Faction
Table of Contents
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Spheres of Guile
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Operatives of the Faction sphere are adept at running and leading organizations, whether ranking leaders who move retainers like pawns or trusted agents equipped appropriately for each job. They quickly and effectively allocate faction resources to accomplish their goals.

Associated Skill: Appraise, a Knowledge skill, or a Profession skill, determined by the package you choose below.

You gain 5 ranks in the chosen skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Faction sphere (maximum ranks equal to your Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the associated skill not from a skill sphere, you may immediately retrain them.

Faction Affiliation: You are affiliated with an organization or group and possess some control over its assets, whether due to earned trust or high rank. Your faction might be a government agency, a guild, a political entity, or any other sizable organization. Your talents might represent figuring out a way for the faction to provide that service for the first time or earning the trust to be granted discretion over a service that already existed.

Over the course of a campaign, you may leave, join, or found a faction (or multiple). You may use your sphere abilities with whatever faction or factions you are currently affiliated with, provided you meet the basic expectations of your rank in each one.

Your faction usually offers other benefits beyond what you have Faction sphere talents for, but the faction rations those benefits in proportion to its resources, your service, and the needs of all members including you. Your game might track these further benefits using subsystems such as the fame and prestige rules in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign or the organizational influence rules in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue.

Faction Type: Whatever your faction, it generally falls into one of the following categories. If a faction falls into multiple types, choose one to represent the elements of the faction that you have the most direct access to or work with your GM to mix and match elements to make a new faction type. The faction type determines what kind of resources it has available, although you can only requisition resources specifically granted by your Faction sphere package or talents.

  • Arcane Faction: Equipment: Spell foci, material components, texts, wizard spellbooks, alchemical tools or weapons; Mundane Service: sage, arcane trainer; Spellcasting Service: Sorcerer/wizard spell list (choose three schools of magic that are outside the faction’s focus of study; they aren’t generally available)
  • Martial Faction: Equipment: Weapons and armor, mounts, training texts, magus spellbooks (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Magic), alchemical remedies or weapons, formula books; Mundane Service: coach cab, combat trainer, messenger, ship’s passage; Spellcasting Service: Adept, magus, or shaman spell list (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide)
  • Religious Faction: Equipment: Holy or unholy symbols, weapons and armor of traditional styles, texts and tools related to the faith and its attributes, the deity’s favored animal, alchemical remedies or weapons; Mundane Service: sage, religious trainer, healing skills; Spellcasting Service: Cleric spell list
  • Skilled Faction: Equipment: Tools used for the faction’s favored skills such as disguise kits for spies or artisan’s tools for a crafter’s guild, alchemist formula books (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide), anything manufactured by the guild, animals used by the guild, any alchemical item; Mundane Service: artist, coach cab, entertainer, messenger, ship’s passage, skilled trainer, medical services; Spellcasting Service: Bard spell list
  • Wilderness Faction: Equipment: Adventuring and travel gear, work animals, alchemical remedies and tools; Mundane Service: animal trainer, coach cab, messenger, ship’s passage, wilderness trainer; Spellcasting Service: Druid spell list

Requisition (Ex)

By spending 1 hour finding and interacting with members of your faction, you can access your faction resources in any settlement where your faction has a presence. Factions active in rural areas might be accessible among certain people outside settlements (a ranger band or druid circle might be accessible at farmholds they protect or among allied fey).

Certain useful items, skilled retainers, or other requisition options cost a resource called authorizations. You can spend two authorizations per day plus an additional authorization per day for every Faction talent you possess (not including temporary talents or talents from sphere-specific drawbacks). Authorizations you gain from talents with the [utility] tag can only be spent on talents with that tag.

You have the following options when you requisition in addition to any options granted by your package and talents. You can requisition multiple options at once, provided you pay any costs for everything you requisition.

  • Room and Board: Secure food and simple, shared lodging for yourself.
  • Favor: If your campaign uses organizational influence, you can spend 2 Faction sphere authorizations in place of 1 organization favor.
  • Prestige Award: If your campaign uses fame and prestige, you can reduce a prestige award’s Prestige Point cost as you purchase it by 1 PP per 2 Faction sphere authorizations you spend, to a minimum of 1 PP.

Resource Budgets: Many of the sphere’s benefits can have a value up to your resource budget (or some multiple thereof), representing the resources your faction has allocated for your routine use. The budget is determined by your ranks in your associated skill and whether the resource is temporary or permanent, as listed in the table below.

A permanent resource is one that is not normally expended when used (such as armor or a staff), and must be returned or replaced before you can borrow another.

A temporary resource is one that is normally expended (incrementally or completely) when successfully used (such as a wand or service). It need not be returned. Accumulating or selling temporary items without using them is considered embezzlement or otherwise significant misconduct by most organizations.

Table: Resource Budgets
Associated Skill Ranks Permanent Resource Budget Temporary Resource Budget
1 25 gp 5 gp
2 50 gp 10 gp
3 125 gp 25 gp
4 250 gp 50 gp
5 500 gp 100 gp
6 750 gp 150 gp
7 1,250 gp 250 gp
8 1,750 gp 350 gp
9 2,500 gp 500 gp
10 3,000 gp 600 gp
11 4,000 gp 750 gp
12 5,000 gp 1,000 gp
13 6,500 gp 1,250 gp
14 9,000 gp 1,750 gp
15 12,500 gp 2,500 gp
16 17,500 gp 3,500 gp
17 20,000 gp 4,000 gp
18 25,000 gp 5,500 gp
19 35,000 gp 6,500 gp
20 45,000 gp 8,500 gp

Skill Leverage: When you gain the Faction sphere, you unlock skill leverage with your package’s associated skill as well as a background skill relevant to your faction (the background skills are Appraise, Artistry, Craft, Handle Animal, Knowledge (engineering, geography, history, or nobility), Linguistics, Lore, Perform, Profession, or Sleight of Hand). You can change the choice of background skill whenever you gain a level or join a new faction.

Package: When you first take the Faction sphere, choose one of the following packages: (supply) or (retainer).

Special: Animal companions, cohorts, drake companions, eidolons, familiars, phantoms, retainers, and similarly subordinate creatures cannot gain this sphere or talents from this sphere.

The Faction Sphere and Wealth

The Faction sphere offers a way to effectively turn some non-monetary resources into resources you would normally pay gold for, most visibly with (supply) talents. However, player characters should not generally get permanent character wealth directly from their faction simply because they have the Faction sphere. Faction retainers are paid in funds directly from the faction’s coffers that player characters do not handle. Wealth generated by faction operations go back into the mechanical benefits they provide, into establishing the faction’s infrastructure, paying faction employees, and paying taxes or other costs of doing business.

Sidebar: New and Old Factions

You must belong to a faction that has influence where you are in order to requisition and use certain other Faction sphere benefits. If you do not already belong to one, you have a few options to get access.

Found a Faction Branch: You can extend the reach of one of your current factions to a new settlement by initiating a small team of members and providing them with a simple base of operations. This usually costs money and might require skill checks or using a subsystem such as downtime buildings and organizations (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign). As a simple rule of thumb (which the GM should adjust for the circumstances), a straightforward expansion requires 500 gp, a variable number of days working, and a successful DC 10 skill check you make using the associated skill for the new faction (such as Appraise, Knowledge (local), or Profession (merchant) to found a trade consortium). The length of time is up to 10 days, but is reduced by 1 day for every 3 points by which your skill check exceeds the DC (minimum 4 hours with a result of 40).

Found a New Faction: You can found a new faction in a similar manner to a branch of an existing faction, except the cost is 50% higher and the skill check DC is 15.

Join a New Faction: You can generally find and join a new faction with similar interests or methods in a small town or larger settlement by spending 5 days and 100 gp (which might be member dues, a donation to prove your intentions, bribes to speed up your application, or other expenses).

There are not often multiple factions of the same type in the same settlement except in cities. The effort might include an adventure to prove yourself if the new group is particularly scrupulous or cagey. The faction (or its leaders) must not be hostile; if unfriendly, you must also succeed at a Diplomacy check against DC 20 + your character level to persuade them to give you a chance, which always requires some risky task.

Sidebar: Authority and Responsibility

Maintaining your rank in your faction is mostly a matter of role-playing and big-picture consequences relative to the faction’s goals and expectations. You likely have duties that demand your time, perhaps as little as a few hours a week for an active adventurer, but this varies according to your faction, your rank, and the tone of your game. With a low rank, you have little official authority and are mostly expected to follow orders, but might still be influential via favors and trust. With a high rank, your requisitions are issued as orders and your responsibilities include managing subordinates. If you are head of the organization, you have wide latitude to steer the faction’s goals (although drastic changes might cost the loyalty of subordinates who joined under a prior agenda).

Minor transgressions against a faction (such as shirking your duties, interfering with its goals in small ways, or violating its norms) usually have only social repercussions or demand a minor task as amends, but might restrict your use of certain relevant Faction talents through that faction temporarily.

Outright betrayal always has severe consequences. Your requisitions are usually limited and you might be expelled. Re-joining such a faction is typically an adventure in itself; the quickest way to regain your Faction sphere abilities is typically to join a faction more in line with your behavior, as described in the New and Old Factions.

Disguises and Your Faction: If you have multiple personas, only one of those personas can requisition or gain benefits from being recognized as affiliated with your faction. A creature successfully disguised as you can access your faction talent benefits and spend your authorizations, but only if they are familiar with your faction’s inner workings.

Generally, faction contacts see through Disguise check results of up to 26 + your ranks in the associated skill (including the +6 bonus to Perception for being associates). Naturally, actions you take while successfully disguised do not change your faction’s opinion of you.

Retainer Package

You know how to manage people and spot talent.

Associated Skill: Knowledge (local) or one other Knowledge or Profession skill that could be used to recall knowledge about members of your faction (such as nobility for a cavalier order, religion for a temple, or arcana for a guild of mages).

Service Requisition Options: You can requisition the following:

  • Mundane Service (1 Authorization): You receive a single non-magical service, which is a temporary resource. The authorization spent cannot be regained while the service is still ongoing.
  • Retainer (1+ Authorizations): A retainer of a profession you choose assists you. Your variety of choices can be expanded by taking talents with the (retainer) tag. The authorization cost is determined by the retainer’s profession and role. You can only have one combatant retainer requisitioned at a time. You initially have access to the following retainer professions:

Courier
Role 1 Authorization deliver local messages, make purchases locally, haggle, and know about the local area (noncombatant), 2 Authorizations deliver messages or items overland (noncombatant); Skills (2 primary, 3 secondary) Acrobatics, Appraise, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Profession (porter), Sense Motive;
Trade Tradition adroit granting Communication;
Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 12; Hit Dice d8 (5 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus medium; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (good), Will (poor); Special Couriers may take social talents from the vigilante class (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue) in place of utility talents, and you need not have the social talents. They can requisition for you and take only 10 minutes to do so. Equipment parcel box with a good lock

Expert
Role 1 Authorization provide a skilled mundane service such as crafting or consultation (noncombatant); Skills (2 primary, 6 secondary) Appraise, Artistry (chosen individually), Craft (chosen individually), Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (chosen individually), Linguistics, Lore (chosen individually), Perform (chosen individually), Profession (chosen individually), or Sleight of Hand;
Trade Tradition adroit granting one of Artifice, Herbalism, Performance, Study, or Survivalism plus a bonus talent from that sphere;
Ability Scores 15 in one, 10 in each of the rest; Hit Dice d8 (5 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus medium; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (poor), Will (good) Equipment Any tools to use their skills worth no more than your temporary resource budget

Role: A retainer's role indicates what they expect to do for you. Retainers generally require a successful Diplomacy check to persuade them to take on risky tasks that are not listed for their role. Dangerous or illegal work punishable by imprisonment has the +15 Diplomacy DC increase for the risk of punishment.

You cannot requisition a retainer to face likely death or commit a crime punishable by execution. A newly requisitioned retainer typically has a starting attitude of indifferent toward you, although the GM can decide otherwise when it makes sense.

Some retainers require additional authorizations for more flexible roles; if you pay for a lesser role but still have authorizations remaining, you can pay the difference later by speaking to them as a free action to have them undertake a more expensive role.

A role might be combatant or noncombatant; retainers of certain professions cost fewer authorizations for a noncombatant role than for a combatant role. A retainer in a noncombatant role avoids combat and flees if attacked, fighting only if escape is infeasible. These retainers may take actions that are not aggressive like feeding a potion to an unconscious ally, but never take offensive or conspicuous actions if they can help it. Retainers in a combatant role follow reasonable orders in combat without any action on your part. Any retainer who feels that your orders place them in unreasonable danger given their role will not follow.

Conditions and Death: If a non-combatant retainer suffers a harmful effect lasting 1 day or longer or is charged with a serious crime, your maximum number of authorizations is reduced by 1 until the effect is removed or you repay your faction an amount equal to half your temporary resource budget. You might also find future retainers unwilling to take on similar jobs until you gain a level. If any retainer dies, your maximum number of authorizations is reduced by 1 until they are revived or you pay an amount equal to triple your temporary resource budget.

Crafting: A retainer with an appropriate skill can craft non-magical items for you using the skills they have. They require you to pay them the normal market price for the item, one third to begin work and the rest upon completion.

Temporary Retainer Talents: If you gain a (retainer) talent temporarily, any part of the talent that requires a choice does not function. For example, many retainers are automatically trained in a few skills chosen when you permanently gain the talent; if you temporarily gain such a talent, you have no special influence over the skills of the retainer your faction finds for you.

Retainer Statistics

Your retainer’s statistics are determined by your ranks in the associated skill, their race, and their profession. The retainer’s race is chosen by the GM, although they might decide the faction can accommodate a reasonable request.

Skills: A retainer typically has the listed number of skills with maximum ranks. Their modifiers (including ranks, class skill bonus, and feats) are given on the table. Each retainer profession lists one or more skills that you can choose as the retainer’s skills. You determine the skills your faction trains your potential retainers in when you gain access to a retainer profession. You can change your choice whenever you gain a level or join a new faction.

Trade Tradition: A retainer’s profession gives them a trade tradition that must include one listed sphere. The tradition is chosen by the GM, but the faction might accommodate reasonable requests for a specific tradition; a retainer might have a unique or variant trade tradition in order to gain the listed talents.

The retainer does not have their own pool of skill leverage; they spend from yours, and can do so only as long as they can see or hear you. You determine the spheres your faction trains your potential retainers in when you gain access to each retainer profession. You can change your choice whenever you gain a level or join a new faction. The retainer does not gain their own skill talents except from the trade tradition and as listed in their profession, but can share yours (see below).

Equipment: All retainers are proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and bucklers. 1st-level retainers have leather armor and a dagger in addition to any equipment listed in their descriptions; further equipment must be supplied to them by you or the faction. Retainers take their own equipment back with them when they are relieved and return any items lent to them. If the retainer loses permanent equipment, your maximum number of authorizations is reduced by 1 until it is replaced or paid for.

Retainers must be equipped to requisition them in any combatant role, so combatant roles include the equipment cost in their listed authorization cost and require the Extra Faction Package talent.

Shared Skill Talents: Starting at 2 ranks in this sphere’s associated skill, when you requisition a retainer, you can share your skill talents with them as indicated on the table. You can share talents at no cost as long as they do not have prerequisites, or you can share any number of your skill talents with prerequisites (up to the retainer’s maximum) by spending 1 authorization. You must spend a talent slot on sharing a base sphere with the retainer before you can share a talent from that sphere with them but they do not otherwise have to meet the prerequisites. Sharing a Faction talent allows them to use the talent in your stead, but any authorization cost is paid from your own pool.

Table: Retainer Statistics
Knowledge (local) Ranks Retainer Class Level Primary Skill Modifier Secondary Skill Modifier Special Shared Skill Talents Shared Utility Talents
1 1 +8 +5 Trade tradition - -
2 2 +9 +6 - 1 -
3 3 +10 +9 - 1 1
4 3 +10 +9 - 1 1
5 4 +11 +10 Ability score increase 1 1
6 5 +12 +11 Feat 2 1
7 6 +13 +12 - 2 2
8 6 +13 +12 - 2 2
9 7 +14 +13 Feat 2 2
10 8 +16 +14 Ability score increase 3 2
11 9 +17 +15 Feat 3 3
12 9 +17 +15 - 3 3
13 10 +20 +18 - 3 3
14 11 +21 +19 Feat 4 3
15 12 +22 +20 Ability score increase 4 4
16 13 +23 +21 Feat 4 4
17 14 +24 +22 - 4 4
18 15 +25 +23 Feat 5 4
19 16 +27 +24 Ability score increase 5 5
20 17 +28 +25 Feat 5 5

Optional Detailed Statistics

You generally will not need a full stat block for a retainer other than one gained with an exceptional talent, because they avoid combat much like most hirelings and followers do. For a few quick statistics, the GM might use a comparable commoner or expert stat block from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: GameMastery Guide or Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: NPC Codex. If necessary, you can use the rules below to produce detailed statistics.

Retainers with NPC Stat Blocks: Some (retainer) talents (generally, exceptional talents) allow you to requisition retainers that do not follow all these rules; they use normal NPC stat blocks, typically from sources such as one of the books above, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Monster Codex, or Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Villain Codex. If the standard retainer skill modifier is higher than that in the NPC’s stat block, they use the higher value. They do not gain talents, ability score increases, or feats from being a retainer beyond those already listed in their stat blocks.

As part of the decision to allow or prohibit these exceptional talents, the GM might only make NPCs from certain sources available. While the operative can request retainers with certain capabilities, the faction is not guaranteed to have such a retainer available.

Ability Scores: A retainer has the ability scores listed for their profession. These statistics assume a human retainer with their +2 racial ability bonus already applied to their highest score. A retainer of another race might have slightly different statistics and modifiers.

Ability Score Increase: Retainers increase their ability scores like other characters, which they usually spend on their highest score.

Feats: Retainers always spend their first two feats on increasing their skill modifiers (such as Persuasive or Deft Hands; already included in the table’s skill modifiers), first for their primary skills and then for their secondary skills. Starting at 5 Hit Dice, they gain feats normally, which they generally spend like NPCs of their profession.

Base Attack Bonus: A retainer’s base attack bonus is determined by their profession.

Saving Throws: A retainer’s base saving throw bonuses are determined by their profession.

Hit Points: The retainer has average hit points per Hit Die, rounded up.

Table: Optional Detailed Statistics
Ranks in Associated Skill Hit Dice Good Base Attack Bonus Medium Base Attack Bonus Poor Base Attack Bonus Good Saves Poor Saves
1 1 +1 +0 +0 +2 +0
2 2 +2 +1 +1 +3 +0
3 3 +3 +2 +1 +3 +1
4 3 +3 +2 +1 +3 +1
5 4 +4 +3 +2 +4 +1
6 5 +5 +3 +2 +4 +1
7 6 +6 +4 +3 +5 +2
8 6 +6 +4 +3 +5 +2
9 7 +7 +5 +3 +5 +2
10 8 +8 +6 +4 +6 +2
11 9 +9 +6 +4 +6 +3
12 9 +9 +6 +4 +6 +3
13 10 +10 +7 +5 +7 +3
14 11 +11 +8 +5 +7 +3
15 12 +12 +9 +6 +8 +4
16 13 +13 +9 +6 +8 +4
17 14 +14 +10 +7 +9 +4
18 15 +15 +11 +7 +9 +5
19 16 +16 +12 +8 +10 +5
20 17 +17 +12 +8 +10 +5

Supply Package

You are an expert in commerce or logistics.

Associated Skill: Appraise.

Item Requisition Options: You can requisition items. Your faction cannot find an item if it is not available in any settlement the faction has a presence in, so rare items likely are not available. You cannot requisition magical items at first, but your variety of item choices can be improved by talents with the (supply) tag. You initially have access to the following items for requisition:

  • Single Item (1+ Authorization): A single permanent or temporary piece of equipment worth up to the corresponding budget. By spending a second authorization on an item, you can double your budget for it.
  • Permanent Bundle (2 Authorizations): A bundle of related permanent equipment worth up to twice your permanent budget. The bundle can include ammunition, single-use light sources, and fuel together worth up to half your temporary resource budget as long as they are part of a kit or used with the permanent items.
  • Expendable Bundle (2 Authorizations): Three copies of the same temporary item each worth up to your budget (total value triple your budget), which must all be used or returned before requisitioning more.
  • Ammunition Bundle (1+ Authorization): A bundle of ammunition must all be of identical pieces of ammunition and their total price must be below your temporary resource budget if you spend 1 authorization. You can spend a second authorization to triple your budget.

[LotS addition]
The Faction sphere can grant access to spellcasting. In games using Spheres of Power, these services might be provided by spherecasters rather than traditional spellcasters. Typical spherecasting services available through the (supply) package to various kinds of factions are suggested below.

  • Martial Factions: Two spheres from Enhancement, Life, and War
  • Arcane Factions: Two spheres from Alteration, Creation, and Warp
  • Religious Factions: Two spheres associated with the religion’s domains, if any. Otherwise, typically Divination, Life, and Light.
  • Skilled Factions: Two spheres from Enhancement, Illusion, and Mind
  • Wilderness Factions: Two spheres from Life, Nature, and Weather

Faction Talent Types

Some talents have the (retainer) or (supply) tags, adding to your options with the corresponding package. A talent with both tags can be accessed with either package but does not provide its full benefits unless you have both packages.

Retainer Talents

You must have the (retainer) package to gain (retainer) talents. They expand the variety of options you have when you requisition a faction retainer or services from your faction.

Supply Talents

You must have the (supply) package to gain (supply) talents. They allow you to requisition new types of items from your faction.

Faction Talents

Extra Faction Package

You gain the Faction sphere package you do not already have. When you requisition a retainer, you can have the faction equip your retainer in a manner equivalent to an NPC of their level by spending an additional 1 authorization when you request them (see NPCs in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook or NPC stat blocks in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC Codex or Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: GameMastery Guide for examples). You also gain the new package’s skill as an additional associated skill for this sphere.

Faction Archives [utility]

You gain the following requisition options:

  • Archive Access: Access your faction’s stores of information, which might take the form of a library, record vault, holy texts, venerated storytellers, ancestor spirits, or the familiars of elder witches. Your allies can accompany you to consult the faction archives only as long as you remain with them. Consulting your faction archives for 1 hour or longer grants a +3 circumstance bonus on one Knowledge or Lore check related to the faction’s interests due to librarian aid and the detail of the archives. The circumstance bonus increases by 1 for every 4 ranks in the associated skill you have. These archives often include guarded secrets about the organization, its allies, its rivals, and local power players (although some secrets might be kept outside the archives).
  • Researcher (1 Authorization): Assign an archivist to research facts and lore on one topic for you. They make one Knowledge check with a result of 20 + your associated skill’s ranks. The bonus from the faction’s archives apply to this check if relevant.

Information Broker [utility]

You gain the following requisition options:

  • Translate: Hire a translator from your faction to speak a language that is known to members of your culture.
  • Gather Information (1 Authorization): Have faction agents gather information on one topic for you. They make one Diplomacy check with a result of 20 + your associated skill’s ranks.
  • Isolating Rumor (1 Authorization): Make a Bluff check to have faction agents spread a rumor that hurts one creature or group’s reputation. You can use your associated skill modifier in place of your Bluff modifier for this claim. Bonuses from spells and items do not apply to this check. Your Bluff result determines how far the rumor spreads: just among untrustworthy gossips (15), among folks interested in the subject (20), among the general populace (25), or the rumor becomes as good as common knowledge (30). If the rumor is a lie, your Bluff check result determines if it is believed by each individual (convincing the average lay person is DC 10; individuals attempt an opposed Sense Motive check normally). The DC to hurt the creature’s reputation is 10 + either the target’s Diplomacy modifier or 150% the target’s Will save modifier (whichever is higher). If you succeed, the creature loses face for 1 day per point by which your result exceeded their DC. Their affected allies’ attitude toward them is reduced by one step.

Logistical Genius [plan]

You plan a single requisition. Revealing this plan is a full-round action, which can include spending any number of your available authorizations, moving up to your speed, opening something, or producing a carried item. You can only use this talent if you could requisition where you last prepared plans or you saved authorizations for this talent since you last requisitioned. You can only reveal a retainer if you are in a place you could requisition them or their role and abilities would allow them to travel from where you last prepared plans to where you reveal them.

Special: Masterminds gain a more potent version of this talent from their schemer class feature.

Restful Refuge

You can requisition a calming environment (but not necessarily a secure one) for yourself and up to nine allies to rest and recuperate for up to 24 hours. You and your allies get a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against afflictions and conditions while resting in the refuge. The bonus increases by 1 for every 8 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

When you use the refuge, you can spend authorizations in the following ways:

  • Exceptional Accommodations (1 Authorization): If your group spends 8 hours resting in the refuge, you each regain all your hit points, recover double the usual ability damage, and cease to be fatigued or exhausted in addition to the usual benefits. If your group spends the full 24 hours resting in the refuge, you each recover triple the usual ability damage instead of double.
  • Hireling Healer (1+ Authorization): The faction lends you money to pay for expensive spellcasting services costing up to your permanent resource budget times the number of authorizations you spend. The service must be removing an affliction, condition, spell, or other effect (even if they do not offer that service). You must repay the loan to regain the authorizations spent.
  • Remove Affliction (1 Authorization): The faction removes one affliction, condition, or spell on you. If doing so requires spellcasting services, the faction pays for it if it does not exceed your temporary resource budget (even if they lack that service).

Review Intelligence [approach] [utility]

When you adopt this approach as a swift action, you mentally review the recent reports of your fellow faction members, rumors on the street, and the habits of people around you. You get a +1 insight bonus on Knowledge (local) and Sense Motive checks and you can take 10 with either skill even when distracted or in combat by spending 1 use of skill leverage. The bonus does not stack with that from Street Smarts or Alertness and it increases by 1 for every 4 ranks in the skill that you possess.

Associated Feat: Street Smarts (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Intrigue).

Social Clout [utility]

Your status in your faction also confers upon you clout in a wider community. Depending on your faction and title, you might be a councilor, a well-established trader, a courtier, a religious leader, or even a noble. Your social clout ensures you are recognized and respected in your community and the surrounding area. The community and area you have clout is determined by your position in your faction and circumstances, but as a rule of thumb, you have clout in an area determined on the table below by the number of ranks in the associated skill you possess. Your community could be the entire settlement, a rural region, or a part of a larger settlement. You must typically be publicly seen serving in your role at least weekly to maintain your clout.

NPCs who belong to the community where you have clout have a starting attitude toward you that is one category better if they would otherwise have an indifferent or friendly attitude toward you and your faction. Outside the population center but within the nearby area, you can requisition in any settlement or public establishment. These effects are general guidelines and should sometimes vary. A newcomer might not have heard of you yet; someone closely tied to your requisition area might recognize your clout elsewhere.

You can only maintain your clout in one area. Transferring your clout to a new area takes 2d4 days of public appearances for at least 2 hours each day. Reestablishing your clout in an area you previously had clout takes only 1d4 days.

Associated Skill Ranks Community Requisition Area
Up to 2 Up to 200 (village) Up to 5-mile radius, 90 square miles, or 1 hex (barony)
3–4 201–2,000 (small town) 12-mile radius, 400 square miles, or 4 hexes (small county)
5–6 2,001–5,000 (large town) 25-mile radius, 1,800 square miles, or 19 hexes (large county, small duchy, small march, or small principality)
7–8 5,001–10,000 (small city) 48-mile radius, 7,200 square miles, or 75 hexes (large march, large duchy, or middling principality)
9–10 10,001–25,000 (large city) 90-mile radius, 25,000 square miles, or 270 hexes (grand duchy, large principality, or minor kingdom)
11–12 One community of any size plus all of at least 25,001 in area 150-mile radius or 70,000 square miles (small kingdom)
13–14 One community of any size plus all of at least 10,001 in area 250-mile radius or 200,000 square miles (large kingdom, minor empire)
15–16 One community of any size plus all of at least 5,001 in area 400-mile radius or 500,000 square miles (small empire)
17–18 One community of any size plus all of at least 2,001 in area 800-mile radius or 2,000,000 square miles (large empire, subcontinent)
19–20 One community of any size plus all of at least 201 in area 1,600-mile radius or 8,000,000 square miles (vast empire)

Subordinate Schemers [plan] [utility]

You can requisition and spend 1 authorization to have faction subordinates scheme for an upcoming adventure. After they have 4 hours to scheme, you can contact them again to gain a +2 circumstance bonus on a single skill check that you know you will have to attempt. If you choose the bonus as soon as they finish scheming, you do not need to spend a plan. Alternatively, you can wait until later to reveal the scheme by spending a plan as a full-round action. For example, if you were planning to break into a prison, you would know you needed to open a lock inside, and your subordinate schemers could grant the bonus on that check. If you encountered a dragon inside that you had no reason to expect, you could not apply the bonus on a Diplomacy check to bribe the dragon. The circumstance bonus increases by 1 for every 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

Retainer Talents

Armed Retainer (retainer)

You can requisition a gamekeeper, a bouncer, an off-duty watch officer, or other hireling with weapon training as your retainer using the warden profession.

With GM permission, you can instead use the statistics (and for 2+ authorizations, the equipment) for an aristocrat or warrior with character level up to your retainer Hit Dice maximum.

If you have at least 4 ranks in the associated skill, fighter or ranger are also options using your usual Hit Dice maximum, and the maximum increases by 1 for aristocrats and warriors.

Warden
Role 1 Authorization Patrol somewhere not expecting trouble, discourage rowdy people in a public place, or find game (noncombatant with listed equipment), 2 Authorizations (requires (supply) package) Defend a secure location, hunt specific game of a lower challenge rating (combatant with NPC equipment), 3 Authorizations (requires (supply) package) Any other reasonably hazardous task (combatant with NPC equipment); Skills (2 primary, 3 secondary) Climb, Craft (traps), Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perception, Profession (hunter or trapper), Ride, Stealth, Survival, Swim; Trade Tradition adroit granting two of Herbalism, Navigation, and Survivalism;
Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 8; Hit Dice d10 (6 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus good; Saves Fort (good), Ref (poor), Will (poor); Special The warden takes no penalty for dealing nonlethal damage with lethal weapons and can gain investigator or slayer talents (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide) instead of feats. Equipment a javelin, a spear, a net, a sling and 10 rocks, either leather or hide armor

Dabbler Retainer (retainer) [LotS]

You can choose a magical dabbler as your faction retainer. You can choose either for them to gain spell slots or magic talents. They gain spell slots as an adept (NPC class in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook) using their Hit Dice as their adept level. If you have the (supply) package, you can request a dabbler who can cast the same kind of spells that your spellcasting services provide instead of using the adept spell list (although they still use the adept’s spell slots). Alternatively, they gain two of the magic spheres that your faction offers as spellcasting services, have a caster level and spell pool each equal to half their Hit Dice, and gain one magic talent for every two Hit Dice they have. You can share magic talents in place of skill talents with the dabbler retainer.

You must provide any focus or material component for the dabbler’s spells costing more than 1 gp.

You can gain this talent a second time if you have at least 5 ranks in the associated skill. If you do, you can requisition a dabbler of greater magical achievement. If they use a spell list, they gain spell slots as a druid. If they use magic spheres, their caster level and number of magic talents each equals their Hit Dice. You must pay the extra authorization to equip them as an NPC of their level in order for them to expend more than half their spell slots of any given level or more than half their spell points.

Academician
Role 1 Authorization Provide advice on magical matters, identify magic items, cast spells (noncombatant)
Skills (2 primary, 2 secondary) Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion), Linguistics, Spellcraft; Skill Spheres Spelhacking or Study;
Ability Scores Str 8, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 11; Hit Dice d6 (4 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus poor; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (poor), Will (good)

Magician
Role 1 Authorization Perform with magic, identify magic items, cast spells (noncombatant)
Skills (2 primary, 2 secondary) Bluff, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Perform, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device; Skill Spheres Bluster, Performance, or Spellhacking;
Ability Scores Str 8, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15; Hit Dice d6 (4 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus poor; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (poor), Will (good)

Priest
Role 1 Authorization Provide advice on religious matters, perform ceremonies, identify magic items, cast spells (noncombatant);
Skills (2 primary, 2 secondary) Heal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion), Sense Motive, Spellcraft; Skill Spheres Communication or Herbalism;
Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 12; Hit Dice d6 (4 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus poor; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (poor), Will (good)
Equipment Any focus or spell components pouch required by casting tradition worth no more than your temporary resource maximum

Faction Trainers (retainer)

You gain the following requisition options:

  • Retainer: Hire a trainer to retrain (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign) you.
  • Animal Trainer: Hire a trainer to train any animals, animal-Intelligence magical beasts, or vermin you own or have as a companion.
  • Crash Course (1 Authorization): Hire a trainer to give you a crash course in a skill for 6 hours. You unlock skill leverage with one skill of your choice for 24 hours, increase your maximum number of uses of skill leverage by 1 for 24 hours, and regain 1 use of skill leverage. If you have at least 10 ranks in the associated skill, the crash course takes 1 hour.

Roguish Retainer (retainer)

You can requisition a spy, diplomat, con artist, interrogator, scout, guild thief, private snoop, or other stealthy character as your retainer, using either the sneak or trickster profession. If the retainer steals anything, they keep it unless you purchase it from them for 90% its market price.

You can requisition the stolen item by spending authorizations (multiplying the appropriate budget by the number of authorizations you spend), but you must turn it over to the faction to regain the authorizations (or use it up, if a temporary item).

Sneak
Role 1 Authorization Survey places the public is welcome for security vulnerabilities, keep watch anywhere they can reliably hide, tail a person in a public place, create a diversion in a public place, commit petty crimes you will bail them out of, or undertake other reasonable inconveniences (noncombatant), 2 Authorizations Approach enemies to spy upon or sneak past them, travel, pick pockets in a lowrisk public place, commit substantial property crimes you will bail them out of, or creating a diversion in a private place (noncombatant);
Skills (4 primary, 4 secondary) Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth;
Trade Tradition adroit Tracer;
Ability Scores Str 8, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 12; Hit Dice d8 (5 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus medium; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (good), Will (poor); Special The sneak can gain rogue talents instead of feats. Equipment thieves’ tools

Trickster
Role 1 Authorization Survey places the public is welcome for security vulnerabilities, keep watch anywhere they can blend in, tail a person in a low-risk public place, create a diversion in a safe public place, commit petty crimes you’ll bail them out of, travel, or undertake other reasonable inconveniences (noncombatant), 2 Authorizations Approach enemies to spy upon or bluff past them, smuggle an item past a checkpoint, commit fraud you’ll bail them out of, or create a diversion in a private place they can blend in (noncombatant);
Skills (3 primary, 4 secondary) Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), Linguistics, Perception, Perform, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand;
Trade Tradition adroit granting two of Bluster, Subterfuge, and Investigation;
Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 10, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 15; Hit Dice d8 (4 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus medium; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (good), Will (poor); Special The trickster can gain vigilante social talents (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue) instead of shared utility talents, even social talents you do not possess. Equipment disguise kit, cards or dice, entertainer’s outfit

Specialist Liaison (retainer) [utility]

For every noncombatant retainer profession you have, choose a new set of skills and skill talents for one. When you requisition from this profession, you choose which of your defined versions you get. If you gain another retainer profession, you can define another combination of skills and skill talents for it. You can take this talent multiple times, defining a new combination for each profession you have each time.

Spellcaster Hireling (retainer) [utility]

By spending 1 authorization, you can requisition spellcasting services, which is a temporary resource that can include multiple castings of the same spell within a single day if your temporary resource budget is high enough. The faction can only guarantee a caster with a level no higher than your ranks in the associated skill – 2 (minimum 1st), but at the GM’s discretion a more powerful caster might be available. This service must be received where you requisitioned it; the spellcaster does not follow you. You can take this talent a second time. If you do, the maximum increases by 1.

Talented Retainers (retainer)

This talent cannot be gained temporarily. When you gain this talent, for each profession of retainer you have access to, you choose a talent of that profession’s skill sphere and add it to the talents the retainer has when you requisition them. If they have multiple spheres, you choose one of those spheres.

You cannot choose exceptional talents this way. No more than one of the talents you choose can belong to a sphere you do not have. When you gain access to a new retainer profession, you also choose a talent for it (subject to the same restrictions).

You can choose this talent multiple times. Each time you do, you can choose another talent for each profession you have access to (no more than one of which can belong to a sphere you do not have yourself).

Travel Papers (retainer, supply) [utility]

If you have the (retainer) package, your retainer can be a driver. If you have the (supply) package, you can always trade up to ten common mounts for fresh ones of the same kind anywhere you could requisition with just 5 minutes of interaction at no cost.

You also gain the following requisition option.

  • Transportation (1 Authorization): Your faction provides a locally common vehicle for you and up to nine allies as a temporary resource if passage on it (including any tolls or other cost for your route) is within your budget. Your destination must be a landmark relevant to your faction's interests (for example, a druidic dolmen circle would be significant to a wilderness faction) or a settlement. If your destination is more than 1 day away and not a place where you could requisition, your transportation takes 8 hours to prepare for departure. Unless you go to another place where you could also requisition, you do not regain the authorization you spent until the transport returns to such a place. You also receive necessary paperwork like visas; hard-to-get ones might be forged (Linguistics DC to detect equals 20 + your ranks in your associated skill).

Driver
Role 1 Authorization get you where you intend to go via a reasonably safe route, including transporting you away from unexpected danger as quickly as possible (noncombatant), 2 Authorizations retrieve you and get you away from danger as quickly as possible (noncombatant);
Skills (3 primary, 3 secondary) Craft (carpentry), Craft (ships), Handle Animal, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Profession (driver), Profession (pilot), Profession (sailor), Ride;
Trade Tradition adroit granting Navigation;
Ability Scores 15 in one, 10 in each of the rest; Hit Dice d8 (5 hp per level); Base Attack Bonus medium; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (poor), Will (good); Special The driver’s group’s overland movement is never slowed by more than half, regardless of terrain. Equipment Vehicle and any propulsion animals together worth up to your permanent resource budget times the number of authorizations spent.

If you have at least 15 ranks in the associated skill and have the (retainer) package, you also gain the following option.

  • Teleportation (1+ Authorization): After 8 hours of preparation, a spellcaster teleports you and up to nine other creatures to anywhere else you could requisition, even on another plane of existence. If you also pay 1,000 gp or a second authorization, you can be teleported anywhere on the same planet that is not immediately dangerous and that you have a detailed description of (as if with greater teleport). Protections you provide factor into whether the faction considers the destination immediately dangerous, but any significant expectation of combat or damage (such as from many elemental or evil planes) is unacceptable.

Utilitarian Retainers (retainer) [utility]

This talent cannot be gained temporarily. This talent functions as Talented Retainers except that all the talents you choose must have the [utility] tag.

Well-Rounded Retainers (retainer)

This talent cannot be gained temporarily. When you gain this talent, choose a skill sphere for each retainer profession you have access to. Each of your retainers gain the sphere you chose for their profession as a bonus sphere and treat a skill associated with that sphere as an extra primary skill (GM’s choice if there are multiple). No more than one of the spheres you choose with this talent can be one you do not already have access to; the rest must either be ones you have or ones that are available to another retainer profession you have. When you gain access to a new profession of retainer, you choose a bonus sphere for it.

You can choose this talent multiple times. Each time you do, you can choose another sphere for each profession you have access to and only one of the spheres chosen can be one you did not already have access to either yourself or via another retainer profession.

Supply Talents

Assured Lifestyle (supply) [utility]

Your faction provides you with an average lifestyle, including an apartment or modest house. You are given one set of clothing befitting a respectable member of polite society, which is worth up to your permanent resource budget. You also gain the following requisition options:

  • Accommodation (0 Authorizations): You are provided a night’s stay in a private inn room or similar accommodations on faction property.
  • Camping Gear (1 Authorization): You and up to five companions are provided a week’s worth of rations and camping supplies as a temporary resource.
  • Exchange Attire or Housing (1 Authorization): Your faction exchanges one home or set of clothing for another.

If you possess at least 5 ranks in the associated skill, you are guaranteed a wealthy lifestyle and a sizable home or suite of fine rooms. Your clothing is suitable for a rich commoner or minor courtier and includes modest jewelry.

With at least 10 ranks in the associated skill, your lifestyle is extravagant. You have a mansion, castle, or other grand home. When traveling, you can use a fine townhouse or suite of rooms in a mansion or castle. Your clothing can impress even royalty and includes a few pieces of fine jewelry.

Diverse Faction Magic (supply) [LotS]

Choose either one additional spellcasting class list or two magic spheres. Add it to your resource magic options for spellcasting services and Faction talents. Whenever you requisition a new retainer with spellcasting, you can change your choices among the available spell lists, talents, and skills. You can take this talent multiple times, choosing a new spell list or two magic spheres each time.

Magical Armory (supply)

Your item requisition can be for any magic weapon, armor, shield, or ammunition available in your faction’s area. If the item has a limited number of charges or uses that do not fully replenish daily, it comes with half its uses remaining (rounded down).

Magical Consultation (supply)

Your faction briefs you on how to use any magic item you requisition. If you need the Use Magic Device skill to activate an item provided or identified by your faction, you can use your Appraise modifier in place of your Use Magic Device modifier for those checks. In addition, you gain the following requisition option.

  • Identification: You learn the function of any magic item as if with a Spellcraft result of 20 + your ranks in the associated skill. If your game features advanced technology, the faction can identify its function using any appropriate skill check with the same result.

Merchant Contacts (supply)

You treat any settlement where you can requisition as if its base price and purchase limits (described in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide) as 50% higher. In addition, merchants aware of your faction that are not hostile to it or to you have their starting attitude toward you improved by one step.

Finally, when you spend one or more authorizations to requisition a consumable item with a market price no more than 60% your temporary resource budget, you can acquire a second copy of the item. You must use, return, or replace both before you regain the spent authorization.

Permanent Item Supply (supply)

When you gain this talent, choose two types of permanent magic item (such as rings or rods) other than wondrous items. Your item requisition can be for any permanent item of that type available in your faction’s area. If the item has a limited number of charges or uses that do not fully replenish daily, it comes with half its uses remaining (rounded down).

You can gain this talent multiple times. Each time you do, you can choose another two types of permanent items other than wondrous items that you can borrow using your faction resources.

Potion Supply (supply)

Your item requisition can be for any alchemical remedy, elixir, potion, or similar single-use consumable item available in your faction’s area. The potions available match the spellcasting services for your faction type. The item’s caster level must be no higher than your associated skill ranks – 2.

You can take this talent a second time if you have at least 10 ranks in Appraise. If you do, you can spend 2 authorizations to requisition any single potion or elixir regardless of your faction’s spellcasting services worth up to your temporary resource budget. The caster level must be no higher than your ranks in Appraise if it suits your faction’s spellcasting services, or no higher than your ranks in Appraise – 2 otherwise.

Safe House (supply) [utility]

You gain use of a secure location wherever you can requisition by spending 1 authorization. The safe house is up to a 10-foot cube per rank in the associated skill you possess, is unobtrusive, and is warded against divination magic. It is stocked with provisions to last five Medium humanoids a week, restocked weekly by servants who do not know its function. Your safe house is protected by a permanent audible alarm spell with caster level equal to your number of associated skill ranks.

The minimum skill check DC to locate the safe house is equal to 20 + your associated skill ranks. This includes Survival checks to track your group there, Perception checks to notice it, and Knowledge (local) or Diplomacy checks to recall or gather information about it. Divination spells fail to reveal anything about your safe house and anyone or anything inside unless the caster succeeds at a caster level check against DC 15 + your associated skill ranks. The safe house has a lock with Disable Device DC 25 + your associated skill ranks. You can requisition from within the safe house, but doing so cumulatively reduces the above DCs by 2 for 1 week.

If you have the Assured Lifestyle talent, the safe house can be any innocuous building up to the same size as your home and it provides comforts suitable to your lifestyle for 2 creatures per rank in the associated skill you possess. If you have the Restful Refuge talent, its benefits apply without risking the security unless you bring in a hireling spellcaster.

Scroll Cache (supply)

You can requisition the following items. Scrolls you requisition can’t have multiple spells with different names on them.

  • Single Scroll (2 authorizations): Any scroll available with your faction type’s spellcasting. The scroll’s caster level can be up to your associated skill ranks – 2 (minimum 1st). The scroll’s price can be up to twice your temporary resource budget.
  • Scroll Bundle (2 authorizations): Three identical scrolls available with your faction type’s spellcasting with caster level up to your associated skill ranks – 5 (minimum 1st). The sum of their price must be within triple your temporary budget.

You can take this talent a second time. If you do, you increase the maximum caster level for your faction’s scrolls by 1.

Travel Papers (retainer, supply) [utility]

See description in (retainer) talents, above.

Wand Supply (supply)

Your item requisition can be for any wand available in your faction’s area. The wands available match the spellcasting services for your faction type. The item’s caster level must be no higher than your associated skill ranks – 3. You can requisition a wand with 5 charges that counts as one-tenth the price or a wand with 10 charges that counts as one-fifth the price.

Wondrous Item Supply (supply)

Your item requisition can be for any wondrous item available in your faction’s area. If the item has a limited number of charges or uses that do not fully replenish daily, it comes with half its uses remaining (rounded down).

Exceptional Talents

Bound Retainer (retainer)

Prerequisites: Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) 10 ranks, Faction sphere ((retainer) package).

Your faction secures the service of an outsider to be your retainer through planar binding, planar ally, or similar magic.

Spirit Ally
Role 1 Authorization noncombatant, 3 Authorizations defend an area (combatant), 5 Authorizations any task that does not go against the creature’s nature or betray the faction (combatant); Statistics As an outsider from the summon monster list of a level equal to half the number of ranks in the associated skill you possess. When you permanently gain this talent, you can work with your GM to replace monsters on the list with different monsters of similar challenge rating as appropriate for your faction (for example, many religions allow clerics to replace monsters with the appropriate servitors of the religion’s deity).

Fey Retainer (retainer)

Prerequisites: Knowledge (nature) 10 ranks or Perform (any one skill) 10 ranks; Faction sphere ((retainer) package).

Your faction secures the service of a creature from the fey realm conjured through entice fey (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue) or similar magic. Your faction retainer can be a conjured fey or giant.

Natural Ally
Role 1 Authorization noncombatant, 3 Authorizations defend an area (combatant), 5 Authorizations any task that does not go against the creature’s nature or betray the faction (combatant); Statistics As a fey or giant from the summon nature’s ally list of a level equal to half your ranks in the associated skill. When you permanently gain this talent, you can work with your GM to replace monsters on the list with different monsters of similar challenge rating as appropriate for your faction.

Inspector Retainer (retainer, supply)

Prerequisites: Faction sphere ((retainer) package, (supply) package, Roguish Retainer)).

You can requisition an experienced detective, spy, or other broadly-skilled character as your faction retainer.

Inspector
Role 1 Authorization Approach enemies in disguise or hiding to spy upon or talk to them, question a prisoner that you are unlikely to be punished for detaining, gathering information where they must keep their faction affiliation a secret, find or remove evidence in a secure area that you have legitimate access to or are unlikely to be punished for trespassing on, quick infiltrations (noncombatant without equipment); 2 Authorizations Prolonged infiltrations, sneak past alert enemies, rescue a hostage, finding or removing evidence at a guarded crime scene (noncombatant with equipment), 3 Authorizations Track down someone, trick a foe into an ambush (combatant with equipment);
Skills (5 primary, 5 secondary) Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (chosen individually), Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival; Statistics As an NPC rogue or shadowdancer of character level up to your retainer Hit Dice maximum.

Magical Mercenary Retainer (retainer, supply)

Prerequisites: Associated skill 5 ranks, Faction sphere ((retainer) package, (supply) package, Scroll Cache, Wand Supply).

You can requisition a war wizard or other magical mercenary as your retainer.

Magical Mercenary
Role 1 Authorization Cast up to to one spell per rank in the associated skill within 4 hours’ travel, avoiding hostile strongholds like dungeons (noncombatant without equipment), 2 Authorizations Defend a defensible position or travel far overland to cast spells while avoiding dungeons or other hostile strongholds (combatant with equipment), 3 Authorizations Fight in any other combat (without likely death or betraying the faction) (combatant with equipment);
Skills (1 primary, 3 secondary) Knowledge (arcana, nature, planes, or religion, chosen individually), Spellcraft; Statistics The mercenary uses standard statistics and equipment for an NPC of a class suitable to provide the faction’s spellcasting services, with character level up to your retainer Hit Dice maximum.

Remote Requisition [utility] (Sp)

Prerequisites: Associated skill 3 ranks, Faction sphere.

Your faction invests in making sure you are always in contact with them. Your faction gives you a badge or other token representing it. You can use the token three times per day to cast whispering wind or animal messenger to a member of your faction as a spell-like ability and they can contact you in the same way thrice per day. When you do so to requisition retainers or items, you can have the faction send them to any safe place within 16 miles of anywhere you could normally requisition. The requisition arrives after 1 hour, plus 1 hour per 4 miles.

If you lose the token, you can requisition a replacement for 1 authorization. The lost one becomes nonmagical and previous uses of it that day count against the uses of the new one for the day.

If you have at least 10 ranks in the associated skill, you add sending to the list of options.

If you have the Travel Papers talent, a traveling requisition arrives to anywhere within 150 miles in 1 hour per 10 miles away.

Retainer Detail (retainer)

Prerequisites: Associated skill 3 ranks, Faction sphere ((retainer) package, any talent granting a retainer profession with a combatant role).

You can requisition two combatant retainers at a time. You must pay the authorization costs for each retainer, and the maximum level or Hit Dice for each one is reduced by 1 while you have two of them.

You can take this talent a second time. If you do, having two retainers does not reduce their maximum level. You can also choose to requisition a third combatant retainer, but if you do all three have their maximum level or Hit Dice are reduced by 1 each.

Skilled Mercenary Retainer (retainer, supply)

Prerequisites: Associated skill 3 ranks, Faction sphere ((retainer) package, (supply) package, Magical Armory, either Armed Retainer or Roguish Retainer).

You can choose an assassin, bounty hunter, or other skilled combatant as your faction retainer.

Skilled Mercenary
Role 2 Authorizations Defend a defensible position (combatant with equipment), 3 Authorizations Fight in any other combat (without likely death or betraying the faction) (combatant with equipment);
Skills (2 primary, 6 secondary) Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (local or nature, chosen individually), Perception, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival, Swim; Statistics The mercenary otherwise uses standard statistics and equipment for an NPC assassin, bard, ninja, or rogue with character level up to your retainer Hit Dice maximum.

Survivalist Retainer (retainer, supply)

Prerequisites: Associated skill 3 ranks, Faction sphere ((retainer) package, (supply) package, Magical Armory).

You can choose an explorer, skilled hunter, priest of nature, herbalist, or other wilderness traveler as your faction retainer.

Survivalist
Role 2 Authorizations Guide you and cooperate with you against wilderness hazards and enemies while traveling overland or transiting through settlements (combatant with equipment), 3 Authorizations Enter dungeons, monster lairs, or other strongholds alongside you (combatant with equipment);
Skills (2 primary, 4 secondary) Climb, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Profession (herbalist), Ride, Survival, Swim; Statistics As an NPC barbarian, druid, hunter, or ranger with character level up to your retainer Hit Dice maximum.

Drawbacks

Famous Leader [alternate start]

Your game must use either organizational influence (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue) or reputation and fame (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign) to choose this alternate start.

You do not gain ranks in your associated skill from this sphere (although you must still spend ranks in the skill to improve the effects of talents). Instead, you gain fame or sway.

If your game uses reputation and fame, you gain 5 Fame (but no Prestige Points), to a maximum of 5 times your character level. You gain an additional 5 Fame for every talent you spend in the Faction sphere. Permanently losing Faction talents reduces your Fame by 5.

If your game uses organizational influence, your sway with your faction cannot fall below rank 1. Your minimum sway rises by 1 for every three talents you spend in the Faction sphere (not counting talents from sphere-specific drawbacks; maximum rank 4).

When you change the faction this sphere is linked to, you can transfer the fame and sway from one faction to the other.

Start-Up

Your faction is either still trying to get established or has had its resources stretched terribly thin due to some hardship. Your faction has half the normal maximum of gold pieces for their resource budgets, and you must select (or possess) the (supply) package to gain this drawback.

Due to your repeated support, you gain an additional authorization you can call upon with your faction.

Faction Sphere Feats

Eldritch Supplies (Champion, Drawback) [LotS]

Prerequisites: Faction sphere, casting class feature.

Benefit: You may use Faction sphere resources to pay for spell components, ritual component costs, and components for crafting magic items. Most spell and ritual components are temporary resources, but components for magic items, permanent effects, or instantaneous effects with lasting consequences should be considered permanent resources.

Special: If you possess the Expensive Locus or Material Casting drawback, you may select this feat as a drawback feat.

Organized Following (Champion) [LotS]

Prerequisites: Faction sphere, Leadership sphere.

Benefit: Any cohorts you possess from the Leadership sphere may select skill talents in place of combat or magic talents. In addition, you may spend 2 authorizations to double the recruitment rate of followers in a settlement for 24 hours or reduce the DC of a single cohort recruitment check by 2.

Archetypes Specializing in Faction

Idol

Always the talk of the town, idols bring an envoy’s ability to gain influence to a whole new level.

Imposter

Imposter agents are experts at insinuating themselves among enemies with no one being the wiser.

Knight Of The Order

A knight of the order represent their respective orders in a variety of courtly and military matters, harnessing connections and decorum in addition to martial mastery.

Tribal Champion

Tribal champions understand that allies and coordination are just as important as physical strength in the world of battle.

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