I've started playing a new game as a serial killer vigilante, focusing heavily on face skills in general, and intimidating in particular, to take advantage of Twisting Fear and Shatter Defenses.
While my guy is known to certain people in his home city, I don't really see his social identity as ever becoming "famous", so the renown talent doesn't really make any sense for him, except for the bonus to intimidate in his vigilante identity.
So the Obscurity talent seems like it ought to be perfect for him, but reading it leaves me with a couple of questions - Does Obscurity provide the same Intimidate bonus as Renown? and How does Obscurity interact with the Serial Killer's Calling Card ability?
Renown (Ex): The vigilante becomes known for deeds and abilities regardless of his current identity. This renown grants him favorable treatment in civilized company and lends him an air of menace while facing down his enemies. While he is in his social identity, a vigilante can spend 1 week gaining renown among the locals of any community of no more than about 200 individuals (a village, if using settlement population ranges on page 203 of the Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide). This could be the entire community or a smaller neighborhood in a larger settlement. He must spend at least 4 hours each day socializing and making contacts. After spending 1 week doing this, whenever he is in his social identity, all NPCs in the community have a starting attitude toward him that is one category better, as long as each person’s initial attitude would have at least been indifferent (see the Diplomacy skill description on pages 93– 94 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook for more information). While he gains renown in an area using his social identity, he also spreads rumors and tales about his vigilante identity. Once he has gained renown in a community, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks whenever he is in his vigilante identity. This bonus applies only while he is near the community in which he has gained renown; he must be within a number of miles equal to his vigilante level.
A vigilante can hold renown in a limited number of communities (normally one, with other social talents allowing two). If he gains renown in a new community, he must decide which one of his previous communities to lose. These effects are subject to GM approval. For example, the GM might rule that an NPC or monster has not heard any tales about the vigilante. Or, a foe may have a starting attitude toward him that’s one category worse, rather than one category better.
Obscurity (Ex): The vigilante is relatively unknown socially. In fact, he makes a point of keeping the life of his social identity as ordinary as possible. This social talent functions exactly as the renown social talent, but instead of improving the starting attitude of all NPCs within the community, it empowers the vigilante so that he no longer needs to succeed at Disguise checks to appear as his social identity while assuming that identity within his area of obscurity. He still has to attempt Disguise checks when NPCs within this settlement are confronted with indisputable proof that the vigilante could be more than he appears to be, such as when he uses a vigilante talent while in his social identity. This social talent counts as renown for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of social talents that list renown as a prerequisite and can be improved by such talents. A vigilante with this talent cannot select renown, nor can he select any social talent that requires him to be famous (such as celebrity discount or celebrity perks).
Calling Card (Ex): At 7th level, when a serial killer slays a humanoid with a coup de grace or death attack, she can leave a telltale token or clue behind identifying this death as her work. The serial killer chooses her calling card when she gains this ability, and the first time she uses it in an area where she has renown (as per the renown social talent), it becomes associated with her killings. After that, once citizens of a new settlement find this calling card, the serial killer immediately establishes the settlement as an area of renown for her vigilante identity without spending additional time to spread tales, and the Intimidate bonus from renown increases by 2. She still must spend time to establish her social identity’s renown.
Key phrase: This social talent functions exactly as the renown social talent, but instead of improving the starting attitude of all NPCs within the community, it empowers the vigilante so that he no longer needs to succeed at Disguise checks to appear as his social identity while assuming that identity within his area of obscurity.
That means the bonus is the same. I see it as the effect of the spread rumors, affecting others that encounter your other side.
For the Calling Card, RAW I would have to say no. However, given this: This social talent counts as renown for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of social talents that list renown as a prerequisite and can be improved by such talents., I think RAI it should work.
/cevah
For the Calling Card, RAW I would have to say no. However, given this: This social talent counts as renown for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of social talents that list renown as a prerequisite and can be improved by such talents., I think RAI it should work.
/cevah
I think it works against "nor can he select any social talent that requires him to be famous". IMO having a recognizable calling card requires you be famous [or more appropriately infamous]. As such, I'd disagree that RAI would work as it seems incongruous to be both associated with a calling card and being relatively unknown. If you're counting it as a social talent for "counts as renown" it should also count as one for no "social talent that requires him to be famous".
1) Calling card isn't a social talent; it's a part of the Serial killer archetype.
This is why it doesn't work as Obscurity only counts as Renown "for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of social talents". You have to count Calling card as a social talent to use obscurity as a prerequisite, but if you do you have to follow the 'non-famous' rule which stops you there.
I'd argue that the calling card is a function of the vigilante identity, and as such, shouldn't be affected by the "no being famous" part of obscurity.
I'd argue that the calling card is a function of the vigilante identity, and as such, shouldn't be affected by the "no being famous" part of obscurity.
If so, it can't use obscurity as it only counts as renown for "for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of social talents". That's the rub: it's either part of the vigilante ID and therefore doesn't qualify, or it's part of the socal ID and it fails because of "famous".
I could see a houserule to allow it to works, as it seems thematic, but IMO it's not RAW.