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I also figured that some smart statistics person could explain to me how this set up could possibly work. Because from my "I barely passed Calculus but I've run a store" point of view, all I can see is that paying for merchandise that you don't actually get is a really good way to go broke.
There's your problem. You're trying to look at it from the point of view of a modern retail owner. Inventory, credit, deliverables, etc. A stable business (grocery, cooper, smith) might work like that but Stig's business is in items that have different values to different people.
And people who deal in goods like art, wine, or creatures tend to be much less analytical than a shopkeeper (at least until even those items became commoditized recently IRL) and more trusting of their instincts. Much as I cringe to say this, take a look at one of those "Storage Wars" type shows where people bid on items and hope to recoup their costs. Sometimes they spend more on transport and disposal fees than they make on their "win" and sometimes they get a phenomenal score. Stig's process is different but the desired outcome is the same.
Actually, Stig never loses--he has a minimum bid that he would (presumably) be OK with. He either sells the slaves at his minimum bid and goes home, or he gets at least double his minimum bid. That's a really good return.
I don't believe this is true (though the scenario doesn't tell us either way). Most likely the minimum bid is below the estimated market value - half or more below in a lot of cases. That's the draw. Get a lucky or unopposed bid and you get a great deal. Stig makes his money off the marquee items that multiple people bid on. Everyone realizes he's making money that way, but the chance for a great deal is too much to pass up.
I understand that you (Dorothy) would never participate in such an auction. But there are plenty of people who would, even in today's world. (Well, presuming the goods are different.)
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The auction is pretty much absurd.
For it to make any sense for the buyers the final price has to be significantly lower than the real market value. The seller loses on some deals but more than makes it back on others.
But that assumes the buyers don't cooperate. As soon as they cooperate, they get the goods at a deep discount.
And it doesn't even take advantage of the main factors that drive prices up in real auctions.
But this pales in stupidity when compared to Guaril's "cunning plan". He arranges for the bad guys to ambush him at a spot of his choosing, relying on them sending wusses he can handle with the help of allies showing up. And he gives the allies a set of cryptic clues so as to minimize the chance that they show up on time why?
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I have an interesting question within the context of The Paths We Choose...
When GMing, how do *you* roleplay Lady Gloriana? I imagine there's some folks who play her differently in light of this scenario, too?
In Paths, it's certainly reinforced that she's frustrated with Taldan nobility, and her plans for "the boorish Lord Minovitas" border on vindictive... she's asking Pathfinders (hopefully without any Shelynites present) to sabotage the art of Amya Illanaf (who may be a really good person/artist, regardless of Lord M's behavior).
Lady G is listed as chaotic neutral, and she certainly seems to fulfilling the chaotic and neutral parts of her alignment in her plans for artistic sabotage.
She certainly strikes me as "anti-nobility" by right of blood, given her references to "foppish aristocrats dedicated to their own grandiose delusions" and "ineptitude and indolence" within Taldor. Yet, she's part of a faction called the Sovereign Court, which actually feels like a tongue-in-cheek reference as one of their mandates is to work via "subtle espionage" to subvert "pompous displays and grand parties that further drain the land's wealth." Part of the Sovereign Court feels even like Fight Club, as its members "avoid advertising the existence of the faction".
In essence, she's kind of an anti-extreme-aristocracy... but how would she present herself at a public setting like that in Paths? Would she be "playing the game" in public with excessive displays of pomp and address, but when she's alone with her faction members, she cuts right to the chase and any semblance of noble address is cast aside for kind of a middle-class, straight-to-the-point demeanor?
I'm now considering playing her as a little erratic and slightly unstable, almost as if she has multiple personalities - one that is seen in public as she acts the noble, and another in private where she displays a genuine dislike for excessive formality and grandiosity. One face (the public one) would seem to praise the art of Amya Illanaf and greatly disdain any that would besmirch it. The other face (the private one shown to her faction) would be encouraging those who would subvert it. In essence, a little like Two-Face (except her bad side is actually not evil, just a bit frazzled at the upper class that never gave her the support she wanted).
Thoughts?
I see her as a pissed off and embarrassed individual.
Nobles are supposed to lead, guide their people, make sacrifices for their cause (this includes marriages of state), etc..
But the nobles in Taldor appear to mostly be a selfish lot, only interested in their own pleasures and ruthlessly claiming credit for successes (of others) and casting blame on others for their failures.
I see her continuing to play the "game", but also leading and guiding an effective faction to ensure that countries are properly led.
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Venture-Captain, California—San Francisco Bay Area South & West
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There's a bug in event setup that won't let you create an event with only season 6 scenarios (which includes 5-99, but not 6-00. Odd).
A workaround is to create the event with, say, 5-08 (The confirmation), then when you are reporting the event choose 5-99 as the scenario to be reported.
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
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Maybe the best way to explain the auction is as a form of conspicuous consumption? The customers are people with money to burn who want an entertaining evening? They participate in the auction for the pleasure of foiling their rival socialites?
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We had fun playing this by the way, even if we did think the mechanics were quite strange.
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There's a bug in event setup that won't let you create an event with only season 6 scenarios (which includes 5-99, but not 6-00. Odd).A workaround is to create the event with, say, 5-08 (The confirmation), then when you are reporting the event choose 5-99 as the scenario to be reported.
Still have this bug, I will try you solution for reporting purposes, hopefully it will work.
Nathan Meyers
NYC PFS GM/Player
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One of my fellows gamed the auction fairly handily. He had us hold our bid on the first one to ID the competitor we were up against. Then we bid 15 and 15 on the other two targets to shut him out. After that it was just a matter of following him out the door to discuss purchasing the third off of him. The fact that he wanted to jump us and take the other two by force just played right into our hands.
Prepping this for tomorrows game day, and having trouble IDing which maps I need to have on hand. Do we have a handy list of flip mats and map packs anywhere?
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Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
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One of my fellows gamed the auction fairly handily. He had us hold our bid on the first one to ID the competitor we were up against. Then we bid 15 and 15 on the other two targets to shut him out. After that it was just a matter of following him out the door to discuss purchasing the third off of him. The fact that he wanted to jump us and take the other two by force just played right into our hands.
Prepping this for tomorrows game day, and having trouble IDing which maps I need to have on hand. Do we have a handy list of flip mats and map packs anywhere?
That's pretty clever too. Did you discover why he had a grudge against the Society? We just took him down as "one more malcontent", but I wonder if there's a story there.
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Prepping this for tomorrows game day, and having trouble IDing which maps I need to have on hand. Do we have a handy list of flip mats and map packs anywhere?
Sovereign Court - Warehouse
The Exchange - Pirate ShipGrand Lodge - Thieves' Guild
Silver Crusade - Pub Crawl
Dark Archive - Custom
Liberty's Edge - Custom & Pub Crawl
Scarab Sages - Crypts
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Venture-Captain, California—San Francisco Bay Area South & West
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We've successfully used the workaround I suggested upthread to report tables of 5-99.
To recap:
- Create an event with some random scenario (5-08, say)
- When reporting for that event, use the "All Scenarios" dropdown to pick 5-99 as the actual scenario to report
- Profit
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We've successfully used the workaround I suggested upthread to report tables of 5-99.
To recap:
- Create an event with some random scenario (5-08, say)
- When reporting for that event, use the "All Scenarios" dropdown to pick 5-99 as the actual scenario to report
- Profit
AHH! Ok. I didn't know that was a button, i thought it was a label for the down arrow right next to it.
Thanks!
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Ok, running this for the second time, and just came across an interesting dilemma. Doing the L.E. mission, and the group's ranger just shot a grappling arrow to climb up to the roof.
The mission comments that the group can try stealthing up, DC17 for subtier 3-4, but this action, by its very nature, would not be silent.
Trying to decide how this would affect their chances of being stealthy (or do I just roll a perception check for Halmont)?
Suggestions?
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Ok, here's a question.
What do you do when Uncle Guaril bites the big one?The conclusion assumes that he has been saved, but there is no other text. I am thinking that I'll have him raised, and modify his speech somewhat, assuming the party doesn't all die.
Nothing special, it's a possible outcome. You deduct 1 PP from Exchange PCs and check box B for reporting, unless the party fully pays to raise him, which is possible. Guaril is 11th level so should have enough clout himself for raise dead. Aaqir al-Hakam might paraphrase some of the text when the PCs report back, implying to them that Guaril's death might not be permanent.
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Nothing special, it's a possible outcome. You deduct 1 PP from Exchange PCs and check box B for reporting, unless the party fully pays to raise him, which is possible. Guaril is 11th level so should have enough clout himself for raise dead. Aaqir al-Hakam might paraphrase some of the text when the PCs report back, implying to them that Guaril's death might not be permanent.Ok, here's a question.
What do you do when Uncle Guaril bites the big one?The conclusion assumes that he has been saved, but there is no other text. I am thinking that I'll have him raised, and modify his speech somewhat, assuming the party doesn't all die.
I get that there's the cost in PP, but I was thinking of how to get his text read. I think that I'll be doing the idea of having Aaqir do the report, when they drag Uncle Guaril's corpse back.
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Re the slave auction in the Silver Crusade mission:
In fact, there are many types of auctions in real-life. Bounder Stig's method seems like a combination of the "blind auction" and the "all-pay auction" with the added nuance of awarding the item to the highest unique bid.
I imagined this as sort of a James Bond scene with a bunch of elite high-rollers enjoying the thrill of the gamble and showing off to their peers more than what the prize itself might be worth.
I awarded bonuses for role-playing. For example, the players pretended to examine a slave, commenting loud enough to be overheard that the slave seemed in ill health. They rolled bluff and heal checks. I rolled sense motive for Bounder Stig and the bidders and applied a small penalty to the bid rolls of the competition.
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Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
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I'll be running this on Wednesday, question about the festivities and the "party" element: can't remember completely, but I think when I first played it, my GM skipped the whole festivities and hobnobbing with the NPCs thing. I'm tempted to do the same, as I see no value in it. Am I missing something? Does anyone have examples or play experiences where they were important?
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Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
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I'll be running this on Wednesday, question about the festivities and the "party" element: can't remember completely, but I think when I first played it, my GM skipped the whole festivities and hobnobbing with the NPCs thing. I'm tempted to do the same, as I see no value in it. Am I missing something? Does anyone have examples or play experiences where they were important?
I rather enjoyed it, as a mood-setting thing. The PCs are up and coming macho agents getting to swagger around a bit.