RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 77 people marked this as a favorite. |
I couldn't resist having the Witchmarket make an appearance in my Kingmaker game, and my players have been having fun with exploring it. A few of them have made purchases, and pretty easy ones for me to handle. However, the thought of trading a kiss for an item that could be too powerful for their level is a bit scary.
For those who don't know what the Witchmarket is, it is a small company of merchants and scoundrels from the First World who travel to Golarion through gaps between the planes. They arrive, they set up, and they sell just about everything. Items range from the practical to the bizarre. One shop may have toys and items from a person's childhood, another could true love, another still could have weapons of legend. Coin isn't a common currency though, and an item might be sold for a kiss, a memory, a moonlit night, a drop of blood, or the shiny buttons on your coat. It is all ran by a woman of impossible age, named Agryss, who will sell people exactly what they need, but at steep and costly prices.
Now, while it cool to say to your players that they can buy high powered and unusual items, possibly even artifacts, for the shiny buttons on their coat, I find that to be a bit too much for too little. One of the purchases a player made was the restoration of an eye he lost in a fight and 2 Con (he was playing a fighter with 10 Con, so I just had to throw that out there.) Instead of just handing it to him, I had him give the lady merchant a, "Moonlit night," which she will take full payment of in the future. I plan on using that as either a plot hook, or as a way to further challenge the party.
I can't keep making up prices like that on the spot, and I don't want to keep using the same things over and over. The fun part about the Witchmarket is the variety. I also want to be sure that if an item is worth 20,000 gp, I am not handing it the players for free or little cost to them.
What are some cool, interesting, and appropriate asking prices for the items and services at the Witchmarket?
What are some interesting things that one would see or experience there?
What would be some of the prices for Agryss's services?
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 14 people marked this as a favorite. |
A few ideas from my own game to start things off:
Asking prices:
- A moonlit night (which turns out to be really inconvenient to the buyer.)
- All your back teeth
- Your shoelaces (which could mean all the shoe laces you will ever attempt to use.)
- The very item that you are seeking (Once you are finished with it of course.
- Future services (Careful promising to quest for fey.)
- They get to name your next child (You will have one, and the name will be silly and powerful.)
- The rage of a man who has lost everything.
- All of your full moons (Guess what? You have lycanthropy. Roll random animal and hope it isn't sloth.)
Cool things to see or experience:
- The dance hall. The music is enchanting, the dancers delightful, and you never want to leave.
- The tavern tent. Any drink you want. Any flavor, color, scent, and strength. Had the drink in a dream? They have it on tap.
- Forgot something? Someone here is sure to help you remember.
- Need to change your fate? Don't worry, we are not obsessed with bears here. Experiences may vary.
- Want a new look? Hair, skin, eyes, and teeth can be changed easily. Want a few more limbs? Sure, but you can bet it costs and arm and a leg.
Agryss's asking prices
- Your first born.
- One of your eyes and one of your ears so she can keep track of you. And yes, she could sell them away.
- An artifact of great power.
This... is amazing. Is this from a 3rd party publication?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
This reminds me of the "Bizzare Bazaar" in the Don't Rest Your Head RPG (which is essentially the same idea) that I've been trying to find an organic way to rip off since. Here it is, right under my nose thanks to Mister Sutter and yourself. Your ideas are bloody fantastic, too. How did you introduce it to your players? How far into the AP are you?
Dotting, drooling, and definately popping back in in the morning to contribute.
Seriously, I did a search and found nothing about this anywhere. What is it from?
Dotted. I'm GMing KM too...
| 7 people marked this as a favorite. |
This... is amazing. Is this from a 3rd party publication?
Nope! It's Golarion canon. It's all from the First World gazetteer I wrote up in Pathfinder AP #36: Sound of a Thousand Screams. That article is the only place we've really talked about the First World in-depth, and it's one of my favorite things I've written for the setting!
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
A few ideas from my own game to start things off:
listed great ideas
Agryss's asking prices
- Your first born.
Seriously, some fantastic stuff here! I remember being truly intrigued by the Witchmarket myself, though I'll be darned if I can remember where I read about it!
The idea I had was a twist on the above asking price that you noted. Don't just make it the character's firstborn, but make it a firstborn that the PC must conceive with her. Now, with such a child being fey-born, and the Kingmaker campaign lasting many years by design, the child could grow more quickly than any normal means, and he/she could come back later in the campaign to play some unique role in their happenings, whether for good or ill! You could use the child to force the PC to make very tough choices about things that should be a no-brainer, for instance.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Also, you've got the right idea, Caleb--in the Witchmarket, everything seems like a great deal, but the fey inevitably end up getting more than they give, and those who trade with them may come to regret it...
Yea, call me interested. Source?
Pathfinder #36. First World Gazetteer.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Whatever you come up with please post, this is just awesome, never heard of it till now (no, I havn't played kingmaker).
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
For those asking where I put it in, I dropped it into the AP right after the Stag Lord fort. The party discovered it on their way back home. I told the group that if it goes well enough I might have it return a few times in the future.
And thank you Mr. Sutter for this wonderful gem. There are so many things I hope to see expanded one day, and this is one of them. Maybe at PaizoCon we can sit down for a few minutes and we can talk about the market in person.
@twiggs - I like that idea, and I essentially did that without realizing it. Our party monk wasn't doing too well, and he is pretty behind everyone in gear, so I allowed him to have a Monk's Robe almost for free. I say almost as there is a possible plot hook that he thinks he dodged.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 12 people marked this as a favorite. |
I guess I could also help unofficially expand this by posting some of the NPCs I came up with, as well as a few of the stalls, sights, and plot hooks.
NPCs
Marcas - A huge man with blue skin, arms dangling almost to the ground, and big ears with ear lobes dangling to his shoulders. He doesn't look like the friendliest person, as his face is constantly in a sneer. He runs a booth that specializes in gems of all kinds and sizes. His special collection holds magical gems, gems with souls trapped in them, and unique gems that could buy whole kingdoms.
Robae - Robae has one of the smaller tents, with cases lining the sides filled with weapons of all shapes and sizes, both familiar and exotic. Some of them are old and plain while others are elaborate and shiny. There is a feeling, however, that judging the weapons by appearance alone would be a big mistake. Robae is a tall, muscular man who seems almost human except for the completely purple eyes. In the warm day he wears loose pants and vest, both made of colorful and rich materials.
Ériu - A slender, graceful woman with golden skin and hair. She is friendly enough, and is always calling out to those who bear scars and old wounds. She deals in replacing and stitching up old wounds, missing eyes, amputated limbs, and sometimes even broken hearts.
Stalls
Eating Utensils - A tent with a spoon and fork sign hanging over it that sells nothing but spoons, forks, and knives that are used for eating. These range in sizes, shapes, colors, and materials. The owners special collection holds such items as forks used by royalty, magical utensils, and utensils of legend.
Dreams and Nightmares - If you saw it in a dream or nightmare, you can find it here. This shop is actually two tents, with a veil running between the two that customers can easily pass through. Customers experience different things from one another, as the tents seem to pull their items directly from their past dreams, even if they couldn't remember them. There are more then just items as well. In the dream tent there are people and animals for sale, and in the Nightmare tent there are beasts and monsters available for purchase.
Lost and Forgotten Socks, promises, toys, dates, people, memories. This stall has everything you have ever lost or forgotten about. One section has a case full of bottles of different sizes and shapes, each one holding a memory, a promise, or a feeling you have forgotten.
Random Stuff
The little people - There are literally stalls of all sizes, and if someone looks hard enough they can see stalls and tents no higher then foot for the tiniest of customers.
Parading Musicians - While there is always music in the air at the Witchmarket, there are parading musicians that make their way around and through the lanes, beckoning people to join them. They will often stop and play along with someone who attempts to accompany them with their own instrument, but will quickly start parading once more in hopes of drawing the newcomer in. Those that join them find the experience enjoyable, but also discover that the path parade takes is a little unusual and possibly a bit too long.
Street Performers - While people come to the Witchmarket for the wares, they stay for the performers. Just about every act can be found here, and they are often better then what you can find anywhere else. Be careful though, tipping is expected and heckling is dangerous to a viewer's health.
Dotting for serious coolness.
James, I just want to say how much I loved the first world gazetteer! Awesome work!!! I am working up the particulars on The Witchmarket for when I allow players to finally find it ;) and am looking forward to reading all of the posts!
Annika - Goddess of the Demi-plane of Dark Chocolate
Just throwing a comment in here so I can keep track of this. There's lots of good ideas in here, some that I can hopefully adapt in the future as well.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Really loving all the prices people are coming up with! Thanks for taking the idea and running with it, folks. It's my hope to one day do a First World book (not so different from Distant Worlds, in its own way), and you've convinced me that when we do, the Witchmarket should get some serious expansion...
(Honestly, this thread is probably useful to any GM who wants to have a classic "make a deal with a trickster" encounter, regardless of race.)
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'll just leave this here: The Goblin Market
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Maximum Dottage!!!!
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
One of the eldest collects things in bottles, like seasons, laughs, and emotions. I am pretty sure something like those would be hard to come by and highly prized at the market.
I think one of the things I am going to end up doing with the first visit is establish all sorts of strange and unusual requests that are just impossible to find or have at the moment. Then, later when they are adventuring, place some or most of them in hidden caches of treasure or make them rewards for custome quests. If they take them and keep them they can turn them in for items the next time the market comes around.
Of course, there will always be drawbacks, plot hooks, and misunderstood prices.
dot
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The Replaced Weapons
Farfeird, the owner of this stall, is a skinny man of midsize height who wears a polite smile on his lips. He seems oddly normal, which is to say that he seems so normal that you would find it odd, and probably would still do so if you were in a normal setting.
He sells weapons that were replaced by their owner for better weapons. Some of these are magical and some are not, though all of them are at least masterwork and have a story to go with them.
Prices:
Loyalty to the weapon (If any other weapon is used the PC must roll 2d20 and take the lowest roll. If he sells this weapon the curse of unluck follows them for a whole year or until powerful spells are used to break the curse.)
An equal weapon with a great story (No real trick here.)
A promise to never use a certain type of attack or energy. (For example, if the weapon has the flaming ability the user promises to never use cold damage attacks or spells. If they do, the attacks deal half damage and/or all saves needed are considered successes.)
The head of a certain type of monster. (The user immediately is transported to a lair where they must fight the monster one on one. If they fail they arrive back at the store unharmed but cannot purchase the weapon.)
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
The Stall of Forgotten Legends
Ran by Callain. He is a portly fellow with four arms and bronze skin. His silver eyes and toothy grin are a little unnerving.
He specializes in arms and armor that belonged to forgotten legends and heroes, but his prices are steep and hide consequences you would have to deal with on your own.
Among his wares are intelligent items, artifacts, and highly unique pieces. He does have less powerful items but nothing non-magical. All of them are very old, and the styles they represent reflect that.
His prices are often curses or highly dangerous quests, but he is sly and is able to hide the true meanings until the items are purchased. He is willing to negotiate prices if someone offers him an item of interest or is able to prove they are just as cunning as he is.
Possible Plot Hook:
There is an intelligent sword that tires of being on his shelf and is willing to covertly assist someone who shows interest in it. It can communicate telepathically, and will work with the potential owner to haggle its price down to manageable quest.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The Soul Item Blacksmiths
Twins that appear to be slightly muscular gnomes hammer in time on anvils in a work area set up outside a colorful and large gypsy wagon. Their area is roped off and their wares are displayed on racks just out of reach.
Their sister, Mila Coppersmoke, often watches for customers while sitting on the wagons front porch. She smokes a long blue pipe and has a squint in one eye when she inspects people. She often guesses details about her customers correctly and will turn them away if they can't afford her products.
Her stall sells items that grant bonuses to skills, mostly profession and craft skills but some others as well. Each item requires the user give up part of themselves the first time they use it, mostly in form of experience points but ability points, HP, or skill points could be prices as well. The more that is given up, the higher the bonus.
Mila also acts as a guide from time to time, accepting odd bits and pieces to show people around. She is fair with her information and will even warn people of unseen dangers or costly prices.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Tent of Discarded Armor
Run by a leprechaun name Valin, this tent is for armor that people gave up when upgrading. Valin only keeps about ten suits on display on fine wooded dummies behind velvet ropes. Even with so little wares displayed he always seems to know what is needed and has something at least close to that out.
Valin is just like his kind, greedy and cunning. He doesn't let his wares go unless he thinks he can obtain a rare or unusual item in return. He also comes off as mean to his customers, mostly through swearing and making judgmental comments. He knows what he talking about though, and often gives free information on what would best suit those who wander into his tent.
Prices
He will ask for unique items on the party, and ask for enough of them that he would be doubling his money. Thus, if the item he is selling costs 2000 gp, he will ask for 4000 gp worth of items.
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Globorb's Motionary Potionary
An overweight, sentient, neon yellow spider named Globorb runs a deceptively small tent with her tiny scurrying children. Her little spider kids constantly ask awkward questions of any visitor, seemingly knowing all the things that a PC wouldn't want to be asked. Globorb is exceedingly friendly, especially to those that tolerate her rambunctious, climby children, and helpful with any advice on diseases or medical ailments.
She allows access to a labyrinthine pharmacy held within a massive demi-plane inside her tent. Row upon row of shelves holding potions from every world and plane run for miles, deeper and deeper into the cavernous extra-dimensional space. Globorb's tiny children are never far from the PC's and report back to Globorb any potions they take.
If the PC's are not careful within the demi-plane, they can get spectacularly lost in the winding rows and stairs and dead drops that lead on into the echoing, creaking fathoms.
Confusing pathways aren't the only danger - some of Globorbs defiant, teenage children lurk in the dampest, deepest recesses of the plane, having grown fat, strange, and mad from potion consumption.
The prices are negotiated in succulent, rare insects once the PC's exit the tent. If the PC's don't have any bugs Globorb asks the PC's to return the potions to where they found them.
|
Really loving all the prices people are coming up with! Thanks for taking the idea and running with it, folks. It's my hope to one day do a First World book (not so different from Distant Worlds, in its own way), and you've convinced me that when we do, the Witchmarket should get some serious expansion...
(Honestly, this thread is probably useful to any GM who wants to have a classic "make a deal with a trickster" encounter, regardless of race.)
I love first world stuff, I really really hope you guys do such a book soon. Or even better a book and a AP. :)
I love first world stuff, I really really hope you guys do such a book soon. Or even better a book and a AP. :)Really loving all the prices people are coming up with! Thanks for taking the idea and running with it, folks. It's my hope to one day do a First World book (not so different from Distant Worlds, in its own way), and you've convinced me that when we do, the Witchmarket should get some serious expansion...
(Honestly, this thread is probably useful to any GM who wants to have a classic "make a deal with a trickster" encounter, regardless of race.)
I'd buy that for a dollar!
Or, you know, closer to one hundred thirty of them or so . . .
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I should do some performers.
The Dames of Fire
A duo of tall, thin women of skin as black as coal, eyes like embers and hair as red, yellow, and orange as fire. Their voices are hot and warm the hearts of everyone who hears them. They are known as Hestia and Shula, but no one can seem to keep them straight.
Their show is mesmerizing, enchanting, and dangerous. They use fire in inventive ways that mundane fire jugglers only dream about. Their fast dancing, the motion of the their fire whips, and the ways they shape fire is a sight that is never forgotten easily. They often tell stories with their act, using the light of the flames to cast shadows or build forms. The stories are mostly about dragons and beasts that are defeated by warriors or mages.
They can often be asked to perform a specific story or give information on flame related subjects for a large tip. They like flaming weapons, fire related magic items, or trophies from fire related monsters.
The Two Baffoons
A pair of silly, slap stick, and crazy men, these performers are either making fun of each other or people watching them.
One of them is Goon, a six foot tall man with small horns, chicken feet, and yellow skin. He is the most boisterous of the two, often yelling and spouting obscenities in humorous ways.
The other is Rally, who stands just under three feet, is a bit chubby, and is covered in violet scales. He also wears crazy hats and uses many props. He tends not to speak at times, doing much of his act with whistles or pantomiming.
They have a great amount of variety in their acts. Music, story telling, legerdemain, balancing acts, and juggling all with jokes and comedy. If they are heckled they gain subtle justice by turning the jokes about the heckler, often discussing details they shouldn't normally know.
They like to be tipped odds and ends, food, and alcohol. They can easily be befriended with large tips and will even introduce their new friends to secret shops and locations within the witchmarket.
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
I like this very much.
For Sale:
A perfect circle - it actually is a complete circular structure, undefined until actually needed, but could be a magic circle as per spell, in order to hold an outsider at bay (or keep the circle caller contained), a group of people who provide all the necessary services and connections needed (a perfect circle...of friends) at the perfect time, or any other sort of thing that can be described as a perfect circle, give or take a few extra words.
An unbroken line - similar to a perfect circle, but with different implications; it could be a dynasty, a monologue to win over a crowd, a soliloquy to bedazzle an audience, the perfect statement to pick up that hot witch that you've never been able to score with...
Prices:
Your line - Become sterile, OR become impotent with all save the purchaser, whom is able to rouse passions above and beyond the normal and mortal - this could lead to foundling children with the traits of the unwitting PC, which of course leads to all sorts of potential reputation-ruining rumors and speculations.
A few words - based on the words said by the player thereafter, a penalty on the next crucial diplomacy or intimidate check of numeric value equal to the word count of the players response statement.
A moment of your time - Unable to take 20 on the next occasion where it is needed.
Your cares and worries - Forget a number of things important to the character, from personal-defining experiences and significant events up to loved ones and motivation for adventuring.
Your way home - Unable to return to base of operations as per Antipathy.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I've done a couple variants on this before in my own games/worlds. One was the Tiend Faire, the fair where the elves got together to pick the seven fairest mortals for them to send to Hell for the tiend every seven years. Being elves, they of course made it a grand contest with prizes for the winners and runners up. Of course they didn't tell the top seven that they'd be sent to Hell. I had a series of seven contests, each administered by a different fey race: elves, gnomes, dwarves, trolls, goblins, pookas, and dark elves. And of course one of the players was innocent enough that he got into the contests and later had to be rescued before he was sent to Hell--causing a breach of the contract and Hell to foreclose on fairyland. But the related fair had a lot of fun stuff in it, including hags selling poisoned apples.
I also did Nana's Shop which held all the rare and wondrous things that had been lost. They could be recovered, but only at a steep cost along the same lines as mentioned. If you offered Nana some minor trinket, she'd take the item along with whatever it metaphysically signified. For example, selling her your buttons would make her take all of them, including the metaphorical, including your ability to keep your pants buttoned and likewise your lips. I'd say the inability to refuse any sexual offers or keep secrets would be a perfectly good price, especially if there were someone who thought he was clever to get a priceless artifact in exchange for his buttons.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
When I first saw First World Witchmarket I imagined a place where the Seelie and Unseelie Fey would go to bargain for the souls of witches so that they might become their patrons.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Some Prices:
- a moment in time (at some time you will lose 2d4+2 rounds of time. It will probably be inconvenient.)
- the sound of a thousand screams (you cannot raise your voice and must speak in a low whisper. 10% spell failure. Unknown duration.)
- an unstoppable force (survive without gravity for an unknown period of time at an unknown point in time.)
- one drained magic item
- Magic potentancy (all targets will have SR for an undetermined amount of time.)
- a winning personality. (an important diplomacy check will have to be rolled three times and the lowest result taken.)
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Prices.
A simple misunderstanding... (Use during a tense situation) Unbeknownst to the character, everyone around them is hearing the opposite if what the they are saying. They tell the mayor that the party is to blame for the murders...or tell the jealous husband he has plenty of reason to be suspicious because lots happened.
Bonus points if you prepare slips of paper in advance for the other PC's. That way they get to react and be part of the fun.
Your vice. Pick a vice the character is particularly fond of. They gain the nauseated condition if they attempt to engage in that vice.
Your virtue. The inverse of the above.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Bringing this back for round two in my Kingmaker Game. This time is to allow for more exploration and introduction to more of the characters. The plan is to have short adventure happen here between Book 4 and 5.
I want to have Aggys be introduced further, as well as about six to ten important NPCs. Of course, more items will be purchased by the party, and they will certainly be looking for some rare and powerful parts to help repair a Shory flying city (I am adding in Crucible of Chaos to my game. I don't plan on the flying city to be operational until the end of the AP.) Fortunately, the party is well armed and armored so they probably won't be wanting too much and can focus their energy on the unique setting.
So far, my ideas on Aggys are just rough drafts of what I will use. All we know is that she is called the Crone in the Cart, that she has powerful divination powers, and can offer nearly anything for powerful prices. I like the idea that she is a Norn with 20 levels in either witch or wizard. While that would put her at a CR close to 40, she is going to have some major disadvantages. She can't leave the gypsy wagon she calls home, she has the venerable age category, and while she can use powerful magic to influence and affect areas outside her cart it takes considerable energy and resources. If she leaves her cart, it is possible that she dies. While that wouldn't be the complete end of her in the First World, it would mean that she is reformed and would probably lose most if not all of her power. Her power is also on par with the Eldest, so they may have been the reason why she has such limitations.
More ideas to come soon.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If you can get your hands on a copy of Goblin Markets: The Glitter Trade I recall there being some awesometacular NPCs, creatures, and plot lines ripe for the borrowing, that fit rather well with this theme.
Stuff like this is fantastic. I now have visions of Neil Gaiman and Guillermo del Toro-esque locales dancing in my head, along with the Brian Froud/Tony DiTerlizzi ones suggested earlier. I've wanted a campaign with a strong fey focus almost literally since I started gaming, and the First World info in the last module just makes me love KM that much more.
I'll be dusting off my copy of Goblin Markets, and trying to dig up that one Dragon Magazine Wormfood article that had the fountain with waters that gave you a blessing and a curse.
