TEXT: The Corporation Lay Members Document Version 6.0 
  An organization that does not exist 
   
  A Gran March Meta-campaign Organization written by J. Mark Brooks, Will Dover, Sean Flaherty and the 
  Gran March Triad 
   
  Organization Alignment(s)   
   
  Members: Any but Lawful Good 
  PC Organization: 
  Yes 
   
   
  There is no such thing as organized crime in Gran March, only criminal gangsters who seek to 
  mislead and deceive the public about the extent of their power. 
  - Special Constable Ferrule Garde in a speech before the Electors, CY 590.  
   
   
  This document is information known by PC members regarding an infamously secretive organization — 
  The Corporation. The purpose of this document is to provide players with an overview of what PC Lay 
  Members know about The Corporation. In an important change from previous versions of this 
  metaorganization, Lay Members are NOT aware that the gang of which they are a member is part of 
  the infamous group know as The Corporation.  From a meta-campaign perspective, it outlines the 
  requirements and benefits of membership, and provides interested players with further, generally secret 
  information regarding the group’s structure and activities. A great deal of the information about The 
  Corporation is secret and can become known only to members and even then only as those members 
  advance within The Corporation itself. This is a necessary precaution taken by the shadowy leadership of 
  The Corporation for survival in a lawful state such as Gran March.  
   
  Organization 
   
  The Corporation, once known by the name of The Body Corporate for the Defense of the Rights of the 
  Commons, is the chief organized crime group in Gran March. No other criminal organization approaches 
  it in power or extent. Everyone has heard rumors of it and though it is chiefly used to frighten misbehaving 
  children, those who walk in the urban shadows of Gran March justly fear it as an institution that has is as 
  ruthless as it is daring. Despite this there are some in Gran March who also see The Corporation as a 
  refuge from the lawful, militaristic character of Gran March’s government and institutions.  
   
  The experiences of a Lay Member indicate that the organization to which they belong (which they will not 
  know as The Corporation) is a hierarchical organization with various levels of membership. There are only 
  three ranks in the Corporate structure known to the Laity: 
   
  • 
  Lay Brother/Sister – A Lay Brother or Lay Sister is an associate of The Corporation, but not fully 
  inducted into membership. Rumor has it that one works for The Corporation before working in it. 
  Potential members must go through an “apprenticeship” under a sponsoring member. “The Laity” 
  is a cant term employed by members of The Corporation to refer to all people in “the life” who are 
  not members. To be a Lay Member is to be acknowledged by The Corporation as a potential 
  member, and this status gives certain privileges as well as generating certain obligations. Most 
  NPC Lay Members never succeed in becoming full members.  
   
  • 
  Brother/Sister – A Brother or Sister is a full member of The Corporation. They are the soldiers of 
  the organization and are typically shadowy figures with either no public identity or a well-
  established deep cover. After a period of time, the member overseeing a promising Lay 
  Brother/Sister may sponsor their membership. The induction rites are shadowy, but typically 
  involve committing some crime proving their loyalty and then swearing oaths of loyalty and 
  
  Gran March Corporation Lay Members Document 6.0 
  2 
  secrecy. 
   
  • 
  Elder Brother/Sister – The objects of rumor and suspicion by the informed public, these members 
  worked their way into leading gangs of the Corporation. No one has knowingly captured an Elder 
  Brother or Elder Sister and people who come close tend to end up as alligator bait in the 
  Rushmoors. 
   
  There are rumors of secret members overseeing and coordinating the efforts of gangs and in fact 
  managing The Corporation. If any of those higher ranks actually exist, only full members of a higher rank 
  hold that knowledge. There are also rumors that rogues are not the only members of The Corporation, but 
  that in fact members come from all walks of Gran March life, including spellcasters of all sorts. 
   
  What is known about the Corporate structure by the Laity is sparse. The smallest operational unit appears 
  to be the gang. The gang typically has a number of Lay Brothers and Sisters overseen by a cadre of 
  Brothers and Sisters, led by an Elder Brother or Sister. A gang will typically specialize in one particular 
  area of operations, such as burglary or robbery.  Gangs operate anywhere, from the dank Rushmoors to 
  the steep mountain passes of the Lortmils to the dark streets of Gran March cities. How the gangs work 
  together is unknown by those who are lay members. 
   
  Philosophy and Credo 
   
  The goal of The Corporation is simple to understand: the acquisition of wealth by any means available. 
  Such means are typically illegal. Thus, loyalty and secrecy are highly valued to the point that death 
  comes to traitors swiftly and leaves slowly. It is this secrecy that makes some Gran March officials 
  doubtful of the organization’s very existence. These officials believe that The Corporation is nothing more 
  than a fictional boogey-man promulgated by individual criminals or small gangs to discourage active 
  investigation and punishment of criminal activity. This theory is given additional credence since one of its 
  adherents is Ferrule Garde, who as Special Constable is in a position to know more about criminal activity 
  in Gran March than perhaps any other individual. 
   
  One of the more persistent rumors about The Corporation concerns their choice of targets. Military targets 
  are almost never hit by Corporate operations as such operations would surely lead to public exposure. 
  Similarly, truly violent crimes are typically not part of their standard operations due to the publicity such 
  crimes attract. Secrecy is the one certain characteristic of The Corporation. 
   
  While many criminal organizations appear to be misogynistic and racist in behavior, The Corporation 
  appears not to engage in such practices. Any operative who contributes profitably to the Corporate 
  coffers is welcome. 
   
  Day-to-Day Activities 
   
  Lay Members know in truth that The Corporation’s gangs have their hands in variety non-violent crimes in 
  Gran March. Smuggling, pick pocketing, burglary, and confidence games provide the funds for other sorts 
  of operations. Even gambling and prostitution (though not expressly illegal in Gran March) are likely 
  operations for Corporate gangs due to the general public disapproval of such activities. In many cases, 
  these low-level activities can provide fodder for riskier ventures such as robbery, embezzlement, and 
  blackmail. 
   
  Important Dates, Holidays & Ceremonies 
   
  The initiation of a Lay Member into The Corporation consists of a simple ritual know as the “Blood for the 
  Brethren.”  Once a prospective Lay Member comes to the attention of The Corporation a sponsor is 
  assigned to them.  This sponsor must be at least a full Brother/Sister in The Corporation.  The sponsor 
  has the prospective member perform small tasks to prove their usefulness and loyalty.  Once this is 
  accomplished to the sponsor’s satisfaction and that of their supervising Elder Brother/Sister, the 
  prospective member is taken to an out of the way (dank alley, local bolthole) location for the ceremony.  
  
  Gran March Corporation Lay Members Document 6.0 
  3 
  Blood for the Brethren is a simple ritual that consists of the sponsor cutting the palm of both their left 
  hands and then clasping them together as the “vows” listed below in the Costs and Obligations are 
  explained and administered.    
   
  IMPORTANT NOTE:  The gang to which Lay Members belong and the broader organization their leaders 
  may hint at are NEVER referred to as The Corporation in front of Lay Members.  This precaution protects 
  the secrecy of the organization even if its lower ranks are infiltrated. 
   
  Headquarters / Major Power Centers 
   
  The operations of The Corporation can be anywhere, or so the common Marcher believes. The dark and 
  lonely road is just as likely to be a den for a Corporation gang as the dank and abandoned alley. The local 
  gossips talk about “Chapter Houses” and “Mendicant Orders” as names for such locations, but there is 
  nothing concrete to indicate whether these names refer to the same thing or if they even truly exist at all. 
  There appears to be no public headquarters controlling everything, however. Such a center of operations 
  appears to be only the subject of drunken hearsay and local superstition. 
   
  History 
   
  The information in this section is not widely known even among members of The Corporation, but 
  is part of Gran March history and available to the educated and well informed or members who are 
  curious enough. 
   
  The Corporation originated as The Body Corporate for the Defense of the Rights of the Commons. The 
  Body Corporate began with an agreement called the Grayfriars Accord in 422 CY (so-called because it 
  was made at an estate outside Buxton’s Crossing called Grayfriars). The Accord bound together nobles 
  opposed to the Commandant, common resistance movements, Flan from Farvale and the Rushmoors, 
  demihumans tired of the prejudice of the Suloise-Oeridian dominated government, and various criminal 
  gangs. The group disintegrated in the years following Berlikyn’s death in 438. It briefly revived during the 
  demihuman troubles of the early 500’s, but once again was all but extinct by the 520’s, except in name 
  only among smugglers in the Rushmoors and a few criminal groups in Hookhill and Shiboleth. 
   
  The nadir of organized crime in the early 580’s seemed to coincide with the rise of the private constables, 
  individuals who recovered stolen goods and apprehended criminals as a profession, usually without any 
  official brief to do so. Some of the private constables have even been accused of organizing their own 
  criminal gangs in order to ransom stolen goods back to their owners. The most prominent Special 
  Constable in the early 580’s was Ferrule Garde, whom Commandant Vrianian appointed to Chief 
  Investigator in CY 584. In his new contract, the Commandant gave Garde broad authority to track down 
  criminal gangs throughout Gran March. This Garde did with great enthusiasm, and in a matter of months, 
  the Special Constables either eliminated most of the criminal gangs of Gran March or forced them to go 
  dormant. His steadfast enmity towards criminals of all kinds and his amazing ability to recover stolen 
  goods for their owners has earned him many friends and has made him a hero to many law-abiding 
  citizens of Gran March. 
   
  Yet, in the late 580’s came the disquieting rumor that The Corporation, the real Corporation, had revived 
  and become stronger than ever before. Certain merchants and electors found notes pinned to their 
  pillows with jet-black daggers and moved to Keoland or even further places. Ordinary street crimes, which 
  had risen with the dislocations of war, seemed to decline, but bold thefts by stealth and trickery seemed 
  to increase. A rash of crimes committed by the swollen refugee population slowed to a trickle, and among 
  the refugee population, there arose a rumor of black-clad men in the night, with offers of employment in 
  various nefarious enterprises in one hand, and a dagger in the other for those who did not toe the line. 
  Smuggling increased in the Rushmoors, bypassing often-stringent border taxes imposed by local lords. 
  The ever-present camp followers who trailed after the Army suddenly had much better organization, and 
  were less likely to deal in rotgut liquor, engage in fixed gaming, or promote disease. Various new 
  entertainment establishments offering shady if not necessarily illegal services sprang up, while older ones 
  offering similar entertainments suddenly disappeared. There were rumors of banditry abroad and of an 
  
  Gran March Corporation Lay Members Document 6.0 
  4 
  underground organization to guide serfs from surrounding war torn lands to Gran March and freedom for 
  the price of an assassination, blackmail, or worse. Even some guilds and militia companies came under 
  suspicion as pawns or fronts for The Corporation. 
   
  Magistrates who inquired too closely into alleged Corporation activities often found that it was difficult for 
  them to maintain their positions. Today, many magistrates and consulting detectives simply refuse to 
  believe the organization exists. Even Ferrule Garde stated as recently as CY 590 that “There is no such 
  thing as organized crime in Gran March, only criminal gangsters who seek to mislead and deceive the 
  public about the extent of their power.” Garde’s assertion represents the official position of the 
  government of Gran March today—that there is no organized crime except on the most local level, in the 
  form of small criminal gangs. 
   
  Allies 
   
  Even to Lay Members, it is clear that The Corporation has allies everywhere in Gran March. Information 
  seems to flow from every institution that could provide information or profit to the organization. 
  Additionally, within The Corporation there are rumors of contact with similar groups throughout the 
  Sheldomar Valley, although many of these have not resulted in allies. Finally, certain fringe cults who 
  worship crime and deception, such as Olidammara, are rumored associates and partners in Corporate 
  operations. 
   
  Rivals 
   
  There are no known long-standing rivals to The Corporation in Gran March. Independent criminal activity 
  is ignored if petty enough, coerced into Corporate management if profitable, or made to disappear 
  permanently.  In recent years, Lay Members have been made aware of conflict between The 
  Corporation’s splinter element (which was destroyed in a process known as the Second Divestiture in CY 
  595), a cult of Hextor known as the Red Arrows that was in league with the splinter element, and the 
  Midnight Ravens of Geoff. 
   
  Foes 
   
  The Special Constables and the Magistrates are the greatest threat to Corporate activities. Typically, this 
  trouble comes from a true servant of the people who pursues justice with vigor but in some cases, it 
  comes from a corrupt official who uses the power of their office for their own profit, limiting the availability 
  of such crime for others. In any case, the political power and insight of most of these detectives 
  jeopardizes the anonymity of the Corporation’s activities. 
   
  The major churches also oppose the activities of the Corporation, even though they do not officially 
  recognize its existence. Each provides opposition based on its tenets of faith, with the followers of St. 
  Cuthbert being the most active in destroying Corporate operations. Many constables are also followers of 
  St. Cuthbert, making them particularly dangerous adversaries. 
   
  The Gran March military is also a potential foe for the Corporation. Military warehouses and caravans do 
  tend to carry valuables. As crimes against military targets tend to have high visibility and generate 
  negative public sentiment, however, there seems to be little Corporate activity in this area. 
   
  Heraldry / Symbol 
   
  Obviously, a secret society has no known symbols. Tales exists, however, of secret symbols and glyphs 
  used for Corporate communications. Such symbols could be used to mark Corporate territory, to indicate 
  Corporate safe houses, and to designate information drops.  
   
  From this point forward, the information contained in this document is out-of-character 
  information provided to the players for use in planning career paths for their characters. 
   
  
  Gran March Corporation Lay Members Document 6.0 
  5 
  Lay Members 
  A Lay Brother or Lay Sister is an associate of The Corporation, but not fully inducted into membership. 
  Rumor has it that one works for The Corporation before working in it. Potential members must go through 
  an “apprenticeship” under a sponsoring member. “The Laity” is a cant term employed by members of The 
  Corporation to refer to all people in “the life” who are not members. To be a Lay Member is to be 
  acknowledged by The Corporation as a potential member, and this status gives certain privileges as well 
  as generating certain obligations. Most NPC Lay Members never succeed in becoming full members. 
   
  Membership in The Corporation is a dangerous and ever narrowing road. While many are rumored Lay 
  Brothers and Sisters, members of the other ranks are fewer both from external threats and internal 
  culling. 
   
  Costs and Obligations 
   
  Lay Membership in The Corporation costs 4 TUs and 100 gp annually to be paid on the first AR of each 
  year.  Due to The Corporation’s desire to infiltrate the government as fully as possible time units 
  designated (but not spent) for other Gran March metaorganizations (e.g., military TUs) may be used to 
  pay these costs.  Lay Members also have the following obligations due to their affiliation with The 
  Corporation: 
   
  The Vow of Discipline – Lay Members work under a demerit system to maintain discipline for offenses 
  against The Corporation. Breaking the vows of The Corporation results in the accrual of demerits. A 
  character must remove any accrued demerits before advancing in rank. To remove demerits, one can use 
  one of the following methods: 
   
  • 
  Spending Corporate Influence Points to remove demerits for a cost of one Influence Point for every 
  demerit removed. 
   
  • 
  Working off the demerits by spending two TUs per demerit. Demerits resulting from non-payment of 
  the Tenth are worked off at 1 TU per 20 gp in arrears. Military TUs cannot be used for working off 
  Corporate demerits. 
   
  • 
  Paying off the demerits by paying a fine. The fine is 50 gp per demerit for Lay Members, 250 gp per 
  demerit for members, and 1000 gp per demerit for Elder members. 
   
  A character with less than four demerits retains their current rank, but can expect to be treated with 
  suspicion from higher-ranking members. Lay Members with four demerits are expelled and banned from 
  the The Corporation. PC members and Lay Members are expected to shun and ignore the offender 
  whenever possible. All Corporate influence points possessed by the offender are also voided. 
   
   
  The Vow of Silence – Lay Members and Members of The Corporation must never reveal their status in 
  the organization. Lay Members must never reveal the name of the Brother/Sister who is their supervisor 
  and mentor. Members must never reveal any other members. The character must never give the details 
  of any acts committed on behalf of The Corporation nor disclose any of the benefits The Corporation has 
  granted. The character must deny the very existence of their gang (when these oaths are retaken upon 
  becoming a Full Member, The Corporation replaces the gang in this vow). Finally, due to increased 
  security, the character must avoid using CorporateSpeak (see below) in public. Anyone who breaches 
  this duty of silence at the Lay Brother/Lay Sister level earns two demerits with The Corporation. For a full 
  member, the character earns four demerits. Elder members earn eight demerits for such a breach. If the 
  member was under magical compulsion at the time of the disclosure, only 1 demerit is earned (regardless 
  of rank). 
   
  The Vow of Obedience – A Lay Member will rarely be given the responsibility of carrying out a duty for 
  The Corporation, but when the order is given it must be obeyed. All members are subject to these orders 
  as a given. For a Lay Member, any such order will come through that Lay Member’s supervising Brother 
  
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  6 
  or Sister; other members receive orders through the chain of command. Refusal to obey results in the 
  character receiving four demerits and the subsequent expulsion of the character from The Corporation. A 
  simple failure due to inability to carry out the order is two demerits, but does not cause expulsion. 
   
  The Vow of Brotherhood – A Lay Member of The Corporation must never betray another Lay Member or 
  any member of The Corporation to the authorities under any circumstances. Members may not betray any 
  other member, but may allow a Lay Member to be apprehended if the Lay Member has broken any of the 
  Corporate laws. Any dispute between Lay Members of The Corporation must be handled within The 
  Corporation through the Lay Brother’s/Lay Sister’s supervising Brother/Sister or through the member’s 
  direct superior. A Lay Member who betrays a Lay Brother/Lay Sister earns two demerits for doing so, and 
  depending on the circumstances may risk reprisals from that Lay Brother’s/Lay Sister’s supervising 
  Brother/Sister. A member who betrays a fellow member of the same rank receives four demerits and 
  subsequent demotion. Any member or Lay Member who betrays any higher-ranking member of The 
  Corporation is expelled from The Corporation permanently and earns eight demerits automatically. 
   
  The Vow of Loyalty – A Lay Brother/Lay Sister must never steal from, con or defraud another Lay 
  Member, or any higher ranking person in The Corporation. This “honor among thieves” is breached most 
  often by NPCs, but if a PC breaches this obligation and is detected the consequences can be serious, 
  since it is a one demerit offense, and the character will be required to refund twice the value of the item or 
  money obtained from the victim. For members and Elder members, this is a two demerit offense and the 
  refund is four times the value of the property stolen. 
   
  The Vow of Poverty (The Abbot’s Tenth) – The most significant obligation of an associate or a member is 
  probably The Abbot’s Tenth, also called “The Black Tithe”. The origin of any of these names for it is 
  unknown, but it represents the obligation to give tribute to The Corporation in order to enjoy any of the 
  benefits of The Corporation. For Lay Brothers/Lay Sisters, there are no demerits from failing to pay the 
  Tenth, but The Corporation runs on money and cannot spare time or resources for those who don’t pay 
  their dues. The Abbot’s Tenth for Lay Members is 100 gp paid in ten platinum pieces each year.  
  Payment of the Tenth should be noted on a character’s first AR of the year (or first AR upon becoming a 
  member) in the “Items Bought” section.  A character may pay off arrears through giving time to The 
  Corporation—essentially, the PC “works off” the debt at the rate of 1 TU for every 20 gp in arrears. This 
  may be done at the end of any module or interactive, and should be properly noted on the PC’s AR. Once 
  the TUs have been “paid,” the character can start with a clean slate. Members and Elder members are 
  required to pay the Tenth; failure to do so results in a one-demerit penalty in addition to the loss of the 
  License to Steal benefit. Members are still able to work off the debt at the rate of 1 TU for every 20 gp in 
  arrears and by doing so remove the demerit. 
   
  The Vow of Patriotism – Lay Members of The Corporation are expected to carry out their responsibilities 
  as Gran March citizens. They are expected to obey their commanders when that does not conflict with 
  their duty to The Corporation. Military Service is encouraged, and most members of The Corporation are 
  veterans. Except when on a “job” or otherwise pursuing their illicit careers, all members and Lay Members 
  are expected to obey the laws and maintain a low profile. Failure to do so is a one-demerit penalty for all 
  members and Lay Members. 
   
  Group Requirements  
   
  To become a Lay Member of The Corporation, a character must meet the following requirements: 
   
  1. Be of any alignment other than Lawful Good. 
  2. May not be a squire to or member of the Knights of the Watch or the Knights of Dispatch and may 
  not be a Special Constable. 
  3. Possess two ranks of Bluff. 
  4. Possess two ranks in any one of the following skills: 
  • 
  Diplomacy 
  • 
  Intimidate 
  • 
  Sense Motive 
  
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  7 
  5. Possess two ranks in any one of the following skills: 
  • 
  Craft (trapmaking) 
  • 
  Disable Device 
  • 
  Disguise 
  • 
  Forgery 
  • 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) 
  • 
  Open Lock 
  • 
  Sleight of Hand 
   
  Spellcasters who have access to 1st-level spells can substitute this ability for either requirement 4 or 
  requirement 5. PCs with the Track feat and the favored enemy special ability can substitute those for 
  either requirement 4 or requirement 5. Non-spellcasters can substitute the rank of Corporal in the Army 
  for requirement 4 or requirement 5. Those PCs who meet two of the three exemptions (for example, being 
  a Ranger and a Corporal in the military or being a Ranger / Cleric) can waive both requirements. 
  Requirements 1, 2 and 3 are mandatory. 
   
  A player may become a Lay Member in any adventure set in Gran March, or by contacting the Gran 
  March Triad. The player should obtain a copy of the Corporation Lay Member MR, have it signed by the 
  DM or Triad member, and attach the MR to the character’s next AR, since further advancement will be 
  dependent in part on meeting time requirements.  At this time, the character should be assigned a 
  sponsor Corporation member, who must be at least a full member, but no more than an Elder Member.  If 
  there is not an appropriate PC member available, please contact The Corporation POC for an NPC 
  assignment. 
   
  Group Benefits 
   
  Characters who are Lay Members in good standing have the following benefits: 
   
  The Larder – Lay Members may obtain access to the following items through their superiors in The 
  Corporation: 
   
  bodysuit, black (A&EG) 
  boots, smuggler’s (AEG) 
  bolt cutters (A&EG) 
  forger’s kit (A&EG) 
  listening cone (A&EG) 
  silent shoes (A&EG) 
  spider poles (A&EG) 
  sheath, boot (A&EG) 
  sheath, wrist (A&EG) 
  vest, knife (A&EG) 
   
  In addition, Lay Members also qualify for a 10% discount on (but not access to) all mundane items 
  purchased from the PHB and the Complete series books. 
   
  License to Steal – Lay Members have The Corporation’s permission to use their sleight of hand skill per 
  the Benefits from Nonadventuring Activity section of the LGCS (page 51 in version 4.2).  However, in 
  order to preserve the safety and secrecy of The Corporation, Lay Members are only permitted to attempt 
  “The Safe Score.”  If the PC gets caught, The Corporation will then “get him off” through intimidation or 
  bribery so that the character suffers no further adverse consequences, but the PC’s limited license to 
  steal is suspended for 26 TUs. Getting caught stealing twice in any 52 TU period earns the PC a demerit 
  with The Corporation (see above).  
   
  To Every Wolf A Den – Lay Members are working members of a functioning gang that makes money for 
  The Corporation and thereby its members.  At the beginning of each adventure, Lay Members are entitled 
  
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  8 
  to make a Profession (criminal) check DC15.  Success indicates that the PCs gang has earned enough 
  through its activities to afford the character free Standard Lifestyle. 
   
  Talking the Talk – The PC has the ability to learn a new language, CorporateSpeak. This language is a 
  slang heavy version of common that is essentially a code that makes alternate use of words, subtle 
  gestures, and colorful metaphors and serves as a thieves’ cant for The Corporation.  It can be both 
  spoken and written. The spoken form has both verbal and somatic components where the slightest 
  gesture can change the meaning of the message. The written component, however, is extremely limited 
  and based on glyphs and symbols used primarily as markers. In order to be accepted into the higher 
  ranks of The Corporation, the member must learn this language. If the PC has Speak Language as a 
  class skill, that PC may purchase CorporateSpeak as a class skill. In game mechanics, CorporateSpeak 
  is easily understood by another character who has taken CorporateSpeak, but sounds somewhat 
  nonsensical to a casual observer (think Hip Hop slang). 
   
  As they learn the language, Lay Members are told that this language is used in communicating with other 
  gangs in Gran March without attracting attention from the authorities. No one outside the Corporation 
  knows this language, so using it in public is a violation of the Vow of Silence. In game terms, this is what 
  you can do to keep your PC out of trouble in this area: 
   
  1) It is completely safe to use CorporateSpeak in front of non-law enforcement NPCs as long as the 
  speaker is not yelling it out in public. People have things to do, after all. 
  2) It is also completely safe to use CorporateSpeak in front of PCs and law enforcement NPCs if the 
  speaker makes a Bluff check to disguise it as per the Delivering a Secret Message rules for the Bluff 
  skill. 
   
  3) Finally, it is safe to use CorporateSpeak in seclusion. 
   
  Any other use risks discovery. 
   
  As it is a language, CorporateSpeak is subject to language dependent divination spells such as 
  comprehend languages or tongues. The gestures involved in the language, however, make complete 
  understanding via such spells difficult. The caster must make a Sense Motive check against the speaker’s 
  Bluff check as per the Delivering a Secret Message rules for the Bluff skill. Note that the spell never 
  identifies which language the caster is hearing; the spell only gives understanding. Non-speakers have no 
  chance at understanding the language without magical means. The speaker can also have additional 
  security when using CorporateSpeak by actively making a Bluff check as per the Delivering a Secret 
  Message rules.  
   
  Because of the limited nature of the written form and because it is subject to comprehend languages, 
  written messages are rarely used. When used, it will be in one of two forms. The message could be 
  written to not divulge any secrets of The Corporation. Thus, use of spells to understand the message will 
  give its literal meaning which will not divulge any sensitive information. Alternatively, the message could 
  be encrypted further and thus require not only knowledge of CorporateSpeak, but also a successful 
  Decipher Script skill check as per the rules for that skill. This foils the use of comprehend languages. Lay 
  members can only read unencrypted text; those of higher ranks can read encrypted messages. 
   
  CorporateSpeak is a fluid and dynamic language, especially in the area of encryption. Former members 
  who learn the language do not automatically understand new communications in it, as the language will 
  have changed in their absence. To understand spoken messages, former members possessing the 
  language must make a Sense Motive check to understand the language as per the Delivering a Secret 
  Message rules for the Bluff skill.  To understand written messages, former members possessing the 
  language must make a successful Decipher Script skill check as per the rules for that skill. Because the 
  skill is only usable trained, a former member cannot make an untrained check for this task. 
   
  
  Gran March Corporation Lay Members Document 6.0 
  9 
  Finally, lay members receive a +1 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Decipher Script, and Sense Motive 
  checks when actively using CorporateSpeak. This bonus increases as the member rises through the 
  ranks. Non-members lose any circumstance bonus to these skills, of course. 
   
  A Favor For A Brother – On a successful DC 15 Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) check 
  during any module or interactive in the area of Hookhill, Shiboleth, or Orlane, the PC can obtain the loan 
  of any one non-expendable item in Table 7-7 of the PHB that is in the Adventuring Gear, Class Tools and 
  Skill Kits, Clothing, or Mounts and Related Gear section that is less than 10 gp in value. This item is 
  returned at the end of the adventure. This ability can only be used once during any module or interactive. 
  If the item is somehow destroyed or lost, the PC must pay the standard price for it. This ability cannot be 
  used if the PC is in arrears on his payment of The Abbot’s Tenth. 
   
  Learning the Trade – The PC may take ranks in the Profession (criminal) as detailed in Appendix One. 
  Additionally, a PC who has five ranks of both Profession (criminal) and Knowledge (local – Sheldomar 
  Valley Metaregion) gains a +1 competence bonus to both skills. 
   
  Skills that Kill – Members of The Corporation have access to the limited feat Heroic Destiny (RD) 
   
  Knowing the Ropes – Lay Members of The Corporation gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the following 
  skills: Bluff, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Open Lock, and Sleight of Hand.  
   
  Influence Peddling – Lay Members may exchange any two influence points or favors with Gran March 
  NPCs for one point of influence with The Corporation.  Such transactions should be noted on the 
  appropriate AR.  This represents the Lay Member expending their influence with others on behalf of The 
  Corporation in order to curry favor with their superiors. 
   
  Moving up the Ranks – For every 52 TUs spent while a member of the Corporation, the PC receives one 
  Influence Point. 
   
  Promotion Requirements 
   
  In order to achieve promotion to Full Membership in The Corporation, a Lay Member must meet the 
  following requirements: 
   
  1. Spend a minimum of 26 TUs as a Lay Brother/Lay Sister, pay the Abbot’s Tenth, and have three 
  influence points with The Corporation. 
  2. Be of any alignment other than Lawful Good. 
  3. May not be a squire to or member of the Knights of the Watch or the Knights of Dispatch and may 
  not be a Special Constable. 
  4. Possess four ranks of Bluff. 
  5. Possess four ranks in any one of the following skills: 
  • 
  Diplomacy 
  • 
  Intimidate 
  • 
  Sense Motive 
  6. Possess four ranks in any one of the following skills: 
  • 
  Craft (trapmaking) 
  • 
  Disable Device 
  • 
  Disguise 
  • 
  Forgery 
  • 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) 
  • 
  Open Lock 
  • 
  Sleight of Hand 
  7. Possess four ranks of Hide and Move Silently combined, with a minimum of one rank in each. 
  8. Possess two ranks of Profession (criminal). 
  9. Possess Speak Language (CorporateSpeak). 
  
  Gran March Corporation Lay Members Document 6.0 
  10 
  10. The character must be sponsored by the Brother or Sister who supervised the character during 
  that character’s tenure as a Lay Brother/Lay Sister. This is presumed to be automatic for PCs 
  with NPC sponsors, unless the character has acquired demerits. Any demerits acquired by the 
  applicant must be expunged as provided in the Law of Demerits section below.  
   
  Spellcasters who have access to 3rd-level spells can substitute this ability for any two of requirements 4, 
  5, 6 or 7. Rangers who have access to 1st-level Ranger spells can substitute this ability for any two of 
  requirements 4, 5, 6 or 7.  Non-spellcasters can substitute the rank of Sergeant in the Army for any two of 
  requirements 4, 5, 6 or 7. Spellcasters or Rangers who are also of the rank of Sergeant or above above 
  can waive three of the four requirements. All other requirements are mandatory. 
   
  Finally the PC must “Make Their Bones” and “Swear the Bloody Oath.” The character as part of his 
  application for membership must commit a serious crime at the command of some Elder Brother/Elder 
  Sister. This is a Corporation-sponsored activity, and will constitute a conspiracy to commit a “High Law” 
  crime against property (“High Law” crimes against persons and “Great Law” crimes are not permitted for 
  fulfilling this requirement as such crimes draw too much attention). From a meta-gaming perspective, this 
  will result in the expenditure of 4TUs to represent the time spent in planning and carrying out the crime. 
  Note that the details of the crime are unimportant for the purposes of satisfying this requirement — the 
  theft may consist of emptying an Army storehouse to provide food and clothing for the poor as a way of 
  building support for The Corporation,(e.g., Al Capone’s soup kitchens). The Gran March Triad will issue to 
  the player a special MR that serves as documentation for fulfillment of this requirement. Military members 
  can use military TUs for the crime if the nature of the crime requires that the member be on active duty. 
   
  Once this is complete, the PC is invited to Swear the Bloody Oath of Brotherhood. The oath required is an 
  oath of fidelity, loyalty, and secrecy to The Corporation. Characters are required to swear by their patron 
  deities. As part of the ceremony, the character is presented with a letter of confession to the crime 
  committed in Making Their Bones, which the character is expected to sign. This is The Corporation’s 
  “insurance” that members will never reveal their secrets to an outsider. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Metaorg Material/Gran March/Gran_March_Corporation_Lay_Members_6.0.pdf