally. If the PCs do not clearly use this force to further the military’s goals or the PCs are reckless with the soldiers’ lives, the PCs’ influence rank is reduced to 3. Bringing the soldiers into a dungeon that is level-appropriate for the PCs counts as reckless endangerment.
Retrain: Military trainers work together with the PCs, allowing them to retrain archetypes, class features, feats, or skill ranks, as per the retraining rules. At Rank 2, each week of retraining costs 1 favor and the standard cost in gold pieces. At Rank 3, the military covers the gold piece cost. At Rank 4, the PCs can retrain without expending favors or money.