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So PCs ... stay out! Lots and lots of spoilers here...
So we all know that the Unfurling Scroll they are selling a flesh golem manual which belongs Montagnie Crowl of Lepidstadt whom the PCs will encounter in the next adventure.
The problem I see is that the manual costs 8000 gp new if you use standard pricing, and even if the PCs get the highest trust level possible, the cost will still be 6400 gp, both of which are nearly impossible for a 1st-4th level party to get. That's a massive amount of money for the party to gather together.
So at best they could then sell the manual back for 4000 gp or 6000 gp if they sell it back to Montagnie Crowl of Lepidstadt. So no matter what they do there is no way for the PCs to make any money on the manual, and according to the next adventure there is no real "reward" for getting manual to Montagnie Crowl (other than cash).
So ... why would the PCs get/purchase the manual? Perhaps it costs less than I think it should? Perhaps it's just there for atmosphere? Perhaps the PCs will come back to Ravengro and get it after/during the next adventure? I'm just not quite sure about how to play out this manual during the adventure. It seems like such a waste of such a cool item just sitting there ... out of reach of the PCs...
The problem I see is that the manual costs 8000 gp new if you use standard pricing, and even if the PCs get the highest trust level possible, the cost will still be 6400 gp, both of which are nearly impossible for a 1st-4th level party to get. That's a massive amount of money for the party to gather together.
Personally, I'm going to figure since the proprietor suspects the book is "hot" he's going to sell it for less than normal price. I figure about 50% of normal. So at normal trust levels 4000 gp, at the best 3200 gp.
(Being as I've set the AP in Ravenloft, actually using it would be A Very Bad Idea (tm), though I still wouldn't put it past them to try.)
The gnome in my group broke in and stole the flesh golem manual. He plans to return it to Montagnie Crowl of Lepidstadt for the full reward value.
The gnome in my group broke in and stole the flesh golem manual. He plans to return it to Montagnie Crowl of Lepidstadt for the full reward value.
How does your gnome there's a reward to be had? I didn't see anywhere in the adventure where this was revealed, except to DMs. How did you reveal it to him, I guess I mean?
I've also set the price as half off. The store owner offered it to the PCs very much under the table. All the PCs completely freaked at the notion of a FLESH golem manual. I'm in the position where I see no reason why the PCs would even want to buy the manual.
Thoughts on how to encourage them?
I've also set the price as half off. The store owner offered it to the PCs very much under the table. All the PCs completely freaked at the notion of a FLESH golem manual. I'm in the position where I see no reason why the PCs would even want to buy the manual.Thoughts on how to encourage them?
You could let on that there's more to it than just the flesh golem manual. Maybe it's got a couple of new spells in the back, which they could get and still collect the reward from Montagnie.
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Personally, I'm going to figure since the proprietor suspects the book is "hot" he's going to sell it for less than normal price. I figure about 50% of normal. So at normal trust levels 4000 gp, at the best 3200 gp.
I had the same line of thinking. I offered it for 3500gp. Of course I'm not using trust rules since they're broken.
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I had the same line of thinking. I offered it for 3500gp. Of course I'm not using trust rules since they're broken.
Personally, I'm going to figure since the proprietor suspects the book is "hot" he's going to sell it for less than normal price. I figure about 50% of normal. So at normal trust levels 4000 gp, at the best 3200 gp.
These are all good ideas. I will probably sell it for 4000gp and have on the first page a note that says something like "Property of Montagnie Crowl of Lepidstadt. Reward if found and returned."
Something as inciting as a "reward if found" note should be more than enough to make my PCs sacrifice 4000gp just to find out what their reward might be.
Also you shouldn't remove the trust system completely as the PCs get a reward at the end of the adventure based upon their trust score, so you need to keep it intact in some form.
The gnome in my group broke in and stole the flesh golem manual. He plans to return it to Montagnie Crowl of Lepidstadt for the full reward value.How does your gnome there's a reward to be had? I didn't see anywhere in the adventure where this was revealed, except to DMs. How did you reveal it to him, I guess I mean?
I've also set the price as half off. The store owner offered it to the PCs very much under the table. All the PCs completely freaked at the notion of a FLESH golem manual. I'm in the position where I see no reason why the PCs would even want to buy the manual.
Thoughts on how to encourage them?
To generate interest in the book I had is referenced is the note from the professor. It was suggested that they haggle over the price with the owner of the Unfurling Scroll, this lead to the stealing of the book...
To generate interest in the book I had is referenced is the note from the professor. It was suggested that they haggle over the price with the owner of the Unfurling Scroll, this lead to the stealing of the book...The gnome in my group broke in and stole the flesh golem manual. He plans to return it to Montagnie Crowl of Lepidstadt for the full reward value.How does your gnome there's a reward to be had? I didn't see anywhere in the adventure where this was revealed, except to DMs. How did you reveal it to him, I guess I mean?
I've also set the price as half off. The store owner offered it to the PCs very much under the table. All the PCs completely freaked at the notion of a FLESH golem manual. I'm in the position where I see no reason why the PCs would even want to buy the manual.
Thoughts on how to encourage them?
The Paladin in the group I'm DM'ing I'm of course went straight to the Sheriff to inform him that the shopkeeper was peddling stolen property. . .
fleshgolems are pretty nice equipment at 7th level :p Lots of bang for the buck.
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So I played this portion with my players last night and I just did it semi straight-up. The Wizard went into the store and after talking to the NPC for awhile and got friendly with the NPC Wizard went through his wares. Eventually he got to the Flesh Golem Manual and he just said that it was for sale at 8,000 gp, but he was "willing to deal" on this particular item (I think I've been watching way too much of Pawn Stars and got totally into haggle mode).
Since the PC had around 10 gp to his name he wasn't really in the market for the Manual, even at a huge discount. So the shop owner put the Manual aside for him at now and told the PC that he would hold it for him for later.
So in the end it should be a nice balance. The PCs knows it's available and that he can probably get it for less than 8k, but yet it's not completely free. Once he starts to get some gold in his pocket we'll see how this plays out.