[Information] Trailblazers

[Prometheus]

Trailblazers

Neutral Good Organization
Membership: 100,000+
Population: 19% Half-Elves, 15% Gnomes, 13% Half-Orcs, 12% Humans, 11% Halflings, 10% Elves, 8% Dwarves, 12% Other
Leadership: The Gold Aerie
Slogan: Strength, Exploration, Understanding

(DM Note: The stuff below is as much note-taking for me as it is information for you, so things may be a bit disorganized. All info here is available to anyone who could make a DC 10 Gather Information check, or just asks a Trailblazer.)
General Information
The Trailblazers are an adventurer's guild, and several other related enterprises all rolled into one. The guild has several purposes, but perhaps the most important is providing training, guidance, protection, and a moral code for would-be adventurers.

Trailblazers and the World
In an admittedly-underhanded attempt to keep too many unprepared individuals from grabbing swords and throwing themselves bodily at the nearest monster, the most skillful Craftspeople in the guild's area of influence are often contracted to make high-quality weapons and armor at rather exorbitant prices in exchange for higher-quality equipment and access to better materials, such as notoriously expensive steel, and strong, durable oak. These items will most often be made by local craftspeople, but in areas where talent is limited or unavailable, the items may simply be imported from cities, and resold (with a noticeable mark-up, of course). Common lesser items are almost always available, but they are just that, lesser. (30% cost, -1 to attack and damage and AC bonus, +1 to check penalties, 75% range, rounded down, minimum 10 ft.. These items usually will not be sold to known Trailblazers at all, considering that their creators are often making the items in spite of the guild.)

These practices have irked people to the guild in rural areas with few craftspeople, and without the economy to support the raised prices. Similar things have been done with other common adventuring equipment, though the demand for these items is usually low enough that the crafters are often free to engage in more mundane creation of items needed locally. It's not terribly uncommon to see normal and "Trailblazer" versions of an item sitting side-by-side in a store, with the Trailblazer version several times more expensive than the normal version (though this does come with the expected variation of quality control).

After almost a millennium of the these practices, the economy has come to revolve around the Trailblazers as much as the guild does around it, and in all but the farthest reaches of the continent, Trailblazers (and adventurers in general) have received a stereotype as being spendthrifts who can afford anything. This attracts the attention of everyone from business owners and beggars to thieves and raiders, and it is not unheard of for 'blazers traveling alone or in very small expeditions to do so in disguise. (As a result, Glammering is an offered service of most every armormaker capable of magically enchanting their equipment.)

The steadiest source of income for the guild as a whole comes from the creation and sale of equipment and magic items. Standard commission of any items made by Trailblazer-supported craftsmen is 20%, plus cost of materials, (which usually totals at 70% of sale price, though, 30% of 15 gp is nothing to sneeze at for a craftsman, and that's just from one sale) and creating Molyn's Fabled Mark ink is a stable and secure investment for any Trailblazer capable of the magic necessary.

Trailblazer Expeditions
However, this supply must come with a demand, and that is where the Expeditions come in. Expeditions are groups of Trailblazers not unlike standard adventuring parties, though there are a few key differences. A 'blazer will remain a member of the same Expedition for his entire career, barring extenuating circumstances, meaning that most Expeditions have bonds as strong as family, and marrying into your Expedition is not only tolerated, but celebrated and encouraged. Children of such unions are considered to be under the care of the entire Expedition, and rare is the occasion that it is not given.

An Expedition is as much like a mercenary group as it is an adventuring party. At any time, an Expedition may be hired for a job, whether delegated one from the main network, or taken by a group directly (called 'wander missions'). Delegated missions are mandatory, but they are much more likely to be at the Expedition's 'level', and payment is given in advance, while wander missions offer more flexibility, but payment might not be given until the job is completed. (Or at all, if the employer does not fear the retribution of shorting a well-armed party of adventurers with a guild at their back.) Standard guild commission for delegated missions is 50%, and 30% for wander missions. This amount may increase if the Expedition owes the guild money for a service (such as a Raise Dead, see Trailblazer Privileges below).

Recruitment
Every Trailblazer, upon completing their final test, is given a special tattoo. It functions as an identifying mark for the guild, though forgery is not unheard of. Trailblazers may have their tattoo replaced with a Molyn's Fabled Mark at cost for Coppers or lower, at half-cost for Bronzes, or for free for Silvers.

[Prometheus]

New Magic Items, Spells, etc.
Molyn's Fabled Mark
Wondrous Item
Aura faint divination, evocation and necromancy CL 9th
Slot Tattoo Price 9,200 gp Weight -
---
Composed of special inks and pigments, this tattoo is applied directly to the skin of a living, intelligent creature. None of these effects function in an Antimagic Field unless stated otherwise, but immediately resume function once removed from the field. If there is no tuned Molyn's Fabled Beacon on the same plane, the effects that require one do not function until the mark wearer returns to a plane with a functioning Beacon.

The tattoo acts as a target and gateway for multiple spells, and anyone touching a Molyn's Fabled Beacon or with a Molyn's Fabled Mark may target anyone with a tuned Mark as if they knew them personally, so long as they can clearly identify the individual. (A full name would be sufficient, 'that elf I saw yesterday' would not, though 'that blue-haired elf who punched me in the face' might, depending on how many blue-haired elves the individual knows, and how many of them punch him in the face regularly.) However, this does not allow them to extend the spell's range or targets beyond what is normally possible. In addition, any Scrying focused through a Beacon on a tuned Mark-bearer does not grant a Will Save or Spell Resistance, though spells like Screen, Mind Blank and Detect Scrying still function.

Individuals with Marks can see the physical state of those with tuned Marks within 30 ft. as though using the Deathwatch spell. When an individual with a Mark is killed, the tattoo removes itself in a flash of light, and sends a 'death message' (see Molyn's Fabled Beacon to the nearest tuned Beacon. This effect functions even if the wearer's body was completely destroyed (regardless if it was destroyed by Disintegrate, a Sphere of Annihilation, or more mundane means). If the wearer was in an Antimagic Field or similar effect at the time of death, the tattoo will remove itself, but no death message will be sent, even if the wearer's remains are removed from the Field.

Once per week, a marked individual may speak a command word, which will send a Sending spell to the nearest tuned Beacon, which will then be targeted to the nearest creature who could be targeted by Sending normally.

Molyn's Fabled Mark can survive most damage an ordinary individual or adventurer could sustain and survive (cuts, bruises, light burns) and persists through Polymorphs or similar effects, but particularly heavy damage (severing the limb the mark has been made on, for example) may cause the tattoo to trigger the 'death message' effect. Removing a Mark requires a Dispel Magic (DC 20), though the target may make a Will Save with the higher of the two providing the DC, if they wish.

Construction Upon successful application of the tattoo, the creator chooses a Molyn's Fabled Beacon or Molyn's Fabled Mark to connect the tattoo to. He must be able to clearly picture the beacon, or tattoo owner, though it is not necessary for a beacon to still be where it was, the memory is enough for the connection to be made. If the Beacon is connected to any other Beacons or Marks, then the new Mark islinked into the network, and all effects function for items in the network as if they were tuned directly together.

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Sending, Deathwatch, CL 9; Cost 4,600 gp

Molyn's Fabled Beacon
Wondrous Item
(I'll type this up later, I seriously just spent two hours writing up ONE magic item. Basically, it's a Scrying focus, can cast Sending at will, and sets off an Alarm and automatically Scrys on the location that it receives a death message from.)

New Magic Item Slot: Tattoo Creation of this item makes a small vial of black ink. This ink retains its magical properties for an unlimited amount of time, but has no use aside from providing enough ink for a single tattoo of its type. The tattoo may be applied anywhere on the body, and takes up the magic item slot of the area it's placed on. (See table below) The ink does not function on anything but the skin (or scales, etc) of a viable living creature, and no matter the size or design, the ink immediately runs dry upon completion of the tattoo. Unless stated otherwise, the tattoo may be in any design or (single) color, though complex designs may require a relevant Craft check. A failed check does not ruin the ink, but the failed tattoo removes itself, and the ink may not be used for another attempt for 24 hours. The ink can also be poured directly upon an existing tattoo, in which case, no Craft check is necessary. The tattoo is permanent, and will recover even from the skin on the area being stripped off completely. Unless stated otherwise, it cannot be removed except by a successful Dispel Magic check, or completely severing the inscribed area (which, depending on the location, may cause greater worries than the removal of a magic item).

A tattoo's permanent, static nature reduces the creation cost by 15%.

Slot	Area
Armor	Never
Belt	Waist, hips, thighs, and rear
Body	Never
Chest	Chest and back
Eyes	Eyes and eyelids
Feet	Feet, ankles, and shins
Hands	Palms and backs of the hands
Head	Face and jaw
Headband	Forehead, temples, etc.
Neck	Neck
Ring	Fingers
Shield	Never
Shoulders	Shoulders and upper arms
Wrist	Wrists and lower arms

Excelsior's Godspeed
School Transmutation Level sorcerer/wizard 9
Casting Time 1 round
Range Touch
Target Creature touched
This spell functions like Haste, except an affected creatures gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls, a +2 Dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, gains concealment (20% miss chance) as per the blur spell, all movement speeds increase by 60 ft, and may make two extra attacks with any weapons he is holding. Both are made using the creature's full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as haste, or that provided by a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant extra actions, so you can't use it to cast more spells or otherwise take extra actions in the round.)