Courtier

Those who rule the land and move and shake the world around them cannot do so themselves. Therefore they have gathered unto themselves a group of capable and trusted individuals to their court. These Courtiers are called on to enact their patron's will, each according to their own skills. The Courtiers gain influence with time which they can use to do the things that they need to do. In time, the Courtier can go from being a lackey of their noble patron to being the actual one to make decisions and rule from behind the throne.
Any class may rise to become a Courtier, the Barbarian who becomes an envoy to distant tribes, the Fighter who becomes a high ranking officer embroiled in the court intrigues, Clerics and Wizards who become high chaplains and court magi and so on.
This is a good class for an overlord's minion that is a constant hassle for the party, but it can be rewarding for a PC as well.
Examples:
*Alexander Hamilton
*Machievelli
*Littlefinger (Game of Thrones)
*Bib Fortuna (Return of the Jedi)
*Wormtongue (LOTR)
*Bismark
Role: The Courtier is by definition a supporting character, making his home in the courts of nobility and royalty, or other players of high power. Not exactly at home in the wild or in the dungeon, the Courtier nonetheless has an impressive ability to make things happen through the influence that he can apply to his skills.
Alignment: The Courtier can be of any alignment, though the game he has to play has its rules, so Chaotic Courtiers may be at a disadvantage if they cannot bring themselves to follow them. Good Courtiers use their influence to improve the rulership for all, while there are plenty of evil Courtiers looking out for their own self-interest or even serving sinister masters.
Hit Dice: 1d8
Requirements
Skills: The Courtier must have a minimum of six skill ranks in what will become his Bonus Skill for his Courtier Role.
Feats: Either Deceitful or Persuasive.
Class Skills
The Courtier's class skills are generally dependant on his Courtier Role. Otherwise, all Courtiers get as class skills: Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Linguistics, Perception, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim.
Skill Ranks at each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Courtiers gain no proficiency with weapons or armor.
The Courtier
Level	BAB	FS	RS	WS	Special
1 	+0 	+0	+1	+1	Influence, Courtier Role
2 	+1 	+1	+1	+1	Courtier Ability
3 	+2 	+1	+2	+2	
4 	+3 	+1	+2	+2	
5 	+3 	+2	+3	+3	Courtier Ability
6 	+4 	+2	+3	+3	
7 	+5 	+2	+4	+4	
8 	+6 	+3	+4	+4	Courtier Ability
9 	+6 	+3	+5	+5	
10 	+7 	+3	+5	+5	Courtier Ability
Influence
Whenever the Courtier is acting in behalf of a patron, he has a pool of Influence points equal to his Courtier level plus his Charisma bonus. The Courtier can apply this number of points to skill rolls during the course of a day, whether all on one roll or distributed among several. The skills that he could use his influence on depends on his role.
Courtier Role
Each Courtier chooses a role that he is to be most adept in upon taking the Courtier Prestige Class. Each different role gives different advantages as detailed in the following descriptions. Each role also includes a bonus skill, usully a Profession, that represents the work done in that skill. Each Courtier gets one free skill point per Courtier level in that skill, and that skill is always henceforth a class skill in both the Courtier class and the character's favored class.
Advisor: The Courtier counsels his patron in his essential affairs, sometimes actually running the patron's affairs if the patron is unable or unwilling.
*The King's Ear: The Advisor Courtier doubles the amount of influence points provided by his Courtier level.
*The skills that the Advisor Courtier can use his influence include Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (nobility), Profession (Courtier: Advisor), and Sense Motive.
*Bonus Skill: Profession (Courtier: Advisor) gives the Courtier knowledge about the state of his patron's affairs, especially as relating to the Courtier's particular advisory function. The skill gives the Courtier insight on who to talk to and how to talk to them in order to get things done.
Courtesean: The Courtier is essentially a high class prostitute or gigilo who works for the gratification of members of her patron's court. The Courtesean is generally well educated and talented at more skills than the obvious. She is expected to be a witty conversationalist and a refreshing companion for those locked into an unhappy marriage due to court politics. Sometimes considered a parasite on court life, the Courtesean can actually provide great service in providing discreet gratification and prying away secrets vital to her patron.
*Going Deep: The Courtesean embroils herself in the secret lives of many people of the court. By getting into a noble's or courtier's most intimate clutches and making a successful Profession (Courtesean) roll, she can gain deeper information about her target and the people he associates with.
**The DC for the Profession (Courtesean) roll depends on how guarded the target is with his secrets, as determined by the GM. It is generally around DC 15 for an indiscreet target, 20 for most, higher for targets who guard their secrets better or simply have fewer secrets to guard.
**The Courtesean gets a +1 bonus to her roll for each 7 day week of intimacy with the target, up to her Charisma bonus.
**If successful, the Courtesean gets a bonus to Knowledge (nobility) regarding that target equal to half the amount the roll suceeded by plus four.
**Instead of targeting a noble or courtier directly, she may work through a close associate. Everything works the same with a -4 DM according to the degree of seperation between the target and the one she's working on. The Courtesean can only target one person per attempt.
*The skills that the Courtesean can use her influence points include Appraise, Craft, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), Perform, Profession (Courtesean), and Sense Motive.
*Bonus Skill: Profession (Courtesean). This skill provides more than the obvious seduction and sexual skill set. This skill also includes knowledge in savior faire, basic gossip, and a conversational knowledge in affairs that interest her clients.
Entertainer: The Courtier is adept at entertaining the court of his patron.
*Professional Reputation: The Entertainer Courtier's professional reputation gets him better gigs, quadrupling the amount of money made per performance as given in page 103 of the PFRPG Core Rulebook.
*The skills that the Entertainer Coutier cas use his influence on include Acrobatics, Appraise, Disguise, Escape Artist, and Perform (any).
*Bonus Skill: any Perform skill of the Entertainer Courtier's choice.
Envoy: The Courtier travels to the courts and power centers of other power players in order to represent his patron's interests.
*Diplomatic Backing: While the Envoy certainly cannot expect good treatment and immunity from crimes as guaranteed by modern diplomatic immunity, any offenses committed to the Envoy while on his official duties become offenses to the patron.
*The skills tha the Envoy can use his influence on include Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), Linguistics, and Sense Motive.
*Bonus Skill: Either Linguistics or Knowledge (local): for any location that the Envoy works in.
Favorite: The Courtier is a close companion to her patron. The Coutier may be the patron's lover, mistress or concubine, or may simply be a tight personal friend.
*Royal Favour: The closeness that the Favorite enjoys to the patron makes everything she does golden. The Favorite can choose any eight skills with the approval of the DM to be favored with her influence rolls.
*Bonus Skill: Any to be chosen by the DM, representing that which the patron enjoys the Favorite's ability in.
Manager: The patron places the Courtier in charge of operations that his skills are capable in.
*Executive Leadership: You can either Aid Another or benefit from someone else's Aid Another on a roll of 5 or higher (instead of 10).
*The skills that the Manager can use his influence on include Appraise, Craft, any two Knowledges, Perception, and any Profession.
*Bonus Skill: Profession (any).
Messenger: The Courtier travels in behalf of his patron delivering messages to envoys and other servants of the patron.
*Open Roads: Authorities in good standing with the Messenger's patron will not interfere with his progress and may at their discretion provide hosting. Some restricted areas or routes are open to you.
*The skills that the Messenger can use his influence on include Climb, Disguise, Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (geography), Ride, Stealth, Survival and Swim.
*Bonus Skill: Profession: (Messenger). The Messenger is knowledgeable about traveling conditions in the patron's sphere of influence, the best and safest routes, troublesome obstacles, the best way to carry and deliver messages, etc. A successful Messenger roll can increase any travel speed.
**DC 15: increase travel speed by 1/4
**DC 20: increase travel speed by 1/2
**DC 25: increase travel speed by 3/4
**DC 30: double travel speed.
Servant: The Courtier serves the patron directly as a high ranking servant, possibly as a court mage or chaplain, alchemist, or as the head chef or butler.
*At My Master's Pleasure: The Courtier has the opportunity to reroll any failed skill roll performed on behalf of his patron. He can do this a number of times equal to his Charisma modifier.
*The skills that the Servant can use his influence on include any Craft skills related to his job, any Knowledges relating to his job, with the addition of Knowledge: Local and Nobility, Perception, any Professions related to his job, and Stealth.
*Bonus Skill: Profession (Servant): The Servant is adept in anticipating his patron's routine and special needs as related to his expertise.
Courtier Abilities
At every two Courtier levels, the Courtier gets to choose one of the following abilities.
*Come in Peace: The Courtier has the ability to talk down a confrontation. The Courtier is allowed a Diplomacy roll at DC 25 to stop opponents who can understand the Courtier from attacking. The Courtier's own party may not make any attack actions, though they may defend. This does not make the opponents any friendlier, it just stops combat for a moment giving the parties involved a chance to sort things out. Enemies who are still hostile may attack after a round of parley. Unlike most uses of the Diplomacy skill, this only takes a Move action.
*Food and Wine Taster: The Courtier is a conniseur of death. The Courtier gets a +2 all poison saves, and recieves the chance to Appraise a poison whenever he is poisoned. Can only be taken once.
*Forked Tongue: The Courtier can say one thing and mean another. The words he says and writes can mean something other than the impression he gives. These words will hold up in court and under truth detection magic.
*Going Native: The Courtier may choose a location other than his native from where he can learn Knowledges (geography, local and nobility), cooking recipies, Perform skills, weapon proficiencies and all sorts of other things. Can be taken multiple times.
*Inspirational Presence: The Courtier provides a +2 synergy bonus to other PC's skills, even skills the Courtier does not possess.
*Multitalented: The Courtier can choose another Courtier Role that he or she is adept in. The Courtier gains the ability and the new skills that they can spend Influence on. The Courtier still only gets one additional skill point per level with which they can put into one Bonus Skill or the other.
*Night-Grown Mushroom: The Courtier is elevated one noble rank. If a commoner, the Courtier is elevated to Baron. From there the progression goes from Baron to Count to Viscount to Marquis to Duke. This ability can be taken multiple times.
*Quick, not Dead: The Courtier did not get where he is by being slow and stupid. He gets +1 to Reflex Saves, +2 AC vs. attacks of opportunity. Can be taken twice.
*Right Hand Man: The position of the Courtier's patron affects the influence the Courtier has. Every Aristocrat level the patron has provides a +1 boost to the Courtier's influence.
*Social Chameleon: You can effectively use the Disguise skill without any preparation (except to impersonate a particular individual), and get a +2 bonus to Bluff checks to convince others that you belong somewhere or were invited to a particular party. Can only be taken once.
*Studied Carelessness: The Courtier has a way of making deeds and words seem natural and carefree rather than the meticulous scheming that they are: all Sense Motive checks made on the Courtier are made more difficult by the Courtier's Charisma modifier. Can be taken only once.
Category:Gaming