The Watchers

Organization for Greyhawk


I've always wondered about how places like Furyondy dealt with the issue of espionage. As a generally Lawful Good state there should some cultural distaste for the matter. However, we know that not everyone follows this, an alignment tendency is merely that. Plus, there is a need for counter-espionage given all the spies and saboteurs you would expect from that state's enemies.  The idea of a counter espionage organization in a LG culture sounded like an intriguing challenge.

I chose not to create a Prestige Class because I envisioned this organization to be centered on NPCs. A Prestige Class, on the other hand, is too centered on the PC. It also means expending much effort. Why spend the time to detail a Prestige Class when only the GM will see the stats? Plus it may give the players the wrong impression - that the campaign is all about espionage. Maybe a Prestige Class would be appropriate in the future but this will do for now.

Also, I believe that the organization logically has low level members who have a degree of authority despite their weak combat prowess. So I turn to the rules for creating PC Organizations outlined in the DMG2. It uses few rules additions and is less involved than a prestige class. At the same time, it is slightly more powerful than the Guild and gives more benefits which may attract higher level NPCs. Further on, this organization could be fleshed out and expanded to make it an attractive option for PCs.