[Pathfinder] Profiteer - alternate bard class for gnomes

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A year or so ago, I mentioned my interest for developing a variant race of gnomes for 3x/Pathfinder that strongly emulate the Star Trek Ferengi. I've always felt a mercantile strong race needs a place in the various campaign worlds. The last time I mentioned them, I also mentioned their holy tome, the Gnomicon, and their racial thieves guild, the Gnomic Syndicate.

Anyway, I finally started working on the classes. The first one below is a Bard Alternate class, called the Profiteer. My goal is to also create an alternate spell list.

New Skill: Perform (sell) - presentation skills used in an attempt to sell an idea or commodity to a potential customer.

Alternate Racial Traits -

Counter's Gift - recognizing discrepancies in bookkeeping and forgery. +1 Perception and Linguistics regarding accounts, legal and contractual documents.

Canny Eye - recognizing the value of objects and commodities. Grants +1 Appraise and Knowledge (local) checks.

Silver Tongue - the consummate story-teller and salesman, +1 Bluff and Perform (sell) checks (must speak the language of the potential customer.)

Profiteer (bard alternate class)

Markets Knowledge - a profiteer adds half his level (minimum 1) to all knowledge checks regarding the value of goods across multiple markets and may make knowledge checks untrained. This replaces Bardic Knowledge.

Bardic Performance - a profiteer gains the following performances:

Empathic Dialog - grants a +1 to Sense Motive checks, +1 at 5th level and every 6 levels after. Can be used to detect a potential customers real wants and needs, as well as what they are willing to pay for it. This replaces Inspire Courage.

Fast Talker - at 3rd level, can bewilder a potential customer who has already been fascinated. This does not affect the fascination, but requires a standard action to activate (in addition to the free action to continue to fascinate.) The target must make a successful Will save, DC = 1/2 the profiteer's levels + Chr modifier, or miss important details for a given commodity and compelled to make a purchase or accept an idea. This replaces Suggestion.

Language of the Deal - at 8th level and higher your consummate sales skills are so fine, you needn't speak the language of your targetted customer, as long as he can see your selling object, and can recognize the value in trade, linguistics is unnecessary. This replaces Dirge of Doom.

Bait & Switch - at 9th level, by distracting the attention of a targetted person, one of your allies gains a +2 bonus to Steal Combat Maneuver, Stealth or Sleight of Hand, for every 3 levels past 9th, an additional ally gains this bonus. This replaces Inspire Courage.

Sell Anything - Will save (10+1/2 class+Cha mod) to negate. Target accepts your deal or your latest proposal with little to no trouble (if they make their will save they are not aware of your attempt to swindle them but do become a step down in attitude towards you) Each attempt in a 24 hour period gives the target a +2 to their will save (whether they saved on the last attempt or not). (requires a perform oratory check or perform sales and a bluff check for others watching). This replaces Frightening Tune.

Golden Tongue - a profiteer of 20 levels or higher can use his performance to cause a single potential customer to pay you with his most precious possessions, family or property for something that you are selling. To be affected, the target must be able to see and hear the profiteer perform for 1 full round and be within 30 feet. The target receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the profiteer's level + the profiteer's Chr modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature's saving throw succeeds, the target does not recognize your attempt to take all he owns, and the profiteer cannot use this performance on that creature again for 24 hours. If a creature's saving throw fails, he parts with anything and everything he owns. Golden Tongue is a mind-affecting effect that relies on audible and visual components. This replaces Deadly Performance.

Plans for a Sonic Wizard, Gnomic Sorcerer bloodline, Gnomic Cleric (archetype), and Archetype/Alternate Inquisitor (Auditor).

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Auditor (inquisitor archetype)

Legal Lore - at 1st level, this ability combines with Knowledge (local) helping to negotiate local laws in the prosecution of audits. This replaces Monster Lore.

Paper Trail - at 2nd level, the auditor adds half her level to Linquistics checks to track the movement of money and goods based on financial accounting records, bills of sale, annual profit reports, local tax receipts and other documents, as well as forgeries used to hide this information. This replaces Tracking.

Penetrating Eye (Su) - at 11th level the auditor gains the ability to see through attempted obfuscation through invisibility or illusion. Works as True Seeing. This replaces Stalwart.

Liquidation (Su) - at 14th level the auditor gains the ability to ???. This replaces Exploit Weakness (I'm not sure of the mechanical effect, but I like the name...)

Thoughts?

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Gnomic Syndicate

The controlling regime of the Gnomic Syndicate is the gnomic church which operates as a bank and the government of their society. An offshoot of the gnomes that came from the Fey lands long ago, this branch encountered a Dwarven merchant community and the gnome leaders were cheated in a trade agreement. This lesson taught them that earning profit through whichever means should be the focus of gnomes among the other races.

The Gnomic Syndicate is the church, government, military, arcane, and socio-economic structure of the gnomic people. The central government comprises a council of clerics who are also mercantile magnates each with their own extended commercial empire. They serve as the center of faith, franchiser of gnomic licensed thieves guilds across the world(s), and tax collector of gnomic society. All members of gnomic society are lifetime members of the Gnomic Syndicate (unless outcast and liquidated).

Gnomic Military - because gnomes are small, they are less effective combatants (in most cases) than other races. The gnomic military has units of fighters and rogues, but only as the lower echelon of the military. The officer corps form the bulk of gnomic military tactics and that is arcane based attacks. Gnomic wizards, sorcerers and bards serve as the primary combatant with a relience on stealth and subtlty. Assassins are also members of the gnomic military. All members of gnomic society have dual ranks in the military as well as the syndicate (unless outcast...)

Auditor (inquisitor archetype) are agents of the church of the Syndicate and ruthlessly pursue problems in the franchised guildhalls, especially undeclared profits hidden from the annual profit reports. Auditors have the power to outcast and liquidate any gnomic guild member who cheats the home church of its proper share in profits.

Thieves Guilds - perhaps not true in every case, but many thieves guilds existing in the communities of other races, whose members are of those races were founded by a Gnomic Profiteer, licensed and franchised by the Gnomic Syndicate. In some cases these gnomes are the standing guildmasters, though often the gnomes hide behind the scenes with a puppet guildmaster of the local race as a 'front man'. The goal of each guildhall is to find creative means to drain the local ecomony into the Syndicate coffers.

The method of operation isn't just thieving, however, but any profitable commercial activity. Some operate legitimate trading concerns, some operate with agents as 'traveling salesman', all the dark trades of slavery, weapon/drug-running, smuggling, prostitution, loan-sharking, protection rackets and other black market activities, even night clubs and other entertainment centers are common among the franchised guildhalls.

While spellcasters rule their society, the bulk of its members exist as family business concerns as rogues and profiteers. Profiteers are independant traders, con men, purveyors of products and entertainments.

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Gnomicon - the lexicon of the Gnomic Syndicate.

Axioms - the first book of the Gnomicon (96 Axioms of Proft and the Golden Ten):

1. Profit is the only motive.
2. Profit is limited, loss is boundless.
3. Always count it.
4. Don't pay for it, if you can steal it.
5. Everything is for sale.
6. Once you get the money, never give it back.
7. Loss and getting caught are the only capital crimes.
8. Scrupulously keep your books, both of them.
9. Compassion is worthless unless it draws a profit.
10. Do not trust the man with better boots than you, but respect him.

Underlying goal of the Gnomic Syndicate: the fiduciary domination of all non-gnome races as indentured servants and and commodities for the greater marketplace.

Wesetti, the 2nd book of the Gnomicon - the Gnomic social contract

1. Never kill another gnome (or never get caught).
2. Cheat, but never steal from another gnome.
3. Protect and provide for your family.
4. Never lie regarding Syndicate business.
5. Submit to the Holders of the Chest (church) and their deputies.
6. If you cheat the Syndicate, you will be liquidated and cast out.
7. Syndicate franchises must be licensed and approved.
8. Declaration of Annual Profits must be submitted to the Syndicate each year.
9. Contractual Law is the only Law.
10. You are not responsible for other's stupidity (escape clause for all above.)

The third book of Gnomicon is the story of the Shrinking Pantheon of Gnomic Gods. (That's another story...)

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The Shrinking Pantheon of Gnomic Gods:

Arico - a greater deity of Conveyances, Slavery and Arcane Power (chief deity of Gnomic Wizards.)

Carvellan - a lesser deity who is now among the slain gods of the pantheon, had the powers of Bluffing, Poison, Confectioneries and Sweets. Slain by Patti Middy as a favor to Cenraizione.

Cenraizione - a greater deity of Barter, Negotiation and War, who slew Tanti, and is chief of the pantheon.

Fascel - a greater deity of Charm, Creativity and Sorcery (chief deity of Gnomic Sorcerers.)

Gyges - a lesser deity of Evil, Luck, Trickery and Bards. Slain by Sorozo with the assistance of Patty Middy. His portfolio was taken by Patti Middy.

Hemera - a lesser deity of Things that Sparkle, Daylight and Beaches. Slain and absorbed by Fascel.

Indorgh - a lesser deity of Drugs, Indulgences and Divination. Slain by Arico.

Lusso - a lesser deity of Luxury and Relaxation. As a deity of sloth, when the infighting between the gods became fierce, he immediately recognized he lacked the drive to compete, so he voluntarily handed his portfolio of powers and divinity to Patti Middy, and fell to the other worldly court of gnomic kind.

Patti Middy - a greater deity of Boots, Pleasure, Songs and Quirks, with the portfolios of Gyges and Lusso. Though she lacks the might of Cenraizione, the practical talents of Arico and Fascel, or the forceful will of Sorozo, though talents of negotiation, black mail and assassination, she has climbed to the top five deities of the pantheon. She is a favorite among haberdashers, boot makers and the common folk among gnome knd.

Sorozo - Struggle, Hard Work, Stress and Challenges are the portfolios of ths greater female deity, now has the portfolio of Carvellan.

Tanti - this lesser deity, once the controller of Prostitution, Cash and Exploitation, but was slain by Cenraizione for improper care of the heavenly treasury.

Holders of the Chest:
The Holders of the Chest is the primary divine order of the gnomic peoples following Cenraizione, and form the Commandery in the military. Keeping and managing the treasury is their foremost occupation. A great many accountants and litigants are employed by this holy order. They serve as the logistical operations and hold a leadership role in the military. They are also responsible for punishments to those gnomes who have broken the rules of the Gnomicon and military protocol.

Militant Orders:
Darklings are the elite wizards of the god, Arico.
Sunrays are the elite sorcerers of Fascel.
Final Sight are the elite assassins of Arico which comprise of mixed assasssins and spellcasters.

Non-commissioned corps:
Cane Breakers - an elite order of clerics, bards, fighters and rogues that comprise the bulk of the lower eschelon of the military, also closely associated with the Church of Cenraizione. 'Cane' is Gnomic slang for 'sugarcane' or 'sweet talk' and persuasion, as opposed to direct conflict.

Outcasts of Gnomic Society:
Nearly all the members of the Shiners and Lone Men comprise those spellcasters and rogue/profiteers who have fallen out of favor with the Syndicate, or simply lack the talent to meet the high standards of Gnomic society.

Gnomic Culture:
Gnomes enjoy relaxation, creating and consuming gastrological delights, especially confectioneries. Their appearance among their kind is of key importance and helps determine hierarchy among their peers. Dressing well is important, including the types of fabric, and material that are used in their clothing. Colorful wide brimmed hats with giant exotic feathers crown most gnome heads, male and female alike. Coats with braids, big shiny buttons and tailored fine fabrics and properly fitted over their loose trousers and wide, large buckled belts. But the most important garment to the point of fetish, is their boots.

When a given gnome as acquired some wealth or ill-gotten gain, their first investment will be a new pair of boots. Finest leathers and skins of rare endangered species, buckles of gold, mithral - whatever they can afford is the first measure of a gnome's status among their kind. When two gnomes first meet, a glance at one another's boots is always first before even looking into each other's eyes. Boots will determine a hierarchy between two gnomes. The leaders of their kind always have the best boots.

As a race of exploiters, gnomes have become a sedentary/nomadic race, that is to say, gnomes settle into a region, adapt to local culture, participate in trade, all the while learning how best to take advantage of them, how to access the local wealth and bleed it into Syndicate coffers. Eventually economic crisis will occur and the gnomes to be pointed as the blame. Already hated by their growing wealth, backlashes ofen occur enforced by laws, military or angry mobs. Not a few gnomes have been tortured to death as a result. At such times the gnomes move on.

The highest status among any gnome is to become the consummate exploiter with the finest boots, but not recognized as a villain among non-gnomes around them, through disguise, obfuscation or deceit, because the best would never get caught.

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