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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 4420465" data-attributes="member: 20323">Inspired by andarilhor's thread, I've begun brainstorming about a "social" power source. The original thread began here: <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=237311" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=237311</a>[sblock=Social Power Source]“Social” Power SourceOther Names? Esteem/Influence/Prestige/Status/Regency/NobilitySocial powers derive from knowing how to use privileged status to one’s advantage. Social characters use their connections, reputation, psychological manipulation, and political power to topple their enemies. Prestige and intrigue replaces training, magic, or faith to grant courtiers, knights, and courtesans their power. Social powers are called ???Powers are called...? Dictums, Dominions, Edicts, Mandates, Spheres, Ruses, Intrigues SOCIAL CLASS CONCEPTSCourtier [controller]: gifted at court intrigue, psychological manipulation, friends in high places, bend the law, their fighting style would be more swashbuckling, perhaps changing the terrain with zones like a fallen chandelier or a wave of betrayalThane/Knight [defender]: feudal lord holding land and providing military service to the crown, their fighting style would be based around creating defense zones, issuing duel challenges to worthy adversaries while able to keep minions at bay, and specializing in facing masses of foes ??? [leader]:Courtesan [striker]: (see below)[/sblock]As my first "social" class, I've decided to experiment with the courtesan...COURTESAN“Are you shocked to know the king you slew was your father? Perhaps I manipulated you, but I have inherited his throne as regent matriarch – did I neglect to mention? His dying act was to marry me. You wouldn’t slay your mother-in-law too, would you?”COURTESAN CLASS TRAITSRole: Striker. You slip among your enemies as if you were one of them, turning them against each other while you lure your true prey into your waiting palm. Once isolated, you whittle away at your prey’s mind; if successful you may leverage them against your foes, but if you fail a quick poisoned dagger or throwing fan separates them from their mortal coil.Power Source: SocialKey Abilities: Charisma, Intelligence__________________________________________Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leatherWeapon Proficiencies: Dagger, short sword, sickle, hand crossbow, and chose one superior light blade (katar, rapier, ring-knife) OR one superior ranged (blowgun, shuriken, or throwing fan)Bonus to Defense: +2 Will__________________________________________HP at 1st level: 12+Constitution scoreHP per level gained: 5Healing Surges: 6 + Constitution modifier__________________________________________Trained Skills: Bluff, Insight and 3 others from the class list belowClass Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Diplomacy, History, Intimidate, Perception, Religion, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery  __________________________________________Build Options: Graceful Courtesan, Sly CourtesanClass Features: Courtesan’s Mark, Courtesan's Tactics, Enemy WithinGifted in etiquette and guile, courtesans move from one benefactor to the next, infiltrating social circles to spy on their enemies…and just as often their allies. Betrayal is their past time, victims played like the fine chords of a harp. At times courtesans serve as high-priced assassins, though they prefer to ruin foes without resorting to violence. However, once blades are drawn, they prove to be devious combatants, sowing discord among foes and leveraging weaknesses to lure foes to their doom. Few can say whose side a courtesan truly belongs to, or what really drives their plays for power – those who know have long since fallen silent to blade or blackmail.As a courtesan you weather the inevitable questioning of your moral character with poise, an unreadable veil across your face as you plan your next scheme. You could be the recently freed servant of a deposed king, a reluctant prisoner of war seeking to return home, a worldly entrepreneur secretly blackmailed into assisting the throne, or a gifted dancer sent to kill the marquis oppressing your people. Or perhaps you truly are willing to betray and manipulate anyone in your rapid rise to power.With a bladed fan up your sleeve and a knowing smile on your face, you pull the strings of vain tyrants, making them dance to your whim. Can you stay one step ahead of those you have crossed?Characteristics: Courtesans are most effective when able to speak to a target they’ve singled out with their allure. By maintaining combat advantage they can freely move among foes to reach their target.Religion: Corellon, Ioun, and especially Sehanine are worshipped by courtesans.Races: Humans, half-elves, and tieflings, who know all too well mortal susceptibility to temptation, make potent courtesans.COURTESAN CLASS FEATURESCourtesan’s Mark: Once per encounter as a minor action, you can designate one enemy within your line of site as your mark. Once per round you may attempt to leverage your mark in one of the following ways:•    Mark moves it full speed toward you during its move action•    Mark will not target you with an attack this round•    Mark allows you to pass by, not taking any attacks of opportunity against youYour mark also tries to defend you, though to what extent depends on your level. You can designate one enemy as your mark at a time.Level____________Extra Effects (cumulative)1st-10th_________Mark aids your defense (+2) and provides you with flanking benefits11th-20th________Mark interposes itself between you and other enemies attempting to harm you; any attack on you has a 50% chance of hitting your mark21st-30th________Mark actively defends you from its erstwhile alliesCourtesan’s Tactics: Courtesans manipulate foes in a variety of ways. Some use their charm to bedazzle foes while others rely on their bedeviling intelligence. Choose on of the following options:Bedazzler: You may use Bluff to feint in combat as a minor action, and your feint targets a number of adjacent enemies equal to your Charisma modifier. You may attempt to feint a number of times per encounter equal to your Charisma modifier.Bedeviler: You may use Bluff to feint in combat as a minor action, and your feint targets a number of adjacent enemies equal to your Intelligence modifier. You may attempt to feint a number of times per encounter equal to your Intelligence modifier.Enemy Within: When you have combat advantage from a feint against an enemy, you may forfeit your +2 attack bonus to instead appear as an ally of that enemy until the end of your next turn (provided you don’t attack them), whether through spontaneous misdirection or premeditated infiltration. Your enemy does not attack you and you can move past without provoking attacks of opportunity.</blockquote>

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