Praetor

This is one of the eight Character Backgrounds in The Age of Decadence. The term generally refers to a ranking sworn servant of any noble house, but as a Background it is automatically aligned with House Daratan ... at least at the beginning of Act I.

Lore

Always looking for promising individuals to serve their interests, Noble Houses elevate ambitious men with a diverse set of skills to the rank of the Praetorian Guard. While most possess some martial training and patiently wait for the spoils and glory of bloodshed, others still favor the gentler arts of diplomacy and take a discrete, yet active role in the courts of nobles.

Character Creation

When you were offered to serve House Daratan, you dropped on your knees and swore fealty, grateful for being noticed and elevated above your status. When Lord Antidas told you to rise and you slowly got up, holding your head high for the first time and looking at the other praetors as peers, you were overwhelmed with a sense of purpose and power.

Default Stats

Strength:[7] Dexterity:[7] Constitution:[6] Perception:[6] Intelligence:[7] Charisma:[7]

By the looks of it, this is the Background most directly encouraged to be a "jack/jill-of-all-trades" - look how even that stat spread is! Of course, it may get tweaked towards (for example) the wizened counselor of Antidas's predecessor, sharp as a tack but not so good at running around and stomping foes these days; or the martial prodigy, stout and brawny, able to hold off a horde of rabble (or even an Imperial Guard or two) in defense of the lord's interests, but not the guy you ask to translate a scroll or operate delicate machinery; or a cunning, silver-tongued minx who won't deign to draw a weapon unless it's sure to go quietly through the sleeping enemy's eye. So many possibilities - which might be exactly why the default 'build' leans this way.

Preferred Skills

Etiquette might seem like the one thing you can't do without, operating from the courts of the aristocrats, but really, there are all kinds of reasons that useful servants get promoted - and they aren't all to do with manners and protocol. In other words, Streetwise can be at least as much use to you, even moreso when you venture outside the cozy walls of a Lord's palace. And of course Persuasion has its moments in every social setting, once you've established your credentials.

Sword and Block for when diplomacy just doesn't cut it.

Initial Faction Rep

Charisma -->	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
House Aurelian	-3	-3	-2	-2	-2	-1	-1
House Crassus	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
House Daratan	2	3	4	5	5	6	7
Boatmen of Styx	1	1	1	2	2	2	2
Commercium	1	1	1	2	2	2	2
Imperial Guards	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Forty Thieves	1	1	1	2	2	2	2

Starting Equipment

• 237g
• Iron Gladius
• Iron Pugio
• Bronze Hasta
• Buckler (bearing the house insignia)
• Daratan Ring
• Noble's cape
• Noble clothes

Starting Location

The throne room of House Daratan's Palace in Teron

Praetor Quests

Teron

1. Vignette (Praetor)
2. The New Loremaster
3. The Art Of Receiving Visitors
4. The Aurelian Outpost
5. The Raiders
6. Out Into The Open
7. The Map

Maadoran

1. The Map (continued)
2. The Alliance
3. A New Broom Sweeps Clean

Ganezzar

1. Ganezzar (House Daratan)
2. The Map (continued)
3. The Birthplace Of The Gods (House Daratan) (depending on your actions)
4. The Enemy Of My Enemy (depending on your actions)
5. The Temple Of Thor-Agoth