PF2 TRD Part 15 Update AR 4709

Pathfinder 2 – TRAP Design

Part 15 – Update AR 4709

Introduction

This is a letter of reminder to all pathfinders associated with the Varisian region providing a much needed boost to them and their activities.

Letter to Varisian Members of the Pathfinder Society AR 4709

To all who read this, this letter has been approved by the Grand Lodge, and each of the faction heads as factual and represent a binding agreement between myself and the pathfinders who serve in the Magnimar Lodge.

This is your time to renew your vows to the society, which is done roughly once per year, and allows for those of your who wish to leave a graceful exit and removal of responsibilities within the society. Unlike when you first too vows I will aim to specify what you are agreeing to as one of the reasons I accepted the role of venture-captain was it allowed me to step out of the faction disputes that darken the inner workings of the society. Not everyone in the society agree with what I have written, but this has been kept between my lodge, the Venture-Captain of Absalom and the faction leaders.

The Pathfinder Society Vows

As a member of the society, you vow to uphold the values of the society, to journal your discoveries and to share those discoveries with the society.

What this means is maintaining a journal of your travels and experiences, and with each new discovery prioritising informing the Society and not using this information for personal gain.

The benefits you gain from this is that your wayfinders have been attuned with Absalom and you can make use of other waygates attuned to your wayfinder to travel here. Also upon presentation of your wayfinder you gain access to any pathfinder Lodge. Lastly when using the light of the wayfinder, you can identify other members who have no broken their oath to the society.

The drawbacks, your oaths bind you against certain actions, if you bring the society in disrepute by using its name for your own agenda, as a reason to escape justice, or to bring someone else to justice, and lastly to share the secrets of the society with non-members then you will have broken your oath to the society.

The Magnimar Lodge Vows

As a member of the Magnimar lodge, you vow to serve with honestly, integrity and preservation.

What this means is keeping the workings of the pathfinders in Varisia secret, to keep the Magnimar lodge informed of your actions, what you believe, and to preserve the knowledge of the various societies of the region, including the Varisian, Shoanti, Giantkin and Goblinoids tribes. For example it is not a coincidence that there are seven tribes of the Shoanti, and that each has folklore and history tied to a specific Runelord as their founder and patron. Knowledge of the history of these four group is sought urgently as part of your task, and ruins associated with the Runelords needs to be explored and documented as a high priority, with only your ability to return with the information valued higher.

The benefits you gain from this is that your wayfinders have been attuned with the Magnimar lodge, your have free lodging there and can obtain services of myself, and other society members stationed there as part of your service. As such as long as you keep the pathfinder name out of your activities, this lodge will use its influence to help you, feed your, and train you.

The drawbacks, your oaths bind you again lying to the Venture-Captain of the Magnimar lodge in person, providing access to the lodge to non-members without taking them immediately to the member on duty, and failing to document items, customs and beliefs of the people of the region.

The Factions of the Society AR 4709

As a starting point, the factions are really the last note of importance in the society, they provide a lot of benefits, and require the most work to adhere to, but are the least important aspect of life in Varisia. Because of this I have obtained permission for each of you to be given the title of representative of one of the ten factions of the society. And while those ten are still active, you will be their voice, eyes and ears of the region. Unfortunately, only one of you may serve each faction in this capacity and have been given leave to change allegiance as part of your oaths. Each of the Factions has their own vow, benefits and drawback, what their vow means is between you and the faction.

• Andoran Faction – Assigned to
  • Vow to follow a common rule for all, and to light the fires of freedom.
  • Benefit of advantage on any escape check, or check involving rule of laws your familiar with and gain magical tome of laws that always match the location your in.
  • Drawbacks of unable to to personally bind another to your will, including a companion or a familiar.

• Cheliax Faction – Assigned to (First option to Belath or Parry)
  • Vow to deal with Hell of Golarion and to utilise the kiss and the lash.
  • Benefit of advantage on any charm checks used for seduction or checks to inflict pain for information and gain Lore – Contracts.
  • Drawback of unable to enter into a agreement without it being written in a contract that you have personally read and understood.

• The Grand Lodge Faction – Assigned to (First option to Kordar)
  • Vow to serve the Society with Virtue, Honour and Integrity
  • Benefits of being the spokesperson of the Society, able to enter into agreements on its behalf, and are the party leader. You are able to use an action to tell if there are pathfinder items, locations or society members and how many, as long as they are within the range of your light even without it being active.
  • Drawback of being the party leader, and responsible for their wellbeing.

• The Lantern Lodge Faction – Assigned to
  • Vow to spread the understanding and beliefs of the Tian people.
  • Benefit of access to to a few more undisclosed locations via the waygates and gain Lore – Tian.
  • Drawback of being unable to share or take others to those locations.

• Osirion Faction – Assigned to (First option to Luna)
  • Vow to gain power through knowledge and to hide your power, least your enemy seek to take it from you.
  • Benefit of treating a successful knowledge check as a critical success.
  • Drawback of treating a failed knowledge check as a critical failure.

• Qadira Faction – Assigned to
  • Vow to live no life without trade and that all the glitter is power.
  • Benefit of able to purchase items at half their price and sell items at half their price without needing to spend time haggling when dealing with merchants of Qadira.
  • Drawback of being unable to use this benefit to purchase, share or sell items for non-members of the Qadira faction without being paid one quarter the cost of the item involved.

• Sczarni Faction – Assigned to (First option Duzhar or Quest)
  • Vow to live for personal gain.
  • Benefit of being treated as a member of the Sczarni family where ever you encounter them, and being honourary members of all major thieves guilds.
  • Drawback of being unable to vouch or intercede for other pathfinders with those guilds without gaining something personally.

• The Shadow Lodge Faction – Assigned to (First option Willy)
  • Vow to hold your leaders accountable.
  • Benefit of being able to tell if a pathfinder oathbreaker is within the light radius of your wayfinder as an action, even with the light being inactive. You have authority to bring non-members into the society grounds, and act as second only to the party leader.
  • Drawback of being responsible for the security of your team, your lodge and each of the waygates you have access to. You are also tasked with hunting down oathbreakers.

• Silver Crusade Faction – Assigned to
  • Vow to use the society for good
  • Benefit of being able to deal with the Hell Knights as an equal, gain access and support of all Shrines, Churches, Temples and Cathedral.
  • Drawback of being unable to turn down a request for aid from the Hell Knight or religious organisation as long as the request furthers good by its deeds and outcome.

• Taldor Faction – Assigned to
  • Vow to get humanity back in the game and the belief of the wolf and tiger
  • Benefit of having advantage on deception check and gain the Lore – Rivalries.
  • Drawback of being unable to further non-human agenda or beliefs.

The Representative Vows

The final vows you have been asked to take are these, you promise to faithfully work with and support the other Magnimar Faction Representatives.

What this means is that you will not knowingly work to harm, hinder or undermine the other members of your party, and while able to keep secrets from them (such as any faction specific goals).

The benefits you gain from this is trust. The drawback is that once that trust is broken, it is unlikely to be regained.

Oathbreakers

A pathfinder to breaks one of the above vows, will trigger a magical backlash the immediately breaks their connection with the society, records themselves as an oathbreaker on the society roll, and becomes hunted with intent to capture or kill. Current Varisian oathbreakers

• Pimwinkle – No direct action permitted while under the protection of the Queen of Korvosa and the Lords of Magnimar and Korvosa. Contacts within the Hell Knights warn of a triggering reprisal upon his death from on of the Demon he now serves as the High Priest of Lust.
• Cangacerio – Runescared (Black) and unable to be seen by divination magic, his capture is considered to be a high priority, just not at the expense of a mission your on.
• Zack – Runscared (Blue) and unable to be seen by divination magic, his capture is considered to be a high priority, just not at the expense of a mission your on.

A Final Note

This letter forms a binding contract between myself with the Authority as a Venture-Captain of the Pathfinder Society, as a master of contracts, and as your employer, guardian and sponsor.

Shelia Hindmarsh
Venture-Captain of Varisia
Head of Magnimar Lodge

Content Updates

• 2022-07-01 – Added in first option to characters after publication.

TRAP Design

Creating a New Campaign:
Part 1 (The Concept),
Part 2 (Main Cities and Guide),
Part 3 (The Adventure Path),
Part 4 (House Rules),
Part 5 (Thassilonia),
Part 6 (Factions and Characters),
Part 7 (Pathfinder Factions),
Part 8 (Learning from Conversion),
Part 9 (Half-Breed),
Part 10 (Using Renown),
Part 11 (Gaining Renown and Fame),
Part 12 (Location Feats),
Part 13 (Adventures),
Part 14 (Faction Points)
Part 15 (Update AR 4709)

Library of Books

B5, d20 System, Pathfinder, SW

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