The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

94
Influence Requirement: 0
Power Requirement: See below
Cost: Variable Power cost, see below. For every 1,000
Power the aggressor devotes to the assault, he must also
expend 500 gp in supplies and bribes.
Time: One week
Skill DC: None. For every 1,000 Power the aggressor
devotes to the assault, he receives a +1 bonus to his Rank
check. For every 750 Power the defender has in position at
the place of the assault he receives a +1 bonus to his Rank
check. An opposed Rank check is made to determine the
result of the assault.
Success Result: For every five points by which the aggressor
beats the defender, the defender suffers a permanent loss of
1,000 Power, up to the maximum Power at the assault site.
Failure Result: For every three points by which the defender
beats the aggressor, the aggressor suffers a permanent loss
of 1,000 Power, up to the maximum Power the aggressor
used in the assault.
Blackmail
Effective use of blackmail is a time-honoured tradition
among the drow and one of the only actions through which
a combatant in the Sheathed War can gain Influence. A
combatant may come upon information suitable for
blackmailing a rival through sheer luck, through a
Knowledge is Influence action or through an Intelligence
Gathering action. The rules for the Blackmail action assume
the combatant already has the pertinent knowledge in hand.
Through judicious use of this information, the combatant
is able to coerce his rival into doing as he directs, thereby
increasing his Influence. This lasts as long as the price of
exposing the blackmailer is greater than the price of doing
as the blackmailer demands, which in a race as long-lived
as the drow can be very long indeed.
Influence Requirement: 2,000
Power Requirement: None
Cost: 500 Influence per level or Hit Die of the target
Time: One month
Skill DC: Intimidate (DC 20 + 1 per level or Hit Die of the
target), opposed by target’s Intimidate skill
Success Result: If the aggressor’s skill check result
exceeds the defender’s skill check result by less than ten,
the aggressor gains a permanent increase of 500 Influence.
If the aggressor’s skill check result exceeds the defender’s
skill check result by more than ten, the aggressor gains a
permanent increase of 1,000 Influence.
Failure Result: If the defender’s skill check result exceeds
the aggressor’s skill check result by less than ten, the
defender refuses to go along with the blackmail demands.
If the defender’s skill check result exceeds the aggressor’s
skill check result by more than ten, the aggressor’s blackmail
material is useless and he is exposed by the defender. The
resulting humiliation is expensive, costing the aggressor
500 permanent Influence.
Counterintelligence
It is sometimes just as important to keep a foe from
understanding what you are up to as it is to find out what
they are planning. Counterintelligence is a very useful
way to keep other drow guessing about your intentions and
prevents others from finding out your secrets.
Influence Requirement: 5,000
Power Requirement: 1,000
Cost: 500 Influence per rank of the Noble House
Time: One month
Skill DC: Gather Information (DC 25)
Success Result: For every five points by which you exceed
the DC of the Gather Information skill check, all aggressors
who direct Smear Campaigns, Force Assessments, Frame
Ups and Poison Pill actions against you suffer a –1
circumstance penalty to all skill checks related to those
actions.
Failure Result: You tip your hand while attempting to
prevent others from uncovering your plots, making your
House or organisation more vulnerable to attack. For
every five points by which you fail the DC of the Gather
Information skill check, all aggressors who direct Smear
Campaigns, Force Assessments, Frame Ups and Poison Pill
actions against you enjoy a +1 circumstance bonus related
to those actions.
Cover Up
There are times when a Noble House or other organisation
may wish to undertake an action they do not want tied to
their reputation. This action covers up all evidence of the
action in question, but can burn up resources at an alarming
rate if used to conceal large-scale operations.
Influence Requirement: The same as the total Influence
and Power requirements of the action being covered up.
Power Requirement: None
Cost: 250 Influence per Rank of the Noble House
Time: The same as the action being covered up
Skill DC: Diplomacy (DC 25)
Success Result: If the action succeeds, all evidence tying
the Noble House to the action it wishes to disavow is
destroyed. Others may know the action happened, but they
will not know who was responsible for it. They may have
their suspicions however and can certainly act on them if
they so choose.
Failure Result: The action is not covered up.