Palanan
2013-06-14, 01:22 PM
The Thief-Taker
....The thief-taker, whose name was Pratt, looked like a discreet tradesman of the middle sort, or possibly a lawyer's clerk; he was conscious of the general dislike of his calling, so close to that of the common informer, and he stood diffidently until he was asked to sit down.
...."...I was born in Newgate, do you see, where my father was a turnkey, so I grew up among thieves. Thieves and their children were my companions and playmates and I came to know them very well....
...."Then my father moved on to the Clink and after that the King's Bench, so I made a good many more friends among the thieves and such south of the river and the low attorneys and gaolers and constables and ward officers, and it all came in very useful after I set up on my own...."
Patrick O'Brian
The Reverse of the Medal
Often born and raised in slums, shantytowns, or the larger debtors' prisons, thief-takers are independent criminal investigators who have come to their calling by virtue of lifelong association with their typical prey.
Not infrequently former criminals themselves, thief-takers pursue the riffraff and common thugs who commit the majority of unremarkable crimes in the larger towns and cities--the sort of crimes to which sheriffs and constables often grow indifferent, or (for the more dedicated constabulary) simply may not have the manpower to address. For a fee, the thief-takers will pursue leads and witnesses through the back alleys, the warrens, and the docktowns in search of their mark--and if they're of the more high-minded variety, a threadbare sort of justice as well.
The best of the thief-takers (a vanishing few) are sometimes employed by insurance companies for investigating the more involved sorts of fraud, especially when there may be government connections which would tend to corrupt (or rather, further corrupt) any official gendarmerie. A thief-taker may himself have been a former constable, and will have extensive connections both with the official constabulary--if any--as well as the criminal underworld. In addition to pursuing and apprehending criminals, a thief-taker may serve as a mediator between thieves and their victims, negotiating the return of stolen goods for a moderate percentage.
Although often romanticized by broadsheets and bards, thief-takers have no code, no common principles, and often no principles at all. Many thief-takers inform on criminals solely to collect the reward--a practice for which they are widely despised--and others use their personal knowledge of the underworld to become extortionists, threatening to expose petty criminals unless they pay protection money. The worst of the thief-takers will manipulate naïve or simple men to commit "harmless" crimes, then snatch up their pawns afterward for the reward and public acclaim. With so many thief-takers either marginally or entirely corrupt, anyone engaged in the trade will be seen as deeply suspect, even after they have proven themselves time and time again.
Hit Die: d6.
Requirements
To qualify for the dubious profession of thief-taker, an individual must fulfill the following criteria:
Skills: Bluff 5 ranks, Gather Information 5 ranks, Intimidate 5 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
Feats: Either Skill Focus (Gather Information) or Skill Focus (Knowledge [local]).
Special: Must have lived in a large metropolis or heavily populated region for the majority of his or her life, including for the five years prior to taking the first level of thief-taker.
Class Skills:
The thief-taker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (local) (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table 1: The Thief-Taker
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2| Native Haunts, Local Color, Shady Connections, Nobody's Patsy
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3| Sordid Associates, Patois
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3| Nose for Truth, Shady Connections, Nobody's Patsy
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| Go to Ground, Patois
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| Folk Hero, Shady Connections, Nobody's Patsy, Nose for Truth[/table]
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the thief-taker prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Thief-takers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Native Haunts: A thief-taker's innate understanding of criminal life, learned from an early age, is best applied to the urban community he came up in. Many of a thief-taker's chief talents rely on the deeply personal web of contacts and associates he has developed, and while he retains his instincts wherever he goes, he operates most effectively in his home region. This is typically a major city or other densely settled area, although in a truly immense metropolis of a million or more, the thief-taker's home region might only be a single district, borough or other division. A thief-taker may have only one home region.
Local Color: By virtue of his lifelong familiarity with the mannerisms of his home region, the thief-taker can instantly recognize a stranger to his native haunts, even if the stranger is fluent in the language and impeccably dressed in local attire. In addition, the thief-taker gains a +4 to Will saves to perceive illusions and magical disguises assumed by strangers in his home region.
Shady Connections: The thief-taker relies on his deep experience with the criminal element to make the connections essential to his work. At first level the thief-taker gains a +2 competence bonus on Diplomacy, Gather Information and Knowledge (local) checks in his home region. At third level he gains an additional +2 on these checks, and at fifth level he gains an additional +4, for a cumulative +8 bonus. These bonuses only apply within the thief-taker's home region; outside that area, each bonus is halved, for a progression of +1/+1/+2.
Although the thief-taker knows better than to top it the knob, higher society nonetheless disparages his work, his principles (such as they are) and his person. Any thief-taker, no matter how polite and deferential, always takes a -2 penalty on all Diplomacy and Gather Information checks when interacting with local aristocracy, minor nobles, wealthy merchants and the like, rather than the bonuses he enjoys when operating in the lower levels of his society. Outside of his home region, however, this penalty does not apply--unless he makes a deliberate point of his profession.
Nobody's Patsy: From childhood the thief-taker has lived in an environment of cunning and practiced manipulation, and at this point in his life there aren't many tricks he hasn't seen. At first level the thief-taker gains a +2 competence bonus on Sense Motive and Spot checks against Bluff and Disguise checks respectively, and on opposed Forgery checks. At third level he gains an additional +2 on these checks, and at fifth level he gains an additional +4 to each. Unlike his shady connections, these bonuses apply wherever the thief-taker's work may find him.
In addition, at third level he gains a +2 competence bonus on Will saves versus Enchantment effects, and at fifth level this bonus increases to +4.
Sordid Associates: Any man as thoroughly acquainted with the lowest strata of society as the thief-taker will never be at a loss for hired thuggery. At second level, a thief-taker may recruit one bruiser (a first-level rogue or unarmed fighter) for every character level he possesses. These congenial colleagues will remain on the job for one week per thief-taker level before their services will require renegotiation. These associates are most often recruited for the protection of a witness or client, or for the intimidation of someone else's witness or client, or for other simple tasks requiring an overabundance of brawn and a much less generous proportion of brains and conscience.
Bruisers tend not to work for free; but by various methods the thief-taker negotiates a 20% cumulative discount on their services for every level in the prestige class he possesses, until--at fifth level--his personal mental archive of incriminating information is such that the bruisers will grudgingly "donate" their time, as by far the lesser of two--if not evils, at least potentially uncomfortable outcomes.
None of these individuals has the slightest personal loyalty to the thief-taker; indeed, they are painfully aware he may denounce them to the authorities with real or fabricated evidence at any time. They should never be confused with followers granted by the Leadership feat, and recruited bruisers will never become followers.
Patois: At second level, the thief-taker learns a bonus language of his choice, as long as it is spoken by native-born residents (not strangers or travelers) within his home region. At fourth level the thief-taker may learn a second bonus language with the same precondition.
Nose for Truth: By third level, the thief-taker has heard enough protestations, denials and improbable explanations that he develops a keen sense for that rare flower known as truth. The thief-taker gains a +2 circumstance bonus on all opposed Sense Motive checks involving lies, distortions, half-truths and attempted misdirections. At fifth level this bonus increases by an additional +2, and as with his shady connections, each bonus is halved when the thief-taker is outside his home region.
In addition, once per day per thief-taker level, he is able to listen carefully to a single individual for one round and determine unequivocally if the speaker is lying. This effect otherwise operates as the spell Discern Lies, and operates equally well within or without his home region.
Go to Ground: At fourth level, a thief-taker knows enough about tracking fugitives that he can use the same methods to avoid capture himself. Whenever the thief-taker is being hunted in an urban environment--whether by criminals with a grudge or constables with a warrant--he can vanish into the back alleys, never to be found unless magical means are employed. This ability is effective in any large urban area, and is not limited to his home region.
Folk Hero: At fifth level, whether deservedly or not, the thief-taker is seen as a champion of justice for the common folk. Broadsheets print exaggerated accounts of his exploits, local bards feature him in their songs, and word of his achievements (and perhaps rumors of perfidy) will travel to other cities, and perhaps neighboring realms. This newfound status grants several benefits to his career:
Flash Lad: As a folk hero, the thief-taker gains a +4 competence bonus on Bluff and Intimidate checks against residents and natives of his home region--although the judicious thief-taker will take care not to abuse the very public that idolizes him and feeds his legend. (Thief-takers who let their notoriety go to their head often suffer a precipitous fall.) The thief-taker also receives a discount on nonmagical items and services which ranges from 25-50%, depending on circumstances, and in some cases an especially admiring adherent may offer minor items or services for free.
Moving Up: With a string of successes under his belt, and an appreciative following spreading word of his talents, the thief-taker finds himself in the novel position of attracting up-and-coming fellows in search of an experienced professional mentor. At fifth level the thief-taker acquires a junior partner, who must be at least three levels lower than the thief-taker himself. The thief-taker may acquire one additional partner for each point of Charisma he has above a base score of 10.
A thief-taker's junior partners may be thief-takers themselves, or they may be from any number of other professions--rogues and reformed criminals, low attorneys or ambitious constables, university students or retired soldiers, so long as they have the skills and interest to assist the thief-taker in his pursuit of criminals.
Despite his flash reputation, a thief-taker who is Moving Up may never acquire partners with levels in spellcasting classes.
Recruited: Although not every thief-taker strictly deserves the mantle of the folk hero, most governments are less interested in idealism than in reliable results. At fifth level, a thief-taker has attracted enough interest, both open and discreet, that he may be contacted by agents of one or more regional principalities with an eye towards availing themselves of his services--on a strictly confidential basis, of course.
A thief-taker with a reputation for honesty and a genuine commitment to justice may be contacted by certain services who find this useful, in its own way; but even a thief-taker privately known to be a scurrilous rascal may become a valued instrument, since most intelligence services use a thief-taker's own tricks on a far grander scale. The nature of his services and the compensation he receives will depend on his own negotiating skills, at least in part, as well as the particular interests and reach of the intelligence service that seeks to recruit him.
The thief-taker need not accept recruitment from any service, although should he decline an offer, the service may no longer be able to guarantee his personal safety. Conversely, a thief-taker known to have been recruited by more than one intelligence service may experience extreme setbacks to his career.
Sources
The thief-taker is based primarily on the character of Pratt in The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O'Brian, with additional information incorporated from the article on "Policing in London" from The Proceedings of the Old Bailey: London's Central Criminal Court, 1674 to 1913. (http://www.oldbaileyonline.org) I have no particular knowledge of the topic nor the period, and I welcome any corrections or suggestions for additional reading.
Notes
Pratt's character gave me the idea for this PrC, and I wrote up the class abilities from what was described of him in Reverse of the Medal, with a few extrapolations and additions where I thought they'd fit. Clearly the PrC is intended for city campaigns, although I tried to make it somewhat useful in other situations, and the folk-hero capstone is intended to give a thief-taker the opportunity to become a major player in his home city--or perhaps, through the intelligence connections, make the leap to a much broader stage.
Although rogue is the obvious entry to the PrC, I deliberately didn't include a way to advance sneak attack. The thief-taker isn't an ambush stabber; he's quite literally a poor man's detective, and isn't meant to be sneak-attacking anyone. For this reason I think the feat-rogue variant from Unearthed Arcana is a natural lead-in to the thief-taker, since it trades an ability the thief-taker doesn't advance for a great deal of flexibility with additional feats. --At least, that's how it seems to me, given that I'm a real fan of the feat rogue.
I've consciously left the class features unspecified as to whether they're Su or Ex, although I would assume they're all Extraordinary. The thief-taker is intended to be a class which operates effectively without magic, since most of the ordinary people who need a thief-taker's services could never pay for even the most trivial spellcasting.
It feels like a lot of class features packed into a five-level PrC, although many of them are fairly modest bonuses, and I wondered if this would be better expanded to a full ten-level prestige class, or maybe even to a base class. The five-level structure appeals to me, though, because it allows for a relatively low-level character to enter the PrC and rise to a position of some local power, without being too high-level to fit into his own society. That said, I'm open to comments and suggestions.
....The thief-taker, whose name was Pratt, looked like a discreet tradesman of the middle sort, or possibly a lawyer's clerk; he was conscious of the general dislike of his calling, so close to that of the common informer, and he stood diffidently until he was asked to sit down.
...."...I was born in Newgate, do you see, where my father was a turnkey, so I grew up among thieves. Thieves and their children were my companions and playmates and I came to know them very well....
...."Then my father moved on to the Clink and after that the King's Bench, so I made a good many more friends among the thieves and such south of the river and the low attorneys and gaolers and constables and ward officers, and it all came in very useful after I set up on my own...."
Patrick O'Brian
The Reverse of the Medal
Often born and raised in slums, shantytowns, or the larger debtors' prisons, thief-takers are independent criminal investigators who have come to their calling by virtue of lifelong association with their typical prey.
Not infrequently former criminals themselves, thief-takers pursue the riffraff and common thugs who commit the majority of unremarkable crimes in the larger towns and cities--the sort of crimes to which sheriffs and constables often grow indifferent, or (for the more dedicated constabulary) simply may not have the manpower to address. For a fee, the thief-takers will pursue leads and witnesses through the back alleys, the warrens, and the docktowns in search of their mark--and if they're of the more high-minded variety, a threadbare sort of justice as well.
The best of the thief-takers (a vanishing few) are sometimes employed by insurance companies for investigating the more involved sorts of fraud, especially when there may be government connections which would tend to corrupt (or rather, further corrupt) any official gendarmerie. A thief-taker may himself have been a former constable, and will have extensive connections both with the official constabulary--if any--as well as the criminal underworld. In addition to pursuing and apprehending criminals, a thief-taker may serve as a mediator between thieves and their victims, negotiating the return of stolen goods for a moderate percentage.
Although often romanticized by broadsheets and bards, thief-takers have no code, no common principles, and often no principles at all. Many thief-takers inform on criminals solely to collect the reward--a practice for which they are widely despised--and others use their personal knowledge of the underworld to become extortionists, threatening to expose petty criminals unless they pay protection money. The worst of the thief-takers will manipulate naïve or simple men to commit "harmless" crimes, then snatch up their pawns afterward for the reward and public acclaim. With so many thief-takers either marginally or entirely corrupt, anyone engaged in the trade will be seen as deeply suspect, even after they have proven themselves time and time again.
Hit Die: d6.
Requirements
To qualify for the dubious profession of thief-taker, an individual must fulfill the following criteria:
Skills: Bluff 5 ranks, Gather Information 5 ranks, Intimidate 5 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
Feats: Either Skill Focus (Gather Information) or Skill Focus (Knowledge [local]).
Special: Must have lived in a large metropolis or heavily populated region for the majority of his or her life, including for the five years prior to taking the first level of thief-taker.
Class Skills:
The thief-taker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (local) (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table 1: The Thief-Taker
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2| Native Haunts, Local Color, Shady Connections, Nobody's Patsy
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3| Sordid Associates, Patois
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3| Nose for Truth, Shady Connections, Nobody's Patsy
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| Go to Ground, Patois
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| Folk Hero, Shady Connections, Nobody's Patsy, Nose for Truth[/table]
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the thief-taker prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Thief-takers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Native Haunts: A thief-taker's innate understanding of criminal life, learned from an early age, is best applied to the urban community he came up in. Many of a thief-taker's chief talents rely on the deeply personal web of contacts and associates he has developed, and while he retains his instincts wherever he goes, he operates most effectively in his home region. This is typically a major city or other densely settled area, although in a truly immense metropolis of a million or more, the thief-taker's home region might only be a single district, borough or other division. A thief-taker may have only one home region.
Local Color: By virtue of his lifelong familiarity with the mannerisms of his home region, the thief-taker can instantly recognize a stranger to his native haunts, even if the stranger is fluent in the language and impeccably dressed in local attire. In addition, the thief-taker gains a +4 to Will saves to perceive illusions and magical disguises assumed by strangers in his home region.
Shady Connections: The thief-taker relies on his deep experience with the criminal element to make the connections essential to his work. At first level the thief-taker gains a +2 competence bonus on Diplomacy, Gather Information and Knowledge (local) checks in his home region. At third level he gains an additional +2 on these checks, and at fifth level he gains an additional +4, for a cumulative +8 bonus. These bonuses only apply within the thief-taker's home region; outside that area, each bonus is halved, for a progression of +1/+1/+2.
Although the thief-taker knows better than to top it the knob, higher society nonetheless disparages his work, his principles (such as they are) and his person. Any thief-taker, no matter how polite and deferential, always takes a -2 penalty on all Diplomacy and Gather Information checks when interacting with local aristocracy, minor nobles, wealthy merchants and the like, rather than the bonuses he enjoys when operating in the lower levels of his society. Outside of his home region, however, this penalty does not apply--unless he makes a deliberate point of his profession.
Nobody's Patsy: From childhood the thief-taker has lived in an environment of cunning and practiced manipulation, and at this point in his life there aren't many tricks he hasn't seen. At first level the thief-taker gains a +2 competence bonus on Sense Motive and Spot checks against Bluff and Disguise checks respectively, and on opposed Forgery checks. At third level he gains an additional +2 on these checks, and at fifth level he gains an additional +4 to each. Unlike his shady connections, these bonuses apply wherever the thief-taker's work may find him.
In addition, at third level he gains a +2 competence bonus on Will saves versus Enchantment effects, and at fifth level this bonus increases to +4.
Sordid Associates: Any man as thoroughly acquainted with the lowest strata of society as the thief-taker will never be at a loss for hired thuggery. At second level, a thief-taker may recruit one bruiser (a first-level rogue or unarmed fighter) for every character level he possesses. These congenial colleagues will remain on the job for one week per thief-taker level before their services will require renegotiation. These associates are most often recruited for the protection of a witness or client, or for the intimidation of someone else's witness or client, or for other simple tasks requiring an overabundance of brawn and a much less generous proportion of brains and conscience.
Bruisers tend not to work for free; but by various methods the thief-taker negotiates a 20% cumulative discount on their services for every level in the prestige class he possesses, until--at fifth level--his personal mental archive of incriminating information is such that the bruisers will grudgingly "donate" their time, as by far the lesser of two--if not evils, at least potentially uncomfortable outcomes.
None of these individuals has the slightest personal loyalty to the thief-taker; indeed, they are painfully aware he may denounce them to the authorities with real or fabricated evidence at any time. They should never be confused with followers granted by the Leadership feat, and recruited bruisers will never become followers.
Patois: At second level, the thief-taker learns a bonus language of his choice, as long as it is spoken by native-born residents (not strangers or travelers) within his home region. At fourth level the thief-taker may learn a second bonus language with the same precondition.
Nose for Truth: By third level, the thief-taker has heard enough protestations, denials and improbable explanations that he develops a keen sense for that rare flower known as truth. The thief-taker gains a +2 circumstance bonus on all opposed Sense Motive checks involving lies, distortions, half-truths and attempted misdirections. At fifth level this bonus increases by an additional +2, and as with his shady connections, each bonus is halved when the thief-taker is outside his home region.
In addition, once per day per thief-taker level, he is able to listen carefully to a single individual for one round and determine unequivocally if the speaker is lying. This effect otherwise operates as the spell Discern Lies, and operates equally well within or without his home region.
Go to Ground: At fourth level, a thief-taker knows enough about tracking fugitives that he can use the same methods to avoid capture himself. Whenever the thief-taker is being hunted in an urban environment--whether by criminals with a grudge or constables with a warrant--he can vanish into the back alleys, never to be found unless magical means are employed. This ability is effective in any large urban area, and is not limited to his home region.
Folk Hero: At fifth level, whether deservedly or not, the thief-taker is seen as a champion of justice for the common folk. Broadsheets print exaggerated accounts of his exploits, local bards feature him in their songs, and word of his achievements (and perhaps rumors of perfidy) will travel to other cities, and perhaps neighboring realms. This newfound status grants several benefits to his career:
Flash Lad: As a folk hero, the thief-taker gains a +4 competence bonus on Bluff and Intimidate checks against residents and natives of his home region--although the judicious thief-taker will take care not to abuse the very public that idolizes him and feeds his legend. (Thief-takers who let their notoriety go to their head often suffer a precipitous fall.) The thief-taker also receives a discount on nonmagical items and services which ranges from 25-50%, depending on circumstances, and in some cases an especially admiring adherent may offer minor items or services for free.
Moving Up: With a string of successes under his belt, and an appreciative following spreading word of his talents, the thief-taker finds himself in the novel position of attracting up-and-coming fellows in search of an experienced professional mentor. At fifth level the thief-taker acquires a junior partner, who must be at least three levels lower than the thief-taker himself. The thief-taker may acquire one additional partner for each point of Charisma he has above a base score of 10.
A thief-taker's junior partners may be thief-takers themselves, or they may be from any number of other professions--rogues and reformed criminals, low attorneys or ambitious constables, university students or retired soldiers, so long as they have the skills and interest to assist the thief-taker in his pursuit of criminals.
Despite his flash reputation, a thief-taker who is Moving Up may never acquire partners with levels in spellcasting classes.
Recruited: Although not every thief-taker strictly deserves the mantle of the folk hero, most governments are less interested in idealism than in reliable results. At fifth level, a thief-taker has attracted enough interest, both open and discreet, that he may be contacted by agents of one or more regional principalities with an eye towards availing themselves of his services--on a strictly confidential basis, of course.
A thief-taker with a reputation for honesty and a genuine commitment to justice may be contacted by certain services who find this useful, in its own way; but even a thief-taker privately known to be a scurrilous rascal may become a valued instrument, since most intelligence services use a thief-taker's own tricks on a far grander scale. The nature of his services and the compensation he receives will depend on his own negotiating skills, at least in part, as well as the particular interests and reach of the intelligence service that seeks to recruit him.
The thief-taker need not accept recruitment from any service, although should he decline an offer, the service may no longer be able to guarantee his personal safety. Conversely, a thief-taker known to have been recruited by more than one intelligence service may experience extreme setbacks to his career.
Sources
The thief-taker is based primarily on the character of Pratt in The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O'Brian, with additional information incorporated from the article on "Policing in London" from The Proceedings of the Old Bailey: London's Central Criminal Court, 1674 to 1913. (http://www.oldbaileyonline.org) I have no particular knowledge of the topic nor the period, and I welcome any corrections or suggestions for additional reading.
Notes
Pratt's character gave me the idea for this PrC, and I wrote up the class abilities from what was described of him in Reverse of the Medal, with a few extrapolations and additions where I thought they'd fit. Clearly the PrC is intended for city campaigns, although I tried to make it somewhat useful in other situations, and the folk-hero capstone is intended to give a thief-taker the opportunity to become a major player in his home city--or perhaps, through the intelligence connections, make the leap to a much broader stage.
Although rogue is the obvious entry to the PrC, I deliberately didn't include a way to advance sneak attack. The thief-taker isn't an ambush stabber; he's quite literally a poor man's detective, and isn't meant to be sneak-attacking anyone. For this reason I think the feat-rogue variant from Unearthed Arcana is a natural lead-in to the thief-taker, since it trades an ability the thief-taker doesn't advance for a great deal of flexibility with additional feats. --At least, that's how it seems to me, given that I'm a real fan of the feat rogue.
I've consciously left the class features unspecified as to whether they're Su or Ex, although I would assume they're all Extraordinary. The thief-taker is intended to be a class which operates effectively without magic, since most of the ordinary people who need a thief-taker's services could never pay for even the most trivial spellcasting.
It feels like a lot of class features packed into a five-level PrC, although many of them are fairly modest bonuses, and I wondered if this would be better expanded to a full ten-level prestige class, or maybe even to a base class. The five-level structure appeals to me, though, because it allows for a relatively low-level character to enter the PrC and rise to a position of some local power, without being too high-level to fit into his own society. That said, I'm open to comments and suggestions.