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EndlessEnnui
2006-10-14, 11:27 AM
THE PURPLE PACT PARTISAN

"I'm afraid I must deny any knowledge regarding what you just mentioned. Unfortunately, I insist that you do the same..."
-- Gangtreeth Lamn, Pixie Purple Pact Partisan, politely aiming a memory loss arrow

A secret so powerful that it becomes a part of your soul. The Purple Pact is an ancient ritual that forever binds an individual to the secrecy of a deadly mystery -- a hidden truth that the partisan must never reveal. The partisan gains new and quietly effective abilities from the pact, but does so with the knowledge that these powers are dependent on the undisturbed sanctity of the secret. The Purple Pact is often found among secret organizations, scholars seeking to bury forbidden lore, and individual bearers of terrible mysteries attempting to profit from their knowledge.

The pact itself is just six words long, six sacred words from six lost languages, and when spoken seven times, it intertwines inexorably with the intrepid invoker. The words are "Illyosef Nramrth Dagoluenm Ibuavpezaca Gpqjbi Okkcawhensab," and soon after being spoken properly, they appear as indelible letters somewhere on the body of the partisan, their full nature concealed by acronym: the mark of INDIGO!


Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the Purple Pact Partisan (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1249879#post1249879)
2. Creating a Purple Pact Partisan (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1250102#post1250102)
3. Using the Purple Pact in Your Game (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1250315#post1250315)
4. Sample Character: Harnell Wovehome (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1250517#post1250517)
5. Designer Notes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1250711#post1250711)

EndlessEnnui
2006-10-14, 11:30 AM
CREATING A PURPLE PACT PARTISAN

The Purple Pact Partisan is an acquired template that can be added to any non-mindless creature who completes the Indigo Contract ritual, described below.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2

Skills A Purple Pact Partisan gains a +1 bonus per Hit Dice on all Bluff checks make to directly conceal the nature of his or her deep secret.

Special Attacks: A Purple Pact Partisan retains all of the base creature's special attacks and gains the following.

Strike Mute (Su) - After successfully hitting a creature with a melee, ranged, or weapon-like-spell attack, a Purple Pact Partisan can choose to render a creature incapable of communication as a swift action. The creature must succeed on a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the Partisan's HD + the Partisan's Charisma bonus, or be struck utterly incapable of communication for a number of rounds equal to the Partisan's Charisma bonus (minimum 1). During this period, those who fail their save cannot cast or activate language-dependent effects, and must succeed on a Concentration check, DC 10 + 1/2 the Partisan's HD + the Partisan's Charisma bonus to successfully cast a spell with a verbal component.

The Partisan can use this ability on a number of creatures per day equal to 3 + his Charisma bonus (minimum 1). If for some reason an attack hits more than one creature at a time, each creature struck mute counts against the daily limit. Those with the Mark of Indigo often use this ability to temporarily still the tongues of anyone who would seek to spread a forbidden secret before a more... permanent... solution can be accomplished.

Special Qualities:

Deep Secret (Ex) - Upon acquiring the template, every Purple Pact Partisan selects a major mystery it knows the truth of, henceforth called a "deep secret." If at any point the number of creatures who know the Partisan's deep secret exceeds the Partisan's hit dice, the Partisan loses all special abilities and bonuses granted by this template with the exception of Contain the Secret and Deep Secret. While this condition persists, the Partisan also suffers a -1 penalty on all attacks, saves, and checks. This condition can only be remedied by reducing the number of people who know the secret back to less than the partisan's hit dice. Creatures who have made a Purple Pact to conceal the same secret as the Partisan do not count towards this number.

Divination Spell Protection (Ex) - The base creature gains spell resistance equal to its Hit Dice plus 10 against all divination effects. Similarly, whenever a divination spell targets an essential portion of the Partisan's deep secret, the caster of the spell must succeed on a caster level check against the Partisan's spell resistance as if the partisan were the target of the spell.

Contain the Secret (Su) - Any time a being becomes aware of the full nature of the Partisan's deep secret, the Partisan can sense that knowledge and gains a vague familiarity with the likeness of the new secret-bearer. At will, the Partisan can activate a locate creature effect, targeting anyone who knows his deep secret. Unlike the locate creature spell, this ability is not limited in range or fooled by mislead, nondection, or polymorph.

Inner Mystery (Ex) - The power of a well-kept secret is tangible, especially for those who have can tap the great forces of the multiverse or their own self-discipline. A Purple Pact Partisan gains one of the following abilities, chosen at the time of acquiring the template: A +2 bonus to the caster level of all spells and spell-like abilities it casts.
A +2 morale bonus on three skills of the creature's choosing.
A +2 morale bonus on all ranged attack rolls
A +2 morale bonus on all melee attack rolls
Confidence of Confidentiality (Ex) - The secret buried in the heart of one marked by indigo protects the Partisan from the ravages of emotion which might threaten prudent silence. The base creature gains Immunity to Fear effects and a +3 morale bonus on saving throws against Mind-Affecting spells and effects.

Level Adjustment: +2

The Indigo Contract
In order to become a Purple Pact Partisan, a creature must complete a simple but potent ritual. The ritual contractually binds the creature to protect the secrecy of some major mystery, known in this context as "deep secret," in exchange for enhanced personal power and resilience. First, of course, this requires that the creature to know a deep secret, and the appropriateness of the any given secret must be confirmed by the DM. A good deep secret has the potential to have a significant impact on the campaign world if revealed, meaning that it should not be a trivial or purely personal matter. Second, a character must say aloud the full truth of the deep secret and then pronounce the six words (Illyosef Nramrth Dagoluenm Ibuavpezaca Gpqjbi Okkcawhensab) seven times to seal the ritual. These words are extremely esoteric, unknown in any existing language, and thus are normally only transmitted by word of mouth from one Purple Pact Partisan to another or discovered by chance or extensive research.

EndlessEnnui
2006-10-14, 11:32 AM
USING THE PURPLE PACT IN YOUR GAME

Sample Secrets
While the precise nature of a Purple Pact's deep secret will depend on the campaign and the character, here are a number of suggested deep secrets to spark your imagination. The key elements of a deep secret are world-signficance, the real threat of possible revelation, and relevance to the character.
The identity of an usurper to a high political position.
The hidden crimes of a major public figure.
Proof of a significant falsehood in a religion or philosophy's claims.
The location of an artifact or other incredibly valuable hidden object.
The true name and origins of a god.
The truth about a famous mysterious historical event.
An accurate prophecy regarding current or near-future events.

Hooks
An old ally reveals herself to bear the Mark of Indigo and offers to help initiate the whole party into the secret before she dies. What she may or may not tell them is that the secret is being actively pursued by a ruthless and powerful immortal scholar. As an extra twist, the ruthless scholar may ultimately be dedicated to some greater cause, forcing the PCs to choose between personal power, a penalty-filled life with a clear conscience, or a clever third` way out. In the course of unraveling and defeating a typical evil plot, the PCs discover the villain's deep secret, causing the whole cabal of evil Purple Pact Partisans sharing that same secret to show up and demand a return to ignorance...the hard way.
The PCs are entrusted by a well-known good Purple Pact Partisan to guard the secret of a gilded coffin the size of a child. The PCs are informed to do everything possible to avoid learning about their charge as they deliver it to a safe location in a distant land.


Adaptation:
Rather than being lost in the mists of time and propagated by chance and small groups, the Indigo Contract ritual is an essential ritual in a single worldwide organization dedicated to one huge secret. They have the resources and organization to actively keep a major world truth hidden from all eyes.
The Purple Pact is one of the strange and mysterious rituals of the fey, and Partisans are charged with guarding the secret locations of sacred groves, places of great natural power, and entrances to the faerie realms. Pixies are the most common fey to bear the Mark of Indigo, and they make heavy use of their Memory Loss arrows to keep the secret places safe.
The versatility of the inner mystery ability has attracted a lot of attention among "mainstream" adventurers and mercenaries, leading to an explosion of individuals bearing the mark and using a multitude of methods to protect their often-fragile secrets. Memory modification gets used quite a bit by mages, the silence of death becomes the tool of the warrior, and disabling mutilation reigns as the mode of the vile.
People use the Purple Pact to draw strength from a singular secret, but several fractious groups of Partisans have developed, each jockeying for power, resulting in a mysterious war being fought throughout the land. The ongoing unexplained strife is a backdrop for national disruption and fierce politicking.
Presence of mind is just as important as force of will in mastering the secrets within. Replace the use of the Charisma modifier in determining the DCs and duration of the Strike Mute special attack with the character's Wisdom modifier.
Permanent penalties until all knowledge is secret again may be a bit harsh or daunting for some players who end up in that unfortunate situation. DMs could choose to soften the blow or offer a way out by use of the Atonement spell, which, upon completion, would remove the template entirely from the character.


Lore (Knowledge: Arcana)
DC 20: Some secret cabals have strange tattoos of a bunch of letters and occasionally refer to a "Purple Pact." These people tend to be highly defensive of their knowledge, refusing to share or divulge any details. There are rumors that these people can make someone's tongue fall off.
DC 30: There is a secret ritual that binds its participants to complete silence on a topic. The letters I, N, D, I, G, and O appear on the bodies of those who partake in this rite, and they seem to draw exceptional power from this word. The precise manifestation of this power differs from conspirator to conspirator.
DC 45: Full knowledge of the Indigo Contract, the words "Illyosef Nramrth Dagoluenm Ibuavpezaca Gpqjbi Okkcawhensab," and the abilities of a Partisan. The "Purple Pact" is a colorful euphemism concealing the true linguistic nature of the Mark of Indigo.

EndlessEnnui
2006-10-14, 11:36 AM
SAMPLE CHARACTER

Harnell Wovehome [CR 8]
Male Purple Pact Partisan Human Bard 6
NE Medium Humanoid
Init +6; Senses Listen +9, Spot +0
Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal
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AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13
(+2 Dex, +2 Armor, +1 Deflect)
hp 24 (6 HD)
Immune Fear
SR 16 (only against divination spells)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5
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Speed 30 ft. (5 squares)
Melee +1 dagger +4 (1d4 / 19-20)
Ranged +1 dagger +7 (1d4+1 / 19-20)
Base Atk +4; Grp +3
Attack Options Strike Mute (6/day)
Combat Gear Wand of Cure Light Wounds (24 charges)
Bard Spells Known (CL 6)
2nd (3/day) -- Detect Thoughts (DC 15), Eagle's Splendor, Minor Image (DC 15)
1st (4/day) -- Charm Person (DC 14), Comprehend Languages, Disguise Self, Undetectable Alignment
0 (3/day) -- Detect Magic, Light, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Summon Instrument
Special Actions bardic music 6/day (inspire courage +1, fascinate 2 targets, inspire competence, suggestion (DC 16)), countersong
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Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16
SQ bardic knowledge +8
Feats Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Bluff), Negotiator, Persuasive
Skills Bluff +22 (+28 to lie about his deep secret), Concentration +4, Diplomacy +23, Gather Information +19, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +15, Knowledge (Local) +15, Listen +9, Perform +20, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +3, Tumble +3
Possessions Circlet of Persuasion, Bracers of Armor +2, Ring of Protection +1
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Deep Secret (Ex) - Harnell's deep secret involves knowledge of the fiendish heritage and proclivities of the bishop of the head temple of a good god in a metropolis. If at any point the number of creatures who know the Harnell's deep secret exceeds 6, the Harnell loses all special abilities and bonuses granted by the Purple Pact Partisan with the exception of Contain the Secret and Soul-Linked Secret. While this condition persists the Partisan also suffers a -1 penalty on all attacks, saves, and checks. This condition can only be remedied by somehow reducing the number of people who know the secret. Creatures who have made a Purple Pact to conceal the same secret as Harnell do not count towards this number.
Strike Mute (Su) - After successfully hitting a creature with a melee, ranged, or weapon-like-spell attack, Harnell can choose to render a creature incapable of verbal, mental, and physical communication as a swift action. The creature must succeed on a Fortitude, DC 16, or be struck utterly incapable of communication for a 6 round. The victims cannot cast or activate language-dependent effects, and must succeed on a Concentration check, DC 16 to cast a spell with a verbal component. Harnell can use this ability on up to 6 creatures per day. If for some reason an attack hits more than one creature at a time, each creature struck mute counts individually against the daily limit.
Divination Spell Protection (Ex) - Harnell possesses a spell resistance equal of 16 against all divination effects. Similarly, whenever a divination spell targets an essential portion of Harnell's deep secret, the caster of the spell must succeed on a caster level check against a DC of 16 or the spell fails.
Contain the Secret (Su) - Any time a being becomes aware of the full nature of Harnell's deep secret, he can sense that knowledge and gains a vague familiarity with the likeness of the new secret-bearer. At will, Harnell can activate a locate creature effect, targeting anyone who knows his deep secret. Unlike the locate creature spell, this ability is not limited in range or fooled by mislead, nondection, or polymorph.
Inner Mystery (Ex) - The power of a well-kept secret is tangible, especially for those who can tap the great forces of the multiverse or their personal discipline. Harnell has chosen to gain a +2 morale bonus on his Bluff, Gather Information, and Perform skills.
Confidence of Confidentiality (Ex) - The secret buried in the heart of one marked by Indigo protects Harnell from the ravages of emotion that threaten prudent silence. Harnell has Immunity to Fear effects and a +3 morale bonus on saving throws against Mind-Affecting spells and effects.

Appearance and Personality: Harnell Wovehome is always sufficiently well-dressed for the occasion, and then a little more. Given to blue and green fashionable clothing, this well-tanned human is open and gregarious, always willing to take time to listen to a friend, an acquaintance, or even a perfect stranger. The more secrecy a situation demands, the more he talks, if about trivial matters, to allay any perception of stinginess of knowledge or spirit. Still, his ambition gets the better of him at times, and he's prone to making snap concessions to win the cooperation of others with anything pertaining to his rise to fame.

Brief Backstory: As a mid-ranking entertainer in the courts of a major metropolis' governor, it was sheer chance that Harnell Wovehome happened to be the only person awake enough after the banquet to notice that the bishop's omnipresent hat had been knocked off by a bit of decoration hanging from the back doorway to the hall during his exit. The prestigious priest had retrieved it immediately, but not before Harnell had clearly witnessed the demonic horns and fiendish visage the cleric possessed without his headpiece. Smart and ambitious, Harnell leveraged this tasty bit of gossip into a place among the higher chatty circles of the court by sharing it with a few key courtesans. After several years of idle minor intrigue, an inebriated mage and linguistic scholar happened to spill the contents of his glass on and eventually the contents of his research on ancient binding rituals with the ever-attentive bard. Seeing another opportunity knocking, Harnell soon had indigo-marked himself with the Purple Pact, tying his soul to the first great mystery he learned -- the bishop's evil heritage.

Activities and Hooks: Newly empowered, Harnell is now attempting to build an informant network among the low-ranking upper class citizens of the city while carefully eliminating the few noble gossips he hastily told his secret to so long ago. He may seek to involve the PCs in his fledgling intrigues somehow, bribing or tricking them into slaying one of the courtesans in the know about the bishop, getting them to find evidence for trumped-up (or not) charges against the gossips, or simply attempting to incorporate them innocuously into his group of informants. Alternately, the players may stumble across the bishop's heritage on their own, and find themselves drawn into Harnell's web of politics, doubletalk, and deceptive spells designed to prevent the secret from getting out.

EndlessEnnui
2006-10-14, 11:37 AM
DESIGNER NOTES

On Level Adjustment
This was a very tricky call. The abilities granted by this template are rather specific to the maintenance of secrets and mysteries. Protecting mysteries is somewhat uncommon in D&D, revealing them is a far more frequent theme, and thus is isn't readily apparent just how practically powerful becoming very good at not telling anyone will be. That said, the general inner mystery bonuses granted are significant, and immunity to fear and spell resistance against divinations are doubtlessly potent tools for any intrigue-minded character. We must consider the major balancing factor in this template -- the threat that the secret may be let loose and all havoc break out. The value of this balancing technique, beyond its nifty flavor, rests on the ability of the DM and the player to decide upon an appropriate deep secret, and this is a variable matter indeed. Yet still, given the guidance provided in the Using the Purple Pact section and the emphasis on actual in-game significance given throughout the entry, I feel confident that people who use the Purple Pact will "get the picture" and make certain that the +2 LA of the template is dearly earned.

Harnell's Stats
I know, I know, I used the "new" stat block organization. From what I understand, some people love it, some people hate it. I suppose I chose it simply because it represents the most current industry standard in clearly presenting character information. If people find that it burns their eyes like garlic-scented sunlight on an albino vampire, let me know and I'll crank out a separate version using the old stat block system.

If I had more time...
I rather enjoyed contemplating the fey-based adaptation of the template which places an emphasis on the sanctity of naturally private places and "that which ought to be known only by a few." It might be fun to explore a Pixie Purple Pact Partisan character beyond the alliterative value demonstrated in the teaser text. However, since Mike Lemmer's splendid Indigo Guests and The Vorpal Tribble's entry have authoritatively taken the fey tack, I'll let it be for now.

Is it Detrimental?
If a creature is tricked or coerced into taking the pact, it seems plausible to consider the template a detriment. Beyond merely having to choose between whether to roll with the flow and make the most of the benefits or divulge the secret and suck up the penalties, it represents an undesired ideological association and a tough-to-remove set of abilities and responsibilities. From the player's perspective, this situation would imply a jump in LA that will significantly slow a character's desired progression. On the other hand, the powers granted are certainly nice -- nice enough to make up the difference for those who become partisans willingly. What do you think? Should it be submitted to the "detrimental" category or not?

Carmichael
2006-10-14, 04:47 PM
I think this is a strong entry. The concept is a little nebulous, but I appreciate the adaptation section.

EndlessEnnui
2006-10-17, 03:12 PM
Thanks for the words of support, Carmichael!

I'd like to think that the essential premise (power dependent on keeping a secret safe) is solid, while there is flexibility in the nature of the character's chosen secret to allow for smooth adaptation into any game where mysteries abound.

EndlessEnnui
2006-10-28, 08:27 AM
Update: I've fixed all of the link and coding errors caused by the server-switch. The Purple Pact Partisan is lookin' swanky once more.

Mike_Lemmer
2006-11-01, 03:27 AM
This condition can only be remedied by reducing the number of people who know the secret back to less than the partisan's hit dice.

How does the Pacter reduce them? Does just death count, or would amnesia or mutilation work as well?

Other than that, it looks good, although I'm not sure the +2 CR is necessary. +2 level adjustment, sure, but the CR might not be worth it.

Jack Mann
2006-11-01, 04:02 AM
If they've lost the memory of the secret, they no longer know it, so presumably that would work. On the other hand, dead men do tell tales, so I'm not certain death would be sufficient.

Mike_Lemmer
2006-11-01, 05:03 AM
Well, you can cure amnesia as well. The River Oceanus (upper planes) can cure amnesia in anyone who drinks from it.

But I'd say that people don't count as a "knower" if they can't pass it on by themselves (i.e. if they're mutilated, don't remember, or are dead). That way, you don't have to worry about spells like Speak with Dead.

EndlessEnnui
2006-11-28, 04:05 PM
In fuzzy philosophical matters like the "nature of truly knowing something," I would wager that it's probably safest to leave metaphysical adjudication to individual DMs.

Actually, letting the DM pick what counts as "knowing" or "not knowing" opens up the ability to scale the harshness of the template's balancing limitations. For example, a DM could rule that the secret must be utterly inaccessible and unrecoverable by a "knower" -- probably necessitating death by disintegration or some other spell that makes speak with dead or raise dead difficult. This would push Purple Pact Partisans in that game to act more drastically and probably lean towards the sinister side of things.

On the other hand, a DM could rule that the secret need only be prevented from being spread, allowing Partisans to use amnesia, memory modification, lobotomies (Int damage anyone?), and enchantments enforcing silence on the topic. Definitely wider options, making the template more accessible for less-than-utterly-ruthless characters.

For the sake of being clear for casual readers, here's an easy rule to use, based on Jack Mann's nice suggestion -- "If a character can consciously comprehend and actively personally communicate the secret, that character counts as knowing the Deep Secret."

By this test, a dead character doesn't count towards the limit, and neither do mindless skeletons or unconscious squirrels with the deep secret pinned to them with a sticky note.

Easy-Rule Examples

Doesn't Count towards the Deep Secret limit: Mindless creatures that somehow have been ordered to bear information about the secret.
Permanently unconscious creatures. This is what happens when Int, Wis, or Cha hit 0 and stay there.
Dead people that haven't conveniently turned into intelligent undead.
Creatures who have currently lost their memories about the secret. This includes altered memories.
Creatures compelled to never think about or communicate the secret. The compulsion should be so complete that the creature will never (under current circumstances) succeed on (or receive) a Will save to bypass the effect.
Silly people who hunt for every sort of exception to every easy-going ruleset, since they are too occupied with rules-twisting to actively consider and communicate the secret.