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Since I started playing my Jade Regent Campaign in 2021 it got quicky very obviously, that the original Caravan Rules are a mess on higher levels and become unfair for the party. Sadly, I really liked this second game mechanics, so I startet to adjust the Caravan rules. Now my campaign nearly comes to an end and I can say, those rules are playtested now and at least for my group: they worked!

I made them a combination of the original Caravan rules, threads I found here and homebrew (feel free to use those, they worked up to level 18 – until the Caravan was left at Seinaro Heikiko (I used the “fast” XP track for the AP)).

Hot tip: Don’t invest in AC, at higher levels the monsters hit the caravan anyway, invest in hp of the caravan (via masterwork wagons, number of wagons, wagon reinforcements and “Caravan Toughness” feat), in attack and damage (buy “First Strike” and “Increased Damage” feats plus invest in masterwork Ballista (at least two, better four) and create magic weapons out of those [+1 flaming for example] (see below)). Max out Security first and Resolve second: this will help you in most situations.

Caravan Rules:
- A caravan has its own statistics: It has primary statistics: Offense (inflict damage), Defense (withstand damage), Mobility (navigate terrain) and Morale (attitude and loyalty). The starting primary statistic is 1, the highest value 10. With the “Enhanced Caravan” feat this value can be raised to a maximum of 15, roles add without a total maximum. Those primary statistics influence derived statistics: Attack (1d20 + Offensive + bonus granted by travelers, equipment, feats, wagons and other sources), Armor Class (1d20 + Defense + bonus granted by travelers, equipment, feats, wagons and other sources – armored and masterwork wagons add their bonuses to the caravan AC up to a maximum of +12 ); Security (1d20 + Mobility + bonus granted by travelers, equipment, feats, wagons and other sources) and Resolve (1d20 + Morale + bonus granted by travelers, equipment, feats, wagons and other sources)

- A caravan has the level of the highest PC. On every level up, the caravan improves as following :

  • * choose one new feat,
  • * +1 to one primary statistic (Offense, Defense, Mobility or Morale),
  • * add +1 damage on every level,
  • * add +1d6 damage on any odd-numbered level beginning at 3rd,
  • * add +1 on Repair checks and Trade checks (see below)

- A caravan can have up to 5 wagons (“Extra Wagons” feat -increases that maximum by two up to three times to an overall maximum of 11 wagons)

- All passengers can do one job per day (can be switched once per day): Cook, Driver, Entertainer, Fortune-Teller, Guard, Guide, Healer, Hero, Passenger, Spellcaster, Trader or Wainwright. They have to fulfill requirements (see original rules). Hero is for PCs only (up to 4) and does not count as a job, to choose the “Spellcaster” role, the person must be able to provide spells fitting to the copied job. Persons with an Item creation feat can craft items, but at full speed only, if the caravan is resting 24h, otherwise half speed, if the caravan is moving and the person has no other caravan job or ¼ speed alongside a caravan job (1/2 speed, while the caravan is resting 24h and they have still a caravan job - see rules for adventuring and crafting)

- No caravan can move without a driver, without a fortune-teller the caravan suffers a -2 penalty to all Attack rolls, Security and Resolve checks. (Maybe you should add: “Without a guide, the caravan suffers a -2 penalty to Security and Resolve checks. This improves to -4 on High Ice and -8 within the Boreal Expanse (or -6 in wastelands, as you wish).” - otherwise recruiting Ulf makes no sense at all)

- A caravan can only carry the maximum of the indicated traveler or cargo capacity

Movement:
- A caravan can move 32 miles per day (can be increased 3x by the “Faster” feat or “Enhanced Undercarriage” (1x per wagon – this does NOT decrease cargo capacity). This rate is valid for roads and increases cross-country, at night or in hills, mountains or forests (see Overland Movement). It can be additionally enhanced or reduced by encounters like bad weather, with fatigue or exhaustion

- Fatigue: -2 penalty to all rolls and base speed halved
- Exhaustion : -6 penalty to all rolls and cannot move

- A caravan moves 12 hours and rests 12 hours. If it moves longer, it automatically is fatigued and roles 1/ hour for exhaustion (DC 15 Security check +1 per check)

- Every complete day resting far from of some kind of settlement, a lost horse train or wagon, a killed traveler or if the caravan is reduced to 25% of its hp potentially produces Unrest (roll a Resolve check DC 20 + caravans current Unrest score). Unrest: see original rules

Consumption:

- The caravan costs consumption per day: 1/ passenger (including companions, but not familiars) + the number noted under “wagons”/ wagon + possible bonuses or penalties (Stores: 5 gp/ Unit)

If a Caravan doesn’t provide enough food to cover the consumption, it takes 1d6 damage and is fatigued. The caravan can’t be repaired until enough food can be provided. Otherwise, the caravan takes damage twice per day until either enough stores are available or the hp reach zero (effectively destroying the caravan). The caravan can be fed magically by casting the following spells (10 units provisions = 1 cargo unit stores) – all magically created rations must be consumed on the day the spell was cast:

  • * Goodberry (1 unit provisions)
  • * Create food and water (1 unit provisions/ 2 caster level)
  • * Bountiful banquet (1 unit provisions/ caster level)
  • * Hero's feast (1 unit provisions/ caster level + additional effects)

Repair:
If the caravan takes damage, it should be repaired. A caravan with zero hp is effectively destroyed. A repair check (Security + caravan level) made by a wainwright uses up 1 cargo unit repair materials and takes one day. Up to 5 wainwrights can repair a caravan per day. The caravan repairs as much hit points as the overall result, the “Efficient Repairs” feat provides a bonus of +2 (max. 3x). A wagon cannot be repaired without enough repair materials (Repair Materials: 25 gp). The caravan can get free Repair Materials with the “Scavengers” Feat. The caravan can be repaired magically, but this still uses one cargo unit repair materials. Following spells can be cast to repair a wagon:

  • * Mending (does not function on the caravan)
  • * Make Whole (+1 to a Caravan Repair Check and heals the result +1d6 hp)
  • * Minor Creation, Make Whole, Greater or Wood Shape (+2 to a Caravan Repair Check and heals the result +2d6 hp)
  • * Fabricate or Major Creation (+3 to a Caravan Repair Check and heals the result +3d6 hp)
  • * Hammer of Mending (+5 to a Caravan Repair Check and heals the result +1d6/ 2 caster levels hp)

Trade:
the caravan can trade in any settlement: up to 5 Traiders roll Resolve + Caravan level (and get the overall result in gp, see “trade goods” below). The Caravan looses 1 Cargo Unit (cu) trade goods per check. Per difference between settlements where the trade good was bought and is sold, add +2 to the check. The “Expert Trader” feat (prerequisite: 5 Morale, can be bought once) doubles the amount of gold, the “Merchant mastery” feat adds +5 to the Trade Resolve checks (can be bought up to 3x). Following trade goods can be bought (selling them up to the purchase limit of the settlement):

  • * Common Trade Goods: 10 gp/ cu --> Trade Check Result x1 (purchase: any Settlement, max. to Base Value)
  • * Uncommon Trade Goods: 25 gp/ cu --> Trade Check Result x2.5 (purchase: Village+ only, max. to Base Value)
  • * Rare Trade Goods: 50 gp/ cu --> Trade Check Result x5 (purchase: large Town+ only, max. 10 cu/ Settlement)
  • * Exotic Trade Goods: 100 gp/ cu --> Trade Check Result x10 (purchase: Large City+ only, max. 5 cu/ Settlement)
  • * Very Exotic Trade Goods: 500 gp/ cu --> Trade Check Result x50 (purchase: Metropolis or special only, max. 1 cu/ Settlement)
  • * Treasure: varies by treasure (50 pounds = 1 cargo unit) (purchase: none)

- Settlements which are famous for some kind of goods can differ from the model above.
Example: Ravenmoor: Village, but famous for exquisite wine. There can be bought: up to 10x Ravenmoor vintage wine (rare), up to 5x Ravenmoor superior quality wine (exotic) and/ or (DMs decision) up to 1x Ravenmoor select berry harvest (very exotic).

Evening Show:
Since a Varisian Caravan is some kind of gipsy caravan, travelers can perform an evening show once per day, if resting within a settlement. Any character (PC and NPC) can make a skill check once per Evening Show, if she has at least one rank in one of the following skills: Perform (any), Sleight of Hands (use the “Entertain” option) or Handle Animal (if the animal knows either the “Perform” or the “Entertain” trick). The result provides the following: DC 10 [1d10 cp], DC 15 [1d10 sp], DC 20 [3d10 sp], DC 25 [1d6 gp], DC 30 [3d6 gp].

- Money, that was gained via trade or evening shows belongs to the caravan, not to the PCs. The money has to be spent on hirelings, to maintain the caravan (including buying stores, repair materials or trade goods), for new wagons or upgrades first. If still enough money is left, it can either be distributed as a dividend (include PCs and major NPCs evenly) or buy some kind of group resources (a diamond worth 5000 gold to raise a party member or major NPC later, for example).

Extradimensional Storage:
The caravan can be equipped with extradimensional storage using the following scaling:

  • * Handy Haversack (2.000 gp, 5 lb.): too small, 0 cargo units
  • * Bag of Holding (type I, 2.500 gp, 15 lb.): 1 cargo unit
  • * Bag of Holding (type II, 5.000 gp, 25 lb.): 2 cargo units
  • * Bag of Holding (type III, 7.400 gp, 35 lb.): 3 cargo units
  • * Bag of Holding (type IV, 10.000 gp, 60 lb.): 4 cargo units
  • * Portable Hole (20.000 gp, 0 lb.): 5 cargo units
  • * Corsair’s Coffer (24.000 gp, 250 lb.): 8 cargo units
  • * Captain's Locker (30.000 gp, 150 lb.): 4 cargo units + +50% cargo capacity of the attached vehicle

- Bags of Holdings or Captain's Locker cost 1 Cargo Unit / 50 lb. weight – Portable Holes have theoretically no maximum. Anything stored in an extradimensional space can’t provide bonuses to the caravan --> don’t store extradimensional space within an extradimensional space

Caravan Combat:
Roll Initiative (1d20 only) to determine, which party attacks first. Both sides can make their attacks regardless of being reduced to zero hp that round. Ignore the 1 always misses, 20 always hits rule – there is no critical hit or failure (a natural 1 nearly always misses anyway). The caravan can avoid combat or flee, roll a Security check DC 10+ CR. If the encounter is more (or extremely more) powerful or mobile, roll with a -5 penalty or a -10 penalty respectively (DMs choice). If the roll is successful, the caravan can avoid combat or flees successfully. On a failure, the other party attacks, but the caravan can attempt to flee next round again, if it doesn’t attack itself. A caravan or encounter reduced to zero hp is effectively destroyed. Instead of fleeing the caravan can attempt a Resolve check (DC 10 + CR – may have -5 or -10 penalties as well) convincing a caravan encounter not to fight by bluffing it or using diplomacy in the first round. This only works, if the Encounter shares the same language and has an Intelligence of at least 3. On a success the encounter stays peaceful, by failing it the encounter attacks. After ending the encounter, the encounter grants XP corresponding to its CR.

Caravan Encounter statistics:
CR 2 (attack +4, damage: 2d6+3, AC 14, hp 20);
CR 3 (attack +6, damage: 3d6+6, AC 15, hp 30);
CR 4 (attack +8, damage: 4d6+2, AC 17, hp 40);
CR 5 (attack +10, damage: 4d8, AC 18, hp 55);
CR 6 (attack +12, damage: 4d10, AC 19, hp 70);
CR 7 (attack +13, damage: 6d8+3, AC 20, hp 85);
CR 8 (attack +15, damage: 10d6, AC 21, hp 100);
CR 9 (attack +17, damage: 8d8+4, AC 23, hp 110);
CR 10 (attack +18, damage: 7d8+4, AC 24, hp 130);
CR 11 (attack +19, damage: 10d8+5, AC 25, hp 145);
CR 12 (attack +21, damage: 10d8+10, AC 27, hp 160);
CR 13 (attack +22, damage: 12d6+10, AC 28, hp 180);
CR 14 (attack +23, damage: 12d6+21, AC 29, hp 200);
CR 15 (attack +24, damage: 12d6+36, AC 30, hp 220);
CR 16 (attack +26, damage: 5d8+50, AC 31, hp 240);
CR 17 (attack +27, damage: 7d8+50, AC 32, hp 270)
--> some monsters have a special attack, see there

Encounter Treasure : Animals/ Magical Beasts/ Dragons:[/] CR 2-5: 1 cargo unit hide, furs or provisions (hide/furs worth 200 gp); CR 6+: 1 cargo units hide, furs and/ or provisions per 40 Points of damage dealt (hide/furs worth 250 gp/ unit). [i]Goblins/ Ogres/ Trolls/ Giants/ other weapon using Monsters: CR 2-9: 1 cargo Unit Treasure (worth 250 Gold) per 40 Points of damage dealt; CR 10+ 1 cargo Unit Treasure (worth 500 Gold) per 50 Points of damage dealt (round down). This treasure belongs to the caravan, not the PCs.

Masterwork (Darkwood) Wagons and Ballista:

One of my major Caravan changes was the introduction of masterwork wagons (see below) at Losthome made of Darkwood harvested in the Grungir Forest. I used the caravan encounter of Book 6 as a template and reworked all wagons as a masterwork version.


  • * Darkwood Armored Wagon: Cost: 6,400 gp; hp 80, Traveler Capacity: 6; Cargo Capacity: 6; Limit: none; Consumption: 1; Benefit: +4 bonus to caravan AC
  • * Darkwood Covered Wagon: Cost: 1,200 gp; hp 40, Traveler Capacity: 6; Cargo Capacity: 6; Limit: none; Consumption: 1; Benefit: +1 bonus to caravan AC
  • * Darkwood Fortune-Teller’s Wagon: Cost: 1,200 gp; hp 60, Traveler Capacity: 2; Cargo Capacity: 6; Limit: 1; Consumption: 1; Benefit: +1 bonus to caravan AC
  • * Darkwood Supply Wagon: Cost: 1,000 gp; hp 40, Traveler Capacity: 2 Cargo Capacity: 14; Limit: none; Consumption: 1; Benefit: +1 bonus to caravan AC
  • * Darkwood Ballista: Cost: 1,000 gp; Limit: 1/ wagon; Cargo Unit Cost: 2; grants a +2 bonus to caravan attacks and can be enhanced using the Create Magic Arms and Armor feat.
  • * Darkwood Prisoner Wagon: Cost: 4,700 gp; hp 60, Traveler Capacity: 6; Cargo Capacity: 4; Limit: 2; Consumption: 1; Benefit: +3 bonus to caravan Security
  • * Darkwood Royal Carriage: Cost: 3,200 gp; hp 60, Traveler Capacity: 4; Cargo Capacity: 4; Limit: 1; Consumption: 1; Benefit: +6 bonus to caravans Resolve

Example of a Darkwood Wagon
Yoska Musat’s „Prachtstück“ (available at Kalsgard – Oak Quarter): Darkwood Armored Wagon (masterwork with additional metal plates), has the “Enhanced Undercarriage” and “Wagon Reinforcements” bonus equipment. Has appliances (and include) a Heatstone (center) and two Everburning Torches (left and right) in the ceiling. Two bunk beds with mattress and curtain in the upper part of the caravan which can be fold to the wall; two additional beds in the lower part, also useful as a chest and couch. Further a foldable table at the end of each bed, an extra secret storage in the subfloor (1 CU, can hold up to 2 Bags of Holding Type II – not included) and another extra storage in the back part (with board for a hitched chamber pot). --> perfect use of the room with maximum possible comfort:

“Prachtstück” statistics: Reinforced Armored Wagon: 90 hp, +8 miles/ day, Traveler Capacity: 6, Cargo Capacity: 6-1=5, Consumption: 1, benefit: +4 bonus to caravan AC --> on demand with foldable Darkwood Ballista attached to the roof (+1.000 gp, CU -2) = 8.720 gp complete with Ballista (Cargo Capacity: 3 left)