I had asked ifv anyone wanted to look at this in another thread, and I got one reply, so here goes (ignore the campaign-specific stuff like the Ran Imperium and mind flayer presence around Cauldron; Mammon also represents something totally different here):
Here's some material from my intro on Free Company Charters-
Spanning nearly an entire continent, the Imperium covers lands once claimed by a variety of nonhuman races. Spell Weavers, mind flayers, kuo-toa, yuan-ti, and kopru all built mighty empires of their own in the forests, jungles, and mountains of the Imperium. The multitude of hostile, alien civilizations that came before have led to a proliferation of dungeons and ruins throughout the empire, as well as the occasional threat from inhuman marauders who fail to realize their time has passed.
Many of the tributary states of the Imperium have addressed this problem through the chartering of free adventuring companies. Though the fee for a charter varies from city to city, from as high as 4,000 gold in Rannath to as little as 250 gp in Redgorge, the purpose is the same: both to encourage the proliferation of freelance adventurers to address problems beyond the capability of militias or auxiliaries and to allow the governments of the tributary states to monitor the activities of various adventuring groups, thus curbing brigandine and lawlessness. Free Companies are usually assessed an annual renewal fee for their charter, but they are not taxed on whatever booty they find in their adventures, and they enjoy extra rights to possess powerful magic items and other items deemed illegal among the general populace.
In Cauldron, the fee for an adventuring charter is 1000 gp, with an annual renewal fee of 100 gp. To obtain or renew a charter, the company must present itself in full before a chartering board, containing representatives both from local and Imperial governments. This board reviews the company’s membership and history, and it may, at its discretion, choose to lower the charter fee (to companies that have rendered a valuable public service) or to deny a charter altogether. Once granted, the charter must remain with the leader of the company at all times. They are written on magical paper that is both waterproof and fireproof. A lost charter can be replaced for a fee of 1000 gp (essentially re-chartering the group). An unchartered company’s booty is taxed at 30% by the Lord Mayor and the Procurator, and members of unchartered companies may not carry any magical weapon nor cast any spell above first level within the city walls. Any violation of these public safety protocols carries with it a stiff fine and possibly jail time, so wise adventurers charter themselves at the earliest opportunity.
A fringe benefit to the rulers of cities with free companies is the provision of a short list of powerful adventurers capable of undertaking quests beyond the scope of most normal militias or auxiliaries. Should an adult red dragon ravage the countryside, the local sovereign has at his fingertips a list of parties that could be equal to the task of hunting it down and killing it. Many companies supplement their treasure-hunting income with state commissions, as the latter are often a more secure source of income. States often deal with rogue parties by commissioning another free company.
These are the notes for my company's charter hearing:
The Board of Charters
This seven-member panel is responsible for the issuance of Cauldron Free Company Charters. Its membership is drawn from regional nobility, clergy, and local leadership, as well as an Imperial representative. A party must be approved of by four of the panel’s seven members in order to become a chartered company. Of course, each of these board members has his own agenda.
The Churches-
This quarter, the Priesthood of the Triumvirate and the Cult of Mammon represent Cauldron’s faiths on the board.
· Jenya Urikas- Jenya must abstain from voting in this case due to her personal relationship with the PC’s. She acts as an advocate before the board, essentially adding a +2 aid another bonus to all the party’s Diplomacy checks, unless she is called upon to make one herself (but see below).
· Ike Iverson- In a blatant snub, Embryl Aloustinai has sent her lieutenant, Iverson, to represent her in the council. The Cult of Mammon and the Church of the Triumvirate are theological rivals, and a personal dislike has blossomed between Sarcem Delasharn and Embryl. This mutual loathing has infected the lower priests of both churches, and so anything that Jenya favors, Iverson is predisposed to oppose. His starting attitude is unfriendly, and any time the PC’s make use of Jenya’s aid another bonus, they suffer a –2 penalty on their check to influence Iverson.
The City-
· Severen Narvalant- The City’s Lord Mayor, Severen has enjoyed the good publicity afforded by the party’s rescue of the kidnap victims. He has been seeking an opportunity to appear publicly as their patron for the past week, and to distance himself from his own government’s failure to find the victims. His starting attitude is friendly.
· Terseon Skellerang- Captain of the Town Watch, Skellerang’s force was made to look incompetent when an unchartered, unlicensed band of freelancers solved a two-month-old mystery in three days. Skellerang’s starting attitude is unfriendly.
The Imperium-
· Aetius Calgary- Aetius represents the Ran Imperium in the city. His area of responsibility is quite broad, and his office is quite small. He has bonded hundreds of adventuring companies, most of which have gone on to meet untimely ends. He is bored and impatient with the whole ordeal and figures he has better things to do. His starting attitude is indifferent.
The Nobility-
The noble members of the board also rotate quarterly. This month, two of Cauldron’s most influential nobles sit on the board.
· Ankhin Taskerhill- Taskerhill is one of the city’s wealthiest nobles, with a seat on the advisory council, a stranglehold on the lucrative obsidian trade, and title to many of the city’s businesses. He is a rival of Zachary Aslaxin I and of Maavu Ardlintal. His own daughter, Annah Taskerhill, leads a free company known as the Stormblades. His starting attitude is indifferent.
· Orbius Vhalantru- Vhalantru is an enigma in the city, and it is suspected that his place on this council is due in large part to his cozy relationship with the Lord Mayor, since he owns no land or business in Cauldron proper. Nevertheless, he has been caught up in the popular esteem for the party, and is very knowledgeable about their exploits. His starting attitude is friendly.
Mechanics-
For the company to be officially licensed, four of the board’s six voting members must vote for the PC’s.
· Hostile- An NPC with a hostile attitude will table further discussion and call for a vote when he senses there are enough votes to reject the party’s bid. Such a vote ends the encounter in failure. For each hostile board member, the PC’s suffer a cumulative –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks due to the negative “vibe” coming from the offended board member.
· Unfriendly- An unfriendly NPC will vote against chartering the PCs if a vote is called, but will not seek to end the hearing, giving the party time to influence attitudes.
· Indifferent- An indifferent NPC will abstain from voting should a vote be called, and will do nothing to help or oppose the PC’s efforts.
· Friendly- An NPC with a friendly attitude will vote for the PCs should debate end. He remains unsure about the party, however, and so will not seek to end debate on his own.
· Helpful- A helpful NPC will seek to end debate when enough friendly attitudes have been amassed to guarantee acceptance of the party’s bid. Such a vote ends the encounter with success. For each helpful NPC, the party enjoys a cumulative +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks due to the enthusiasm of the supportive board member.
The task before the party, therefore, is to adjust the attitude of at least one NPC to helpful, and the attitudes of three others to at least friendly. A party who succeeds in winning a charter pays the fee and is bonded as a licensed Free Company, with all the associated privileges. A party who fails may appeal the decision after a 90-day probationary period.
As it stood, the cleric's ridiculously high diplomacy modifier made this encounter much less dramatic and challenging than I had anticipated. How can I make this more difficult for a future party? Any other thoughts are also appreciated.
Good show. I like the set-up and the game mechanics.
I think the diplomacy skill needs a little tweak. I don't like the fact that there's a flat DC, no matter what the PC's level is. A good alternative mechanic is presented here.
I understand you want to create a dramatic encounter, with a real chance of failure. I believe you shouldn't punish a pc for investing his (few) skill points in a non-combat skill. So unless the party has done something particularly stupid, they should have an easy time going through that hearing.
b.t.w. Why is Jenya excluded from voting on the charter hearing, while anyone with less-than-indifferent attitude is not? Seems like someone is stacking te odds against the party
(dum dum dum....)
b.t.w. Why is Jenya excluded from voting on the charter hearing, while anyone with less-than-indifferent attitude is not? Seems like someone is stacking te odds against the party
(dum dum dum....)
Narvalant and Vhalantru both started the encounter friendly, so the idea was to showcase the hostility between the Cuthbertite and Wee Jas churches while setting Vhalantru up as a friend and ally. Jenya can't vote because she is already an overt patron of the party, having contracted with them in Life's Bazaar (I was unclear: the charter hearing for my party took place between modules 1 and 2). But the set-up wound up making it too easy; the party cleric rolled high enough in the first round to make Ike Iverson friendly! I let the whole bit go on for a few more rounds just to give some sense of drama and accomplishment to the PCs when they were done.
I'll check out those alternative rules in the link, CS. I don't want to stack the odds, but I do want there to be a legitimate chance that they fail, just like they could in combat. In other words, I feel that a challenging encounter winds up giving the cleric with the high diplomacy check the same enjoyment and sense of fulfillment that the fighter had when he struck the killing blow against Kazmojen.
To be specific: I don't want to punish a PC for investing in Diplomacy when it comes to an encounter like this (one of my own favorite skills on the other side of the screen). Indeed, I want the encounter to practically mandate a PC with such a skill to have any chance of success, to give such a character a chance to really shine! Any thoughts on how to beef up a non-combat encounter without just tweaking ridiculously high DC's? I thought the mechanic of circumstance bonuses based on audience sympathy would help, but it just wound up snowballing on me.
I think the diplomacy skill needs a little tweak. I don't like the fact that there's a flat DC, no matter what the PC's level is. A good alternative mechanic is presented here.
Thanks for the link, CS. I'll at least be applying the relationship and risk/benefit modifiers when I DM the Diplomacy skill.