Personas are an optional rule set introduced in War for the Crown to simulate your characters being agents of intrigue. Personas have six facets, and each character will put ranks into those facets to gain agents and other bonuses. These will be used during a Persona phase, which represents a period of downtime. Some benefits will be used in normal play, others during the Persona phase. Below are the general rules for this subsystem.
The Facets
The six facets of Persona represent your character’s reputation in particular ways. A character can have between 0 and 10 ranks in a Facet, with 0 being completely unknown for those traits and 10 being a paragon.
Charm: Charm represents a character’s personal magnetism and force of personality.
Genius: Genius represents a character’s reputation for brilliance, whether in knowledge or strategic vision.
Heroism: Heroism represents a character’s reputation for bravery and perseverance.
Sacrifice: Sacrifice represents a character’s reputation as an upstanding member of society who helps the disadvantaged.
Sagacity: Sagacity represents a character’s reputation for good judgment.
Subterfuge: Subterfuge represents a character’s ability to operate effectively in the shadows.
Developing Persona
During a Persona phase, a character can choose to develop a particular facet of their Persona. The following tasks can be used to develop a Facet, and each has a number of skill checks associated with it. A successful skill check will allow the character to raise the associated Facet by one rank.
Arrange Secret Meeting (Charm or Subterfuge)
You arrange a clandestine meeting between individuals who can’t or won’t speak openly.
Associated Skill: Bluff (Charm); Disguise or Escape Artist (Subterfuge).
Bask in Glory (Heroism)
You make sure that everyone knows about your own personal achievements.
Associated Skill: Perform.
Demonstrate Might (Heroism)
You show off your strength to impressed onlookers.
Associated Skill: Strength-based skill check.
Play Politics (Charm, Genius, or Sagacity)
You take a prominent role in influencing government or political movements.
Associated Skill: Perform (Charm); Linguistics (Genius); or Sense Motive (Sagacity).
Give Lecture (Genius or Sagacity)
Whether you’re delivering an academic lecture or a religious sermon, you draw a crowd to listen as you share your expertise.
Associated Skill: Knowledge check relevant to the lecture’s topic.
Organize Party (Charm)
You put together a popular social event that is the talk of the town.
Associated Skill: Diplomacy.
Organize Protest (Heroism or Sacrifice)
You gather people to protest loathsome policies, either through rhetoric or doggedness.
Associated Skill: Fortitude save or Diplomacy or Perform check.
Perform Charitable Acts (Sacrifice)
You spend your time or money tending to those most in need of aid.
Associated Skill: Heal.
Sabotage Opponent (Genius or Subterfuge)
You cunningly set one of your opponents up for a fall, perhaps causing one of his shameful secrets to go public.
Associated Skill: Knowledge (local or nobility), as appropriate to the opponent (Genius); Sleight of Hand or Stealth (Subterfuge).
Other skills may be used depending on the situation. These checks place your character squarely in the spotlight, so you cannot take 10 or get direct assistance such as aid another. Effects that boost your skills and abilities only apply if their duration is at least 24 hours.
Agents
When your facet rank is 2, you gain agents. These are nameless, faceless NPCs who carry out your instructions. Your number of agents is equal to 2 per facet rank. Each facet grants a different type of agent, who are best at performing tasks associated with that facet.
Charmers (Charm)
Thinkers (Genius)
Heroes (Heroism)
Protectors (Sacrifice)
Sages (Sagacity)
Sneaks (Subterfuge)
When performing operations, an agent of the appropriate type gives a +2 bonus to the Operation check, while others give only a +1.
Operations
The most basic task agents can perform are operations. These are missions your agents carry out for you. Some operations are associated with any of the facets, but most are only one facet. You can only attempt a particular operation if your facet rank is 2 or higher. Some operations are persistent, meaning they last until you end them. Agents sent on persistent operations are not available for other operations. Some operations are risky, if you fail the operation you may lose some of your agents.
Send Backup (Any Facet, Persistent)
You set aside a few agents to reinforce any of your operations. While you have these agents on this operation, you gain a +2 bonus on all operations you undertake. You must use at least 5 agents on this operation. If you fail an operation, you can end this operation immediately to send all of the agents to that operation. The operation succeeds as though you made exactly the DC. If you use this for a risky operation, you lose half these agents even if successful.
Manufacturing (Any Facet)
You call on your agent’s skills to manufacture items on your behalf, allowing you to use the result of your Operation check in place of a Craft skill check to create mundane items. You do not expend the time crafting (though you may use this operation to assist your crafting), but your agents do and you must still pay the raw materials cost for any items your agents manufacture.
Recover Agents (Any Facet)
If you have fewer agents than the maximum number of agents you can have, you can use this operation to rescue lost agents or recruit new ones. If you fail the Operation check, you recover one agent. On a successful check, you recover two agents plus an additional agent for every 5 by which you beat the DC.
Gather Information (Charm)
You have agents listen to local gossip and asked pointed questions. Once before the next Persona phase, you can use the result of your Operation check in place of the normal Diplomacy check when gathering information. You don’t spend time to attempt this check.
Research (Genius)
You send agents to find information on a topic. You gain information on the subject based on the result of your Operation check. Your agents spend the required time, but this research takes none of your time.
Provide Distraction (Heroism, Risky)
Your agents attempt to provide a distraction for you. At the beginning of combat near a populated area, roll an Operation check. On a success, each PC gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls or to Armor Class as if benefiting from the aid another action for the first round of combat. For every 5 by which you beat the DC, the party gains these bonuses for another round.
Tend Wounds (Sacrifice, Persistent)
Your agents help you tend to the injured, including yourself. If you succeed at an Operation check, you receive one of the following benefits for the duration of the operation: either everyone in the tended community gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease, or you receive the benefits of long-term care whenever you rest for at least 8 hours in the area in which the operation is in effect.
Filter Rumors (Sagacity)
Under your direction, your agents attempt to separate fact from fiction. Once before the next persona phase, after you or another PC receives the results of a Diplomacy check to gather information, you can ask the GM to roll a secret Operation check. If the check is successful, the GM will tell you whether the information gathered is mostly true, has elements of truth, or is mostly false.
Smuggle (Subterfuge, Risky)
Your agents smuggle a relatively small or innocuous object (such as a dagger or evidence to be used for blackmail) into a hiding place on someone else’s property.
Other Benefits
There are additional benefits to Persona, but they only are available at higher facet ranks. They will be added as ranks rise.