1879: Professions High Tiers: The Fiddler

Fiddler

At Warden, the Fiddler puts more thought into their plans, always having an Escape Plan, able to steal a key at just the right moment to have it later when needed. They learn to guard themselves, mind and body. They become more devious, brushing away the snide remarks of their foes, learning to take down their opponents with a single well chosen bon mot of their own, even at a distance. The Fiddler at Warden becomes a social foe that could readily stand up to an Aristocrat.

And just in the nick of time, too, for at Master the Fiddler no longer moves among the working class, the clarks and bookkeepers and Engine attendants. Their schemes become indistinguishable from business. With the ability to lay off suspicion and even turn it into advantage, the Fiddler moves into the criminal aristocracy, becoming in effect a robber baron, a shark moving through the waters of commerce. Try to face them down and their words alone will deflect your attack, shred you to ribbons, and let the world know that they are the victim here of unjust persecution, brought on by jealousy of their own success.

Sounding too familiar to be comfortable? You did know that this was a sociopath when you built the character, right? Enjoy.

Skills and Abilities

  • Warden
    • Core Skills
      • Diplomacy, Escape Plan, Now You Don’t, Resist Taunt, Undermine
    • Optional Skills
      • Defense, Empathic Sense, Lion Heart, Safe Thought, Seduction
    • Abilities
      • The character gains +1 to their Social Defense.
      • The character gains +1 to their Physical Defense.
      • The character gains +1 to their Recovery Step.
      • Haven’t You Wondered?: The Fiddler may Undermine someone who is not present. The character spends 5 Strain to target the individual. On one success, the audience’s Attitude shifts as if the target were present. On two or more successes, the effect (both to Attitude and to the target’s Social Defense) lasts for the Fiddler’s Undermine Rank in hours, giving time for (among other things) word to get back to the target and impact their Social Defense.
  • Master
    • Core Skills
      • Bardic Voice, Cutting Words, Second Chance, Truth Through Lies, Witty Repartee
    • Optional Skills
      • Disarming Smile, Life Check, Lion Spirit, Perfect Focus, Soul Aegis
    • Abilities
      • The character gains +2 to their Social Defense.
      • The character’s Max Karma increases by 15.
      • Spinning Suspicion Into Gold: The Fiddler may deflect suspicion and regain trust by making a Witty Repartee Test against an Unfriendly (or worse) target’s Social Defense. The Fiddler spends their Wound Threshold in Strain, and gains +1 Step per Strain point to the Test. On one success, the Fiddler convinces the target that their doubts were groundless, and their Attitude moves up one step towards Neutral. For each two extra successes, the target’s Attitude increases by one, and can rise above Neutral.