The Faction Arbiters as NPCs

For the discussion of Nightbane™ and its supplements.

Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones

User avatar
Shadow Wyrm
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 319
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2003 5:09 am
Location: Crawling around in the dark place's of the mind.

The Faction Arbiters as NPCs

Unread post by Shadow Wyrm »

I noticed the Faction Arbiters in the Nightbane Survival Guide, 128-130. This character add-on is probably the best role playing opportunity in Palladium in years and its just supposed to be an NPC.

I really think they missed the ball on this one. These are just the type of characters Palladium games need. We should all be sick of another warrior, we as players need better options like the arbiters.

As a GM I know that I can make the arbiters a PC, it just burns my butt to see, another opportunity wasted to bring more role play to Palladium, by the company.

I really dig the add-on nature of the arbiter progression.
User avatar
Nekira Sudacne
Monk
Posts: 15488
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2003 7:22 pm
Comment: The Munchkin Fairy
Location: 2nd Degree Black Belt of Post Fu
Contact:

Re: The Faction Arbiters as NPCs

Unread post by Nekira Sudacne »

There's no real reason a PC can't eventually become an arbiter, but the thing is the job really requires a large network of contacts and influence in multiple factions to do effectively. Not really appropriate for a starting character, and developing as one takes a fairly long time.

the cloest thing to an arbiter you can think of would be a gangster's era political boss. They're not running the show, but it's their job to whip support up for whatever their faction wants to do. They need a lot of money to spend (far more than starting PC's have access to), and a lot of favors to call in. if they don't have these things, they're really of no use as an arbiter.

Yes, their offical job is to settle disputes between factions, but they need that kind of network of influence to try to make those decisions stick.
Last edited by Nekira Sudacne on Thu Jul 25, 2013 11:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Sometimes, you're like a beacon of light in the darkness, giving me some hope for humankind. ~ Killer Cyborg

You can have something done good, fast and cheap. If you want it done good and fast, it's not going to be cheap. If you want it done fast and cheap it won't be good. If you want something done good and cheap it won't be done fast. ~ Dark Brandon
User avatar
Alrik Vas
Knight
Posts: 4810
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:20 pm
Comment: Don't waste your time gloating over a wounded enemy. Pull the damn trigger.
Location: Right behind you.

Re: The Faction Arbiters as NPCs

Unread post by Alrik Vas »

Yeah, I would say it's an "advanced" OCC, though Palladium doesn't really support that kind of thing as far as i know. Like in Dark Heresy or Legend of the Five Rings, you tend to start off as a deputy of a sort to a powerful and influencial figure (inquisitor or magistrate or some sort) but at higher rank/level you are able to become one yourself and they even have a system for how you gain and use influence.

You could look at these sources for ideas and integrate it into your game. Just don't go posting it :P
Mark Hall wrote:Y'all seem to assume that Palladium books are written with the same exacting precision with which they are analyzed. I think that is... ambitious.

Talk from the Edge: Operation Dead Lift, Operation Reload, Operation Human Devil, Operation Handshake, Operation Windfall 1, Operation Windfall 2, Operation Sniper Wolf, Operation Natural 20
Locked

Return to “Nightbane®”