About

Harpers are secretive spies, sleuths, and skalds who oppose evil throughout the Forgotten Realms. Harpers believe that power, fortune, and knowledge should be shared by all rather than hoarded by the few. They are disinterested in fame and glory—whatever they do, they do for the common good, with no expectation of reward.

Harpers employ magic, subterfuge, and wit to achieve their aims, preferably without arousing any suspicion of their interference. They favor subtle manipulation to overt action—a Harper is more likely to turn enemies against one another than to stick a dagger in a despot's back. Better yet is depriving bad actors of power in the first place, such as by securing dangerous magical weapons before they fall into the wrong hands. Yet for all their behind-the-scenes action, Harpers are well known among both downtrodden common folk, who laud them as heroes, and the forces of evil, who scorn them as meddlers.

Harper Code

Harpers follow a loose set of guiding ideals called the Harper code. Like the order itself, the code is in a state of constant flux, growing, shrinking, and changing to fit the needs of the time. But some tenets, such as fairness and equality, remain much as they were when the order was first founded.

Watchwords. The Harper code is organized into a system of phrases called watchwords. Harpers coin and recite watchwords to guide their actions in uncertain situations. Harpers exchange watchwords with one another as pass phrases or to verify identities. Senior Harpers pass down watchwords in their sacred rites of initiation and in the training of new recruits.

Some Harpers carry a small book in which they collect or pen watchwords, but the Harper code has no official canon. Still, a few watchwords are so common that all Harpers can be expected to know them. Examples include the following:

• No one is free until all are free.
• Whatever it takes, a Harper will do.
• Study the past to preserve the future.
• For freedom to flourish, there must be balance.

Joining the Harpers

A person doesn't simply become a Harper—they have to be chosen by a Harper to receive the honor. Harpers observe potential candidates from afar to assess their words and deeds. Candidates deemed worthy are approached by a Harper in disguise who poses a test of the individual's character. This test is typically a fabricated moral dilemma or a veiled choice between self-enrichment and self-sacrifice. To ensure their motives are true, a candidate shouldn't know they are being observed or tested.

A candidate who passes the secret test is eventually apprised of the gambit and invited to the Harpers. To join the order, the individual must swear an oath before a council of senior Harpers to uphold the Harper code. Once an individual swears this oath, they must uphold it for life.

Ex-Harpers are rare for two reasons. First, the process for testing new Harpers is rigorous enough to weed out most candidates unwilling to maintain the oath. Second, the punishment for betraying the Harpers is severe, summarized by this watchword: Traitors must die. The few Harpers who abandon their oath—or who commit an offense that doesn't warrant death—are cast out of the order. Atonement is sometimes possible, but it is a long and arduous endeavor.

Leadership and Organization

The Harpers are scattered, with neither a strict hierarchy nor a centralized place of command. Rather, they consist of many small cells and lone agents who operate within a vast, loose network. This open and resilient structure has enabled the Harpers to form, disband, and re-form many times in the history of the Realms.

As befits their ethos, there is no one leader of the Harpers. Authority and responsibility are shared equally among members. That said, veteran Harpers have broader access to useful contacts and greater knowledge of goings on simply by virtue of having been around longer, and novice Harpers tend to take missions and receive counsel from their more experienced peers.

Harpers have strong bonds with their fellow Harpers. Feuds or even friendly rivalries among members are rare. A Harper never hesitates to help a fellow Harper in need.

Harper Cells and Strongholds

Although they range across Faerûn, Harpers aren't a unified force. Some Harpers act mostly independently, but many belong to a local Harper cell—a collective of Harpers who share information and undertake missions together. These cells are differentiated by the location of their strongholds (if they have one), their local notoriety, and what parts of the Harper code they consider most important.

The Harpers of Twilight Hall in Berdusk, for example, work in coordinated groups to achieve long-range plans. Harpers based out of Silverymoon, on the other hand, emphasize the responsible use of magic and securing dangerous Artifacts. Yet another example is Harpers like those led by Storm Silverhand in Shadowdale: lone wolves who conduct themselves like secret agents.

High Harpers

Harpers are equal in rank with one notable exception: the High Harpers. These mysterious figures are responsible for the Harpers' long-term planning and the order's greatest campaigns against evil. High Harpers are voted into their position by a secret ballot among other High Harpers, who select candidates from among the order's most accomplished and capable individuals.

The High Harpers rarely convene, and when they do, it is a truly momentous—or dire—occasion. Someone who seeks an audience with the High Harpers might wait many moons before receiving their counsel, if it is ever granted. But the wait is worthwhile; the High Harpers' favor is a great honor and a tremendous resource.

Harper Personas

Harpers are masters of disguise and improvisation. The best Harpers develop a repertoire of false identities—called personas—to assume at a moment's notice. Veteran Harpers sometimes teach these personas to fellow Harpers or allies. Much in the way a knight might pass on their precious sword or shield to a squire, a Harper might bequeath the tale and attire of a persona to a less experienced Harper.

Harper personas share tropes or fall into recognizable archetypes. When allies recognize a persona, they realize it's a Harper and play along. When a persona becomes too well known, Harpers retire the character and develop a new one.

A character with a Disguise Kit can assume a Harper persona by succeeding on a DC 10 Charisma check to apply makeup. When you learn a persona in this way, you can roll on the Harper Personas table to randomly determine what persona you learn.

Harper Renown

Characters gain renown with the Harpers by completing Harper missions and upholding the Harper code. As their Renown Score with the Harpers increases, characters gain access to various perks, as shown on the Harpers Renown table. If your campaign doesn't use renown, your DM decides if and when characters earn these perks.

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