Shadow Syndicate courtesans are employed by the guild as a means of controlling those in power while monitoring their activities. Nonthreatening, disarming, and utterly charming, courtesans are frequently found accompanying barons and nobles, ensuring that the reach of the Syndicate extends as far as possible. Though their skills are best suited for intrigue and espionage, courtesans are sometimes used for more dangerous pursuits, up to and including sabotage and assassinations. Seduction, blackmail, manipulation, love, sex; each of these is but a tool the courtesan uses to achieve her goals.Though the majority of courtesans are female, the Syndicate has realized the wisdom in maintaining a handful of male operatives are well, who tend to refer to themselves as companions rather than courtesans. Regardless of their name, they are every bit as ruthless and manipulative as their female counterparts, and a companion who does not care about minor things such as the gender of his target can produce highly profitable and highly damaging blackmail material very, very easily.
Hit Dice: d6
Requirements
In order to qualify to become a Shadow Syndicate Courtesan, a character must meet the following criteria.
Alignment: Any non-good.Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Diplomacy 8 ranks, Disguise 4 ranks.
Feats: Skill Focus (Bluff or Diplomacy), Skill Versatility (Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, or Sense Motive).
Special: The character must undergo at least three months of training with the Shadow Syndicate before he learns the necessary skills to become a courtesan.
Class Skills
The Shadow Syndicate Courtesan‘s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Spot (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Class Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Syndicate, Seduction 1/day 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Alter Beauty, False Alignment 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Sneak Attack +1d6 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Seduction 2/day 5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Alter Beauty, Barren 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Sneak Attack +2d6 7 +3 +2 +2 +5 Seduction 3/day 8 +4 +2 +2 +6 Allure, False Alignment 9 +4 +3 +3 +6 Sneak Attack +3d6 10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Seduction 4/day
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Shadow Syndicate Courtesan prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shadow Syndicate courtesans gain no further weapon or armor proficiency.
Syndicate (Ex): The Shadow Syndicate courtesan is a member in a sprawling criminal empire. He has access to a number of libraries, training facilities, workshops, and bolt-holes throughout Arseneth and eastern Lanaren. In addition, the Syndicate has allies all throughout eastern Migdalia (including Druskeden, Althea, and Walacia), often in the most unlikely of places. The courtesan may make a Bluff check to leave a message that only another Syndicate member would understand (a symbol painted on a wall, a certain type of tree burning at a certain time of day, etc). The courtesan makes a Bluff check, with a DC of 15 for simple messages (such as “under surveillance, stay away”), a DC of 20 for more complex messages (such as “Assassin needed, meet me here in three days”), and a DC of 25 to 30 for very detailed messages (such as “The assassin Albrecht is a spy for the temple of Corbin; kill him, but make it look like an accident”).Failure by 4 or less means that the courtesan fails to get the message across. Failure by 5 or more means that some false information has been implied or inferred by the message. Anyone seeing the message can make a Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff check the courtesan made to transmit the message in order to intercept the message, though the DC for non-Syndicate members to decode the message in increased by 10. Whether a fellow Syndicate member decides to offer assistance is another matter entirely, but common courtesy is to assist the member sending the message if possible.
Seduction (Ex): Courtesans are masters of manipulation, and are frequently able to captivate the hearts of those around them, calling upon their target’s often considerable wealth and prestige to acquire what she wants.Once per day, the courtesan may attempt to seduce a creature, causing it to become infatuated with her for a short time. The target must be of a compatible creature type with the courtesan, must be of the opposite gender or otherwise open to sexual advances from the courtesan, and must have an Intelligence score of at least 5. After spending one minute in conversation with her target, the courtesan forces the target to attempt a Will saving throw (DC 10 + the courtesan’s class level + her Charisma modifier).
On a successful save, the target is unaffected by the courtesan’s charm, but may still respond favorably to her advances. On a failed save, the target becomes infatuated with the courtesan, behaving as if under the effects of a charm person spell for one hour per class level. This ability is nonmagical in nature, and thus is unaffected by spells such as protection from evil.
At 4th level, the courtesan gains an additional use of this ability each day, and may attempt to seduce characters lacking sexual interest in the courtesan (such as chaste characters or heterosexual members of the same gender) or creatures with a body type incompatible with the courtesan. Such creatures receive a +4 bonus on their saving throws against the courtesan’s advances, however. In addition, the courtesan gains a +4 bonus on any opposed Charisma checks made to convince a creature charmed by this ability to do something it normally wouldn’t do.
At 7th level, the courtesan gains another use of this ability each day, and may use her seduction ability to cause an infatuated target to fall in love with her. The target must be under the effects of the courtesan’s seduction ability, and attempts a second saving throw against this ability. On a successful save, the target does not fall in love with the courtesan, but remains infatuates with her. On a failed save, however, the target falls madly in love with the courtesan, and will go to great lengths to earn her approval and make her happy. This extends the duration of the courtesan’s seduction ability to a number of days equal to 1d6 plus her Charisma modifier (minimum 1 day).
The courtesan may repeatedly use this ability against a target in love with her, extending the duration of the charm effect (the longest duration applies; these durations do not stack). Should the target witness the courtesan acting in an inappropriate manner (such as having relations with other men, blatantly using the target for his money, or the like), the target receives an immediate Will save against the courtesan’s seduction ability, with a success ending the effect. On a failure, however, the target remains infatuated with the courtesan, and takes a cumulative -4 penalty on any such future saving throws, as he rationalizes her misbehavior.
This self-delusion has served many experienced courtesans well, allowing them to get away with the most scandalous acts while their love struck target verbally defends them to his friends and family. The courtesan may only have a number of targets equal to her Charisma modifier in love with her at any given time.
At 10th level, the courtesan becomes a master of the art of seduction, gaining an additional use of this ability each day, as well the ability to negate the +4 bonus unreceptive creatures receive on their saving throws against this ability. In addition, the courtesan may choose to make another seduction attempt against a creation in love with her to make the duration of this ability permanent, causing the creature to fall so far in love with her that he would do anything – anything – to make her happy. The courtesan automatically succeeds at any opposed Charisma checks to convince the target to do something it normally wouldn’t do, and the target is willing to die for the courtesan if she wills it. The courtesan may only have one such target completely in love with her at any given time.
Alter Beauty (Su): With one minute of concentration, the courtesan can call upon simple cantrips to change her physical appearance in minor ways, such as altering the color of her eyes, hair, or skin. This grants her a +4 bonus on Disguise checks, and may also provide anywhere from a -1 to a -4 penalty on a target’s seduction saving throw, depending upon the individual. This ability lasts until the courtesan spends at least one minute in concentration to change her appearance back to normal, or until she has been unconscious for longer than one minute.At 5th level, the courtesan may alter her appearance even more, becoming up to one foot taller or shorter, altering her apparent age to appear as anywhere from a young girl to a old woman, altering her facial features, changing her hair length and style, and the like. Her bonus on Disguise checks increases to +8, though the penalty imposed on her seduction ability does not improve.
False Alignment (Su): An courtesan of 2nd level or higher is able to emulate an alignment up to one step removed from her own. So long as the courtesan behaves in a manner in accordance with her emulated alignment, any magical effects that detect alignment or affect creatures differently depending upon their alignment detect her false alignment, and affect her accordingly. The courtesan may activate or deactivate this ability as a full-round action. If the courtesan acts in a manner that publicly disproves her emulated alignment, she loses the benefits of this ability until she repairs her reputation.At 8th level, the courtesan is able to emulate an alignment up to two steps removed from her own.
Sneak Attack (Ex): An courtesan is well versed in anatomy, and can strike an opponent’s vital spots for extra damage. Any time the courtesan’s target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether that opponent actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the courtesan flanks a target, her attack deals extra damage. The extra damage is +1d6 at third level, and an additional 1d6 every three levels thereafter. This ability is otherwise identical to the rogue’s ability of the same name, and stacks with any other form of sneak attack the character may possess.
Barren (Ex): By 5th level, the Syndicate has come to view the courtesan as a valued asset, and takes steps to decrease the potential threat of their asset becoming burdened with a child. The courtesan is given the option of imbibing a potent mixture of alchemical compounds which has the effect of rendering her sterile. Though most courtesans are given the option of undergoing this procedure (as illegitimate children make excellent blackmail evidence), particularly effective courtesans may be denied the luxury of choice in the matter.
Allure (Su): A courtesan is able to use her wiles to fascinate group of creatures, keeping their intention fully focused upon her. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet of the courtesan, and must be able to see, hear, and pay attention to her. The courtesan must also be able to see the fascinated creatures. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents this ability from working. The courtesan may choose to affect a number of creatures equal to her class level plus her charisma modifier with this ability.Each creature targeted by this ability must make a saving throw against the courtesan’s seduction ability, with any appropriate modifiers from her alter beauty ability. Infatuated targets suffer a -2 penalty on this saving throw, and creatures in love with the courtesan suffer a -4 penalty. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the courtesan cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the target focuses all his attention on the courtesan for as long as she continues to concentrate on fascinating the affected creatures (up to one minute per class level).
While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat allows affected creatures to attempt a Will saving throw to break free of the fascination. An obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. This ability is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.
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