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Like many others on these boards I enjoy adding a political feel to my game which of course means allot of homebrewing. Since I have taken much from these boards, this is one of the ways I'm going to be giving back.
First some reference, see Solspiral's Compiled Houserules thread specifically for expandedleadership positions, espionage, trade, kingdom diplomacy, and kingdom leadership rules as they alone add a feel.
1) I found it helpful to introduce some of the characters from the latter books to both forshadow, get the PCs invested in the later events and set a more polical tone. To maximie impacts it needs to be spaced a little but having a few come up around the same time is a great trick to create more urgence when you want.
A) In my case the ruler was a high Cha female but in general I sent all sorts of suitors form Brevoy. These are never key members of the Noble houses early on b/c the PCs kingdom is a bit of a backwater. It isn't worth a scion of a noble house but his really stupid, or repulsive, or entirely too old, or overly ambitious/evil second cousin is perfect! As the game matures more important folk get interested in marriage alliance and not just the ruler gains suitors. Strings are generally attached.
B) Religions see opportunity when a new kingdom opens shop, they offer discounts on their shrines and possibly their temples but usually want considerations. Abadar wanted to have a priest take treasurer for example, Asmodeus sent a lawyer that represents criminals, Caydon Caileen wanted extra Taverns built, Desna's clerics want their roads protected, ect.
C) Have that bard dating Baron Delev drop in and dish some rumors and try to gain a trade advantage for Drelev, Magnar Varn needs food and will trade stoine for it, also he has a daughter/son he'd like to see fostered by the strongest female/male PC for a couple years while he deals directly with the centaur menace, Pitax sends an ambassedor with a gift of 25 BP assuming the PCs are willing to eventually build a road west, Mivon wants to encourage the PCs to trade them any magic items their kingdom produces and implys they will pay more than Brevoy, and if you like the fey aspect a representative from each of the Fey courts arrive with a variety of accomedation demands and both seem willing to offer power if you're inclined to take sides in their wars!
2) Introduce Inter-kingdom politics as well. If you're using my expanded leader list and my kingdom leadership rules look at the PCs kingdom, what are the core conflicts long term (this is easy if you have enough alignment differences.) and how can you get them rolling?
A) Does 1 religion dominate? If it isn't setting appropriate there's going to be issues here if it is then you still have plenty to work with. Abadar and Erastil for example will pressure for different types of development. Hanspur can be a real problem for just about any kingdom!
B) Kingdoms are made of people with economic interests. In my game Dwarves wanted to take the sootscale mines and were more than willing to both "clear'em out" and share strongly in the profits (provide higher returns then normal.) For my PCs they ultimately spent some serious BP surveying all their hills and lucked out with a mitheral mine which they offered the dwarves. That's just a small example, another issue came up with festival edicts- basically the merchants guild wanted fewer festivals because they bring in merchants from out of town and create more competition while the public demanded more festivals mostly for the same reasons. The PCs increased the festival calander but spread them out more with 2 then 3 cities and this made everyone happy.
C) Outsiders want in. Its not like you need to end rabble rousers with Gregori. Anyone with ambition and an agenda could want a position on the counsil and be willing to be publically outspoken about it.
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Semi Campaign Journal
1st game: Before setting out or keying up the events of book 2 I introduced 4 suitors for the ruler's hand, each awaited an audience in her court ready to make thier case. The PC ruler is a LG female Marshal with a 20 CHA and a reputation for being "The Steel Regent."
-1st suitor was a nephew of the Lord Orlovski, a swashbusker type with stunningly fashionable clothing, a swift blade, and equally slow wits. Careful observation (Sense Motive DC18) also revealed a particularly comfortable with one of his armsmen. They seem to touch allot more than necessary.
My player caught the hint and confronted the suitor as being closseted which he admitted to. They agreed to prolong his courtship for as long as he wished as long as he was willing to trade some rumors and what not from his father's holdings. My spymaster was pleased.
-2nd suitor the player called up was a scruffly looking man wearing leathers and full arms to court. Turns out he just heard how pretty the new ruler was and had lost his wife in child birth over the winter and figured he'd see for himself and ask her out.
She was mildly amused and agreed to a dinner with escort provided he cleans up.
-3rd suitor introduced next approached with a rather inflated attitude and was openly irrate with being 3rd in line, after all he is the bastard son of Nicoli Suurtau and though he may be a bastard he's a recognized bastard with ties to the throne of Brevoy! HE also made the mistake of opening with "and now for a serious offer for your hand"
Ranger- "Excuse me son did you just call me a liar"
Fop- "clearly she wouldn't consider your hand look at how you're dressed"
Ranger- "punch to the face, excuse me mam that needed to happen"
Guard draws steel
Ruler- "ENOUGH"
We had a "Who wants to be the baroness?" fun.
Kinda like a game show, the ruler received some mini-background on the future wives, and was allowed to ask 3 questions which they would reply to honestly.
He eventually had 2 remaining, who he asked one and the same final question.
They have been happily married for 5 years now :)
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Continued...
The fourth Suitor decided to leave at this point and the Surtau bastard decided to challenge the Ranger suitor to a duel. Our ruler PC at this point said fine take it outside my walls, then the spymaster and royal exicutiioner (rogue/druid and ninja respectively) decided to watch.
-The ranger armed with a bowie knife and a hand axe handed the rapier armed aristocrat warrior combo his butt. Then broke his rapier and literally spanked him with the stub rather than killing him and told him "run home to your mother's skirts."
-At this point the kids guards were ready to jump in and make it a 3 on 1 fight but thanks to an uncomfortable poke to each's kidneys from our rogue pcs they thought better of it.
One thing was certain, this would not be the end as House Surtau had been dealt an insult by a commoner.
At this point it was time to introduce some book plot so I had the Werewolf plot trigger with a worry stricken farmer filled with heart-ache plead with the court to find his missing daughter (the tavern wench had not yet been found.) This was followed by another commoner mentioning that the an orphaned shepard boy in his employ had been recently discovered mauled by some kind of cannine.
A day of investigating later the PCs discovered Kundal and luckily caught him in human form. That same night with Kundel under heavy guard in a secure cell a lynch mob shows up led by everybody's favorite bard Gregori. This was the week of the first presidential debate where Romney kept interupting and overspeaking Obma with riduculous statements that were barley inspired by fact, which was the perfect model for Gregori!
A 2 hour 20+ opposed diplomacy/performance oratory rolling session ensued with one player actually starting to get red-faced in real life as I verbally abused his character with various slanders: she won't marry a man b/c she perfers a woman's touch, that witch consorts with demons and is allowed on the small counsil for shame, a dwarvish general- his men barely understand his accent and he smells horrible. The Pcs eventually got the crowd on their side and Gregori was run out of town via farmer pitch forks to the gluttious maximus.
I smiled evilly as I worked out where Gregori was going and what was coming next
to be continued...
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Continued...
I used Gregori to introduce both the missing Tig plot, and the dangerous worg (Howl at the Wind) and Old Crackjaw problems. Gregori called the PCs out on not taking the defense of the citizenry seriously enough.
The PCs set out after the hooks given with A-Team (wiz, druid/rogue, barbarian, ninja, and Marshal) going after HATW and OC, while B-Team (Summoner/Druid, Cleric, Magus, Ranger/Rogue, Witch) went on the hunt to find Tig. Funny sideline, I could not find where Tig was supposed to be (Lizardmen) so I winged it putting him in with the boggart, slurk, a thawn, some mite scouts that escaped (by riding giant moths), and tyg-titter-tut and perlivash. Basically my version of Tig was Max from Where the Wild Things are and has the fey bloodline. Honestly I like that I screwed up here b/c its way more fun than that other plot anyway. This took both groups about a week in game time.
When the PCs got back Svetlanna (their Grand Diplomat at the time) meets them at the gate acting slightly more frantic than normal (a hint that she is not a long term solution for that role.) My Svetlanna looks like a more tastefully dressed Emma Frost but acts more like a dottering Aunt May (if you don't understand those references I'm taking away your geek card)was in over her head with a mess of important visitors!
-Magnar Varn himself and his daughter from Varnhold had been waiting for 3 days!
-An important sounding cleric of Abadar had pressing business with the crown.
-A diplomat from Fort Drelev was also in attendence.
-A mencing but really handsome older gentleman who said he was the Maestro of house Surtau has also been waiting for the PCs return for 5 days.
Varn has problems:
1) Everytime he expands east into the better lands for farms he seems to end up in more conflict with the Noman Centaurs.
2) Because of his conflicts with the Centaurs his economy is suffering and now a bunch of nobles are insinuating that he needs to promise his daughter's hand if he wants continued Brevic suppot, she's strong willed and 14.
To address his problems he'd like to foster his daughter with the ruler (a strong woman to be sure) which would be a signed agreement for a period of 2 years (forstalling any mairrage arrangements.) Second he'd like to trade with the PCs stone from his quarries for foodstuffs to feed his people.
-By my rules this would be an equitable trade agreement, but the pcs and Varn need to connect their territories by road (3 months.)
-By diplomacy rules this is a diplomatic favor which helps improve Varnholds attitude to the PCs
-This also makes the events of book 3 sting a little more.
The church of Abadar wants a stronger presence in the PCs kingdom (after a year and a half of downtime the PCs kingdom was actually doing very well.) For the exclusive rights to build a temple in a future city of the PCs (they figured Stag Lord's Fort was next correctly) and a position on the small council either High PRiest or Treasurer they would build free shrines in all the PCs present cities (2.)
-They also gifted the PCs with 2 items from this years superstar competition which I cannot discuss right now but lets just say they make the church money.
Grand Diplomat Lady Maray was sent away from Fort Drelev for a few months because of the Lady Drelev's justifiable jealousy. HEr approach was basically to gossip with the PCs about Fort Drelev and quietly shop for an assasin. I'm planning on a different take when I get to Blood For Blood that makes Drelev less of an incompetent and more evil really. She also negotiated for a trade of lumber for peat, using the river for what would be an equitable trade if the PCs had a dock, penalized by 5BP for no dock. Net result +5BP PCs +15BP Drelev!
Here's where no matter how obvious you make something PCs do what they do. The plan was for Maestro Surtau the fencing teacher and victor of 1001 duels to be a likable honerable guy with a mission to save House Surtau some face by removing a hand from our Ranger friend in a duel. Unfortunately despite the various warnings my Ruler PC stepped into the Ranger's shoes insisting an attack on one of her smallfolk was an attack on her and the actions of her smallfolk were also her responsibility.
-The Maestro is a 10th level fighter with that swordlord archetype.
-The PC is a 5th level Marshal.
-This went down in the PCs arena
Round 1 he disarms her spear, she draws a longsword and attacks scratching him
Round 2 he disarms her longsword and hits her for some damage
Round 3 rinse repeat with a different weapon
Round 8 after disarming her repeatedly she runs to grab another weapon at which he conceeds the duel because enough is enough.
-He ends up diplomat for Brevoy and the PC ruler considers him an attractive option for mairrage until realizing he is already married!
Hopefully you guys find this fun.
To be continued...
This thread is full of awesome! I give it two thumbs up, a +1, a Like and one Flash Knuckle Bump.
My Kingmaker game just started RRR and this exactly the kind of political "fluff" and "day in the life of" that I was looking to add to my game. My players LOVE this kind of roleplaying goodies.
Please don't stop Solspiral!!! Will be building on your WINNING. ;-)
This thread is full of awesome! I give it two thumbs up, a +1, a Like and one Flash Knuckle Bump.
My Kingmaker game just started RRR and this exactly the kind of political "fluff" and "day in the life of" that I was looking to add to my game. My players LOVE this kind of roleplaying goodies.
Please don't stop Solspiral!!! Will be building on your WINNING. ;-)
Thanks, a little encouragement goes a long way. I have lots more!
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Continued...
I ruled the above fluff took a couple days to resolve, and some position based sideplots were going to creep up...
The head wizard of the PC sponsered Caster's Tower approached Wink Dazzlewand (halfling teleportation subschool) about missing his best apprentice a young man named Drake. The Caster's tower would be behind normal production without Drake and essentially the kid (human 14yr old) quit without notice or a real explanation and the Tower master is concerned enough to offer a free scroll of 5 charges of any spell 3rd level or less for an explaination- he will upgrade that to a wand if the Magister can convince the apprentice to return to work!
-The PC was delighted at the opportunity to go solo for a bit (off game night no XP) and even more so at the prospect of the reward.
-This was also around when I decided the magic item sweatshop economy was getting on my nerves and made the rules change to limit its long term benefit. For the record my rules changes slow this down but do not stop it completely which I am fine with.
Wink asked for the kids address which the wizard provided. A knowledge local check revealed the boy lost his father this year in a logging accident and he has 2 younger brothers and a younger sister, his mother works as a steamstress.
Going to the address Wink finds himself on the wrong end of a light crossbow as one of the younger siblings (boy age 8) pointing thru the crack in the door allowed by a heavy duty security chain. A diplomacy check later Wink learns his quarry is at the local cobbler's working.
A trip to the Cobblers has the shoemakers frantically working but no boy. A harder diplomacy check followed by a reminder that Wink is a City official reveals the boy has moved on to another job over at the local tannery.
A trip to the tannery and an easy fort save vs the sickened condition has wink standing in a simular scene of frantically working leather workers annoyed at the interuption... A trip to the boys 3rd job (its about noon) and another diplomacy check this time at the blacksmith's at last Wink found his charge sleeping in the back.
The short version, the boy who is talented enough to have obtained 3rd level decided wizard work is for suckers and wizards are bad at math. It takes some intimidation and cajoling but what the boy is doing is taking 1/2 profits from local craftsmen after casting crafter's fortune repeatedly. He then uses one of his 2 rings of sustenance to take a nap and then he goes to local taverns and uses his second level slots to help gambler's cheat at various things like arm wrestling, also getting a cut. He wants to pay for apprenticeships for his siblings then expand his business.
The PC negotiated for a free apprentice ship for one of the boy's brother's then sold the wand he received as a reward to pay for another, the kid himself had enough for the third and the grand result is Wink helped a child that will one day become a rich and powerful figure in the city. Kingmaker is about long term.
Rabbit, general Gorm Mountainchewer's (Dwarf barbarian) trusted runner came with some news of a barbrawl that went out of hand and the city guard got beat up. Unfortunately Gorm arrives too late to get involved but by the KOed group of guardsmen Gorm knew he had a tough SOB on his hands.
Next night Gorm was waiting at the other bar intown, his girlfriend's. The half Orc monk walks in looks at him and orders a drink.
Orc: "Heard dwarves are good at fighting"
Gorm: "Ye heard right"
Orc: "Let me get a few drinks, it'll improve your chances or perhaps you should get more of your men. I fought 5 dressed like you last time."
Gorm: Rage spittle and crazy screaming
DM: "Ok I guess roll initiative"
Crane style made this fight amusing and forced the player to use his throw anything dfeat to win. It was a good fight and made the player happy because for once the wizard and druid didn't steal the show.
After the fight: they put the orc on trial for assalting city militia and found out his backstory. Orc was trained by a monk hermet that raised him from childhood. His dad died and without any other social interaction the half orc really didn't know how to talk to people or handle his liquor. There was comedy here as the orc responded to the female ruler's 20 Cha in the exact way you'd expect from a Cha 7 never seen a woman before kind of way. Orc character is from villians III
The line of commoners ready to voice their concerns was the next big deal to work out. Here's how I triggered Lilly Tesgirtin, the Hodog, The Trolls (DM_Dudemeister style,) and someof the other standard plot in book 2.
Before my next post some things to mention.
1) My Pcs are really doing better than expected with kingdom building.
2) Previous DM introed a Tian Plot to steal the Ninja's magic tattoo that apparently ties her to an old royal bloodline (stealing from Jade Regent IMHO.)
3) Kobolds = allies.
4) Again 2 groups of 5 needed more plot badly
5) I love in game wars...
To be continued...
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Continued...
Once again my 2 groups were going out to do more of that adventuring stuff, geeze this really cramps my flow. A-Team is headed down the set of triggers I titled in my DMing notes as "The Hodog Path" while B-Team set out to take on the "King of the Forrest."
I'm a glutton for punishment when it comes to prep-work because I made 2 kingdoms in the South for an alternate ending called The War of The Narl. I liked DM_Dudemeister's king H allot but I had to do some kind of Ninja plot as well. Plus I wanted more of a monster feel so...
1) They left Stag's Fort unoccupied and left a 2nd bandit camp created by the previous DM unmolested.
2) I ruled there's 5 ninja clans and they will all make a play for killing Ameta (ninja) and stealing her magic tatoo which has political signifigance.
3) I wanted to play with more kobolds and make them suck allot less.
4) Its stupid for a group of 5 Tians to try and attack a PC in their own kingdom surrounded by powerful friends.
5) Narissa = The Old Beldame, the sorceress is thus far unaware of this its a very Tyler Durden/Ed Norton situation.
In response to the situation the Tians Clan Fox realizing that they were unlikely to take the PCs head on (as clan snake learned) take control of the Stag Lord's Fort. The Bandits there readily accept a new central leader and said leader General Ikaku makes alliances with Pitax for BPs and subjegates an unusually draconic kobold tribe with red scales (The Blood scales.) The PCs had a year and a half downtime between book 1 and 2, so I gave The Tians 13 months of kingdom building.
They ally with King H as well trading food for goods stolen from Mivon. They also take in a barbarian/fighter who happens to be of the now mostly dead clan Elk (killed by the tigerlords.) He has that encased in steel trait and wears his elk helm with pride, leading to rumors the stag lord has risen form the dead!
Clan Fox is not here for a long term colony and really just want to goad the PCs into attacking them at a trap-laden fortified position. They have allot of wealth and have taken slaves from various caravans looking to settle the stolen lands. The leader is an engineer (fighter 2 weapon style good int) and knows the intensive rice paddy farming techniques (allowing for a hex to contain up to 12 farms!)
To complete the circle of irritation for my PCs a certain loudmouth Bard with allot of knowledge about the PCs kingdom joins their ranks. Yes, I gave them Gregori, yes I'm going to hell for that ;p
This book the PCs are going to encounter 2 of the 5 kobold tribes in the region, counting the Sootscales. I also retemplated the kobolds as savage (which are kobolds as written) and civilized (no Con penalty, Dex goes to +4, Int gets a +2 making them on par with PC races.) YEs this means the Sootscales will ultimately get an upgrade as the PCs invest more into them.
Culturally my kobold tribes have 4 positions of power: Chief, Shaman (any kind of magic using class,) and 2 heros (any class usually higher level then rest.) If all 4 positions are eliminated and a Kobold of an enemy tribe is involved the surviving kobolds are bound to that kobold's tribe. In a few generations the color variations in the tribe will vanish as new generations of kobolds will become homogenius with the dominent tribe.
-Bloodscales are redscaled kobolds with the feats for breath weapon and glider wings and are both civilized and typically ninjas thanks to the Fox Clan. They have adopted a Tian style of dress and mannerisms, and unfortunately for clan fox a wierd sense of honor.
-The Olivescales worship the king of the forrest and have typically barbarian levels. Their shaman is ritualistically feeding anything with draconic blood to the Drake while investing strange magics in an attempt to turn it into a green dragon. This includes feeding it his own people at times but it also means hunting enemy kobolds, tatzleworms, and the Hodog!
You can see what is coming right?
To be continued...
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Continued...
Since my players have 2 groups, I use cutscenes to my advantage. I will build tension with a group then cut to the other group to build tension. One of these days I'll have 2 combats going at once but that'll take some serious stones!
This time when my PCs set out I wanted to instill a sense of healthy paranoia so I had them roll perception checks twice per hex. Group A had a tail, a trepper named Earl that wanted to taxidermy some monsters. He was harmless and had a crush on the ruler. He kept his distance using tracking and stealth but of course they eventually caught him and learned his intentions. Group B caught sight of a mite moth rider in the distance. There were several checks that revealed varios forms of wild life as my take on perception is that its a double edged sword, being super perceptive means you spot everything including superflous details, I also managed to get the party wizard to waste a web spell on a racoon during the evening watch.
A-Team ended up running into the book plot regarding the gnomes (attacked by Olivescales) the Nixie v. Lumberjacks, and the grove of Tiressia plot. It went pretty much as the book stated no real surprises here.
The lumberjacks were kidnapped shortly thereafter, and never explored the other tree site described- PCs never caught on to this.
B-Team had a bit more homebrew fun as I made the cairn wight encounter a little more challenging with burning skelitons, skelital archers and tossed in a CR 6 demon summoning trap they triggered. Ranger actually tripped my dang demon, frakin PCs.
They also made friends with Munguk and got him to join them for a bit, this will lead to hilarity later...
will post some more in a bit...
Solspiral, what the total number of players your have across A and B Teams for your KM games?
What happened was in the first book the DM let everyone have 2 characters (1 guys actually had 3) and let the party be 8 strong, I think he figured we'd get bored with 1 or split off one group in book 2. HE then being a new DM got completely overwhelmed by the 2nd book and the kingdom building concept. I took over starting at book 2 and immediately decided to split the party, left my characters in as NPCs and gave the former DM now player another 2 PCs. I then realized that the party's were poorly balanced so I ended up shuffling a character or 2 around and retiring 1 NPC and 1 PC it ended up being to party's of 5.
Short answer 4 players + me makes my core, we also have 2 players that pop in and out, since they are inconsistent I let them play NPCs or fill in if a player is missing.
A-team:
Melanie Chandler: Ruler, party leader, human Marshal/Psionic Warrior.
Lilly Softstrider: Verdner (but also co-runs spymaster,) halfling druid/rogue.
Wink Dazzlewand: Magister, halfling Wizard.
Gorm Mountainchewer: Marshal, Dwarf Barbarian.
Ameeta dragonborn: Spymaster, human Ninja.
B-Team:
Dante Quinnray: General, Half Elf Summoner/Druid
Marius Swiftblade: (no position), Human Magius.
Tanoriel Greenwitch: Warden, Elf Witch
Pademay Mason: High Justicar, Human Ranger/rogue
Verona Halfelven: Head Diplomat, half elf cleric of Calistra
Continued...
Mel and company having done what amounted to a bunch of minor errands was ready to rock out against the Hodog but ended up making some fairly easy perception rolls to notice the painfully obvious-the hex they were traveling thru was developed. Realizing that the roads were clear and flat and lined with various berry bushes and fruit trees.
Just as the characters were starting to get wary and wonder what was going on I kicked off another round of perceptions and my lovely bloodscale kobolds along with a certain crazy hermit and his dire lion animal companion got off their surprise round.
Drops Wink to negs, Lilly to single digits, and some burn famage on MEl and Ameeta. The tension at the table rose dramatically when the Wiz drops, he usually pulls some great battlefield control out of his hat so now the fight is real for them because there's no safty net to rely on!
No one died as an entangle tied 3 enemies up, a fumble roll drops another kobold out of the trees and Gorm drops the dire lion. Still a good scrap but the kobolds end up surrendering.
Some questioning leads the party to the elvish keep and what I was expecting to be a challenging encoutner.
1st problem: PCs are wary enough to notice trap and stealthy enough to get the drop on our quickling friend, they lure him out and he trip[s on an outstretched invisible +1 whip held by a Ninja + Rogue druid.
2nd problem: there's only 2 dudes so I expect them to be the ones to fail the save (they weren't that would be the 3 women in the party.) This leads to a dwarf dropping a bed he lit on fire on top of the Bab-Sith's head. She flees and they catch her and kill her.
After searching extensively the party finds my addition to the keep, after figuring the secret trigger they go downstairs where a fountain with a huge Owl statue sits. One of the PCs throws 100gp in and gets a question answered (this only functions 1 time a year and the amount of gold is commisserate witrh how much detail they get.) OF course the3y ask who killed the unicorn, so I give them a simular bit to the actual entry from the dead unicorn if speak with dead is used.
In my main 2 parties there's a member missing from A-Team. When they started out they had a lazy dwarf cleric named Shemp who is semi retired nowdays. He is master of Commons and runs common court when the ruler is out. This is often where I'll put leads from the commoners in the kingdom.
The first session he started getting rumors:
-Rumors of both increased Kobold activity and bandit activity (clan Fox activity and the olivescales.)
-Rumors of a slain gnome caravan (Narthraple will eventually show up, king H's trolls got him.)
-Direct reports of a farmstread burned to ash (Gregori's revenge on the farmer that pitchforked his arse.)
-Direct Reports the Bokken is missing and his hut appears to have been ransacked! (Ninja's love potions)
-Rumors Mel's dad (who by background has always tried to marry her off and have her act like a "proper girl") is hosting and encouraging suitors in his manner.
-Rumors that suitors are being burglerized in the city (Spymaster + Lilly made that happen)
-Strange occurances like milk curdling in a cows udders, graffiti in draconic, and various other "pranks" that seem to point to Kobolds.
-Dwarves offer to "clear out" the kingdom's silver mine and they clearly are eager to fight for the mine and offer a substantial bribe (more BP production then typical.)
What's a lazy Dwarf to do!
Aside since all players are [present this is a great way to intro plot and make the player that I made retire Shemp feel like he didn't lose his 3rd character.
To be continued...
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Continued...
Took a couple days off this thread partly due to Superstar...
So A team arrives on the Hogdog scene to an already 3 way battle. A barbarian/fighter combo that looks enough like the Stag Lord is leqading a group of Bloodscale Kobolds against the another group of kobolds with olive green scales who are also in active combat against the Hodog! The green scaled kobolds were using non-lethal tactic and generally getting hurled about against the hodog while the bloodscales were badly out numbered but still winning.
This was a fun combat which set up B-Team admirably.
So remember A and B team are same players... Had B-Team roll perception checks to notice they were slowly but surely getting themselves surrounded by kobolds (giving the you are being herded by large numbers vibe.) They then approach a recently hewed clearing with a pyramid like earth-mound. Hundreds of surprisingly basso kobold voices are chanting in draconic, closer inspection reveals they are all in a daze of some sort. In clear view is an altar where an uncommonly large looking forrest drake sitting in front of the alter while a shaman placed a redscaled kobold in front of the drake as a sacrifice.
An easy perception check had them noting that other kobolds had a Tazleworm and Mitnik!
***The design here was something of a timer. As long as the Drake is alive the gen pop kobolds are fascinated and will not enter the battle until another 2 rounds. In that time the Chief, Shaman, or the 2 kobold "heroes" can take command. If they all die along with their "god" the Kobolds become confused for 10 rounds and the PCs can call fair escape. If win conditions are not met the PCs can either fight to the death or run for it in which case I had a chase scene ready to go. They won by a scant initiative point (kobold chieftan would act next but he died.)
Next back to politics....
Continued...
Next back to politics....
woot!
I'll be back on this soon. If you are wondering where I have been follow the link at your own peril!
I'll be back on this soon. If you are wondering where I have been follow the link at your own peril!
"They also gifted the PCs with 2 items from this years superstar competition which I cannot discuss right now but lets just say they make the church money."
Which two???
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Abadar's maney changer and the Golden Monkey of Greed.
Golden Monkey of Greed – 254 Words
Aura moderate conjuration and transmutation; CL 9th
Slot none; Price 17,500 gp; Weight 20 lbs.
Description
This life-sized golden statue of a Tiny monkey is sitting with is mouth opened, waiting to be fed. Putting a gold piece in its mouth, which is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity, has two effects.
The first effect is the activation of the statue for 1 minute. Once activated, it becomes a Tiny animated object with a hardness of 5 and 20 hit points. It can be ordered to use its Disable Device skill to open a lock or disable a mechanical trap, using a total modifier of +10. Likewise, it can be ordered to use its Sleight of Hand skill to steal an item from someone, using a total modifier of +10, and bring it back to the person who activated it. After 1 minute, the golden monkey of greed return to its original state and cannot be activated again for 1 hour.
The second effect sends the gold piece in a chest specifically created for this purpose. The cost of such chest can never be less than 5,000 gp. The chest can be linked to multiple golden monkeys of greed, as long as they have the same creator. The creator is than free to collect the gold pieces amassed by his monkeys anytime he wants, but the chest cannot hold more than 20,000 gp. Any extra gold pieces are lost.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, pilfering hand, secret chest; Cost 8,750 gp
Abadar's Portable Moneychanger
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 9th
Slot --; Price 8,100 gp; Weight 3 lb.
Description
This small box changes money, assuming one is willing to pay its exchange rate. The box is decorated with the likeness of Abadar, where scholars theorize its profits go into the deity's coffers, and new money is conjured from the First Vault.
If the right combination of coins are placed within the box and a command word is spoken, then the coins will be instantaneously and permanently transformed. Abadar's Portable Moneychanger has the capacity to change 11 copper pieces into 1 silver piece, 11 silver into 1 gold, or 11 gold into 1 platinum. It also has the capacity to change 1 platinum piece into 9 gold pieces, 1 gold into 9 silver, or 1 silver into 9 copper. The coins produced are flawless yet generic, with no markings upon them.
In addition, the box can transform gems into platinum coins of similar value, or platinum coins into a desired gem. However, it only gives 90% (rounding down) of what a standard store would pay for a gem, and it requires a payment of 110% (rounding up) of the common store price to create a gem. For example, if one needed to cast raise dead but didn't have a diamond worth 5,000 gp on them, they could transform 550 platinum pieces into such a diamond.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, fabricate; Cost 4,050 gp
Nice!!
Continued...
So B-Team saved Mitnik and A-team has stumbled onto the machinations of Clan Fox. At this point since they were a hex away both use ariel scout creatures and B-team learned from Mitnik that he was looking for A-Team when he was captured, it was time for DM_Dudemeister's Monster Kingdom to kick off! If you haven't read that thread go to it now, seriously I'll wait...
My players, if you're reading this thread still stop here there's a major spoiler ahead, you have been warned.
Behind the scenes my king H is actually part fey. He's more intelligent than normal because of this and he has a brother who is a decent spellcaster my pcs haven't run across yet. King H is a patsy, just not just lady N's patsy despite the fey blood his strings are being pulled by two parties.
Because my KM has 2 groups I actually have 2 BBEs. One they will learn about more as they take on Gaming Paper's Citidel of Pain. The BBE that made the dungeon is never caught. Since I ported everything into KM it gives me a highlevel Alchemist/necromancer combo that is likely a lich or well on his way to lichdom. He has helped King H along by giving him intel on caravan routes which made King H a successful raider, and helped him locate the dwarvish outpost which made a good hideout.
This got Narissa's attention and she seeing an opportunity to create chaos and impede the PCs gave king H a favor that increases his intellegence and charisma even further. She also opens a small fey circle in king H's hideout as an escape route should he get cornered. When my PCs corner him this will be closed, Narissa is fickle like that, however his best minions will be gone.
more to come...
[Continued...]
Been awhile gang! Getting busy on a 3PP startup project with some names you'd find familiar, and actually doing an editing tryout project for those crazy Kobolds. Not to mention all the crazy RL work stuff. Rest assured this thread was not forgotten I know some are following this dilligently.
War: part 1
PCs had at this point: 1 huge army consisting of 500 calvary knights CR5, 1 200 man army of patriotic citizens, 1 200 man army of regular militia, 50 rogues called the work release regulars, 200 kobold sappers,50 mercanaries hired by the rulers foppish swashbucking brother, a mercenary army of 100, 100 from Varn and reinforcements enroute from Mivon.
Trolls had: 50 deserter trolls, 500 orc calvary, 2 200 troll regular armies, 100 bandit conscripts.
Clan Fox: 200 bloodscale kobolds, 2 100 man Tian armies, 50 Will-o-wisps, 200 lizardmen.
Trolls and clan fox were allied.
I feel like I'm forgetting some...
Anyhow this was a great example of a number of rules as the Pcs sent their spies using both spy/leadership score rules they had enough to watch all their border hexes. My diplomacy trade rules will also be impacted as both Varnhold and Mivon have sent military support!
-Orcs flanked to Varnhold side and came up to start wrecking road and farms around the fortified crossing the Pcs already had in place.
-Troll army of 200 runs around left side/ drelev facing side of map as another pincer while 50 deserters go up middle and eventually ninjas move when everyone is committed.
Pcs made all the checks to know where armies were headed thanks to spies and deployed forces to deal with each leaving behind 50 man army commanded by fop to guard capital at oleggs, sent various deployments to their hamlets and forts key one being 100 man merc army to river's crossing.
Troll army vs B-team forces was pure mass combat and the Trolls were simply out manuvered into a slaughter. A-Team I let get by with a leaders on leaders fight to effect the outcome of the battle (minimizing mass combat for a traditional dust up.) A close shave of a fight (3 of 5 characters in single digits) later the orc leaders surrender. The Pcs learn that they are fighting because the trolls have their women and children hostage.
50 troll army up the middle was easily wiped but the big move was the Rivers crossing fort was taken by the ninjas while the bulk of the PCs forces were otherwise occupied.
100 merc dead, a hamlet enslaved how will the PCs respond!
Remember brave Mitnik and his 200, for the valiant dead, for WOODHAVEN!!
Don't spoil the surprise! Haven't written that bit up yet!
Continued...
Ok so the PCs beat 3/4ths of the forrays into the kingdom leaving them with choices.
1) Retake River's Crossing
2) Go after King Hargulka with allied Mivon 1st take on clan fox later.
3) Go after Clan Fox first take on King H later.
4) Stay defensive and raise more armies.
5) Stay defensive and call for more allied support.
6) Take on both opponents at once and leave some defensive elements.
They of course went with the craziest hardest plan. It also prevented me from burning their farmlands by focusing in one spot or playing guerilla tactics by staying defensive so bully to you Beernorg you played it right.
They rode out to River's crossing first. Bloodscale Kobolds had members spared from the previous fight so they were willing to send a parley. The communication was something to the effect of their orders were to hold the crossing. The other carrot in that was the heroes, chieftan, and shaman were all at the Stagfort and that didn't take the PCs long to connect, kill them 4 no new orders.
B-Team and company broke around River's Crossing for a quick march to surround the Stagfort. They used the 3rd level verison of mend to fix Olegs caapults and the item spell to make them into patches for travel. Result was unopposed catapults.
Witchlight and Lizardfolk armies came up to attack and support Clan Fox which resulted in many losses. Eventually B-Team and its army prevailed and cracked the city defenses. The party proper then rushed to take on the castle and named the NPCs in the fort.
A team took on King H's fort which was difficult to crack. Mitnik and the Kobold sappers eventually decided to go reckless and well the rest of that story is on the obits. Needless to say the heroic sacrifice created an opening and A-Team prevailed.
King H fell back to his hole (as per book) and the party led chase.
Exciting conclusion to the war will follow then back top politics that I will be unveiling on my PCs for between book 2 and 3.
Hey, what can I say, when I'm good, I'm REALLY good. Just wait post fans, all my vaunted honor will screw us yet, stay tuned...
Wait a moment, you totally spelled Mel's name wrong, its Meloney. [shakes fist]
This thread wants updating, as inquiring minds want to know...
Wrote one yesterday and the server timed out on me...
I feel like this turned into an accounting to events rather than the politics it started at...
Abbreviated version of the war...
PCs had some razor close calls but ultimately prevailed. In the course of this they learned that there's a nasty villian named Oberon (Partial credit to Orthos)
Oberan is a Saytre with lots of fighter and alchemist levels and a hand crossbow that shoots golden spikes that have 2 effects, save vs being charmed by him and rage spell for as long as the spike is inside. He's a vivisectionist so he makes knowledge heal checks to aim for areas that youy cannot reach to dislodge.
This was what happened to the Hydra mentioned earlier in the thread and the Giant Owlbear at the end of RRR.
Any children of Oberan and Narissa are cursed to be twisted. They thus far have had 2 children, the fell knight queen who has been cursed with insanity and King Hurgulka who was twisted into a half fey half troll. Betrayed and angry he twisted by his partents he turned to winter, and confronted his father in time to be left to die.
Back to politics...
Aside from Oberan all sorts of fun happened politically.
We introduced a Nalita Sharptongue barrister (lawyer) who also happens to be a priest (3PP class) of Asmodeus. Back story-wise she's a Samsurian LN who serves all the gods save Rovagug throughout her lives. Her previous life she served as a Ranger and actually mentored the man that taught the old Jhod in the first book!
She serves a few purposes, one she'll eventually represent Asmodeus in a temple that's being stolen from shattered star (2 full sized parties- shattered star's I'm almost entirely a dungeon books are perfect for stealing and relocating.) Relocating to a hex in Varnhold for those curious. More importantly she is the weirdest moral compass ever. She's got OCD and serves the god of contracts. She will force a coherent legal code one case at a time.
Her first trial happened last game as post war an overzealous cleric of Milani (see my spoiler book 5 thread) is being held to account for her crimes against the Tians that are basically surrendered foes and new citizens of Woodhaven. Of course the legal issue is does her crimes with an enemy nation carry over to the new nation? She had some inoccent blood on her habnds but argued that by choosing to emmigrat to a land that is not their own and accepting evil rule the Tians were as guilty as any criminals by passive action.
The whole country is in a little disarray as there's been a bloody war adn several hexes have been annexed by the pcs (remember unrest only applies for the towns absorbed)
Aside from a closer bond to both Mivon and Varnhold who both sent armies to aid the PCs. There's the unsettling news that Clan Fox has been growing poppy fields and selling opium to nobles in Pitax and Mivon. This will likely become a major plot point.
There's over 3k displaced Tians (sent via 1 way telepotation circle over many months) who culturally do not understand the area they are in and look to Ameeta as a higher level nobel then the ruler. I even gave her a Samurai cohort who has the unfortunate luck of having been taught common by rogues with an evil sense of humor so all his honorifics are in fact extremely grafic compliments of various areas of anatomy.
There's the good stuff as now the PCs have the secrets of silk, intensive rice paddy style farming, the folding techniques of katanas and the ability to produce porcelin.
There's more to tell but time is ever an issue.
[kicks server]
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I mention my retooling of the Kobolds as civilized a few times. I expanded on the idea and I'm writing at least a 3 part trial series at Kobold press, you can check it out Here. Site traffic determines if this becomes a regular series, so if you've liked my stuff here chances are you'll like it there too. Give it a look, kobold press is a great site to look at in general anyway.
I like it =) Keep up the good work!
My Kobolds are +2 DEX +2 CON -2 STR - nimble and agile and with great endurance from lives of steady work and labor, but small and slightly weak individually - putting them on par with most of the core races overall, but they're also a base race of civilization in my setting, taking over the niche of miners and smiths and crafters that Dwarves normally occupy (while my Dwarves are sailors and pirates!).
I like the idea of retooling races to be less savage overall, and may try working that into my world's timeline - perhaps the savage races are simply slower to adapt and civilize than the others, but eventually move on from their semi-animalistic roots. It's definitely an idea =)
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If you like monster mods keep your eyes peeled I'll be doing feature for at least 2 more weeks. If my work gets enough traffic I might land a weekly feature.
Awesome. Good luck dude =)