The Clockwork Syndicate
Clockwork Syndicate Characters
Alignment: Usually Neutral, often Lawful
Suggested Races: Human
Suggested Classes: Face, Civilian
Suggested Archetypes: Diplomat, Authority, Suave
Suggested Ladders: Savant, Performer, Born Leader
You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to the Clockwork Syndicate if one or more of the following statements are true:
- You want to play a character driven by wealth, power, and the art of negotiation.
- Someone intrigued by managing resources, influencing trade, and governing commerce.
- You’re eager to explore a character who views the world through a lens of opportunity, valuing order and efficiency above all else.
- You want to delve into the complexities of politics, business, and alliances while leveraging your skills to grow the camp’s economy—and your own influence.
Background: Clockwork Syndicate
If your character was born and raised in Dark Syde, you can choose this background instead of those listed in the Ultra Modern 5 Redux rulebook.
You grew up in the structured world of commerce, where the balance of trade and the promise of profit guide every decision. From a young age, you learned the value of connections, contracts, and the art of negotiation. The Syndicate’s influence has taught you to see opportunities where others see obstacles, and your focus on order and efficiency has shaped your outlook. Whether overseeing trade agreements, mediating disputes, or managing the flow of goods and services, you understand the importance of maintaining the gears of business. Your resourcefulness and ambition make you a valuable player in the Clockwork Syndicate’s grand design, and while your loyalty may seem tied to the community, you never forget to watch out for your own bottom line.
- Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion and Insight
- Languages: One language of your choice
- Equipment: May purchase any equipment in the Ultra Modern 5 Redux sourcebook with a total value of 500 credits or less.
- Renown: 1 and Rank 1 with the Clockwork Syndicate.
Feature: The Art of the Deal
Your sharp business acumen and quick thinking give you an edge in negotiations. Once per long rest, you can reroll any Persuasion, Intimidation, Deception or Insight check. This does not count as having advantage, and you must take the new roll. You may choose to reroll the die after knowing whether the roll succeeded or not.
Suggested Characteristics
Members of the Clockwork Syndicate are pragmatic, calculated, and driven by ambition. They value precision, planning, and the ability to capitalize on opportunities. Though some may view them as cold or self-serving, they see themselves as the backbone of Dark Syde’s economy. Loyalty is a currency they rarely spend frivolously, and trust must be earned through results.
Contacts
As a member of the Clockwork Syndicate, you’re deeply enmeshed in its intricate network of businessmen. Syndicate members value innovation and loyalty, forming tight-knit bonds with those who share their passion for progress. However, your focus on invention and survival can make it difficult to connect meaningfully with those outside the Syndicate's utilitarian culture.
Roll twice on the Clockwork Syndicate Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Syndicate Contacts table.
Structure
Rank and Renown: Clockwork Syndicate
The Clockwork Syndicate operates through a meritocratic system rooted in cunning, strategy, and financial prowess. Members are recognized not by arbitrary titles but by their ability to generate wealth, expand influence, and create lasting legacies within the faction. Each rank reflects your rise as a business leader and your impact on the Syndicate’s fortunes.
Rank 1: Apprentice
- Prerequisite: Renown 1 with the Clockwork Syndicate, Persuasion +2
As an Apprentice, you are introduced to the Syndicate’s intricate web of commerce and power. You support senior members by assisting in negotiations, learning the nuances of deal-making, and gaining insight into managing assets. Apprentices are expected to demonstrate resourcefulness, loyalty, and a sharp mind.
- Gain access to the Syndicate’s Trade Network, allowing you to participate in their savings program gaining 2% interest on your savings.
- Receive a Clockwork Emblem, identifying you as a Syndicate member.
- Gain access to mentorship and guidance from higher-ranking members.
Rank 2: Negotiator
- Prerequisite: Rank 1, Renown 5 with the Clockwork Syndicate, Persuasion +4
Negotiators are the lifeblood of the Syndicate’s economic engine. You manage contracts, broker deals, and secure valuable partnerships. Your role involves identifying opportunities and leveraging them to expand the Syndicate’s reach and your personal influence.
- Receive Syndicate funding for small-scale entrepreneurial ventures. You can take out loans with the Syndicate’s Trade Network at a 25% interest rate with a loan cap of 1000 credits.
- Profits from Syndicate-approved businesses increase by 10%.
- Gain the ability to form and manage a team of 1d4 Analysts, assisting in risk assessments and strategy development. Use the Common Person for their stat block, adding that they have Persuasion +4. This team can help run your business in your absence.
Rank 3: Financier
- Prerequisite: Rank 2, Renown 10 with the Clockwork Syndicate, Persuasion +6
Financiers handle the Syndicate’s most lucrative ventures. You oversee investments, manage portfolios, and ensure the profitability of the faction’s assets. Financiers are trusted with larger sums and riskier endeavors, often influencing entire markets.
- Receive additional Syndicate funding for entrepreneurial ventures. You can take out loans with the Syndicate’s Trade Network at a 20% interest rate with a loan cap of 2000 credits.
- Profits from Syndicate-approved businesses increase by 20%.
- Gain the ability to recruit and lead 2d4 Analysts, bolstering your influence and capacity for large-scale operations.
Rank 4: Strategist
- Prerequisite: Rank 3, Renown 15 with the Clockwork Syndicate, Persuasion +8
Strategists are the architects of Syndicate dominance. You manage large-scale enterprises, lead market expansions, and devise strategies to outmaneuver competitors. Strategists are often tasked with solving major economic challenges and securing rare resources.
- Receive additional Syndicate funding for entrepreneurial ventures. You can take out loans with the Syndicate’s Trade Network at a 15% interest rate with a loan cap of 4000 credits.
- Profits from Syndicate-approved businesses increase by 30%.
- Gain the ability to recruit and lead 3d4 Analysts, bolstering your influence and capacity for large-scale operations.
Rank 5: Magnate
- Prerequisite: Rank 4, Renown 25 with the Clockwork Syndicate, Persuasion +10
Magnates are the Syndicate’s titans of industry and commerce. You manage vast networks of trade, oversee critical operations, and influence the faction’s direction. Your word carries weight, and your ventures shape the Syndicate’s future.
- Receive additional Syndicate funding for entrepreneurial ventures. You can take out loans with the Syndicate’s Trade Network at a 10% interest rate with a loan cap of 8000 credits.
- Profits from Syndicate-approved businesses increase by 40%.
- Gain the ability to recruit and manage 4d4 Analysts for major projects.
- Influence economic policy within the Syndicate and allied factions.
Rank 6: Founder
- Prerequisite: Rank 5, Renown 50 with the Clockwork Syndicate, Persuasion +12
Founders are the highest echelon of the Clockwork Syndicate, shaping its vision and ensuring its dominance for generations. They oversee the Syndicate’s most ambitious projects, control the faction’s most significant assets, and secure its position as an unrivaled force in commerce.
- Receive additional Syndicate funding for entrepreneurial ventures. You can take out loans with the Syndicate’s Trade Network at a 5% interest rate with a loan cap of 16000 credits.
- Profits from Syndicate-approved businesses increase by 50%.
- Gain the ability to lead 5d4 Analysts and oversee economic initiatives.
- Participate directly in choosing or becoming the Grand Overseer, the Syndicate’s ultimate leader.
Profit with purpose, power with precision.
The Clockwork Syndicate operates as the economic backbone of Dark Syde, seamlessly blending pragmatism with ambition. Tasked with governing trade, commerce, and resource allocation, the Syndicate ensures that the camp thrives amidst the chaos of the wastelands. Their operations are rooted in principles of efficiency and calculated risk, mirroring the structure and authority of the Covenant Council while maintaining their autonomy in business affairs. Driven by a dual purpose—securing wealth and power for the camp as well as themselves—the Syndicate is both respected and resented for its critical role. Though ultimately accountable to the Covenant Council, they enjoy significant latitude to manage economic matters as they see fit, ensuring their dominance over Dark Syde’s lifeblood: trade and resources. For many, the Clockwork Syndicate embodies the delicate balance between survival and ambition in a world rebuilt from ruin.
Your eyes are drawn to the massive central structure: a towering mechanism of gleaming brass and blackened iron, with a colossal clock face dominating its façade. Its hands tick steadily, a reminder of the Syndicate's unyielding march toward profit and order. Below, steam hisses from pipes, and a small train rumbles along a canal, delivering goods to an endless stream of eager merchants. The people here move with purpose, dressed in sharp suits or tailored work attire, their expressions a mixture of ambition and calculation. Even as you marvel at the grandeur, you can't shake the feeling that every cog and screw, every deal and handshake, is part of a machine far greater than you—a machine that would swallow you whole if you faltered.
Where Do I Fit In?
As a member of the Clockwork Syndicate, you are part of a shrewd and ambitious network of investors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who dominate through strategic planning and economic ingenuity. Your role in the Syndicate is as flexible as your aspirations, whether you are a newcomer learning the art of negotiation, an opportunist capitalizing on market gaps, or a seasoned tycoon managing sprawling ventures. The Syndicate values innovation, adaptability, and profit over rigid structure, allowing members to rise based on their acumen and contributions to the collective wealth and influence of the faction.
Whether you’re a Negotiator, brokering critical deals, a Financier, managing risky investments, or a Magnate, overseeing empires of trade and industry, there’s always room to grow. The Syndicate thrives on competition and collaboration, pushing its members to explore every avenue of opportunity and turn even the smallest advantage into monumental success. In the Syndicate, your power is measured by your ability to manipulate the flow of resources and dominate the marketplace.
General Biases
These are the biases that members of this faction typical hold.
Positive Biases
They favor those who are involved in business. This bias triggers for any character that has a business registered within Dark Syde.
Negative Biases
They dislike those who are not involved in business. This bias trigger for any character that doesn't have a registered business in Dark Syde.
Allies
Allies
Neutral
These factions are generally neutral towards each other. However, there are times that their trade and business practices conflict with each other. In these cases, they often get into conflicts over maintaining the balance for good business within the camp. Both factions want to ensure that they can continue to trade and sell their goods. The Rust Keepers generally don't register their businesses and because of this are not always held to the same business standards as the Clockwork Syndicate.
Comments
Author's Notes
Header and Logo images created using Dall-E. Other images from OpenArt.