ics. You can easily introduce a psibond agent as the power behind the throne: a trusted advisor who actually controls a tribe, city, or nation through her puppet. Less sinister examples include a mysterious wanderer who always seems to get the best of any situation, a quiet tavern regular who receives every meal on the house, or an obnoxious tagalong who always seems to know what you’re up to.
Organization
Most people never realize they have met a psibond agent, nor do they know that they have been manipulated by one (even if they take actions that are out of character). Nobody likes to be controlled, so when a psibond agent is revealed she can expect violent hostility, regardless of whether she actually used her abilities on the people who uncover her. More enlightened and experienced members of society temper their fear with reason, but they are still unfriendly toward a known psibond agent. Other psionic characters (especially telepaths) treat a psibond agent with indifference, seeing her abilities as no more dangerous than their own. Only members of the criminal underground and those who wish to exploit her talents extend a friendly greeting—even if it is feigned.
Psibond Agent Lore
CHAPTER 2
NPC Reactions
Since psibond agents are independent operators, introducing them does not require adding a new organization to your campaign or even a new character archetype. In a campaign featuring psionics, telepaths already manipulate the minds of others; the psibond agent merely adds some of those abilities to a rogue. Psibond agents could form an extremist faction of mind-controlling telepaths or work to hunt other psionic characters. Players who enjoy the role of the mysterious loner or who like taking control should enjoy playing psibond agents. Telepaths, obviously, are drawn to the prestige class, as are psionic characters who seek new ways to attacking other psionics-using creatures. Such independent characters can clash with a party’s group goals, however, so be sure to provide opportunities to encourage cooperation.
Prestige classes
Psibond agents do not form organizations and chafe at the notion of joining them, confident in their own abilities and the exploitation of others’. A psibond agent whose talents are known, even to only a few, is inundated with requests to join guilds, schools, or conclaves competing to put her talents to use. She acquiesces to such offers only to gain control of an organization through direct manipulation of its leaders, even as they believe she serves them.
Psibond Agents in the Game
Adaptation If your campaign doesn’t include psionics, you can readily adapt this prestige class to arcane magic. A group of enchanters can easily take the role of psibond agents, which requires only replacing the power point requirement with the ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
Sample Encounter Encountering a psibond agent is often not obvious. The PCs might “meet” one watching them through the eyes of another person, never knowing of her presence. Alternatively, they might come across a psibond agent whose thoughts are literally elsewhere, making her unaware of her surroundings. Usually, PCs knowingly come into contact with a psibond agent only when she instigates the meeting. EL 12: Dieste Karisa has a childlike sense of right and wrong. During the day, she is dull and sleepy, barely holding onto her job in a small bookstore. At night, Dieste watches. When she sees something she doesn’t like, she makes it stop. The PCs might stumble onto her directly or indirectly while she is watching, or they might find her in the middle of psychic battle, punishing those who prey on the weak and powerless. Whether they aid her or her opponent depends on the situation and their own ideas about vigilante justice.
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (psionics) can research psibond agents to learn more about them. When a character succeeds on a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. DC 10: Psibond agents combine psychic powers with stealth and secrecy. DC 15: Psibond agents can hear what you hear and see what you see. DC 20: Psibond agents can manipulate you with suggestions and hints. The most powerful ones can actually Dieste Karisa CR 12 Female half-elf psion (telepath) 5/spellthief 1/psibond agent 6 control your body. NG Medium humanoid (elf) DC 30: Characters who achieve this level of success Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Listen +11, Spot +11 can learn important details about specific psibond agents Languages Common, Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, in your campaign, including a notable individual, the Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, area in which she operates, and the kinds of activities she Ignan, Infernal, Orc, Sylvan, Terran, Undercommon undertakes. AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 natural) As a rule, psibond agents don’t want to be found. Uncoverhp 50 (12 HD) ing one requires following up on rumors of people acting Immune sleep strangely, as well as a successful Gather Information check Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +8 (+10 against enchantments) (DC 20 + target’s psibond agent level).
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