Careers of Thorn's Blackmoor: The Diplomat

Continuing the series on possible careers in Thorn's World That Was in the Late Imperium, here are some ideas for those playing Diplomat heroes.

The skill point costs may look fairly frugal, but remember that Diplomats must also spend for skills in their secondary profession.

Diplomat Careers

The Diplomat is the face-to-face career, what to be if you want your hero to do the talking, negotiate the deals. With high Personality and Will scores, they’ll want to focus on buying up the broad skills in those categories, while their secondary profession may dictate which other skills to purchase.

Diplomats of the World That Was can be found across all levels of Blackmoor society: politicians, Imperial armed forces officers, businessmen, civil servants, University professors, celebrities. 

Civil Servant

From Prime Minister to the window clerk at the Office of Records and Archives, those who keep the government running in one way or another fall into the Civil Servant career. 

It goes without saying that the Administration broad skills will be of use to the civil servant, as would several specific areas within the Knowledge broad skill. Those in politics will most likely have ranks in the charm specialty skill, as well as one or more specialties from Culture.

Public defenders, barristers and such might also fall under this career descriptor, and they would want to bend their skills towards Law, the interview speciality, and perhaps Street Smart or Deception - bluff.

Signature equipment: formal clothing, personal readingglass slate or difference engine.

Skill Package: Knowledge - computer operation -(specific area #1), - (specific area #2); Administration; Culture - diplomacy. Cost: 15 points

Merchant/Trader

Whether he is a guild-backed tradesman or independent businessman, wherever there is trade of goods and services, you will find the merchant or trader. Guild-backed or small frontier company, the merchant would do well to have Administration under their belt to navigate the Empire’s maze of red tape, as well as ranks in either bluff or charm specialties. The other career that would fall under this umbrella is the less-than-honest businessman, who would probably do well with ranks in bribe, gamble, or intimidate.

Signature equipment: formal clothing, personal readingglass slate or difference engine, small trading vessel, large debt to the title-holder of said vessel or the Guild backing the merchant’s business.

Skill Package: Vehicle Operation; Business; Knowledge - computer operation, -language(specific #1) -(specific #2); Culture. Cost: 13 points.

Entertainer

With the rise of crystalview and broad-vibrational speaking stones, the Empire’s bards and thespians are no longer limited to just the visitors to the tavern or theater. 

Besides (obviously)one or two specialty skills under Entertainment, there are other routes the Entertainer can take to fame and fortune: those involved in sport might take Movement - race or -swim and the endurance specialty of Stamina to ensure they finish the challenge. Matches of skill at fisticuffs or many of the “classical” weapons are very popular (with jousting, of all things, seeming to make a comeback in recent years), so the Entertainer may do well to take any of the many Strength skills. Many actors have a very basic knowledge of “classical age” weapons (as the recent holovid treatment of the Voyage to the City of the Gods showed), so Melee Weapons or Primitive Ranged Weapons skills have not fallen out of favor at all in the modern Empire. Racing of all sorts is also big business in the Empire, so whether its Peshwah whites, hovercycles, or yachts, the Entertainer can also make use of Animal Handling - riding or any of the Vehicle Operation skills.

Signature equipment: performance costume, musical instrument (or some prop for the act, whatever it may be)

Skill Package: Awareness - intuition2; Deception - bluff; Entertainment - (specialty)3; Interaction - charm. Cost: 22 points.