TEXT: Requires the use of the d20 Modern™ Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  A d20 Modern Template
  Master Manipulator
  Written by Leon Collins II
  LPJ9796
  Bold lies. Clever bargains. Subtle threats. Sex appeal. These are the 
  tools of the Master Manipulator, a silver-tongued schemer 
  who uses charm, subterfuge, and uncanny wit to pursue 
  his ambitions. He can be found almost anywhere, from 
  the center of a sprawling criminal empire to the strobe-lit 
  dance floor at a local club. This character relies heavily 
  on his keen intellect and social acumen. By necessity, he 
  thinks quickly, considering his options between breaths, 
  choosing the best terminology, movements, and facial 
  expressions to ensure that his words have the desired effect. 
  His ability to weave language into complex, often indecipher-
  able vortices makes him an effective negotiator and a trickster 
  without equal.    
  The precise nature of the Master Manipulator’s charm varies. 
  Perhaps he’s dedicated his entire life to understanding and 
  influencing others, or perhaps he’s just a natural darling. 
  Perhaps some latent psychic potential aids him in 
  affecting others. He might simply be drop-dead 
  gorgeous, possessed of a godly physique or an 
  angelic face. Whatever the source of his appeal, 
  the defining quality of the Master Manipulator 
  is a force that not only draws others to him, but 
  also compels them to listen. When the Master 
  Manipulator speaks, one can be certain that he 
  commands the full attention of his intended audi-
  ence. Few can resist his charms for long, as he is 
  very good at convincing people they don’t want 
  to.
  To the Master Manipulator, human behavior 
  is simply a series of abstract forces reacting to 
  one another in consistent, predictable patterns. 
  This outlook affords him a certain degree of 
  insight (not to mention cynicism) when dealing 
  with others. Buried emotions, past mistakes, and 
  repressed desires all lie just beneath the surface of 
  every conversation, swathed in layers of decorum 
  and pretty expressions. The Master Manipulator, 
  however, sees through the veneer of propriety. He 
  reads body language, phrasing, and even voice 
  intonation in the same way an academic might 
  read literature, instinctively examining context and 
  subtext, probing for that which lies beneath it all. One’s 
  secrets are never safe from the Master Manipulator; he 
  
  PAGE 2
  D20 MODERN
  can discern an individual’s motivations in the time it takes to 
  voice a greeting and shake hands. And he is just as quick to 
  exploit those motivations. 
  As his experience grows, the Master Manipulator’s talents 
  begin to verge on the supernatural. His suggestions become 
  nearly impossible to refuse and he grows to be a master of 
  turns of phrase, tricks of language, and nuances of meaning. 
  Bargains and arrangements involving him end more and 
  more often in his favor, and even those who should, by all 
  rights, want to kill him might instead buy him a drink and 
  indulge him in a bit of polite conversation. The expert Master 
  Manipulator doesn’t make enemies. He makes the most of his 
  friends. 
  The Master Manipulator is an advanced class suitable for all 
  modern campaign settings. The fastest path into this advanced 
  class is from the Charismatic hero basic class. 
  Profile of a Master 
  Manipulator
  The blonde on the television screen stood in a cluttered, dusty 
  room, holding an upright vacuum cleaner that shimmered 
  with silver light. Cartoon dust bunnies danced across the 
  carpet at her feet to a once-popular disco tune. She smiled 
  perfect white teeth and turned the vacuum on. 
  Tilly leaned back on the sofa and took a long drag from his 
  cigarette. He stared over the small oak coffee table in the 
  center of the room at the two Tong hitmen. Both stood stock-
  still and impassive, watching him through identical narrow, 
  black sunglasses. They wore the same spiked hairstyle and 
  matching goatees. Their long, black coats rippled gently, 
  affected by the wide ceiling fan spinning silently overhead. 
  The two were nearly indistinguishable from one another. 
  Nearly. But Tilly could make out the tips of tattoos creeping 
  out from underneath the sleeves of the hitman on his left. The 
  other wore snakeskin boots. 
  The men had entered the small apartment in silence. He 
  hadn’t even heard the front door. They were professionals, 
  confident enough in their abilities to show themselves to him. 
  “So, you’re the unlucky bastards they sent to me.” Tilly 
  exhaled smoke and tapped ashes from his cigarette into a 
  ceramic tray, shaped like a lotus blossom, on the coffee table. 
  “Mr. Wen sent us to deliver a message,” Snakeskin said with 
  a leer. His voice was strong and assured, his English perfect. 
  “A nine-millimeter message. I don’t think you’ll like it.” 
  Tilly smiled. So, essentially, they didn’t even know why 
  they’d been sent to kill him.
  “A message,” Tilly muttered. “It looks like we have some-
  thing in common, then. You want to go first or should I?”
  The hitmen stood still, unmoving. 
  “Before we get rolling, do you boys mind if I get a soda?” 
  Tilly asked, beginning to stand. “Damned cigarettes make my 
  mouth d—”
  In an eyeblink, two silenced pistols were drawn, each leveled 
  at a single spot in the center of his forehead. Tilly stopped 
  moving. 
  “Alright,” he said. “So, we’ll wait. We deliver our messages 
  first, and then I’ll get a soda. So, who is going to tell me what 
  Mrs. Wen has to say to me?”
  There was a moment of hesitation, and the two men shared a 
  quick, inexpressive glance. Both seemed about to speak, but 
  neither seemed sure of who should. 
  They haven’t worked together before, Tilly thought to 
  himself. Probably don’t even know one another. This is going 
  to be a cakewalk.
  “Here,” he continued warmly, settling back onto the sofa, 
  pausing to take another drag from his cigarette. “I’ll start, 
  since someone apparently thinks I’m going to die.”
  “Apparently?” Tattoos inquired, quirking an eyebrow. 
  “Yeah,” Tilly said. “I’m sorry if I seem less than convincing, 
  here, but when you do this stuff for as long as I have, it’s 
  hard. With the last set Wen sent, I just came out and spilled it, 
  explained what was going on, you know? Not that it helped 
  any.”
  The hitmen were uneasy now. They shifted their weight from 
  foot to foot and adjusted their grips on their guns. 
  “The last set?” Snakeskin asked. 
  “Yeah.” Tilly shrugged. “I guess the game is up, eh? Okay, 
  think about it. Who am I? Who is it that Wen sent you to 
  kill? Me? I’m just some guy sitting around a cheap apartment 
  watching infomercials and smoking a cigarette. You didn’t 
  have any trouble sneaking up on me. Think about it. Do you 
  really think Wen would actually need two trained hitmen to 
  kill a guy like me? Look at me. I’m not exactly action hero 
  material. No. You’re not here for me. You’re here because 
  you pissed somebody off, probably Wen. And now it’s time 
  to die. This is just a convenient location, and I’m just the guy 
  who’s paid to clean up afterward.” 
  “So how is it that you’re supposed to kill us?” Tattoos asked. 
  “Nobody else is here. Like you said, you’re no hero. We 
  could plug you before you could draw a piece. Even if you 
  have friends next door or across the hall, they won’t make it 
  in time to save you.”
  “No, no,” Tilly muttered, rubbing his temples, allowing his 
  cigarette to bob slightly between his lips as he spoke. “You 
  don’t understand. I’ve got all the backup I need, right here. 
  Go back and think about what I just said. I’m only talking to 
  one of you. The other’s just playing along, probably a little 
  
  PAGE 3
  D20 MODERN
  pissed that I’m making his job harder. Not that it’ll matter. 
  Every time, Wen gets his corpse.”
  Tilly watched realization dawn on the two men, the quick 
  twitch of the eyebrows that indicated initial comprehension, 
  followed by the firm set to the jaw that reflected self-control 
  gained at great difficulty. Both pretended not to understand, 
  hoping to be the first to move. Then both guns swiveled and 
  fired. 
  The hitmen fell at the same time, each bleeding from the 
  chest. Snakeskin hit the corner of the coffee table, knocking 
  over a stack of clay coasters. Tattoos tumbled forward, and as 
  he fell, his temple striking Snakeskin’s boots. His eyes were 
  wide. Blood spilled from his lips, dribbling down into the 
  front of his jacket. 
  Tilly sighed. Wen was onto him, then. It was time to skip 
  town, to change the scenery. Maybe he’d go to Haven. He’d 
  heard it was easy to get lost there. He would leave first thing 
  in the morning, which meant he had to pack now. But first, he 
  needed a soda. Cigarettes dried his mouth out.   
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a Master Manipulator, a character must 
  fulfill the following criteria. 
  Skills: Bluff 6 ranks, Diplomacy 6 ranks, Sense Motive 4 
  ranks.
  Feats: Deceptive.
  Charismatic Hero Talent: Fast-Talk. 
  Class Information
  The following information pertains to the Master Manipulator 
  advanced class. 
  Hit Die
  The Master Manipulator gains 1d6 hit points per level. The 
  character’s Constitution modifier applies. 
  Action Points
  The Master Manipulator gains a number of action points 
  equal to 6 plus one-half his character level, rounded down, 
  every time he attains a new level in this class. 
  Class Skills
  The Master Manipulator’s class skills are as follows. 
  Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (writing) (Int), 
  Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gamble (Wis), Gather 
  Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), 
  Knowledge (behavioral sciences, business, civics, street-
  wise) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession, Read/Write Language 
  (none), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language. 
  Skill Points at Each Level: 5 + Int modifier.
  Magnetic Charm: A Master Manipulator may treat his levels 
  in this class as additional Charismatic hero levels for any 
  talent for which Charismatic levels are used (charm, dazzle, 
  fast-talk, etc.)
  Cunning: At 2nd level, the Master Manipulator has learned 
  to think quickly when conversing or otherwise interacting 
  with others. He can add his Intelligence modifier (if positive) 
  to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidation skill checks.
  Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Master 
  Manipulator gets a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be 
  selected from the following list, and the Master Manipulator 
  must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it. 
  master manipulator
   
  Base   
    
   
   
   
   
    
  Attack  Fort 
  Ref 
  Will 
   
  Defense  
  Reputation 
  Level  
  Bonus 
  Save 
  Save 
  Save 
  Special 
   Bonus 
   Bonus
  1 
  +0 
  +0 
  +0 
  +2 
  Magnetic charm 
  +0 
  +1
  2 
  +1 
  +0 
  +0 
  +3 
  Cunning 
  +1 
  +1
  3 
  +1 
  +1 
  +1 
  +3 
  Bonus feat 
  +1 
  +1
  4 
  +2 
  +1 
  +1 
  +4 
  Discerning gaze 
  +1 
  +2
  5 
  +2 
  +1 
  +1 
  +4 
  Make clarifications 
  +2 
  +2
  6 
  +3 
  +2 
  +2 
  +5 
  Bonus feat 
  +2 
  +2
  7 
  +3 
  +2 
  +2 
  +5 
  Binding agreement 
  +2 
  +3
  8 
  +4 
  +2 
  +2 
  +6 
  Rumor monger 
  +3 
  +3
  9 
  +4 
  +3 
  +3 
  +6 
  Bonus feat 
  +3 
  +3
  10 
  +5 
  +3 
  +3 
  +7 
  Bonds of Trust 
  +3 
  +4
  
  PAGE 4
  D20 MODERN
  Alertness, Attentive, Confident, Creative, Educated, Iron 
  Will, Low Profile, Meticulous, Renown, Trustworthy, 
  Windfall.  
  Discerning Gaze: The Master Manipulator is an excellent 
  judge of character and motivation. Starting at 4th level, he 
  receives a bonus to all Sense Motive checks equal to his 
  Master Manipulator class level.  
  Make Clarifications: The Master Manipulator can recognize 
  and salvage a potentially harmful social gaff by modifying 
  and refining the offensive statement(s). At 5th level, he can 
  retry any failed Bluff check to cheat, con, lie, or similarly 
  obscure the truth. This second attempt, however, takes twice 
  as long as the first.   
  Binding Agreement: Arrangements made by the Master 
  Manipulator tend to withstand even the most duplicitous 
  souls, possibly due to some unconscious sense of obliga-
  tion or guilt on their part. When coming to an agreement 
  with another character, a Master Manipulator of 7th level 
  or higher can spend an action point to make it binding. In a 
  binding agreement, characters consent to a particular set of 
  terms, and they cannot renege. A character seeking to inten-
  tionally break the terms of a binding agreement must make 
  a successful Will saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + one-
  half the Master Manipulator’s class level (round down) + the 
  Master Manipulator’s Charisma modifier. Even if this saving 
  throw is successful, reneging characters suffer a –4 penalty to 
  all attacks, checks, and saving throws made in the process of 
  breaking the deal (So, for example, if a character who agreed 
  not to try to steal from another character tries to pickpocket 
  her and cow her into inaction, he suffers a –4 penalty to the 
  Sleight of Hand check to pick her pocket and a –4 penalty to 
  the Intimidate check made to keep her from telling anyone. If 
  he finds he has to beat her into submission, he suffers a –4 to 
  his attack rolls.).  
  Rumor Monger: Over the course of a discussion, a Master 
  Manipulator of 8th level or higher can affect the way an 
  individual feels about others. To do so, he engages a target 
  in conversation and makes a Bluff skill check opposed by 
  the target’s Sense Motive check. For every full 10 points by 
  which the Bluff check exceeds the Sense Motive result, the 
  Master Manipulator may shift the target’s attitude toward one 
  character one level, either improving or worsening it (e.g. 
  indifferent to unfriendly, indifferent to friendly, etc.). The 
  character being discussed need not be present, but he must be 
  known to the Master Manipulator. The change lasts until right 
  after the target’s next encounter with the character discussed. 
  At the GM’s discretion, the Master Manipulator may spend 
  an action point to use this ability to influence a target’s 
  opinion of an object, organization, or even the target herself, 
  in which case its effects last for a full day.  
  Bonds of Trust: At 10th level, the Master Manipulator’s 
  words take on an almost supernatural ability to inspire trust. 
  He can attempt to charm any individual he talks to for a 
  number of minutes equal to that individual’s Intelligence 
  modifier (with a minimum of one minute). The target receives 
  a Will saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + the Master 
  Manipulator’s Charisma modifier. If the saving throw fails, 
  the target is charmed, as the charm person psionic power, for 
  a number of hours equal to the Master Manipulator’s class 
  level. Bonds of Trust can only be attempted on any single 
  target once per day, and the target must be able to understand 
  the Master Manipulator’s words.
  
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and 
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  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich 
  Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, 
  John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material 
  by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, 
  Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, 
  Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker,  based on material by Jonathan 
  Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, 
  Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  Prototype: Master Manipulator, Copyright 2006, Louis Porter Jr. Design, 
  Inc.
  
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