Goblin Squad Member. Organized Play Member. 2,636 posts (2,678 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 3 Organized Play characters. 1 alias.
From what I have got it will be a single shard persistent world. My experience with one of those (EVE) is that:
- if you become a "know asshat" you will have a large crowd to hide in;
- you will become an "hero of the people" for a segment of the population;
- for most people hunting the "asshat" will cost more time and resources that it is worth. if you are his target he usually select you because you can't retaliate.
Thanks for the insight. I too have experienced this type of setting in other MMOs. It's why I didn't continue to play them.
If I have to work that hard, and worry and stress over a game, it's no longer a game. I'd rather be at work getting paid for working hard, worrying and stressing so much.
So thank you but no thank you - I'll spend my dollars elsewhere.
I think if you make it time consuming, AND there are alternatives, nobody will do it. But if you make it so the best stuff requires crafting, there will be some willing to put the time into it. And like any free market, if they make huge sums of money doing it, others will join in until an equilibrium price is reached. (Unless, of course, there are high barriers to entry, but we won't go there.)
I agree with this assessment. In Lord of the Rings Online, usually the best things you can craft at a given level is better than most or all of the rewards for quests at that level.
So it's a worthwhile cause to learn to craft - or at the very least gather resources to barter it to a craftsman to make something for you.
Furthermore, the way it's set up is that you need multiple "craftsman" to make things. The concept is based on Tolkien's prevalence of "fellowships" and community. Some can "mine" the resources, while others can "craft" the mined resources. Rarely can any one character do it all. Thus a prospector can gather the resources and use it as trade to a craftsman to make something for him. While a weaponsmith for instance can make wood-based weapons, but can't properly gather and treat the wood. So he relies on a woodsman to do this for him. In the end, it makes up the basis for the economy and infrastructure of trade and commerce.
But as was discussed, the ends justify the means, because it provides a more customizable and better range of rewards/items than is typically available via purchase or reward.
heck ya, if memory serves me right i think with all the benifits of +5 armor and shield, plus right and NA, a few ion stones, and feats your looking around 60 ac at 20 lv.. which is very nice.. plus you get dr 5/- too im building this as a back up guy for one of my games..
Which is irrelevant really - I don't know too many DMs that continue to have the bad guys continue to fail horribly at hitting said tank that doesn't do very much damage, when the fleshy sneak attacking rogue or two-handed raving underarmored barbarian is standing there right next to him.
The problem IMO from a players perspective with these builds is that there is and always has been very limited in-game means of forcing a bad guy to square off against the guy that can't get hit.
Not to mention the fact that until shields actually apply towards touch AC (something I've lobbied for forever), they're still a sitting duck against so many horrible powerful touch/range-touch spells while the rogue either goes unscathed by reflex spells and not even bothered to be targeted by touch/range-touch spells.
I love playing "tank" type characters - but most DMs do exactly what I did when I had such a paladin in my Age of Worms game with a 52 AC. Round one - cant do a dam thing against him with melee......move on to the the elven rogue, or the human barbarian. In the end it's always the other players that lose in such a situation. And there wasn't a dam thing the paladin could do to force the dude to attack him. Sure at best he got an AoO from the paladin (with a much worse attack rate due to lower str than the fighter or barbarian due to multiple stat dependancy, no bonus feats to afford weapon focus or improved weapon focus, and no weapon training of the fighter - his attack rate was 7 less for a main combatant than either the fighter or the barbarian), and the damage was paltry in comparison, to the others as well due to lower strength and no weapon specialization etc; so the AoO was a bug-bite to the high level foes.
But I digress. Sorry for the soapbox.
I loved the tower shield fighter type - and would love to try it - I just know it's not practical in most situations unfortunately. Fixing a character to have high AC doesn't fix the problem that he's still not a threat (except for the most specific of scnearios in tight spaces where he can body block for the rest of the party).
Also, Create Water has Verbal and Somantic components. How many hours can you make the same gesture(s) and say the same word(s) every 6 seconds before your hands start to cramp or your voice grows hoarse?
Oh yeah! I think Darkbridger just helped figure out the cure for the Detect Magic spammers!!!!
"I cast Detect Magic again down this hall....."
"As you go to wave your hand in the same pattern you have for the past hour or so, your fingers cramp up and tendonitis grips you sending you in fits of throbbing pain."
"UGH! Can someone grab my aspercreme balm from my pack again?"
[A couple minutes later after creme applied and hand feeling better.]
"Okay ready. I cast Detect Magic again down the hall..."
"Your hand move through the air, however as you open your mouth to speak, your voice crackles with painful hoarseness from repeated chanting....the spell goes awry...."
"AH crud!"
"uh....need your binaca again???"
I'm just not getting it. At all. Why are you playing a game system where magic is the backbone?
It's very myopic to consider using the D&D or Pathfinder rules in one catch-all campaign setting style.
They are intended to be compatible with a number of styles, flavors, and settings. They are designed to be adjustable when the setting of the campaing is counter-intuitive to the rules as written.
Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, Midnight, Eberron, Birthright to name a few are vastly different than the default cookie-cutter Golarion type realm. But they are no less viable, certainly just as entertaining to those that favor them; but each has a certain style and flavor of their own that does not necessarily interact well with the high level of magic use you are preaching about.
If someone wanted to run a "Game of Thrones" esque setting, a la Birthright campaign setting, then the otherwise high level of magic that is rampant in other campaigns would be counter-intuitive and certain stretches of the rules, alterations, modifications, additions, deletions etc would be paramount towards it being a successful campaing.
Published alternate settings do this for you. Ravenloft greatly alters a number of spells - especially Divine. Midnight setting removed divine spellcasting. Thus there is a precendence set that certiain default rulings need be changed to move away from the default setting style.
I personally do not assume that the way I play is the way that everyone does, and I certainly do not feel that my way is the only right way to play the game. Most RPGs, and the fun within is very subjective to the player/DM and their group as a whole. If you're lucky you find others with similar preferences, or at least the ability to compromise and accept what your style is.
I wanted to share something that I came up with during Friday's KM game we had. I had to come up with an on the fly ruling, and as I thought about it further afterwards, I really thought well of it, and liked how it all turned out - and can be used as a template for future scenarios.
The back story as to why this came up for those interested...
Spoiler:
One of the various quests that I added to the campaign involved a dwarven prince with information and title holdings to ancestral land that dwarves once inhabited in the stolen lands that he wants to reclaim. He asks the PCs to locate it and liberate it of any ill creatures, in exchange for access to his mithril mines and to have an allied dwarven community that the PCs can lean on when needing assistance. I placed the location in the Stolen Lands - in the the bottom hex of the map adjacent to the Nalmarches. Using the Crown of the Kobold King Pathfinder module, I put the monastery there, and had a dwarf wanting to reclaim his ancestral home - asking the PCs to liberate it from the red-scale kobolds - who by the way were enemies to the Sootscale clan (that are allies of the PCs at the moment - though a shakey alliance). Upon completion of that module, the dwarf was able to reclaim the ancestral home, moved some of his clan in, and of course swore to be allies w/ the PC's kingdom (which had not yet incorporated any of those hills). So the dwarves will be their own barony that will be allied and protect the PCs kingdom from the south should Mivon wish to get rowdy with the PCs for instance.
As part of an alliance the PCs made w/ the dwarven leader and his clan, there's obvious trade and other things to benefit each kingdom, so I felt a permanent bonus to the PCs kingdom is in order. Much like the nixie provides. So what I came up with is an idea of a +2 bonus to one of the PC's kingdoms stats (their choice), and a bonus to the dwarves a +2 to one of their three stats. So the PCs took a +2 bonus to ECON, and dwarves took a +2 to STABILITY. This was all on the fly.
That's the mechanics. The story aspect that I described was that the dwarves are trading mined goods to the PCs (thus an increase in their economy), and in turn, the dwarves have asked for the trade of information from the PCs as to the goings on throughout the Stolen Lands. Since the PCs reach were much further and had far more connections, the dwarves could benefit from having eyes/ears in the field to update them as they stay "locked in their mines" as dwarves tend to do. So they each benefit each other in area that they each would want assistance in.
So what I take from all of this is a way to make "trade agreements" with other civilizations around the PCs. A bonus to one of the stats of their choice, and the DM can then generate a good description as to what those 'traded resources' are that provide the bonus. Furthermore, the bonus could be higher based on the size of each community. The dwarves only have one hex (at this time) and thus can't provide a lot - but lets say later they wish to expand to another hill hex - I see this as a way to increase the trade bonus to +3, etc.
I have read half of the product so far - only the actual scenarios are left to read still.
My campaign is currently half way through book 2.
So far, I have layed groundwork that via the close ties to the "old world" in that region, that the forest has unpredictable behaviors.
I have further included mythology into the game that unicorns are the gatekeepers between the fey/shadow realm and that of the prime. With the Unicorn dead in book one this has created a thinning of the barrier between the two worlds, and the fey world has become coterminous to the plane in that region.
This layed the groundwork for making slight adaptations of Margreve and inserting them into the Nalmarches.
The following have become evident to the players so far....
1) the cleric has been noticing that his channeling of energy that has been done within the nalmarches has been creating/restoring life to the flora and fauna in the area - thickening vegetation etc.
2) a lumbermill camp in a forest hex has suddenly experienced a set-back. The axes and saws in the camp have been rusting at an unusual rate.
3) Tatzelford has started putting circles of salt around some of their buildings to ward off the evil fey spirits.
Other bizarre occurences will begin to occurr - including the forest taking steps to "favor" certain creatures encountered - depending on what they mean to the forest.
Once the PCs befriend (should they choose to) the old swamp witch Bedame, I am going to use her as a loremaster of the old world and will begin to solve some of these riddles for the PCs.
There are two PCs who had been very unkind to the woods early on - killing animals etc without regards to the balance of nature. They will be the target of the forests ill-will. Furthermore, I have heard the PCs talking about turning every forest hex into a lumber mill camp - which will not go very well. Eventually the PCs will have to find a way to repair their reputation with the woods and find a way to live amicably with it - or be doomed.
I am very interested in learning what other DMs have done with this. This could be a very good thread and forum for brainstorming and sharing ideas.
23. Have the PCs kill a villain Lich. They learn that the phylactery is behind a mirror-wall that must be shattered. They learn that within the mirror-wall is locked the soul of an evil red dragon that will be released if the mirror is broken.
Love these!!! Great work so far. I've been hoping to find others interested and able to come up with more of these since I first started my campaign.
Here's a few that I would like to contribute:
Bad Weather
Either snow, rainstorms, thunderstorms or torrential winds persist for several days - this slows down the productivity of many businesses and keeps potential clients and customers locked safely inside their homes. Economy suffers a -4 during the next economy roll. A stability check halve's this penalty, while failing by more than five doubles it. Increase Unrest by 1 as the people complain about failing businesses.
Pests (continuous)
Bug swarms (spiders, locusts etc) have become a problem for nearby farms. Roll 2d6 to determine how many farm hexes are affected. Make a stability check for each hex to determine if they were able to protect the crops and fend off the invading pests in that area. Success on the Stability check halve's the Consumption benefit of the farm (from 2 to 1); failure for that hex means that the farm provides no Consumption benefit. Two consecutive Stability checks will remove the pest from that hex, while a failure following a success in a hex will reduce the consumption benefit back to 0. This continues until all hexes are purged of pests, or until PC intervention such as wide use of druidic magic removes the vermin threat. Until the Pests are removed completely, the kindom suffers 1 Unrest each turn.
Protest (continuous)
Fanatical protesters demonstrate publicly; whether they refuse to eat, clothe themselves, or cover themselves in oil and threaten to light themselves on fire. These protesters find something being done (or not being done) by the government leaders to be offensive to their core beliefs or desires. They demand a change in policy (or removal or addition of one). Make a Loyalty check. Success indicates that the general populace finds these protesters to be out of touch with reality and disregard their public outcry. Make a stability check then - a success indicates that you have able to disuade continuous protests and the demonstraters disband. Failure to the Loyalty check indicates a large amount of the people agree or at least empathize with the protesters demands. Unrest increases by 2, while a successful stability check reduces the unrest to 1. If the initial Loyalty check failed, continue to attempt loyalty checks each turn until it succeeds, or the PCs handle the protesters demands by giving in, or through diplomatic interactions. If the protesters are removed by public force, increase Unrest by 2d4.
Industrial Accident
Choose a hex dedicated to a mine (or camp or fishery etc); there has been a horrible accident involving the death of one or more employees. The hex provides no benefit to the kingdom until the next Event phase. Make a Stability check. Success indicates that the kingdom has been able to minimize the damage, requiring half the amount of BP to have the mine working to its effectiveness again. Failure indicates that full BP expenditure is required to gain effectiveness of that mine. Until rebuilt, the kingdom suffers 1 Unrest. (alternate: BP spent on edict ceremony commemorating the lost lives could perhaps remove the Unrest and provide double the bonus to the Loyalty check from the festival).
Eureka!
A mine hex (or camp etc) digs into a surplus vein of minerals (or wood etc as appropriate). This provides a bonus of 1d4 BP.
Family Emergency
Someone closely related or important to one of the NPC leaders has become deathly ill, suffered a fatal (or near-fatal) accident, or died (either from natural or unnatural reasons. The leader must take a leave of absence and is unable to perform their duty until the next event phase. Their attribute that contributes to the city's rolls do not apply until the next event phase.
Hometown Hero
Someone who calls the kingdom their hometown became a popular and famous adventurer of sorts (perhaps s/he joined the Pathfinder Society or other benevolent cause, or became a powerful adventurer) The tales and exploits of the pride and joy of the kingdom reaches the ears of the community and to his intent of his homecoming visit. Any celebrations (festival) to honor him/her double the benefit. Also increase the treasury by 1d4 as he brings with him coin and items from his travels and introduces them into the economy. Increase Loyalty and Stability checks by +2 until the next event phase.
Some modified mass combat rules I just sent around to my players. I added in a few bits about Barracks and Garrisons, armies in reserve vs. armies in the field, and some utility for the Profession (soldier) skill and Leadership feat. See what you think. Happy reading!
Hey Jason, good to see that we're thinking along the same lines - I see that you've taken a liking to the raising an army suggestions that I brought up.
I too have presented some variant house rules on these to my players. The largest difference is between yours and mine are the differences between the amount of time it takes to raise an amry. Though tying them to the various military structures remains a constant theme.
The difference in our outlook is that:
Yours allows raising and army of any challenge rating and size (dependant on loyalty check capabilities). I find your approach simple, and I like the increased difficulty in doing so via the "two times the CR of the army" However, where I find flaws in your approach is this to me breaks a degree of verisimilitude that someone can simply muster a group of 200 7th level fighters in a months' time. Secondly which is inherent in both our systems I think is that loyalty checks are based on Control DC. Control DC is hinged on the "size" of the kingdom. The larger the kingdom, the harder it is to make a loyalty check. However, it seems a bit backwards - for I am inclined to think that the LARGER a kingdom is, the EASIER it would be to recruit 200 7th level fighters.
In contrast, mine allows for the recruitment and training of an army that start as lvl 1 warriors and over time builds and trains to an increased challeng rating.
I think I remember your saying you're in book 4 (characters are lvl 11); so maybe it's too late in the game to start that approach. My game is currently in book 2. Characters just made 5th level and are now looking at starting an army. If they contine to do so and make a few, they'll essentially "level" as the PCs can continue to be utilized in growing threats that "scale" along w/ the campaign.
The other part of what I altered - was made the army resources have a scaled cost based on army size. I've noted some concerns in this thread that equipping a small sized army w/ masterwork weapons costs the same as a huge army. Which doesn't make sense in truth. Granted - it simplifies things - but as I've noted before, I've been consistent with preferrering a bit more verisimilitude and accepting the extra complications that it demands.
I have a question for you: in regards to your buildings and the size of the army it can "house" - how have integrated your "fort" idea - from the "FORT/MINE/CAMP" posts? I believe the flavor of the Fort idea was to be able to place such a structure as a "watchtower" in a hex that was not improved via a city. Are these buildings (Watchtower, barracks, garrisons) allowed to be free-standing structures in a hex so that an army can be housed on the edge of a kingdom - the frontier if you will? Or do they still need to be built/supported in a city? And if you are allowing only a Fort to be built in an otherwise unpopulated hex - you list it as being the equivalent to a watchtower - so thus only small armies can be housed outside a city?
Here is what I posted for my players. I may alter them a bit - after analyzing the things you have posted and perhaps tweaking things via influences of your posted ideas.
(To avoid confusion any references to the name Pen Draig is in regards to my players kingdom-name.)
ARMY MANAGEMENT
Spoiler:
TERMS
UNIT: A small force of soldiers that are billetted to a specific type of building. The size of the unit is directly correllated to the size of the building. A unit's primary function is to man a building designed for defense. A unit with a CR of 1 or more is considered an army. You can combine "like" units together to create an army.
LIKE UNITS: Multiple units can be banded together if and only if the units are of similar build in regards to class level, fighting style (i.e ranged, cavalry, melee), and of same special combat abilities (if any).
ARMY: A group of "like" units that are combined to form a single armed force. Such a group must have a CR of 1 or more, or else it is not considered an army for the purposes of mass combat. Continue to add more troops to the group until it reaches a CR of 1.
RECRUITS: All troops that are recruited into a unit. All freshly recruited troops are 1st level warriors (individually CR 1/2 creatures) consisting of a race indicative of the civilization that recruited them. (i.e. humans in a primarily human civilization.). Other demi-humans will exist within the recruits at a similar percentage of such demi-humans existing in the civilization. For instance, a community that is 90% human, 6% elves, 3% dwarves, and 1% halfling would have the same general makeup within a unit/army. However, this is for flavor only and has no bearing on the actual mechanics for the army or mass combat.
BUILDINGS
BARRACKS: A barracks has a standing unit of 25 troops. This unit has no cost to the kingdom and is part of the construction of the building. This unit is what provides the benefits to the kingdom's statistics for the completion of the building's construction. If the unit is ever removed (for instance, used to create an army), the benefits to the kingdom cease to exist until replacements for the unit are recruited. A barracks can billet and train an additional 25 troops.
GARRISON: A garrison has a standing unit of 100 troops. This unit has no cost to the kingdom and is part of the construction of the building. This unit is what provides the benefits to the kingdom's statistics for the completion of the building's construction. If the unit is ever removed (for instance, used to create an army), the benefits to the kingdom cease to exist until replacements for the unit are recruited. A garrison can billet and train an additional 100 troops.
RECRUITMENT
After construction of a barracks or garrison is complete, the kingdom may begin to recruit troops (these are in addition to the unit that comes with the construction of the building). Barracks and garrisons may recruit one additional unit of the same size as the original unit (25 for barracks, 100 for a garrison).
Recruitment takes time. Each turn (month), the Warden (barracks) or the General (garrison) can attempt a Loyalty check against the kindoms Control DC. Success indicates that one fifth of the size of the unit is recruited (5 for a barracks, 20 for a garrison). If the Loyalty check beats the DC by more than 5, two months worth of recruits join the unit. Beating the DC by more than 10 attracts 3 turns worth of recruits. A Loyalty check can be made for each barracks and each garrison within a kingdom. As soon as the unit is complete, it can used to join other units to eventually form an army, or the unit can be trained additionally.
Recruitment assumes that some level of training is occuring at the same time - to explain the new recruits acheiving 1st level warrior status.
TRAINING
Once a unit has been completely recruited to capacity within one of the buildings, the leaders of the kingdom can decide to move them to another location within the kingdom, join them with other units to perhaps form an army, or decide to train them further. They are trained using the same frequency as recruitment occurs for the particular builidng; using the same Loyalty check and formula. Once training is complete for an entire unit, they are advanced to level 2 warrior (individually CR 2/3 creatures for most humanoid and demihuman races; Warrior level 3 is considered CR 1). An army's CR can never be more than 2 less than the kingdom's general's own CR. For most PCs, this will be the HD/level minus one of the general - as per the rules on Challenge Rating in the Core Rulebook on page 398.
NOTE: Should the general be replaced by another with lower CR, an army who breaks this rule would see some of its troops abandon it until the CR dropped to an allowable amount.
This training can continue to occur for a particular unit, each time increasing the level of the individuals by one warrior level. Eventually this advancement will provide special talents (like Army Feats) to a unit.
CONSUMPTION
There is no cost in BP consumption for the original unit that appears with the completion of a barrack's or garrison's construction. As soon as additional recruits are brought in, the kingdom must pay for their existance during the Upkeep Phase. The cost for any unit or army is one-half the CR of the unit/army rounded up (minumum 1). If a kingdom has multiple barracks, add the BP of consumption for all barracks and divide by 4 (rounding up, minimum 1). Essentially 1 garrison's cost in unit's consumption is equal to 4 barracks.
For instance, Pen Draig has 3 barracks and 1 garrison, and all decide to begin recruiting at the same time. The cost for the garrison's recruitment of it's first 20 1st level warriors costs 1 BP that turn. The cost for the three barracks combined (5 1st level soldiers at each building) is only 1 BP. The cost during the Upkeep Phase for that turn would be 2 BP. If Pen Draig had 5 barracks, the cost would be 2 BP for the combined barracks, and thus 3 BP for that turn. After several turns, the garrison and the 3 barracks have completely been recruited. Pend Draig could then opt to remove all units and place in one army. However this would not be an official "army" since it's CR for the army would be less than 1 (see more information in later posts about CR and army size). In such a case the troops would be standing by until an appropriate number of additional troops are trained to the same level (and abilities, if any) until the unit becomes an appropriate army. Alternatively, Pen Draig can keep them in place at their respective buildings and try to train them to become level 2 warriors.
NOTE: No barracks or garrison can recruit and train in the same turn (even to different units).
RESOURCES
Spoiler:
RESOURCES
The following resources must be purchased with BP before an army can be outfitted with them. Most armies are only outfitted with most resources only when they are about to do battle. It is otherwise quite costly to have armies outfitted with many resources all year. The cost in BP depends on the size of an army. The following letters will define the army size, and it’s associated cost (Fine, Diminutive, Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gargantuan, and Colossal)
Mounts(BP = Mounts CR, -3F -2D, -1T, +1H, +2G, +3C): The army is mounted on horses or other war-trained animals. Increases DV and OM by +2. If your army uses mounts that are more powerful than the soldiers themselves, your army’s CR (and all derived scores) might increase. All resources cost a minimum of 1 BP regardless of calculations.
Improved Weapons(BP = 1F, 2D, 3T, 4S, 5M, 6L, 7H, 8G, 9C ): The army is armed with masterwork weapons (increase OM by +1). For 10 times the cost in BP, you can instead outfit the army with magic weapons (increase OM by +2).
Improved Armor (BP = 1F, 2D&T, 4H&G, 5C): The army is armed with masterwork armor (increase DV by +1). For five times the BP cost, you can instead outfit the army with magic armor (increase DV by +2).
Healing Potions (BP = 2F, 4D, 6T, 8S, 10M, 12L, 14H, 16G, 18C): Each solder is equipped w/ several healing potions. At any point during a battle (but no more than twice per battle), you can order your soldiers to drink their potions – they cannot make an Offense check this round, but they regain hit points equal to twice their CR.
Ranged Weapons (BP=1F,D&T, 2S,M&L, 3H&G): Your soldiers are equipped with ranged weapons (such as crossbows or bows). Your army gains ranged capability.
Siege Engines(15 BP per engine): Your army includes catapults, trebuchets, ballistae, rams, and other siege engines designed to break down fortifications. Increase OM by +2 (regardless of the total number of siege engines you control); each round of melee phase, reduce the enemy’s bonus to DV provided by fortifications by 1d3, plus 1 for every siege engine in that army. Fine armies may only have one. Diminutive and tiny may have up to 2. Small, medium and large armies may have up to 3. Huge and gargantuan armies may have up to 4. Colossal sized armies may have up to 5.
As I discussed in the MASS COMBAT sticky forum, I would like to see army building/usage play a role earlier on in the campaign than just book 5; somehow turning the "invisible mechanics-based people that provide the bonuses to stability" into "visible force" that can be utilized for various events or needs of the kingdom.
The cost (in BP) as written in book 5 is exorbitant (per week); perhaps not so much for 14th level characters that can donate good amount of magical items / gold from adventuring, and an economy in the kingdom that is netting 20 BPs a turn or more. This is no so in the earlier books - currently we're in book 2 - characters are 5th level.
Here's some ideas that I have been fiddling with to accomodate players (in my group at least) who want the thrill of commanding armies in their kingdom much earlier on than just the one book.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Spoiler:
UNIT: a group of soldiers/warriors -- for the purposes of these rules, a unit is a smaller group than an ARMY. UNITS are not useable in the MASS COMBAT rules - but multiple like UNITS can be joined to form an ARMY - as defined by the rules in WotRK (book 5)
BARRACKS
Holds a standing UNIT of 25 troops. This unit has no cost to the kingdom (this is the "invisible mechanics based people that provide the kingdom it's bonus to Defense" etc.)
A barracks can billet and train an additional 25 troops.
This essentially means that 25 troops always remains behind essentially "manning" the +2 Defense; while 25 additional troops can be recruited, trained etc, and moved on to other areas of the kingdom, stacking/joining them into an army - but needs to be "maintained" via BP cost.
GARRISON
Holds a standing Unit of 100 troops. This unit has no cost to the kingdom (this is the "invisible mechanics based people that provide the kingdom it's bonus to Loyalty, Stability etc.)
A Garrison can train and billet an additional 100 troops. If/when this is done, it costs BP per MONTH (turn) based on a Medium army.
Similar to the Barracks, this essentially assumes half (100) is always on staff at the garrison; but an additional 100 can be trained and moved elsewhere provided they are paid for via the BP per month (turn).
NOTE: The "Invisible People" can be combined into the recuited other half of the army (in either building) to form one larger army if need be, to be used elsewhere; this of course increases the cost of the army. However, the Barracks/Garrison stops providing the benefit to the city until the "invisible people" are re-recruited.
All such recruits either existing in the barracks/garrison, or recuited to billet the rest of the building are all equivalent of 1st level WARRIORS (CR 1/2) individuals. Thus it would take several UNITS to form an ARMY (see rules on pg 55 in WofRK that speak about how many 1/2 CR creatures it would take to form an army.
RECRUITING
When a barracks or Garrison is built, the "Invisible People" come with it's construction. Each turn the Warden (barracks) or General (Garrison) can attempt a Loyalty check. If successful, 5 (barracks) or 20 (Garrison) additional troops flock to the banner and join the ranks. (meaning it takes 5 turns (or more - depending on successful Loyalty checks) to fully fill the rest of the building. BP costs the first month recruitment begins (rounded up).
[ALTERNATE RULE: We could allow 2 months worth of recruitment w/ Loyalty check success of more than 5, and 3 months worth w/ check more than 10]
TRAINING
Once the second half of a building is filled from recruitment, the kingdom may attempt to "train" their warriors further. They are trained at the same rate they are recruited (see above). Once an entire unit is trained, they can be advanced.
ADVANCEMENT
All initial recruits are 1st level Warriors. After their first training is completed (the entire unit over several turns) they become 1st level FIGHTERS (increasing their CR to 1, and the cost of the army, but also increasing the units hps.)
This can be repeated for each UNIT as often as they would like - but continues to add to the standing armies' cost.
Once an army can be formed from these UNITS that has a CR of 2 or more, they can inherit one of the Special Tactics. This can be repeated if/when the army is trained to a CR 4 etc (with continued increase in cost).
CONSUMPTION
A garrison that begins to billet an additional unit (beyond the "invisible" 100 that man the building) costs 1 BP minimum per turn as soon as the first warriors are recruited. The same cost is associated to barracks, however, the kingdom spends 1 BP for every 4 barracks (minimum 1; round up). If/when the UNITS are trained and advanced, the consumption will increase appropriately based on the new CR of the creatures in the UNIT.
These Consumption costs are applicable at all times when the units are not deployed, used, etc (essentially at times of peace). If an ARMY is mobilized, deployed, or used in any way in defense of the kingdom (or offensively), the Consumption cost increases to weekly (4 times per turn).
Thats what I have so far. I will admit, I have done no mock units, armies etc using these; this is just my initial instinctive numbers. I'll sit down over the weekend and see how this would work out given a lengthy timeline.
Any comments, feedback, and especially summary of any playtested units/armies using these ideas would be greatly appreciated.
They are a group of independant warriors who attended/graduated etc from the Aldori Swordfighting school - set up initially by the first Swordlord Aldori. The first settlers of Rostland were colonists from Taldan - under the leadership of Baron Sirian First.
The hand-picked members swear to a Swordpact where it is forbidden for them to teach the fighting techniques to those who have not sworn to the swordpact.
The group were feared throughout the continent and ruled Rostland until the Surtovas arrived.
Afterwards, most of the swordlords wandered elswhere as sell-swords etc, but some remain and the school remains.
To the people in the south, they are viewed as heroes or champions and they hold political power only via their heralded celebrity status or put another way - they are a hero of the people, but are not officially in charge; they just have a lot of influence over the people of Rostland. They oppose the Surtovas (and Choral for that matter), but do not have the capability or armies to overthrow them (yet).
Which is precisely why they're wanting the PCs to help expend their influence and kingdom via the Kingmaker path. With that in place, it is assumed they'll have their ally and strength and power to make a vie for the thron of all Brevoy or at least re-liberate Rostland as independant from Issia.
This info I got from the Pathfinder Campaign Setting book. There's feat in there called Aldori Dueling Mastery that has these feats as the prereqs:
Prerequisites: Dex 17, Greater Weapon Focus (Aldori
dueling sword), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Aldori
dueling sword), Weapon Specialization (Aldori dueling
sword), base attack bonus +12, proficient with Aldori
dueling sword, member of Aldori school.
So needless to say that Aldori Swordlords were badass hombres with a sword.
This module and its sequel do sound very interesting.
What sets them apart so much from the rest of the Pathfinder modules to warrant a specific tag (i.e. LB1 and LB2), though?
How many modules in the series?
Nothing sets them apart other than the fact that they're directly related. I expect that, had they known where the series would have gone, they would have named D1 and D1.5 KK1 and 2 (for Kobold King). These are sort of an experiment to see what the market is for module series, so buy the second one and show them that we love 'em. There are two modules in the series.
But does the LB stand for something? i.e. the gamemastery modules have an identifying letter corresponding to the primary aspect of the type of adventure
D= Dungeon
E = Epic
J = Journey
U = Urban
W = Wilderness
I decided to start a thread where we DMs can share other published modules or dungeon adventures that we know of that we can use at certain points during the SCAP.
Whether its something being planned or already done, perhaps sharing them may inspire others.
I have come up with two (so far). Due to the recent history of filth-fever plaque and the docks-ring known for being infested with rats, theres a Dungeon Crawl Classics by Goodman Games for levels 1-3 called Idyllis of the Rat King.
The Swashbuckler of the group is the yonger adopted brother of Todd Vanderboren. I started off SCAP (as it pertains to him) with the Vanderborens working out a real-estate deal with an agent for some "lord" who will be moving to town soon and needing a warehouse to purchase. This agent is buying for a "Lord Drathkar." Premiach Vanderboren asked the swashbuckler younger son, Dailen (because Todd was away with the Stormblades saving the city from Kobolds) to go down to the warehouses that the Vanderboren's own and look into the property to see if it is indeed overrun by rats - so they can sell the property with a clear conscience. Before he could do much in that regards he got sucked into the kidnapped children plot and it has gone untouched since, but he has shown interest in seeing it through once he gets done with "Life's Bazaar."
The other one I found could fit in nicely is Temple of the Dragon Cult for 8-10th also a Dungeon Crawl Classic by Goodman Games. This would fit in perfectly as the antagonist of this module is a rather young red dragon who fits in nicely as a spawn of Hookface.
Finally, I remember reading in mone of my Dungeon Mags an adventure that has to do with the destruction or semi-destruction of a wizards academy. I plan to look back through them to find them, but I'm thinking it would may work out well with a PC who has strong ties to Bluewater Academy. I have an elven wizard PC in my game with just such ties.
