That being said... I've used Brevoy in a myriad of ways. I'm kind of surprised when I hear from other Kingmaker GMs who haven't taken advantage of the source material and friendly forum advice on Brevoy. Here's how I used it in my game.
Character Backgrounds
My wife's character has a crazy long and insanely weird backstory.
Wife's Background:
She was a child in ancient empire of Thassilon, or at least one of it's outlying colonies or communities. They somehow survived past the Earthfall incident by means of ancient Azlant tech/magic and sitting on a natural leyline or heavily first world influenced place. Just think Azlant Brigadoon, it's there but not there. Well some undead army of cyclops, giants, and worse comes through the area and finds them. They hold out as long as they can but realize it's a lost cause. They put my wife's character, another child, and some adults in these stasis boxes. The magic will keep them in a pocket outside of time until the boxes are opened. A last hope. Fast forward a whole hell of a lot to Lord Gurev Medyed of Brevoy leading an expedition into the Stolen Lands looking for treasure, cultural or otherwise. His team finds the mysterious ruins that seem to be Azlant in origin. Inside they are able to recover all manner of Azlant treasure, none of which is functional, and also this mysterious box. The other boxes are either already open or smashed when the ruins collapsed. This one is intact. He takes the box home as his share of the treasure, too curious about what it might be. Years of poking and prodding at the thing yields little to nothing and he gives up. Then one day his half-elf daughter, the result of a tryst with one of the other explorers, is in her father's study. She plays with the box and somehow accidentally opens the box, revealing a young girl her own age within. With what little Azlant he is able to speak Lord Gurev Medyed begins raising the girl as his own, feeling responsible for her as well as knowing that if the boxes all held people that this girl is all on her own. Of course my wife chose the name Andora for her character, using the Azlant naming structure of a single name that starts with vowel but also being a pun on her origins. When Andora heard of an expedition into the Stolen Lands, she could not refuse. The answers about her mysterious origins lied in the untamed wilderness and she was going to conquer it. If they were to form a new colony then who better to lead the effort then her? Andora held an ancient claim that could not be contested, provided she could find proof.
My best friend has a less long but still crazy backstory.
Best Friend Background:
My best friend's character is a Damphir Bloodrager with the Draconic Bloodline named Cervantes. We were tossing ideas back and forth about how to tie him to the lands of Brevoy, and we went for broke. He is the grandson of Choral the Conqueror, the original King of the combined lands of Issia and Rostland now known as Brevoy. His character was born 140-ish years ago. His Damphir nature was a great embarrassment to his father, a noble who married into the Rogarvian house. Cervantes' mother was his blood ties to the ruling house. The nature and origin of Damphirs were not well understood at the time. Either his mother had been fed on by a vampire while she was with child or Cervantes was the product of adultery with a vampire. His "father" exiled him from the home at a young age, forcing him to live with the Rogarvian bannermen house the Khavortorov. Cervantes was more or less forced to take on the name of Khavortorov, leaving behind Rogarvia. Through his long life he trained at many professions, became learned at many fields of study, and perfected his skills in battle. Then the event known as The Vanishing occurred, taking away the entire Rogarvian family but somehow leaving Cervantes. Was it his mixed blood of being not only a Damphir but also his Draconic bloodline as well? Or was it the lack of knowledge of his ties to the royal family? It mattered little as Surtova took regency and control quickly after. In the little more than a decade since the Vanishing, Cervantes had become aware of an expedition into the Stolen Lands. Knowing that gathering lands, resources, and influence could help him to regain the crown that was his by right and by blood, he agreed to help form a new colony to the south. First he had some bandits to deal with.
I've also used Brevoy outside of the player's backgrounds.
Earning BP:
When they needed the build points (BP) to start their little kingdom, they had to get the funds from the noble houses of Brevoy. The players decided to start their capital city in and around the ruins of the Stag Lord's Fort. I gave them a small pool of BP from treasures and building materials they found at the fort. The rest they had to earn from making deals with the Nobel Houses. The Swordlords of Restov also had a sort of tournament going on and were willing to place bets against the PCs in the form of BP. All told they were able to win BP and make agreements for BP totaling the amount they needed to start their kingdom plus a little extra. The fledgling kingdom did have to agree to certain terms from multiple parties. Many of these agreements have timers attached such as the head of state getting married in 2 years, building a temple of X within 5 years, giving up half of the wealth generated by a mine for a year, etc. It's fun watching my players freak out when they realize they're not keeping up with their promises. I've told them it would prove disastrous for their kingdom if a noble family, a church, or other group were to pull support all at once if they reneged on their agreements.
The rest of how I've used Brevoy in my game.
Other Brevoy Nonsense:
I've also had NPCs from Brevoy become involved in the Diplomacy between Brevoy and the new kingdom to keep the story ties strong. This has been mostly successful in keeping Brevoy in the consciousness of the group. You might think from all I've posted that Brevoy is a huge chunk of our game but it's really just one of four or five main story elements we go through on a weekly basis.
Recently, a certain young noble also traveled to the new kingdom in search of adventure, drink, loose women, and the chance to hunt "scalies". Needless to say that didn't go over so well with the party or their kingdom. They saved his life, the spymaster attempted to return him to Brevoy, and now the spymaster has been arrested for kidnapping. Apparently Brevoy currently views the kingdom as a colony and not it's own sovereign state. It's going to be fun to figure that one out, I'm still in the middle of it currently. For some Aroden-forsaken reason the party has an Asmodean Anti-Paladin as their Marshal. So now we have the Anti-Paladin riding his nightmare steed at full clip to get to New Stetven before our Spymaster is tried in a Brevic court for a crime he didn't commit.
I've been working on making my encounters suck less. To that end I've developed some Encounter Seeds. The bare mote of an idea for a scene or event for the players to stumble upon, or for that scene/event to stumble upon them. My list so far is rather extensive but I feel there is still room for improvement. They are very simple but set the tone for a random encounter that may or may not develop into a fight, roleplay scene, or series of skill checks. So, here is my Encounter Seeds as they are so far. If anyone else has some ideas for some, especially non-combat encounters, I'd love to see them.
Encounter Seeds:
Encounters While Stationary or Moving
Foes/NPCs Gathering Resources
Foraging for Food
Hunting Animals or Creatures
Collecting Treasure from Location
Collecting Loot from Bodies
Foraging for Herbs and Medicine
Collecting Water at Good Source
Foes/NPCs on the Road
At the Start of Travel
Lost during Travel
Midway Through Travel
Ambushed During Travel
Travel with Injured or Sick
Stuck in Snare or Trap
Crossing Terrain Hazard
At the End of Travel
Haunts
Ghost Unaware of Death
Ghost Angry About Death
Ghost Possessing Objects
Ghost Possessing the Living
Ghost Possessing the Dead
Ghost Possessing Animals
Fey
Playing with Wildlife
Making Plants Grow
Playing with Animals
Picking Fruit/Nuts
Obsessing Over Shiny's
Pulling a Prank
Playing at Host to NPCs
Enchanting NPCs
Scenery Encounters
Excess of Animal Chatter/Activity
Lack of Animal Chatter/Activity
Dead Animal Corpses
Excess of Fish in River/Lake
Lack of Fish in River/Lake
Dead Fish in River/Lake
Excess of Fruit/Nut/Vegetables
Lack of Fruit/Nut/Vegetables
Spoiled Fruit/Nut/Vegetables
Abandoned/Broke Wagon/Boat
Path & Scenery Changes
Natural Hazard Reveals Hidden Treasure
Natural Hazard Reveals New Path
Natural Hazard Reveals Dead Body
Natural Hazard Reveals Monster Lair
Natural Hazard Conceals or Destroys Path
Natural Hazard Damages or Destroys Bridge
Natural Hazard Damages or Destroys Watchtower
Natural Hazard Damages or Destroys Cabin/Lodge
Overgrown Area Hampers Travel
Fallen Trees/Rocks Hampers Travel
Washed Out Ground Hampers Travel
Illusions Conceal Path Hampering Travel
Foe/NPC Encounters
NPC with Dead Allies
NPC with Wounded Allies
Wounded NPC with Allies
Child NPC Lost and Alone
NPC Offering Travel by Wagon/Boat
NPC Traveling Merchant, Selling Wares
NPC Traveling Merchant, Refusing to Sell
NPC with Illicit Items, Hiding or Concealing
NPC Return from Hunt with Prey/Trophy
NPC with Crashed/Broken Wagon/Boat
Foes/NPCs at Camp
Making Camp
Preparing Food
Sleeping & Keeping Watch
Being Ambushed
Defending Camp
Planning Movements
Breaking Camp
Foes/NPCs Setting an Ambush
Ambush during Travel
Ambush at Empty Camp/Lair
Ambush at Resource
Ambush at Trap
Ambush at Planted Treasure
Ambush at Dead Bodies
Ambush at Natural Hazard
Ambush at Food Source
Foes/NPCs Fighting
Winning a Fight
Evenly Matched
Losing the Fight
Fighting Pinned Foes
Being Pinned by Foes
Waiting on Reinforcements
Running from a Fight
Chasing Quarry
Foe/NPCs Encounters
Talking to Ally
Talking to Foe
Trading for Items
Threatening Subject
Stalking Subject
Tricking Subject
Toying with Subject
Handling Animal
Trained Animals
Lost in the Wild
Guarding Dead Owner
Guarding Wounded Owner
With Liter of Young
Carrying Fresh Prey
Hunting Live Prey
Caught in Trap
Stuck in Natural Hazard
Wild Animals or Monsters
Sleeping in Unusual Place
Sleeping in Den/Lair
Guarding Den/Lair
Hunting Prey as a Pack
Hunting NPC as a Pack
Eating Food/Prey
Marking/Patrolling Territory
Fighting for Alpha Status
Fighting for Mates
Caught in a Snare/Trap
Baby Monster/Animal in Unusual Place
Powerful Monster Slain in Unusual Place
Pests or Vermin
Swarm Attacking NPCs
Swarm Eating Carcasses
Swarm Destroying Vegetation
Swarm Wandering Area
Two Swarms Clashing
Sea of Swarms Overtake Area
Locations
Stone Ruins of Humanoid Origin
Stone Ruins of Magical Origin
Stone Ruins of Alien Origin
Abandoned Ghost Town
Ruined Mine/Sawmill/Quarry
Primitive Worked Stone Caves
Advanced Worked Stone Caves
Decrepit Watchtower
Abandoned Hunting Cabin/Lodge
Empty Natural Tree Houses
Empty Natural Hill Burrows
Magically Hidden Forgotten Cabin/Lodge
Signs, Markings, Warnings
Drawing or Mark on Small Landmark
Drawing or Mark on Large Landmark
Signpost on Path Warning of Hazard
Signpost on Path Warning of Monster
Signpost with Location Directions & Distances
Signpost with Bad Location Directions & Distances
Directional Marker Pointing Away From Path
Directional Marker Pointing Way You Came
Directional Marker Pointing Way You're Going
Altered Plants/Roots/Vines to Spell Words
Altered Plants/Roots/Vines to Make Spell Runes
Dead Body Laid to Point in a Direction
Intentional Trail/Path Markers Left by NPC
Unintentional Trail/Path Markers Left by NPC
Strange Findings
Statue of NPC in Unusual Place
Statue of Monster in Unusual Place
Golem posing as Statue in Unusual Place
Mundane Crafting Furniture in Unusual Place
Cache of Useless Items in Unusual Place
Oddly Colored Animal in Unusual Place
Magical Light Object in Unusual Place
Magic Weapon/Tool Stuck in Natural Feature
Old Illusion of NPC Still Functioning
Old Illusion of Bridge/Path Still Functioning
Whether or not there is any sort of leadership hierarchy, do you want there to be? I've experienced plenty of games were one player takes a certain class (let's call it the Stick-up-the-Blank class). You'd think playing with a champion of justice and order would be a good thing until that player is dictating to the group what they can and cannot do because that player's character won't like it. Or they lose their powers from their god because the rogue did something shady and they didn't arrest them on the spot. Having players in positions of power above one another isn't going to be a good thing for your game. Just assume that all the roles have their own focus and decisions are made by all of the leadership positions together. Sure, story-wise you would have more power as the ruler but effectively at the table each player should have equal voice over what happens to the group's kingdom.
I had a fair bit of trouble with kingdom building with my first run of Kingmaker and it was ultimately what ended that campaign. Well, that and the fact that my wife couldn't stand the other player's attitudes. This second run has been going really well in regards to kingdom building. The first few kingdom turns were rough and they almost went bankrupt after a botched Economy roll. One player, the rules savvy guy, took the time to read and understand the rules better on the buildings and improvements. After he figured it out, he explained it to the others. Once the whole group had a basic grasp of what was good for the kingdom, rules wise, they were able to plan out their choices alot better. It was still rough, but I made sure they took plenty of adventuring time between kingdom turns so no one got bored. Before I knew it the whole group was looking forward to the kingdom turns. I almost always have an event happen, good or bad, to keep things interesting. I guess I just eased them into it gradually and tried to tie the NPCs they cared about into the things they were building.
Update! My players may have to challenge Hargulka for the moniker of "Monster Kingdom". They have this idea that all sentient creatures are welcome in their kingdom and that they should be dealt with and treated as equals. To this end they have a full blooded Orc as a general, a Half-Elf as Councilor, a pure-blood Azlant as Ruler, a Damphir as Spymaster, the Kobolds peacefully part of their kingdom, and even the dire wolves under Howl-of-The-North-Wind as 'citizens'. They spared the life of the werewolf who killed a shepherd boy and a young woman, opting to put him to work in order to earn enough to pay for the resurrection of both of his victims. They are seeking to add either the frog-men or the lizard folk to their ranks as well, as it would be unreasonable to assume both would live peacefully within the same lands. The Fey have been treated with respect and deference but the founders know that the denizens of the First World would never truly join their kingdom, so they settle on a friendly peace.
Gigori had a time ripping into them about the lack of human control over the kingdom, but the PCs leaned into their positions on equality and won over the hearts of their citizens. The disruptive bard left quickly with his tail between his legs. Hargulka had tried to claim that the founders couldn't possibly be accepting of monstrous races like the Kobolds. Their history with the Kobolds and the other non-humans of the Stolen Lands blew that argument up in the Troll King's face. I think they may have a good shot at stealing the title "Monster Kingdom" whether they want/realize it or not.
Dudemeister, I don't know if you get this enough but your changes to RRR are amazing. My group just had their first interaction with Hargulka when they tried to annex the Sootscale Kobolds. Most of the time they are rather bold when approaching encounters. This time was different.
The Hargulka Encounter:
The party dropped in on the Sootscales unannounced but the Kobold guards told them to hurry in because the feast was beginning. A feast that shouldn't be happening because the Kobolds had no idea the PCs were coming. Hargulka and his two trolls were there, feasting on roast boar with the Chief and shaman.
I didn't hold back with Hargulka. After his opening speech the party's Ruler tried to counter some of his points. The Troll King exploited every weak point in the Ruler's logic but he also had a few fallacies of his own. Hargulka hammered on the idea that while the party's kingdom claimed to accept all races, they were responsible for the genocide of the mites and the party's kingdom was obviously against the trolls as well.
Our Ruler has a background involving ties to an ancient Azlant/Thassilon colony, giving her a legitimate claim to these "Stolen" lands. The Trolls didn't see it this way. Hargulka declared such claims as "Expired". It took a lot of back and forth, culminating in a series of opposed Charisma skill rolls. The party won by a very narrow margin and were able to claim the Kobolds as part of their kingdom. Hargulka stormed off, obviously furious but he took no physical action other than to break a table with his fist.
They are currently shook by the idea of a Troll kingdom somewhere to the south of their little kingdom. They've set up shop around the Stag Lord's Fort and are now exploring south to give them a better idea of where the Trolls are coming from.
TLDR: My players met with Hargulka, narrowly won in a Charisma Skill battle against him, they claimed the Kobolds as part of their kingdom, and are now shook about the idea of a Troll Kingdom.
I'm looking forward to running the rest of RRR with Hargulka's Monster Kingdom and I'll update as to what my players do with any of the key encounters with the Trolls.
I feel like the transition between books 1 & 2 is too abrupt, and I can't help but ask the question "where does that 50 BP come from?" Since I just got to that point in my homegame, it's high time to do something about it.
They're heading back to Restov this session, and this is where they will meet Varn and Drelev. The festivities will be delayed while they wait for the Iron Wraiths. (Yea, I know the whole settlement thing is written as being on the down-low, but I'm making it a big public todo.)
Anyway, I'm thinking the Swordlords themselves will only be able to pony up about 15 BP to the PCs. To get the rest of the BP, the PCs will have to look to various other groups within Brevoy to get funding. And these funds with definately come with strings attached. Some obvious, some not-so-much.
(Will make follow up post later with specifics.)
I cannot thank you enough for making this suggestion and starting this amazing thread. So, while I know I am going to fall short I will still try... THANK YOU!!!
Now for some sort of explanation.
Spoiler:
My Kingmaker game consists of myself as GM, my wife, my best friend, and our mutual second best friend. We blasted through the first book with a good mix of roleplay, fighting, and dangerous non-combat encounters. There were some sessions where we did nothing but fight and explore. I could tell the group wasn't very satisfied with those sessions. After finishing off the Stag Lord I had my players head to Restov.
Rather than have the Swordlords give the players any starting capital, I had Restov host a series of games. Each of the PCs had a chance to challenge a Swordlord to a competition to earn BP as the winner's prize. Our Orc Warpriest of Gorum fought a no holds barred battle against the largest Swordlord and had a wresting match with a old man who still had the strength of his youth. Our Investigator decided to try his hand at fencing against the dueling master and jousted against a cavalier. And finally our Azlanti Harrowed Magus showed off her skills as rider in an obstacle course race and proved herself the superior orator against a diplomat bard. This netted the PCs 15 of the 50 build points they were told was their goal to obtain.
Next came the churches. Two of the three main faiths of Brevoy were well represented in our group. Our Azlanti Harrowed Magus was raised by house Medyved as an adopted daughter and she respected Erastil but held true to the faith of the Grey Lady Pharasma. Our Orc Warpriest was a Gorumite through and through. Abadar was not well known to the PCs. In dealing with the head priests of the faiths they found deals could be struck with all but Abadar, whose faith leader saw little to gain in supporting a cause backed so strongly by Gorum. War does, after all, always interfer with commerce and business. They agreed to assist Erastil's priest in restoring his hidden temple, to outlaw Necromancy for Pharasma, and to build a barracks in Gorum's honor. They plan to do much more for each faith as the kingdom progresses, but these were simple terms for a net gain of 20 BP.
Finally came the Nobility. With current characters having ties to House Medyved and future characters having ties to the bannermen of House Rogarvia, it was interesting to see how the players handled the rest of Venture Capital. They were careful in what they said to who and how the faiths of each house interacted with the Churches they made dealings with. Even going so far as to explain upfront to each potential house their plans for incorporating Kobolds into their Kingdom. House Garess wasn't too thrilled with having to share a mine with the Kobolds, but a few good points and a strong Diplomacy roll later and they dealt with it. They ended up not only securing BP for their kingdom, but really experiencing the Nobility of Brevoy in a personal up-close way. They made minor enemies, strong friends, and have set me up to really mess with them later.
Without this addition to my game, I had alot of doubt I was going to want to keep running Kingmaker. It was the campaign I always wanted to run, but I was getting tired of prepping for sessions that felt like they were missing something. Now with how excited everyone has become due to these recent roleplay-packed sessions, I've got my drive back. This Kingdom is going down in history. I plan on keeping detailed notes on everything that goes on in our campaign so I can use it as a background for my son's first venture into roleplaying. He's three years old now, but I want him to play in a setting where his mother's character was the queen and my background NPC as king and my son is their heir. I really think that would be just awesome, so thanks again. Thank you, thank you... thank you.
I'm using the alternate Wealth by Level system in Unchained. This gives me the flexibility to throw in magic items with simple enchantments like Flaming or Keen, but not be forced to throw the party a +3 or +4 equivalent weapon to keep treasure relevant. On the other hand, I'm not throwing absolutely useless +1 sell-this-for-gold weapons at the party either.
I was planning on having items from Inner Sea Gods being sprinkled into the treasure at various points, due to my party's increased interest in the gods of Golarion. The weapons, and other treasure from that book, have history since they are attached to the gods of the campaign. Other than that, I was planning on dropping items with significance to Brevoy's history with the Swordlords or from different failed explorations into the stolen lands.
I've updated the crimes list with short definitions for each. If any of these seem like they aren't descriptive enough, that is intentional. Cheliax is a place for bending the rules. They are Lawful, but they are Evil as well. Just as soon charge you with 5 crimes rather than let criminal scum walk around free.
Spoiler:
Laws of Cheliax
Here, by the decree of Abrogail II, Queen of Cheliax, are the rightful laws of the realm. Let all who disobey submit to the punishments within, or burn in the hellfire of our dark lord Asmodeus.
Low Justice
Low Justice, which applies to the common people, is enforced by the representatives of the crown. In our cities, laws are enforced by the dottari, and judged by magistrates.
High Justice
High Justice, which applies to crimes against the crown, crimes against nobles, and crimes against our dark lord Asmodeus, is enforced by the duxotari.
Hellknights, sworn to the service of an Order, have our dispensation to dispense High Justice as they see fit within our borders.
________________________________________
Crimes and penalties
Crime |Class |Penalty|
Arson |High Crime |Commoner 500 gp |Noble 500 gp & Immolation
The criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property with the intent to destroy or cause harm.
Assault |Low Crime |Commoner 50 gp |Noble 1,000 gp
Any threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm, outside of a duel.
Banditry |High Crime |Forfeiture of All Possessions, Term Enslavement
The organized actions of criminal elements to defraud, threaten, and steal from citizens of the empire.
Battery |Low Crime |Commoner 200 gp |Noble 2,000 gp, 10 Weeks Imprisonment
Intentional physical action that results in harmful or offensive contact, outside of a duel.
Blasphemy |High Crime |Commoner Public Whipping |Noble 50 gp
The offense of speaking sacrilegiously about Asmodeus, his unholy Church, or the Asmodean Disciplines.
Burglary |Low Crime |Commoner 200 gp & 2 Weeks Imprisonment |Noble 1,000 gp & Loss of Hand
Unlawful entry into a building, residence, or business with the intent to commit a crime, especially theft.
Destruction of Property |High Crime |Cost of Repairs & Public Beating
Injury to property caused by willful destruction or gross negligence, requiring repairs or reparation.
Forgery |Low Crime |Confiscation of All Possessions & Loss of Thumb
Creation or use of falsified documents including but not limited to contracts, legal certificates, and permits.
Fraud Against A Noble |High Crime |Forfeiture of All Possessions & Death
Willful misrepresentation of matters of fact to a Noble to deceive into acting toward legal injury.
Grave Robbing |Low Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 1,000 gp |Noble: Confiscation of Goods & Execution
The act of uncovering a tomb or grave to steal artifacts, personal effects, or the body of the deceased.
Impersonation of Noble |High Crime |Forfeiture of Wealth/Possessions & Disfigurement
Knowingly assuming false or fictitious identity of a Noble with intent to defraud, defame, or demean.
Interfering w/ Noble Representative |Low Crime |300 gp & 4 weeks Imprisonment
Willful interference with Noble's business via interruption of representative.
Kidnapping |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 1,000 gp, & 26 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods & Impalement Not Less Than 3 Days
Criminal act to seize or capture of a person against their will using force, fraud, or magic.
Magical Assault |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of Spellbooks, 500 gp & 4 Weeks Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Spellbooks and Goods, & Loss of An Ear
Any threat of magical harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cast spells, outside of a duel.
Manslaughter |High Crime |Forfeiture of All Equipment, Property, and Wealth, 52 Weeks Imprisonment
Unlawful killing of a person without premeditated thought, prior intentions, or purposeful actions.
Murder |High Crime |Death by Public Execution
Unlawful killing of a person without justification or valid excuse, especially with malice aforethought.
Negligent Use of Magic |High Crime |Commong :Confiscation of Spellbooks, 500 gp, & 4 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Spellbooks & Goods, 2,000 gp, 13 Week, & Loss of An Ear
Intentional magical spellcasting that results in harmful, manipulative, or offensive contact outside of a duel.
Ownership of Illegal Goods |Low Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 200gp, & 2 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods, 1000gp, 8 Week Imprisonment & Public Beating
|Common: Drugs, Icons of Illegal Faiths, Seditious Materials, and Wild Beasts |Noble: Relics of Illegal Faiths
Common: Drugs, Icons of Illegal Faiths, Seditious Materials, and Wild Beasts Noble: Relics of Illegal Faiths
Perjury |High Crime |Common: 600 gp & Branded with Asmodean Seal |Noble: 1500gp & Branded
Intentional act of swearing false oaths concerning matters material to an official procedure of law.
Piracy |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of All Wealth, Hanging |Noble: Confiscation of All Wealth, Public Torture, Hanging.
Acts of violence or depredation on the high seas with intent to plunder.
Robbery |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 1,000 gp, & 10 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods, 5,000 gp, 26 Week Imprisonment, Loss of Hand
Theft or larceny of property or coin through use of force, magic, or fear against the victim or victims.
Sedition |High Crime |Common: Death |Noble: Loss of Title, Death
Overt conduct or speech that incites insurrection against the Thrice Damned House of Thrune or her agents.
Theft |Low Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 200 gp, & 5 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods, 1,000 gp, 12 Week Imprisonment, & Loss of Finger
Physical removal of an object from possession of owner without consent or intention of return at later date.
Treason |High Crime |Forfeiture of All Possession, Property, Wealth, & Death by Being Drawn & Quartered
Betrayal, treachery, or breach of allegiance with Cheliax, levying war against her, or adhering to her foes.
Trespassing |Low Crime |Common: 20gp |Noble: 500 gp & Public Beating
Knowingly entering a person's property without consent, infringing upon the right to benefits of ownership.
As far as the Trial goes, I'm going to use the Verbal Duels rules. But I will be making a few small changes. I'm not going to bother explaining all the rules about types of arguments, reading the jury, or any of that. I will keep the Determination points, ante, opposed checks back and forth till someone quits, and the edges. So basically all of it except the argument styles. I'll simplify that to something like 'if you use the same skill check twice in a row, take a penalty or you can't use an edge.'
Well I am using the following guidelines for Crimes and Punishment in Cheliax. I'm still working on adjusting a few of these, but it is pretty close to a final version. I need to add descriptions for each type of crime to explain what it is. I mean, what's the difference between Burglary, Robbery, and Theft? Perjury is a High Crime, punishable by a large fine and branding. Everyone will know you lie under oath when you have a scar on your forehead.
Spoiler:
Laws of Cheliax
Here, by the decree of Abrogail II, Queen of Cheliax, are the rightful laws of the realm. Let all who disobey submit to the punishments within, or burn in the hellfire of our dark lord Asmodeus.
Low Justice
Low Justice, which applies to the common people, is enforced by the representatives of the crown. In our cities, laws are enforced by the dottari, and judged by magistrates.
High Justice
High Justice, which applies to crimes against the crown, crimes against nobles, and crimes against our dark lord Asmodeus, is enforced by the duxotari.
Hellknights, sworn to the service of an Order, have our dispensation to dispense High Justice as they see fit within our borders.
________________________________________
Crimes and penalties
Crime |Class |Penalty|
Arson |High Crime |Commoner 500 gp |Noble 500 gp & Immolation
Assault |Low Crime |Commoner 50 gp |Noble 1,000 gp
Banditry |High Crime |Forfeiture of All Possessions, Term Enslavement
Kidnapping |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 1,000 gp, & 26 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods & Impalement Not Less Than 3 Days
Magical Assault |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of Spellbooks, 500 gp & 4 Weeks Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Spellbooks and Goods, & Loss of An Ear
Manslaughter |High Crime |Forfeiture of All Equipment, Property, and Wealth, 52 Weeks Imprisonment
Murder |High Crime |Death by Public Execution
Negligent Use of Magic |High Crime |Commong :Confiscation of Spellbooks, 500 gp, & 4 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Spellbooks & Goods, 2,000 gp, 13 Week, & Loss of An Ear
Ownership of Illegal Goods |Low Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 200gp, & 2 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods, 1000gp, 8 Week Imprisonment & Public Beating
|Common: Drugs, Icons of Illegal Faiths, Seditious Materials, and Wild Beasts |Noble: Relics of Illegal Faiths
Perjury |High Crime |Common: 600 gp & Branded with Asmodean Seal |Noble: 1500gp & Branded
Piracy |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of All Wealth, Hanging |Noble: Confiscation of All Wealth, Public Torture, Hanging.
Robbery |High Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 1,000 gp, & 10 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods, 5,000 gp, 26 Week Imprisonment, Loss of Hand
Sedition |High Crime |Common: Death |Noble: Loss of Title, Death
Theft |Low Crime |Common: Confiscation of Goods, 200 gp, & 5 Week Imprisonment |Noble: Confiscation of Goods, 1,000 gp, 12 Week Imprisonment, & Loss of Finger
Treason |High Crime |Forfeiture of All Possession, Property, Wealth, & Death by Being Drawn & Quartered
Trespassing |Low Crime |Common: 20gp |Noble: 500 gp & Public Beating
My players have done a goof. We intended to have a 'Law and Order' style game set in Cheliax with a group of Lawful Evil Characters. What we got was some trigger happy Asmodeans burning an outdoor play stage and assaulting actors for insulting their god. It was a right mess. So now my players are arrested by the Hellknights and await trial. So I guess I had to come up with a system for holding a trial in game. Here's what I came up with so far. Please, please, please be critical and give me any advice or ideas you have to make this better. Next session is on the 8th of April, where we will see just how well this all works.
The Player Characters, or their Lawyer(s), will use skill checks at crucial points of the Trial to argue their case. These will be opposed by the skill checks of the Prosecution. I've come up with the following uses for skill checks for defendants, but they are by no means the only interpretation. Still haven't worked out how these skill checks work for the prosecution.
Bluff - Arguing Innocence from Accusation
Diplomacy - Arguing Justification of Actions
Intimidate - Attempt to Discredit Opposition
Knowledge (Local or Nobility) or Profession (Barrister) - Use obscure law to prove actions were not illegal
The opposed skill checks will happen during the following crucial points of the Trial. I've basically just pulled these from watching alot of Law and Order, not sure if they are general enough.
Structure of Trial Proceedings
1) Opening Statements
2) Allegations of Crime
3) Witness(es) to Alleged Crime(s)
4) Evidence of Alleged Crime(s)
5) Testimony of The Accused
6) Closing Statements
Winning the opposed skill checks with the opposition's lawyer will grant Victory Points. The number of points is determined by the difference between the final results of the skill checks. Defeating the opposition by 1 to 5 points grants 1 VP. 6 to 10 is 2 VP. 11 to 15 is 4 VP. And more than 16 is 6VP.
There will be opportunities to use superior legal knowledge or a keen eye to launch an Objection against the opposition. These may only be attempted during the Witness, Evidence, and Testimony portions of the Trial. Using Sense Motive, Knowledge(Local/Nobility), or Profession(Barrister) the PCs or their Lawyers can detect violation of the rules of evidence or other procedural law. This is opposed by Bluff, Knowledge(Local/Nobility), or Profession(Barrister). Success means the opposition loses 2 VP. Further successful Objections only loses the opposition 1 VP.
If the Prosecution has more VP at the end of the trial, then the accused are convicted of their crimes. If the difference between Prosecution and Defendant is profound (5 or more) they may be sentenced harshly or charged with additional crimes. If the Defendants have more VP at the end of the trial, then they are acquitted of their alleged crimes. If the difference between Defendant and Prosecution is profound (5 or more) then they are vindicated and may be in a position to launch a counter suit for defamation.
(( I've been playing around with the idea of moving away from the opposed skill checks. Perhaps there would be a DC each side rolls against, based on country, settlement, and Judge. Success means each side earns VP based on Skill check and how far over the DC they go. Perhaps extra VP for rolling much higher than the opposition. And still having an Objection system for taking VP away from the opposition. ))
I have a player who wants to play a Sorcerer with a bloodline power that says it deals 1d6+1 per two sorcerer levels. Before he hits higher levels, I want to know if it is (1d6) plus 1 per two levels or if it is (1d6 plus 1) per two levels. Basically would a second level sorcerer deal 1d6+2 or would they deal 2d6+2? The power is the Elemental Spit ability of the Draconic Bloodline alternative first level power through the Linnorm Bloodline, but this would also apply to the elemental bloodline as well. I tried my google-fu and my paizo-fu but it failed me horribly, my apologies.
I've been running Pathfinder for a long while, and in all of that time I have felt something was missing. Why it is that any spell-caster gets to control the battlefield or take advantage of environmental situations but a melee guy or skill monkey can't seem to keep up? Was there something fundamentally wrong with the game balance? Or was there something that could be done? This is when I came up with the idea of a Skill Maneuver.
Let me know what you think, good or bad. I have run through several versions of this and this is the one I think I want to start playtesting before my new campaign starts up in a few weeks. Any feedback would be great, questions can only help, and your ideas are probably better than mine.
Skill Maneuver Rules Jargon:
A Skill Maneuver is alot like a Combat Maneuver with a few exceptions. You still have a Skill Maneuver Bonus, like a CMB, and a Skill Maneuver Defense, like a CMD. Essentially a Skill Maneuver is a use of any given skill, such as Craft (Alchemy) or Knowledge (Nature), that gives you a special attack to use against the target. You might be attacking with your weapon in hand, trying to take advantage of a weak spot you spotted or know about. Or you could be using an environmental feature such as a camp fire or cutting a chandelier rope to hurt the target. There could even be a use of your skill that would let you inflict a condition on the target, such as blinded, stunned, or shaken.
You always describe your 'intent' and 'approach' when wishing to use a Skill Maneuver. Your 'intent' is what you would like to accomplish, such as 'I want to blind him.' Your 'approach' would be how you would like to do it, such as 'I'll quickly mix something up and toss it in his face!' You can say both intent and approach at the same time. Since Skill Maneuvers require a lot of interpretation by the GM, if your intent and approach are not clear your attempt may automatically fail. You must declare whether you are attempting to apply one of the following effects; deal Skill Damage, inflict a condition, or replicate a Combat Maneuver.
Your Skill Maneuver Bonus is your normal bonus for the skill plus any circumstance bonuses or penalties your GM might which to apply from -5 to +5. Generally a Skill Maneuver is made in place of an attack. Otherwise it is a Standard Action unless otherwise noted under any Combat Maneuver it is attempting to replicate. Add any bonuses you currently have on that skill check due to spells, feats, and other effects. These bonuses must be applicable to the named skill, the weapon, or attack used to perform the maneuver. If your skill can be modified by a masterwork item or skill kit, you must describe the use of the item and have it accessible when performing the maneuver in order to add the bonus. The DC of the maneuver is your target's Skill Maneuver Defense.
Your target's Skill Maneuver Defense is 10 + Base Attack Bonus + Strength Modifier + Wisdom Modifier + Dexterity Modifier + Intelligence Modifier. A flat-footed target does not gain their Dexterity or Intelligence Modifiers to their Skill Maneuver Defense. Just as with CMD, your target may apply any circumstance, deflection, dodge, insight, morale, profane, and sacred bonuses to AC to its SMD. Any penalties to a creature's AC also apply to its SMD.
As with CMB and CMD, you succeed if you match or exceed your target's SMD. If you exceed the Target's SMD by five or more you can add one of the following effects; upgrade Skill Damage, add weapon damage, add environmental damage, inflict a condition, or replicate a combat maneuver. You can only do one combat maneuver and you can inflict one condition per four levels. You can only deal weapon and environmental damage once, but Skill Damage upgrades. Each multiple of five by which you exceed their SMD allows you to add another effect.
Table: Skill Damage Dealt
Party Skill or Ability Check Difficulty
Level...Match SMD...SMD+5...SMD+10..SMD+15
1st-3rd.....1d3*....1d4*....1d8*....1d10*
4th-7th.....1d4*....1d6*....2d6*....2d6*
8th-11th....1d6*....1d8*....2d8*....2d8*
12th-15th...1d8*....1d10*...3d6*....3d6*
16th-19th...1d10*...2d6*....3d8*....3d8*
20th........2d6*....2d8*....4d8*....4d8*
*Add the relevant ability modifier for the used skill to the damage dealt by the Skill Manuever.
Table: Enviromental Damage Dealt
Party
Level Enviromental Damage
1st-3rd.... 1d8
4th-7th.... 1d10
8th-11th... 2d6
12th-15th... 3d6
16th-19th... 4d6
20th...... 5d6
*Add the relevant ability modifier for the used skill to the damage dealt by the Skill Manuever.
Table: Inflicted Condition
Party
Level Duration: Condition
1st-3rd 1 Rnd: Dazzled, Shaken, Sickened, Deafened*, Bleed 1
4th-7th 1d4 Rnd: Blinded*, Dazed, Entangled*, Grappled, Bleed 1d4
8th-11th 1d6 Rnd: Staggered, Frightened, Fatigued*, Confused,* Bleed 1d6
12th-15th 1d8 Rnd: Stunned*, Pinned, Flat-Footed, Nauseated*, Bleed 2d6
16th-19th 2d6 Rnd: Exhausted*, Suffocating*, Unconscious*, Bleed 3d6
20th 3d6 Rnd: Cowering*, Helpless*, Bleed 4d6
*Entries marked with an * are allowed a saving throw vs the check result to negate or lessen the condition, a new save may be made each turn by the opponent*
tldr: A Skill Maneuver is like a Combat Maneuver but you roll a Skill check vs Combat Maneuver Defense plus your target's Wisdom and Intelligence Bonuses. You declare if you want to deal damage, inflict and condition, or replicate a Combat Maneuver before you roll. At each multiple of 5 above their Skill Maneuver Defense you exceed, you either upgrade damage, add weapon damage, add environmental damage, inflict another condition, or replicate a combat maneuver. This new house-rule makes for a more cinematic exciting game.
So far my players have taken a rather reasonable approach to things. They laid in ambush for the bandits at the beginning of Stolen Lands, killed off all of the minions, but captured Happs Bydon. After explaining his situation to him they managed to turn him away from a life of banditry and onto the path of redemption. This theme continued when they got to the bandit camp a few days later and proceeded to put every bandit down but Kressle. She was harder to convince, but once they made it clear that her chances were better off with them than with her boss, she grudgingly agreed to give up her thug-like ways. They also managed to defeat a certain purple kobold and became honorary members of the Sootscale tribe. I wouldn't be surprised if they manage to find an ally or two among the Stag Lord's men. They already plan to infiltrate his fort rather than take it head on by force.
I'm really enjoying their discussions before, during, and after game about their plans for the Stolen Lands. So far there has only been a couple of encounters where they haven't atleast tried to talk something down and those particular fights were with mindless undead or animals. They even talked a raging grizzly down during a random nighttime encounter. Well, the Hunter used Wild Empathy and rolled high enough to make the thing indifferent, at which point it wandered off. Leaving me saying something like, "And the raging Grizzly gets this confused look on it's face, like it forgot where it put it's car keys, and promptly wanders off in search of whatever it is missing."
