Robert Jordan |
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Hopefully players will see the GM only tag and stay out. To start with I'll be running this AP for my Pathfinder group and I'm thinking there may need to be some GM handwaving when it comes to trust gain. Looking through the first book counting it up there are a total of 13 points obtainable in the adventure and in the article. Obviously you can inflate that with roleplay such as the suggestions of respecting the villagers, helping them out and other such things. I then re checked and noticed that every time the sun sets they lose 1 point of trust, any time someone dies they lose 1 if it happens to be their fault it's a whopping 6. So I have some ideas I'm working on in order to help the PCs actually get their trust score up to the point where it may even be possible to hit 31 trust. As it stands now it just seems that unless they hit that trust level, which requires a ton of events to happen practically right after they arrive, they probably won't see the 31 point trust level or even the 26 trust point.
1 talking down the mob in the restlands
1 giving an impressive speech at burial
2 stop the desecration without killing Gibs
1 befriending the children
3 Saving the Town Hall
1 Saving at least 1 villager from the fire
(those are from the adventure)
4 revealing the Ioun Stone to the moneylenders
(ravengro article)
Steel_Wind |
Yeah, the whole underlying crunch of the Trust points mechanism appears to have been incompletely implemented in the final manuscript that went to press.
No matter though, there are some easily implemented changes which address these shortcoming, while prserving the overall intent of the mechanism, imo.
I had already implemented some of the same changes you suggest -- though I think saving Gibs should be worth an automatic elevation to 31, as would the complete rescue of all townsfolk from the fire (again -- Trust moves to 31). If you prefer more granularity, move "saving Gibs" to +10 Trust and leave the fire to be the one moment the PCs can win it all.
In either case, the PCs should still be able to blow that earned Trust with poor choices after succeeding at either (or both) of these events, as I see it.
Sunderstone |
Good catch!
I was thinking it would be real tight for the average party to reach 31 without handling the events perfectly. I'll just make each event that awards 1 trust point to award 2, everything else will stay the same except...
Robert Jordan |
I'm glad I wasn't alone in feeling that there weren't a whole lot of scripted gains. I'd like to think we're all competent GMs so I don't forsee a huge issue, after all with the community here on the forums we can always brainstorm and post what we do so those who follow can have extra trust gaining encounters! :)
Overcast |
I'm glad I wasn't alone in feeling that there weren't a whole lot of scripted gains. I'd like to think we're all competent GMs so I don't forsee a huge issue, after all with the community here on the forums we can always brainstorm and post what we do so those who follow can have extra trust gaining encounters! :)
Personally I'm going to be doing away with the Trust mechanic by and large. I don't need a sliding numerical scale to let me know as a GM how the townspeople will react to the PCs. I can base the interactions on PC RP and PC choices that affect the town. Social mechanics like this have a way of bogging down the game in numbers, much like they did in Kingmaker. As a group, we decided to do away with BP and similar mechanics in Kingmaker and found the campaign to flow far more smoothly after that. I see no reason not to do the same thing here.
Ullapool |
This is perhaps the dumbest question, but I didn't see it stated on my first glance through the text.
Is the trust mechanic entirely hidden from the PCs?
Do you suggest, as DM, letting the PCs know (more than usual) that you are keeping "score"?
Would you reveal the actual numerical value or even let on that a certain action caused a change in trust (plus or minus)?
Or is this entirely behind the DM screen?
I fear if I let on that I will be calculating something called trust the PCs might act in a way that they MIGHT not have acted had they not known I was keeping tabs.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Sunderstone |
This is perhaps the dumbest question, but I didn't see it stated on my first glance through the text.
Is the trust mechanic entirely hidden from the PCs?
Do you suggest, as DM, letting the PCs know (more than usual) that you are keeping "score"?
Would you reveal the actual numerical value or even let on that a certain action caused a change in trust (plus or minus)?
Or is this entirely behind the DM screen?
I fear if I let on that I will be calculating something called trust the PCs might act in a way that they MIGHT not have acted had they not known I was keeping tabs.
Thanks for your thoughts!
It's hidden, I wouldn't tell your players
Liane Merciel Contributor |
anthrorob |
My thoughts:
Second, there is some wiggle room in my game for exceptional roll-playing the "trustworthiness" of the PCs and could grant a +1 or +2 for that).
Finally, I might not start the -1 per day event until the locals are truly terrified (after the fire). This is because the novelty of the new people to gossip about outweighs the loss of trust...at least that is how I rationalize it.
Now to come up with some additional stuff to fill up their days.
AR
SkyGuard |
Reckless wrote:I'd suggest that they get +1 trust at sunset instead of -1, as the townsfolk get to know them better the longer they stay.I thought the same. It makes sense, so much so that I wonder if it isn't a typo, that minus.
That would make a lot more sense then the -1.
cynarion |
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From my reading of the AP, the loss of a point of Trust each day at sunset is a result of the insidious influence of Harrowstone; as the horrific nightmares and uneasiness terrify the locals, they become more insular and suspicious and are driven to more unpleasant acts (see Gibbs for the perfect example).
As the unquiet spirits at Harrowstone increasingly exert their control over the people of Ravengro the PCs should find it increasingly difficult to get straight answers from them, so the loss of Trust makes sense in that context.
That doesn't mean I'm not concerned that there aren't enough opportunities to gain Trust. I think I will most likely reward PCs for doing simpler tasks, as many of the Trust gains are somehow related to the main quest path. Helping an old lady out with some repair work at her home, rescuing a kid from a spooked runaway horse, or even diagnosing and defeating a poltergeist that has been bothering someone for months are all ways the PCs could gain Trust without necessarily progressing the main quest, ranging from completely mundane (the repairs) to potentially being related to Harrowstone (the poltergeist).
Berinor |
Siobharek wrote:That would make a lot more sense then the -1. ** spoiler omitted **Reckless wrote:I'd suggest that they get +1 trust at sunset instead of -1, as the townsfolk get to know them better the longer they stay.I thought the same. It makes sense, so much so that I wonder if it isn't a typo, that minus.
Kevin Cannell |
I got the impression that it was not *necessary* for the party to get to 31 trust or higher to complete the adventure, but that it would just make things easier.
I sincerely doubt my players will, unless they make it a goal to "make every one of these gosh darned villagers trust us."
And that's ok! They can still be heroes. In a haunted town like Ravengro, smack dab in the middle of Ustalav, a nation that already has major trust issues with outsiders, I think it would be weird if most groups were able to obtain that level of trust without going above and beyond what is listed in the adventure.
F. Wesley Schneider Contributor |
Turey |
I was going to have any day where the characters were out in town, being friendly, and generally showing the townsfolk that they're not horrible people counteract the -1 Trust for that day. So those days where they spend all day in the prison and come back out in the dead of night covered in spider bits and zombie gore? They lose a Trust point on those days.
But the days where they're walking around town, doing a bit of research, and generally being friendly people? That should be enough to counteract the Splatter Man's influence on the townsfolk.
And the days when they are running around town, helping Kendra figure out what she wants to do for her livelihood and helping her get a business set up? When they help clean off the latest public defacement by Gibs? Those are the days they gain a Trust point.
Although this may all be a moot point, as my players are playing a pair of "nice men" from the Ustalav Construction Mafia (which started with the Carrion Hill module, where the PCs are muscling in on a new competitor in the brick business.)
Solrenevermead |
I have to ask after reading the haunting is the trust mechanic implemented the way it was intended to work? there are far more ways to lose points than to gain them. In fact after doing some number crunching the party is going to end up with less points than it started. #1 reason is the prison will take more than one day and if the party is in the prison then they aren't helping or rping with the town. thus its a net loss of one trust point per day. so in essence they are being punished for doing what they are supposed to be doing. also it puts too much stress on getting the prison cleared and may lead to party trying to tackle it before they are ready. basically is there something that got left out or forgotten or am I not interpreting how it works correctly?
Thod |
Thanks to the OP for bringing this up. I'm just starting a PBP and I did notice the dearness of Trust points. I hadn't yet spotted the -1/sunset and that there is a total of only 13 to be gained throughout without GMs fudging it.
Actually what this means is:
Under perfect circumstances they are run out on the morning of day 34.
20 trust to start
13 to gain if you get each single one
-33 for the 33rd sunset
Killing even a single character means you are run out of town a lot earlier.
While I like the concept - the math seems awfully wrong. Would be nice to hear an official comment.
Thod
Edit: A quick table assuming all 13 possible trust points are gained on day 1.
Best possible condition
Never - Admired condition
Day 1-3 - Trusted condition
Day 4-8 - Liked
Day 9-13 - Neutral
Day 14-18 Disliked
Day 19-33 Loathed
Day 34+ Hated
OmegaZ |
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I agree with what many above me have said. This is Ustalav, you're not going to get most people to like you, let alone trust you. Ravengro is an insular, superstitious, and gossipy town. The -1 at the end of each day makes sense, given all of this.
That being said, I would allow players to gain trust through good roleplaying and their character concepts. Playing a Varisian follower of Pharasma? Gonna be easier to gain trust or you get +1 just for your character. Playing a half-orc barbarian/summoner? Don't expect to get much trust from people. Might even make some townsfolk into "wandering monsters" when in Ravengro and the surrounding area. Also, the fact that you don't gain any trust by exorcising Harrowstone is stupid. I would give +5 trust at least for that.
wraithstrike |
I agree with what many above me have said. This is Ustalav, you're not going to get most people to like you, let alone trust you. Ravengro is an insular, superstitious, and gossipy town. The -1 at the end of each day makes sense, given all of this.
That being said, I would allow players to gain trust through good roleplaying and their character concepts. Playing a Varisian follower of Pharasma? Gonna be easier to gain trust or you get +1 just for your character. Playing a half-orc barbarian/summoner? Don't expect to get much trust from people. Might even make some townsfolk into "wandering monsters" when in Ravengro and the surrounding area. Also, the fact that you don't gain any trust by exorcising Harrowstone is stupid. I would give +5 trust at least for that.
For some reason I assumed exorcising Harrowstone got you points. I will change that when my game starts.
Toadkiller Dog |
I agree with what many above me have said. This is Ustalav, you're not going to get most people to like you, let alone trust you. Ravengro is an insular, superstitious, and gossipy town. The -1 at the end of each day makes sense, given all of this.
Yeah, my group will have a Tiefling and a Half-Orc... Don't think they'll be makin many friends. Not sure if they'll want to. I think I'll just adjust Angry Mob reaction to merchants and inkeepers refusing them service (unless they made a particulary good impression).
That being said, I would allow players to gain trust through good roleplaying and their character concepts. Playing a Varisian follower of Pharasma? Gonna be easier to gain trust or you get +1 just for your character. Playing a half-orc barbarian/summoner? Don't expect to get much trust from people. Might even make some townsfolk into "wandering monsters" when in Ravengro and the surrounding area. Also, the fact that you don't gain any trust by exorcising Harrowstone is stupid. I would give +5 trust at least for that.
If they're leaving Ravengro for the university that Lorimore sent them to and not coming back, does it realy matter?
wraithstrike |
OmegaZ wrote:I agree with what many above me have said. This is Ustalav, you're not going to get most people to like you, let alone trust you. Ravengro is an insular, superstitious, and gossipy town. The -1 at the end of each day makes sense, given all of this.Yeah, my group will have a Tiefling and a Half-Orc... Don't think they'll be makin many friends. Not sure if they'll want to. I think I'll just adjust Angry Mob reaction to merchants and inkeepers refusing them service (unless they made a particulary good impression).
Quote:That being said, I would allow players to gain trust through good roleplaying and their character concepts. Playing a Varisian follower of Pharasma? Gonna be easier to gain trust or you get +1 just for your character. Playing a half-orc barbarian/summoner? Don't expect to get much trust from people. Might even make some townsfolk into "wandering monsters" when in Ravengro and the surrounding area. Also, the fact that you don't gain any trust by exorcising Harrowstone is stupid. I would give +5 trust at least for that.If they're leaving Ravengro for the university that Lorimore sent them to and not coming back, does it realy matter?
I played a tiefing in CoT. I had to get another party member to do all of the shopping for me.
Douglas Muir 406 |
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For some reason I assumed exorcising Harrowstone got you points. I will change that when my game starts.
"Hey, we killed all the boss ghosts and monsters and vermin and things up in the old jail, so all the weird scary stuff that's been happening in town lately? will stop now. Cool?"
"Go away now, stranger. Go away."
...
Doug M.
Thod |
Another issue is the XP award.
You are supposed to get 1600 XP for being admired. As I showed - this is impossible to ever reach.
800 XP for being trusted. While technically possible, you have to achieve this in the first three days. How many groups will manage to finish acts 1-3 completely in the first three days?
That leaves the 400 XP to make them liked that seem the only XP award that reasonable can be achieved right now in a group that plays very well.
Thod
OmegaZ |
@Toadkiller Dog: True, if the Trust mechanic only applies to Ravengro or the Trust points don't "roll-over" it probably won't matter much. If they do apply later in the game and the PCs got to a certain level (especially after they beat Harrowstone) I would probably have one of the Council members write a letter of recommendation for the PCs or something like that. That would give the PCs an extra +x in the next book. That way it doesn't feel like they did all that work for no mechanical gain, outside of XP and makes them more inclined to keep trying to be trustworthy.
Toadkiller Dog |
One of the paizo folk said in this very topic:
Mortagon wrote:I was curious, will the trust mechanic be used throughout the AP or is it reserved just for Ravengro in part 1?Just the first.
Reading more and more about it, this Trust system seems to be seriously flawed and I find it strange why didn't we hear from paizo to help us solve this issue?
Thod |
Reading more and more about it, this Trust system seems to be seriously flawed and I find it strange why didn't we hear from paizo to help us solve this issue?
I guess the issue is - the AP is pretty new. Not many groups will have played up to a state in the AP where it becomes obvious that the whole system as written doesnt work at all.
Paizo is pretty good in answering to issues and they read through many posts. But I guess no power to be has yet read this thread and the outcry isn't big enough yet.
Does anyone know a good way to flag this with Paizo?
Thod
Edit: I might just try and flag my own post. Not sure this if this will be frowned upon as it is rather meant to flag breaches of the posting guidelines. Well - all that can happen is that I get told off and my post gets deleted.
Edit2: there is no useful category - and I didn't wan bred some false reporting ... Anyone a better idea?
wraithstrike |
wraithstrike wrote:
For some reason I assumed exorcising Harrowstone got you points. I will change that when my game starts."Hey, we killed all the boss ghosts and monsters and vermin and things up in the old jail, so all the weird scary stuff that's been happening in town lately? will stop now. Cool?"
"Go away now, stranger. Go away."
...
Doug M.
LoL. I know the town is very suspicious of everyone, but if they were that ungrateful I wouldn't talk to them if I were a player.
I will give somewhere between 5 and 10 points for the taking care of the ghost issue.Calixymenthillian |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I think this is supposed to be really hard, but they may have made it harder than what people wanted it to be. I will probably tone it down to every 2 days losing one point to see if that works.
I'm tempted to reduce it to the loss one point each time Event 1 occurs, when I run this.
Overcast |
I had serious questions about the Trust mechanic as well, and then realized it was completely superfluous after the first session we ran yesterday? Why? Well mostly because this is a world where there is more than simple neighborly relations at work. Namely, the spell Charm Person, which most arcane casters should have standard at first level. The Temple of Pharasma won't let you in to view the archives? Well, Charm Person will take care of that. Repeat ad nauseum. Instead of fighting against the PCs and insisting that only the Trust mechanic be used (not that they know about it, it's that ignorance of it that's causing them to resort to magic to allay the villager's suspicions), I'm just going with it. After all, simple village peasants really should be no match for a well-placed charm followed up by some good old Diplomacy.
Besides, in a party with a full-blooded orc, 2 dhampir's and a necromancer, they need all the help they can get on the social front.
XperimentalDM |
From my reading of the AP, the loss of a point of Trust each day at sunset is a result of the insidious influence of Harrowstone; as the horrific nightmares and uneasiness terrify the locals, they become more insular and suspicious and are driven to more unpleasant acts (see Gibbs for the perfect example).
As the unquiet spirits at Harrowstone increasingly exert their control over the people of Ravengro the PCs should find it increasingly difficult to get straight answers from them, so the loss of Trust makes sense in that context.
...
That was my thought as well.
Jon Kines |
Hopefully players will see the GM only tag and stay out. To start with I'll be running this AP for my Pathfinder group and I'm thinking there may need to be some GM handwaving when it comes to trust gain. Looking through the first book counting it up there are a total of 13 points obtainable in the adventure and in the article. Obviously you can inflate that with roleplay such as the suggestions of respecting the villagers, helping them out and other such things. I then re checked and noticed that every time the sun sets they lose 1 point of trust, any time someone dies they lose 1 if it happens to be their fault it's a whopping 6. So I have some ideas I'm working on in order to help the PCs actually get their trust score up to the point where it may even be possible to hit 31 trust. As it stands now it just seems that unless they hit that trust level, which requires a ton of events to happen practically right after they arrive, they probably won't see the 31 point trust level or even the 26 trust point.
** spoiler omitted **
I'm making some modifications to the trust system for our upcoming Carrion Crown campaign, and decided to share some of my thoughts thus far on this board. Thoughts and comments always welcome, a few more weeks before we start so I've got time to make adjustments.
I've made a few changes to the trust system. First of all rather than the PC's losing a trust point every night (I mean come on they save the town hall from burning to the ground then lose trust a few hours later?!) they lose a trust point every time the statue is defaced and another letter is spelled out of Vesorianna's name. This seems to make more sense to me, as although the pc's are endearing themselves to the town through heroic actions, the bloody defacements are a horrid and stark reminder of the evil that dwells.
Secondly, I've increased all the trust rewards included in the module by 1 except the identification of the ioun stone which I reduced to 3. I personally feel saving the town hall from burning merits a 5, while being honest about identifying an item, 4 is a bit much, 3 seems about right.
Lastly, I'm designing one side plot for each character, tailored to their own strengths and weaknesses, each of which will earn the party 1-3 trust points based on how they perform. (Converesely if they totally make a mess of it, they could feasibly lose 1-3 trust points but I doubt that since I have an experienced group).
Here are some examples of simple side plots tailored to each class, I did one for the 4 main archetypes below as most of these can be adjusted or tweaked to fit hybrids. In addition to allowing the party to accrue more trust points on their own merits, these also allow you to segue into other side plots to flesh out the town using these tasks for the hook.
Fighter: Strength is combat and tactics, and most likely weak in everything else. Perhaps the moneylenders need a guard for a courier, or perhaps they would like him to train their own guardsmen to be more skilled at arms, or maybe just a guard has fallen ill or had too much ale at the laughing demon the night before and they need someone to cover a watch.
Cleric: Probably best for a priestly type to be given a task by the local church. Perhaps there is an outbreak of illness and they need help tending to the sick, or perhaps they have uncovered some ancient religious text or prophecy in the vaults or archives which need help translating. Or maybe a villager has become possessed and they seek his or her help to perform an exorcism. Lots of opportunities for spinoff plots here.
Rogue: Rogues excel as scouts, and as such I would probably have the sheriff come to them to assist with an investigation of some sort. This could be used to segue into the murder mystery sideplot I outlined earlier (descendant of one who was sentenced to murder for a crime they didn't commit and died in the Harrowstone fire, haunting descendant to exact vengeance upon the town) quite easily.
Wizard: Probably best for Kendra Lorrimor to come to the wizard for aid or perhaps the hedge wizard at the unfurling scroll, perhaps Kendra has located a hidden cache of dark prophecies (one idea would be an ancient prophecy tying the haunting of harrowstone to the Whispering Tyrant breaking free from imprisonment), she is afraid to investigate alone and seeks his or her aid. Other possibilities include the hedge wizard at the unfurling scroll seeking aid identifying an item (alternatively this would be a great opportunity to introduce the flesh golem manaul he has obtained and figured out is stolen and belongs to an npc the party will meet in the next adventure). Also perhaps he is sensing something is not quite right in the town with regards to the impending alchemical plague and seeks help in figuring it out and putting a stop to it.
Additionally, I've included one more potential side plot. One of the councilmembers was a royal accuser who the module notes thought a defendant was innocent but was played for a fool and thus lost her position. What if there is more to this than meets the eye? What if she was in fact blackmailed and seeks the help of the pc's to clear her name and restore her position. Alternatively, what if she was bribed and harbors either guilt over allowing a murderer to go free for profit or paranoia that the truth will be found out. Perhaps most insidiously, what if it was a conspiracy, and she is an agent of a larger nefarious plot? Tons of opportunities to flesh out this character in a multitude of ways, or if you really want a layered gothic storyline, some combination of several or all of the above.
Jon Kines |
Robert Jordan wrote:Hopefully players will see the GM only tag and stay out. To start with I'll be running this AP for my Pathfinder group and I'm thinking there may need to be some GM handwaving when it comes to trust gain. Looking through the first book counting it up there are a total of 13 points obtainable in the adventure and in the article. Obviously you can inflate that with roleplay such as the suggestions of respecting the villagers, helping them out and other such things. I then re checked and noticed that every time the sun sets they lose 1 point of trust, any time someone dies they lose 1 if it happens to be their fault it's a whopping 6. So I have some ideas I'm working on in order to help the PCs actually get their trust score up to the point where it may even be possible to hit 31 trust. As it stands now it just seems that unless they hit that trust level, which requires a ton of events to happen practically right after they arrive, they probably won't see the 31 point trust level or even the 26 trust point.
** spoiler omitted **
I'm making some modifications to the trust system for our upcoming Carrion Crown campaign, and decided to share some of my thoughts thus far on this board. Thoughts and comments always welcome, a few more weeks before we start so I've got time to make adjustments.
** spoiler omitted **...
Couple of things I forgot to add
Every murder that occurs before the aforementioned investigation is solved causes the loss of one trust point.
As for the alchemical plague, I forgot to explain that side plot I've been working on. I've added to the suggestions in the AP that the alchemist is more than she appears to be and is selling illicit drugs on the side. I've made her an agent of the Whispering Way who has concocted an alchemical plague that can turn victims into Lebendtods. Lebendtods are a special type of undead that first appeared in Ravenloft. I plan to use them as a recurring side plot throughout Carrion Crown, an excerpt of their description from Ravenloft is included below, but basically this side plot will have a "Who Goes There" by John W. Campbell feel, the short story that inspired "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "The Thing."
Depending on how the Harrowstone portion of this side plot transpires, my PC's will have opportunities to both gain and lose trust points.
Basically this will be a recurring hook for side plots in each AP, and just add a little dark and spooky flavor as seems fit. It also has the benefit of making the nefarious plots of the Whispering Way a tad more ubiquitous and insidious, should the need arise to remind the pcs of the horrors enveloping them. The fact that Lebendtod translates as a modular template makes them even more appealing in terms of scaleability for recurring side plots.
Here's an excerpt on Lebendtod from the Ship of Horrors Ravenloft module.
"The lebendtod are a greatly feared form of undead, once believed to exist only in rare and isolated instances. Reports of them have increased suddenly, however, and many experts now fear that the lebendtod are more common and wide-spread than previously
believed. The ability of the lebendtod to mask their true nature has apparently kept their existence secret for decades, perhaps centuries.
Lebendtod exist as they did in life. They maintain family units, occupations and skilled trades. They continue their lifestyles as they did before, except that they are at the beck and call of the necromancer who created them (or their “ancestor”). If the necromancer is killed and becomes a form of undead, they continue to serve him.
Entire villages of lebendtod have been reported, since the lebendtod can continue to exist for years and decades. Lebendtod have the ability to hide their undead nature. Twice per day, they can will themselves to resemble their former selves before their death.This change lasts until the lebendtod chooses to cancel it or until the lebendtod is struck
by a magical weapon or spell. When this occurs, the lebendtod is transformed to his or her undead appearance (similar to that of a ghast), to the shock and horror of all who witness
the change.
The first lebendtod were created by a powerful necromancer. Thrilled with his new servants, he gave his creations the ability to turn their victims into lebendtod in order to propagate the “species”. Any lebendtod can create another lebendtod by killing a victim
and breathing into its mouth as the victim breathes its last breath. The victim must then be isolated and left undisturbed for 72 hours. If these conditions are met, the victim awakens as a lebendtod. If the body is disturbed before 72 hours have elapsed, the victim awakens as a ghast. If the victim breathes its last breath before the lebendtod can breathe
into the victim, the victim dies normally. Only a wish spell can restore a lebendtod to normal life.
Combat: Lebendtod can attack with claw/claw/bite or with a weapon they wielded in life.Damage is normal for the type of weapon used.
Lebendtod also have the ability to detach and reattach their limbs and head at will.They sometimes do this to frighten their enemies, sometimes to use the severed part as a weapon, and sometimes to remove a severely damaged limb. Rumors exist of evil wizards disassembling lebendtod, packing them in crates and shipping them into a city or castle,
where the lebendtod reassemble themselves and attack the inhabitants.
Lebendtod are immune to sleep, hold, and charm spells. Cold-based attacks slow lebendtod for 2d4 rounds. Lebendtod suffer half damage from normal weapons and full damage from magical weapons.
Habitat/Society: Lebendtod maintain the lifestyles they followed in life. They age extremely slowly, appearing to age only one year per decade. A lebendtod gains 1 Hit Die per 10 years of actual age. Thus, a person who dies at age 30 then lives 50 years as a
lebendtod will appear to be 35 years old. Lebendtod do not gain Hit Dice beyond 100 years of age.Lebendtod retain the skills and abilities they had in life.
Ecology: Lebendtod can be created by magic-users or by the lebendtod themselves.They do not reproduce in the manner of living demihumans."
Tacticslion |
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So, I figure I'll put down my heavy modifications to the Trust Mechanic. Critiques are not only welcome, but desired.
Bump down one more to keep things neater.
Ravengro Trust Chart
Trust (Emotion)/Price Change/Diplomacy/Reaction
0 (Hated)/Not Applicable/Not Applicable/Angry Mob
1-15 (Loathed)/+20%/-4/Doors Closed and Windows Drawn as they Pass
16-20 (Disliked)/+10%/-2/-
21-25 (Neutral)/-/+0/-
26-30 (Liked)/-5%/+2/Friendly Locals
31-35 (Trusted)/-10%/+4/Free Healing
36-40 (Admired)/-20%/+6/Cohort
41-45 (Loved)/-40%/+8/Leadership
46+ (Revered)/See Below/+10/StatuesAt 36 or higher Trust, the PCs have the ability to acquire one or more cohort from the town on their adventures (although rarely more than one at once, and rarely the same one more than once).
At 41 or higher, each of the PCs the PCs effectively gain the Leadership feat within the town. They gain a Leadership score with a bonus equal to their Diplomacy modifier. This only functions in Ravengro.
At 46 or higher Trust (an exceedingly difficult task), the people of Ravengro revere the PCs; they are often given things at cost, or even for free, depending on the item or service. When possible, the people will erect a statue of them to honor how they saved the town from destruction (once they have).
At 51 or higher Trust (a nearly impossible task), the fame of the PCs spreads beyond just Ravengro; their reputations grant them a +1 bonus to charisma-based checks, +1 per five points beyond 51 (56, 61, 66, 71, etc) throughout the adventure (-1 per adventure after the first to a minimum of 0). They may also acquire a cohort that travels with them from Ravengro (including Kendra, Shanda, a few temple acolytes or deputies, and, potentially, a few others).
Trust/Quest/Amount
Days spent haunted <-1/day penalty>
Letter's Spelled <-1-1d4 per event>
Town Square:
~ befriending the children (+1 or +2)
~ 5***
Posting Poles:
~ pet-finders (3***)
~ 1** (farmer), 2*** (pests)
The Laughing Demon:
~ 1** (cook), 4*, 5**
Ravengro Town Hall:
~ In-game Event (See for details) <+15 if they help; 56 people (-1/death, -2 if Town Hall is lost)>
Temple of Pharasma:
~ telling of the Cache (if proven) (+1 or +2)
~ 2 (undead)
Ravengro General Store:
~ 1***, 4**, 5****
Ravengro Forge:
~ helping her work through her issues (or solving them) (+1 or +2)
~ 1**, 5****
Jominda's Apothacary:
~ help Jominda "fix" her "problem" with the Sherriff...(+1)
~ 1*, 4*, 5*
Ravengro Jail:
~ ... help the Sherriff "fix" his "problem" with Jominda (+1, see above)
~ 1**, 5*
~ help the deputies collect taxes (+1 or +2)
Silk Purse:
~ reveal the truth of the ioun stone (+3 or 4)
~ 1**, 5*
The Outward Inn:
~ 1**,4*,5**
Unfurling Scroll:
~ 1*, 5**
Council Member's Home:
~ completing the will (Vashian Hearthmount) (+1)
~ help the town flourish (1/8 of "5" completed) (Mirta)
~ help Shanda regain confidence or even her old job (+1 or +2)
~ share camaraderie with (get to helpful) (+1)
Lorrimor Place:
~ 5**
Harrowstone Memorial:
~ 5**
Restlands:
~ talk the mob out of a fight (+1 or +2)
~ give a moving speech at the burial (+1 or +2)
~ end the "Restless Dead" event (3***)
Gibs Hepenus' Shack:
~ stop Gibs without killing him (+2 or +3)
Harrowstone:
~ Defeating the five (and/or empowering Vesorianna) (+5 or +9)* you can gain a maximum trust bonus this way equal to the number of asterisks there are ; no asterisk is no maximum
(1): hiring out: +1/week of hard, good work
(2): destroy creatures: +1/CR [treat all creatures destroyed in a given area's quest as if it were a single encounter for determining the total Trust generated]
(3): +1 each time this event is completed
(4): being good customers: +1/100 gold spent, maximum +2 per week
(5): generous assistance: +1/10 gold value of free service given
In cases where multiple values are listed, they need to pass a basic diplomacy or charisma check (or, if a check is listed, they need to exceed the DC by 5 or more); upon a success they get the higher value, on a failure, they get the lower one (the lower one represents a minimum for completing an event, regardless of their charisma stuff).
Speaking of Charisma, the characters add the party's highest charisma modifier to their total Trust score (no one else's - just the highest).
Hiring out per week is gains a point for each PC that does so.
The "+2 per week" limitation on the "4" activities applies across all of the locations with a "4". The idea is, spending money in the town is good, but spending excessively doesn't really generate friends.
If I've not mentioned anything, it's the same as in the AP rules.
Now, there are a metric ton of ways that PCs can gain trust up there. Far more than enough. Some might say, "too much!"
Well, to them, I say, "So don't use all of 'em!"
One of the best things about adding too many bonuses is that it's far easier to take away than to add (to me).
Also, you may desire examples. What's an example of a "5" Trust-gaining activity in the Town Square? Taking care of Old River, the Town Dog: take good care of him, help him out, feed him, maybe even make a nicer bed or place to stay or something similar.