There have been several scenarios in *redacted* where the party has looked at what is required to go from Point A to Point B and say "Screw that, we're getting a cab!"
And in some subsequent scenarios, we had people go to local sheriff's office (To lay the groundwork for Profession: Bounty Hunter) or to the Magistrate's office (Likewise for Profession: Barrister). People don't think of the many services that would make it so much easier on them. There's a presumption that 'Adventurers do it all themselves' but a nice comfortable *dry* carriage ride versus slogging through the streets of a major city in the middle of a rainstorm? Priceless.
Yes, depending on GM or players.
Some GMs have made hiring anyone difficult at best with he excuse that adventurers should be self reliant. Other times I have hired barristers to draft adventuring company charters, or hire torchbearers, or even bodyguards to protect NPCs and allow the group to pursue assassins rather than be fixed in place to wait for trouble.
One has to be careful though. Some GMs love the theme of betrayal, hence PCs soon become self reliant out of paranoia.
^Yeah, you neer know what the Bank of Abadar might be doing with speculating in Derivatives . . . .
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I can't even get my players to hire anyone. Not only do they want to do it themselves, they want to hire themselves on as guards to protect the caravans/ships while they travel.
Of course, maybe that is because something always happens and they figure if they have to fight anyway they may as well get paid. Perhaps we can blame the tradition of wandering monster checks while travelling.
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In my Rise of the Runelords campaign, one PC died when they were in a small town, more than a week's journey from any major city where they could pay for a Raise Dead, though they had enough loot saved up. So they actually hired a messenger to transport some of their loot to a major city and come back with a scroll of Raise Dead. It took more than two weeks, and they did some other stuff while waiting (adventuring down one party member to tie up some loose ends before the next real assault on a major bad guy stronghold).
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Contributor
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In my Rise of the Runelords campaign, one PC died when they were in a small town, more than a week's journey from any major city where they could pay for a Raise Dead, though they had enough loot saved up. So they actually hired a messenger to transport some of their loot to a major city and come back with a scroll of Raise Dead. It took more than two weeks, and they did some other stuff while waiting (adventuring down one party member to tie up some loose ends before the next real assault on a major bad guy stronghold).
Waiting two weeks for a scroll of raise dead seems like the very definition of cruel irony.
(Unless they had gentle repose, I suppose.)
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In my Rise of the Runelords campaign, one PC died when they were in a small town, more than a week's journey from any major city where they could pay for a Raise Dead, though they had enough loot saved up. So they actually hired a messenger to transport some of their loot to a major city and come back with a scroll of Raise Dead. It took more than two weeks, and they did some other stuff while waiting (adventuring down one party member to tie up some loose ends before the next real assault on a major bad guy stronghold).Waiting two weeks for a scroll of raise dead seems like the very definition of cruel irony.
(Unless they had gentle repose, I suppose.)
Gentle Repose is a lot easier to come by than Raise Dead. It wasn't an issue, especially in that particular adventure.
And even if they didn't have that, the mayor of Turtleback Ferry is a cleric of Erastil who can cast 2nd level cleric spells, so he would have gladly cast Gentle Repose for them a couple of times for free, given that the PC died saving his town.
Servants should be assumed for lots of things. Once they had a bit of cash (like 500gp), the PCs IMC didn't bother doing any mundane shopping for things like tents, packhorses and provisions; they got servants to do it for them. They've used messengers, hired coaches with drivers and routinely dump chores like mending clothes and gear on NPCs. That's what they're for.
Of course there's some RP opportunity here for the son of a Taldan count to order people about as if it's second nature (which it is) while the poor boy from the slums isn't too comfortable with the idea and doesn't trust the servants to either be honest or get it right.
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I really like the banking idea.
I've been trying to steer my players more in the direction of services and hirelings and the like. I had to crack down on encumbrance--the "use common sense" strategy didn't work out, heh. I think they're about to take the pack-mule hint. I actually put them through the hoops of finding and paying for ship transport, recently. They got into it, actually, so I guess it was worthwhile.
Group lacks an arcane caster, so I'm trying to find a natural way to provide them such services as one might provide.
I like the recent Artistry skills a lot and want to develop those aspects of the economy--adventures and commerce centered around a painting or a poem sound kind of delightful to me.
The main time I remember [of course, since it was my idea] is when our group was commissioned to go somewhere. At this point I don't really remember where it was anymore. Anyway we had to go like 100 miles and I was like "Screw that, I'm not walking". Hiring a carriage is only 3cp per mile. So it only cost me like 3gp to hire the carriage, each way. So everyone else was walking while I was in the carriage relaxing. And I did that a couple of times in addition to that.
The DM could have been a jerk but instead he actually turned the carriage driver into an interesting plot hook, which made the experience even more enjoyable for our group. Almost a reward for deciding my character was lazy. :)
