Discreet Companion

Dynasties and Demagogues

Author Chris Aylott

Series Campaign Style Series

Publisher Atlas Games

Publish date 2003

The powerful have powerful appetites. Discreet companions fulfill these appetites, but they charge a high price for their services – a price that is paid in access or information.

Most discreet companions are mistresses, but both men and women can master the arts of seduction, and the gender of a powerful leader’s lover depends entirely on that leader’s preferences. That said, being a good discreet companion requires the ability to draw your lover out, to Listen, and to be a little passive.

Many cultures teach one gender to be more subdued than the other, and most of the discreet companions in a culture tend to be of that gender.

Discreet companions rarely work for their own agenda. A few may aspire to be the power behind the throne, but most leave the politics to others. A companion may be in the pay of another political faction, or he may sell information and favors to the highest bidder. Whether he is a freelancer or not, a discreet companion must be quick-witted – he walks a fine line between dangerous forces.

Most discreet companions begin their careers as rogues or bards, using their talents to entertain or deceive others.

Hit Die: d6

Requirements

To qualify for the discreet companion prestige class, the character must fulfill the following criteria.
Alignment: Any non-lawful
Skills: Bluff 6 ranks, Diplomacy 8 ranks, Gather Information 8 ranks, Innuendo 4 ranks
Feats: Alertness

Class Skills

The discreet companion’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Charisma), Craft (Intelligence), Diplomacy (Charisma), Disguise (Charisma), Forgery (Intelligence), Gather Information (Charisma), Innuendo (Wisdom), Intimidate (Charisma), Listen (Wisdom), Perform (Charisma), Profession (Wisdom), Read Lips (Intelligence), Search (Intelligence), Sense Motive (Wisdom), and Spot (Wisdom).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Intelligence modifier

Level	BAB	FS	RS	WS	Special
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Art of Seduction +2, Resist Charm
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Secret
3	+1	+1	+1	+3	Art of Seduction +4
4	+2	+1	+1	+4	Charmtouch
5	+2	+1	+1	+4	Secret
6	+3	+2	+2	+5	Talkingtouch
7	+3	+2	+2	+5	Truthtouch
8	+4	+2	+2	+6	Secret
9	+4	+3	+3	+6	Paintouch
10	+5	+3	+3	+7	Caress of the Lost Hour

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the discreet companion prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The discreet companion is proficient in simple weapons.

Power Behind the Throne: A discreet companion may only advance in class levels if he has at least one lover in a position of power. The GM has final say over whether any the companion’s lovers are in a position of power.

Resist Charm: The discreet companion may apply his Charisma modifier to any Will save versus an enchantment or charm effect. The Charisma modifier replaces the normal Wisdom modifier.

Art of Seduction: At 1st level, the discreet companion gains a +2 competence bonus to all skill checks made to befriend or seduce another character. This bonus increases to +4 at 3rd level.

Secret: At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, the discreet companion gains the new Secret feat. The feat must apply to a lover of the companion.

Charmtouch: At 4th level, the discreet companion may charm someone as per the Charm Person spell by touch alone. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to the companion’s Charisma bonus. It takes 10 minutes of physical contact, usually accompanied by enthralling conversation. The DC to resist the charm is 10 + the discreet companion’s Charisma bonus + half the discreet companion’s prestige class level.

Talkingtouch: At 6th level, the discreet companion may converse with a lover or intimate friend through Talkingtouch, a special form of communicating through physical contact. This is not telepathy or psionics; it is the art of carefully orchestrated muscle motions and subtle body language. The discreet companion may teach the method to a character ‘ this requires several hours of rather pleasant instruction ‘ but that character may only use Talkingtouch with the discreet companion who taught it to her. A character may learn Talkingtouch from more than one discreet companion, however.

Anyone able to observe a Talkingtouch conversation must make an Innuendo check (DC 27) to notice it. A character with the Talkingtouch ability receives a +2 synergy bonus to this check.

Truthtouch: At 7th level, the discreet companion may use his intimate knowledge of muscle movements and physical response to determine if someone he is touching is lying or telling the truth. Flesh-to-flesh contact is required, and using this ability requires a Sense Motive check. The DC is 10 + the target’s Wisdom modifier, with the following additional modifiers:

Activity	Example	Modifier
Casual contact	Holding hands	+2
Close contact	Dancing, massage	+0
Intimate or prolonged contact	Love-making	-2 to -4
Familiar species	Standard PC races	+0
Unfamiliar species, Other humanoids	same creature type (ogres and kobolds)	+2
Other creature type, but not an outsider	Giants, dragons	+4
undead	Zombies	+6
outsider	Celestials	+8

These modifiers stack. For example, a human discreet companion reading an undead outsider while dancing with it would face a modifier of +14.

Paintouch: At 9th level, the discreet companion may use his knowledge of muscles and nerves to do extra subdual damage with a successful unarmed strike. The discreet companion does 1d6 subdual damage for every 5 levels of the discreet companion prestige class he possesses.

Caress of the Lost Hour: At 10th level, the discreet companion may use his personal magnetism and mastery of anatomy to make a target character forget recent events. Using this ability requires one minute of continuous physical contact, and the victim may make a Will save (DC 20 + the companion’s Charisma bonus) to resist.

Up to one hour of time spent with the companion can be erased. The time erased must be continuous, and the target is not simply ‘blanked.’ She will have vague sense of a pleasant experience, but will be unable to remember any details.