| Hand | |
|---|---|
| !vanderlin_Hand.png (soon) | Difficulty: Medium to Hard Direct Superior: The Monarch Duties: Depending on class, you may be a glorified assistant, scheming Spymaster or a helpful Advisor to the Monarch, otherwise generally being available for use. Allowed species : Humen, Elf, Half-Elf, Dwarf Minimum PQ requirement : 10 Useful guides: Guide to combat, Guide to Speech, Guide to Laws |
This is one of the few roles that changes its race-lock depending on Map.
On Rosewood, only Elves and Half-Elves may be Hand due to Lore reasons.
"You owe everything to your liege. You are the most trusted of the ruler- their sibling, in fact. You have played spymaster and confidant to the Noble-Family for so long that you are a vault of intrigue, something you exploit with potent conviction. Let no man ever forget whose ear you whisper into. You have killed more men with those lips than any blademaster could ever claim to."
It is important to note that while you have the authority to do pretty much anything, you still need to follow The Rules.
¶ The Plotter.
Your job as the Hand is to Help (or harm) your Liege, whether you act as a Helping Hand, Plotting Spymaster or a Knowing Advisor, at the end of your day job is rather simple; Do what is asked of you, manage the court. You are a glorified babysitter for your Court Agents, most will ask for a task to perform.
¶ Why you are the Hand.
In any society, one man cannot do all; So you've been tasked by your Sibling (The Monarch) to assist them in the Court, either due to your skills, or just nepotism. Either way, they ask they not know what you do behind closed doors, so long as you get the Job done.
Whether you earned your Title through Merit or otherwise, you are a political agent pulling the strings behind the Court.
¶ Your Agents and You!
If you are the Hand, your agents are the fingers. Your agents appear as normal adventurers to most, and it is best to keep their identities secret for the most part. The role of your agents is to carry out missions for you.
¶ Some common examples of missions you may send your agents on
¶ Assassination
Sometimes, there's people you want dead, but they haven't technically broken any laws, and there might be complaints about guards randomly beating them to death. Luckily, you have agents who can make people disappear.
For this example, our Hand will be John Hand (I know, this is such a creative idea that's never been used before).
John Hand gets insulted by John Disloyalnoble.
John Hand summons John Assassin, an agent skilled in stealth and combat.
John Assassin goes and kills John Disloyalnoble
John Hand awards John Assassin for doing the job quickly and quietly.
¶ Subterfuge
Subterfuge, A.K.A spying, is the most common use of your agents. They look like normal adventurers to everyone else, which makes it easy for them to be subtle and stay unnoticed.
As an example,
John Hand thinks John ObviouslyPlanningARebellion might be planning something
John Hand sends John Spy to talk to him like a normal adventurer
John ObviouslyPlanningARebellion tries to recruit John Spy to the rebellion he was plotting! 
John Hand now knows who's plotting a rebellion.
¶ Intrigue
Intrigue, A.K.A Plotting, is one of the many tools a Hand will have in their Arsenal. Your agents are primarily Loyal to you and will listen to your commands. Should you dislike your current Monarch; and think it high time to replace them, this is how you do it.
As an example,
John Hand dislikes what John Monarch does (Outlawing Psydon, the AUDACITY)
John Hand gathers John Court Agent 1, 2 and 3.
John Hand and John Court Agent 1 plan to lure John Monarch to his Quarters, while John Court agent 2 and 3 stab John Monarch to death.
John Hand and his Court Agents all leave through the secret passages in various different ways.
John Hand alerts the Guards as to the absence of John Monarch.
The Guards find John Monarch stabbed to death.
John Hand claims the Throne.
¶ Custom
Custom, A.K.A "Do whatever the fuck you want", is another less-common type of mission. Your agents are contractually required to listen to you, so maybe once in a while you should (ab)use your power.
¶ I dont like my Sibling, what do I do?
For any Hand, there will come a time where you must overthrow the Monarch, should you need to do so, you have a legion of faithful Agents and a coniving tongue to convince the guards to turn their blades in favour of your Reign. Long Live the King.
You have many ways of convincing others to turn in your favour.
¶ Money
Thats right, people like mammons, giving them lots of mammons is a good idea, especially for the Garrison, their loyalty is usually boiled down to "give me money"
¶ Power and Positions
Promising people positions of power, such as rites of Nobility or otherwise important jobs may be beneficial to your reign. Considering some may be opposed, have your goons talk to them after you've succeeded.
¶ Financial Control
You have the Steward practically in your pocket, you can always convince them to control the finances of the kingdom in your favour, withholding money from members of the Garrison who refuse to turn for you, withholding materials from the people if they revolt.
¶ Classes
You can choose from three Sub-Classes at the Start.
Those being; Hand, Spymaster and Advisor. They all influence their own playstyle.
¶ Hand
"You have played blademaster and strategist to the Noble-Family for so long that you are a master tactician, something you exploit with potent conviction. Let no man ever forget whose ear you whisper into. You've killed more men with swords than any spymaster could ever claim to."
The standard class for the Hand, they have a more balanced stats than the other two classes, focusing more so on combat capabilities than sneaking or wits. The Spymaster may dispose their targets discreetly, but when those men need a figure to stand behind, only you can become the first among equals.
| Roundstart skill stats | Roundstart character skills | Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Level 3 Axes & Maces Level 4 Crossbow Level 3 Wrestling Level 3 Unarmed Level 4 Swords Level 3 Swimming Level 2 Lockpicking Level 3 Climbing Level 3 Athletics Level 4 Reading Level 2 Riding Level 3 Mathematics |
+2 Strength +3 Perception +3 Intelligence |
Noble Blood Heavy Armor Training |
¶ Spymaster
"You have played spymaster and confidant to the Noble-Family for so long that you are a vault of intrigue, something you exploit with potent conviction. Let no man ever forget whose ear you whisper into. You've killed more men with those lips than any blademaster could ever claim to."
The plotter for the Monarch, they focus primarily on espionage and spy networks, having superior sneaking skills than the Hand. The Hand may kill their enemies with their blade bloodied, but you leave the site with only a broken lock of a door. They won't know what hit them.
| Roundstart skill stats | Roundstart character skills | Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 Axes & Maces Level 4 Crossbows Level 3 Bows Level 3 Wrestling Level 3 Unarmed Level 2 Swords Level 4 Knives Level 3 Swimming Level 6 Climbing Level 3 Athletics Level 3 Reading Level 2 Riding Level 5 Sneaking Level 5 Pickpocketing Level 5 Lockpicking Level 3 Mathematics |
-1 Strength +2 Perception +4 Speed +2 Intelligence |
Noble Blood Medium Armor Training Dodge Expert |
¶ Advisor
"You have played researcher and confidant to the Noble-Family for so long that you are a vault of knowledge, something you exploit with potent conviction. Let no man ever forget the knowledge you wield. You've read more books than any blademaster or spymaster could ever claim to."
The knowledge of the Monarch, they focus primarily on wits and knowledge, having superior scholarly skills than the other two. What the other two fools might not understand, is that strength and deceit cannot win battles and wars, much less the land alone; as the pen is mightier than any sword or poison.
| Roundstart skill stats | Roundstart character skills | Additional skills if old | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3 Crossbows Level 2 Wrestling Level 2 Swords Level 3 Swimming Level 3 Climbing Level 3 Athletics Level 5 Reading Level 2 Riding Level 4 Alchemy Level 4 Medicine Level 4 Lockpicking level 3 Mathematics |
+4-5 Intelligence +3 Perception |
-1 Speed -1 Strength +1 Intelligence +1 Perception |
Noble Blood |