-	-	-	-	-
Dragon 74	-	Classes	-	Dragon

THE POLITICIAN is a sub-class of bureaucrat. To become a
politician, the character rolls up scores just as for a bureaucrat,
except that physical abilities have a base score of 9, not 10, and
non-physical abilities have a base score of 12, not 11.

(See the
bureaucrat class description, page 8, for an explanation of dice
rolling.)

[The politician tends to be hopelessly average. To determine
his or her characteristics, roll 2d6 of different colors (let's say red
and white). All physical characteristics (strength, dexterity and
constitution) use a base of 9, while non-physical characteristics
(intelligence, wisdom and charisma) use a base of 12. If the red
die comes up 1 or 2, add the result of the white die to 9 or 12, as
applicable; if the red die comes up 3 or 4, subtract the white die
from 9 or 12; if the red die comes up 5 or 6, the white die is
ignored and the characteristic remains at 9 or 12, as applicable.
A politician must have intelligence or wisdom of at least 12 to
rise any higher than first level (Reliever).]

A politician must have a score in INT, WIS,
or CHA of 15, and must have this score in two of the three
abilities in order to advance beyond 4th level.

Not all countries will have elections, and therefore might have
little use for politicians. The most common elective offices in a
town are the aldermen and perhaps a mayor. A few countries
might elect sheriffs and other "county" officials, who would be
members of the politician class. A sheriff is 85% likely to be a
former member of an adventuring class, with some type of fighter
being the most common (80%).

Different special skills
Politicians have none of the special skills of their parent class.
If they are to succeed, politicians cannot afford to have it appear
as though they are confusing or infuriating the public the way a
bureaucrat does. Instead, certain other particular abilities are
available to them.

Politicians who are not ex-adventurer types have a 45% resistance
to charm spell attacks, and those who win office have a
chance to cast a suggestion spell in any speech they make before
a group of five or more people. The audience (each member considered
separately) is only 35% likely to be susceptible. Those in
the audience who are susceptible still obtain a normal saving
throw against the suggestion. Those who fail the saving throw
will make every effort to act out the suggestion if it is possible.
Suggestions to give up more than 100 g.p. (in money, goods, or
services) allow the victim a +2 bonus on the saving throw. Any
suggestions to give up a magic item or more than 250 g.p. in
currency allows the victim(s) a +5 bonus to the save. Politicians
generally will suggest that the listener(s) contribute to his or her
next campaign fund.

Politicians who have won three elections (not necessarily all
for the same office) gain the ability to perform these skills:
Stuff the ballot box: This ability will add 10% to the politician's vote total in any election when it is tried, and it can only
be detected by examination of the individual ballots. The person(s) looking at the ballots must make a saving throw vs. spell
to notice the fraud.

Enthrall: Similar to the suggested new cleric spell enthrall described
in issue #58 of DRAGON Magazine. The politician can
enthrall all members of an audience who can understand the
language the politician is using, and who fail to make a saving
throw vs. spell. The ability is activated after the politician has
spoken for one full round; all listeners eligible to become
enthralled must make a saving throw each round thereafter, for
as long as the politician continues speaking, to avoid being
taken in. The enthrallment is broken as soon as the politician
stops talking. It cannot affect anyone with 4 or more hit dice, or
anyone with a wisdom of at least 15.

Those who fail a saving throw and become enthralled will
stand in awe of the politician, treating him or her as if the
speaker had a charisma of 21. However, enthralled figures will
not undertake action, such as they might if they were under the
effect of a suggestion.

Sixth sense: This is an ability that manifests itself in several
specific ways. First, an accomplished politician has a way of
"knowing" where and when a noteworthy event will occur, and
will make him or herself available in the hopes of being seen
favorably and thus have a chance to gain votes, recognition and
perhaps donations. The chance to employ the "sixth sense" successfully
for the purpose of being in the right place is 5% per
level, one attempt per day.

Politicians can employ their sixth sense to see through clouds
of smoke and fog, including such things as a cloudkill spell, a
stinking cloud, smoke from a fire, a wall of fog, a fog cloud,
pyrotechnics, and the like. The chance of success is 10% per level,
once per cloud, twice per day maximum.

POLITICIANS EXPERIENCE TABLE

Experience	Experience  Level	4-sided dice for accumulated hit points level points	Title
0 -- 1,200	1	1 + 2	Reliever
1,201 -- 2,400	2	1 + 4	Party member
2,401 -- 4,800	3	1 + 6	Speaker
4,801 -- 9,600	4	1 + 8	Orator
9,601 -- 20,000	5	2 + 8	Politician
20,001 -- 60,000	6	2 + 11	Chairman
60,001 -- 120,000	7	2 + 14	Leader
120,001 -- 240,000	8	2 + 17	Vice-president
240,001 +	9	3 + 17	President

Politicians have a 7% chance per level to detect lie and an
equal chance to successfully manage an undetectable lie, just as
for the 4th level cleric spell of the same name.

Other abilities and characteristics
A politician can be of any alignment except true neutral. A
politician attacks as a magic-user at all times and obtains the
saving throws of a magic-user as well. He or she may fight with
dagger, club, blackjack, or mace, beginning with one weapon
and obtaining a new weapon of proficiency at 7th level. The politician
?s non-proficiency penalty is ?5.

A politician can wear protection items but not armor, except
for a breastplate that can be employed to make him resistant to
fired missiles. The politician cannot wield most magic items,
though he or she can use the following specifically:

Potions ? those of animal control, clairvoyance, clairaudience,
delusion, dragon control, ESP, extra healing, gaseous
form, healing, human control, longevity, oil of slipperiness,
philter of love, philter of persuasiveness, plant control, treasure
finding, and undead control.

Scrolls -- None, although neither will any kind of scroll have
an effect on the politician. A cursed scroll, for instance, would be
gibberish to the politician and would not work against him.

Rings -- those of djinni summoning, contrariness, delusion,
human influence, mammal control, protection, and X-ray vision.

Rods, staves, or wands -- none but the rod of beguiling, rod of
rulership, stuff of command, and wand of enemy detection.
Miscellaneous magic items ? only the amulet of proof against
detection and location, bracers of defense, brooch of shielding,
crystal ball, cube of force, cubic gate, eyes of charming, any type
of dust, helm of comprehending languages (but cannot read
magic with the helm), medallion of ESP, medallion of thought
projection, rug of smothering, rug of welcome, tome of clear
thought, tome of understanding, and tome of leadership and
influence.

Magic armor and weapons ? No magical armor or swords
allowed; however, a politician can employ any magical dagger or
mace, except for a mace of disruption.

Politicians gain experience from two sources: votes, and $ taken in during campaigns.
* Money found in a dungeon or similar sort of adventuring environment can count toward
experience for a politician, but killing an enemy (monster) gains
a politician nothing.
* Election experience is awarded at the rate
of one experience point for each vote received; however, a politician
can never gain more experience points from one election
than the minimum necessary to advance to the next level.

Thus,
a first-level politician could gain no more than 1,201 experience
points from winning an election, even if he received more votes
than that. Politicians who lose elections always lose experience
points and drop back to the midpoint of the next lower level.
Gold pieces found (contributed) also are equated to experience
points on a one-for-one basis, again limited by the fact that gold
can only "buy" one level at a time. And for gold to be counted as
experience, it must be spent by the politician in an effort to be
elected to some office (a campaign within the campaign). Excess
money can be used any way the politician sees fit. Politicians of
non-good alignment can make and take bribes at any time.

1. SUBCLASS = n/a
2. SOCIAL CLASS MINIMUM =
3. ABILITY SCORE MINIMUMS
    A politician must have a score in INT, WIS,
    or CHA of 15, and must have this score in two of the three
    abilities in order to advance beyond 4th level.
    STRENGTH =
    INTELLIGENCE =
    WISDOM =
    DEXTERITY =
    CONSTITUTION =
    CHARISMA =
    COMELINESS =
4. POSSIBLE RACES & MAX. LEVEL ATTAINABLE =
5. MULTI-CLASS POSSIBILITIES =
6. HIT DIE TYPE =
7. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF HIT DICE =
8. SPELL ABILITY =
9. ARMOR PERMITTED =
10. SHIELD PERMITTED =
11. WEAPONS PERMITTED =
12. OIL PERMITTED =
13. POISON PERMITTED =
14. ALIGNMENT =
15. STARTING MONEY =
16. WEAPON PROFICIENCIES =
17. NON-PROFICIENCY PENALTY =
18. NON-WEAPON PROFICIENCIES =
19. STARTING AGE =
20. COMBAT =
21. SAVING THROWS =
22. MAGIC ITEMS =

zb

13.

12.

11.

10.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zypherillius
I just had another quick question for you.
If I ever had the opportunity to play in a campaign run by yourself, would you allow me to come in as a 10th level Vice President?
Or would I have to start at first level and work my way up?

Thanks 
Andy
 

You could start as a 1st level Representative and work your way up, then switch classes to Senator or VP at about 8th level... 

Cheers,
Gary