Yeah, I was interested in this line when I saw the Brass Dragon and the Lamashtu cultists, but I've been sold on it with the inclusion of Brodert Quink. I can't resist his sexy glasses and sagey ways. Pre-order, here I come.
I love both ideas; I am very impressed with the creativity and engagement of your group. I'm not quite sure what sort of Diplomacy check would be needed to pull off something like this. I mean, while the Valdemar family dislikes the Scarnettis, would they be willing to accept an orphanage on what is nominally their land? (Funny thing is, the Sorceress has such a high Diplomacy score she'd probably succeed in rolling over a 30 for her roll, even without the use of magic.) I suspect that building on noble family land would be something of a hard sell, but the Valdemars might be interested in it depending on the scope of the orphanage. One that taught certain skills to the orphans (perhaps giving the Valdemars some potential skilled workers in the future) might be more attractive. An orphanage that was not so clearly defined in policy, etc. would probably be less attractive. Maybe a difference of as much as 10 in DC for the associated Diplomacy check, or a 4E-like challenge (representing a wooing process-- must get X successes before getting Y failures to get the Valdemar family to agree). The second bit is that the group is thinking of creating a Bank - The Heroes of Sandpoint Savings Bank. This is actually a fantastic idea (and Ultimate Campaign even has some rules on building a Bank) - but do you think there'd be any obstacles to a bank opening in Sandpoint, especially as the Scarnettis have a hate-on for one of the members of the group (who is a bastard scion of the Scarnettis)? I'd put it up to how you've portrayed the nobles as a group. Some nobles might believe that banks promote financial innovation and increase the wealth of the town. I suspect that any authorities in Magnimar would be delighted on that basis (more taxes collected). More closed-minded local nobles might dislike the idea that certain folks outside the upper gentry would be getting ahead and/or defining the growth of the town. They could support this (wealthier townsfolk means more money in their own coffers) or hate the idea, on an individual basis. My two cents.
Dotting. More action for the party is most appreciated. OT, I'm about to enter this portion of the AP, and plan to use some ships from Pirates of the Spanish Main (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/10653/pirates-of-the-spanish-main) as "minis" for the chase and ship-to-ship combat sans boarding action. Some of the islands that you get with the game, I think, will be useful on that scale as islets and navigational hazards. |
