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I wanted to maintain the sense of isolation and privation I imagined an expedition of this type would feel throughout the AP so I invented this mini game for my players. It melds together rules and ideas from the Shiv mini, and other Paizo products. It worked very well for us. I put it all in a spoiler tag so players don't ruin your fun and peek. Please feel free to comment.
Base Camp Mini
Once the PC’s arrive at Saventh’Yhi they need to locate and establish a base camp from which their expedition can explore the city.
A DC 25 survival or knowledge (geography) check reveals the following information.
1. The valley in which the city lies has only one logical entrance though which an expedition can enter, and that is along the north side of the unknown river, and even this will be difficult.
2. Along the northern border there are 5 best locations for an expedition base camp. This takes a day of exploration.
3. The three most important factors to consider when establishing a base camp are:
a. Defense – At a minimum each the base camp must be clear of any hostiles with in one hex (600ft) of its base hex.
b. Exploration – Base camp must be convenient to the ruins to allow faction archeologists to explore and return conveniently
c. Supply – The base camp must allow access to the valley entrance for re-supply to enter as well as access to water (within 600ft).
Once PC’s have chosen a site they can prepare the site for the arrival of their expedition. This requires an additional survival check and a full day (16 hours) of work. Once the 16 hours is completed PC’s are fatigued, and must make a DC 25 survival check. For every 5 points by which the PC’s fail the survival check they require an additional 4 hours of labor and gains +2 on the subsequent roll. (Note: If the PC’s choose a water hex (any hex which is > 1/3 water) the DC is 30.
Daily Sequence of Play
A. Determine Morale Level. Max Morale level is 10. Starting morale level is 5.
a. Out of supply reduces the morale level by 2 per week out of supply.
b. Camp HP < 15; -1 morale level
c. Camp HP < 10; -1 morale level (cumulative with b)
d. Camp HP < 5; -1 morale level (cumulative with b)
e. Camp Destroyed; -5 morale level
f. Faction leader dead or incapacitated -10 morale level
g. Named NPC dead or incapacitated -2 morale level
h. PC dead or incapacitated -4 morale level
i. Morale < 7: -2 all defense and discovery rolls.
ii. Morale < 5: -4 all defense and discovery rolls, trading post reduced 1 level, unnamed NPC begin abandoning encampment.
iii. Morale < 0: No trading post, discovery or defense impossible, named NPC begin defecting to other factions.
B. Determine Supply bonuses
a. Make weekly Supply roll d20+bounses; DC 20
b. If the total is less than 10 the expedition is Out of Supply.
c. If the total is greater than 10 it is In Supply.
d. For every 1 over 10 reduce the delivery time of special items by one day to a minimum of 7 days.
C. Determine Defense bonuses for the day
a. If a random encounter occurs and PC’s are absent from the base camp make defensive check d20+bonuses vs encounter DC (15 + CR).
b. Defensive check equal to the DC stalemate camp takes ½ CR in damage points, creature driven off.
c. Defensive check less than DC camp takes damage equal to CR.
d. Defensive check greater than DC camp take no damage.
e. If the party is present they deal with the encounter.
f. Every camp has 20HP
D. Determine daily Discovery bonuses
a. Roll discovery check d20+bonus, DC 20.
b. Check less than 20 no discovery point earned.
c. Greater than 20 earn one discovery point.
E. Start/Continue/Complete improvement
Once the PC’s expedition arrives, they have 5 base camp points with which to establish their base camp. As long as the base camp stays In Supply they receive 1 base camp point a week to improve their camp.
Points are spent to purchase base camp improvements from the following list. An improvement takes 1 week/point to build and represents the expedition working, along with their other duties, on improving their living conditions. PC’s must make a DC 20 diplomacy check to convince the Expedition leader to start/continue work on an improvement.
Base Camp Improvements
1. Aid Station (cost 2): Once established an aide station reduces the possibility of disease by 10%.
2. Alchemical lab (cost 1): Provides the necessary materials and instruments for the crafting of alchemical items by PC’s without the improvised tool penalties. Unlocks alchemical items at the Trading Post.
3. Arcane Workshop (cost 2): unlocks the ability to craft magic items other than potions and scrolls.
4. Armory (cost 2): Allows the Retrain down-time activity, adds +1 to the camps defense.
5. Canteen (cost 2): Add +3 to the camps morale.
6. Garrison (cost 2): Improves the organization and deployment of camp defenses. Adds +1 to defense and lowers random encounters by 5%.
7. Granary (cost 3): Stores food and water supply; reduces the possibility of disease by 5%, increases supply by +2
8. Headquarters (cost 2): Commands, controls and coordinates expedition activities. Without a headquarters and the expedition leader, who is always located at the HQ, the cost of all new improvements is doubled, and the Defense, Discovery, Supply and Morale of the base camp suffer a -4 penalty.
9. Library (cost 2): Actually an organized research center more than a library, this improvement focuses the expeditions research activities. Adds +2 to discovery rolls.
10. Palisade (cost 2): This wooden palisade aids in the defense of your base camp. Adds +2 to defense rolls.
11. Redoubt (cost 5): Prerequisite (palisade). The stoutest defenses available to the expedition incorporates the natural terrain. Adds +5 to defense
12. Shrine (cost 1): Increases expedition morale by +1
13. Smithy (cost 3): Allows the crafting of metal items and magical arms and armor made primarily of metal.
14. Stable (cost 3): Unlocks the train animal/companion downtime activity, Adds +1 to supply.
15. Trading Post (cost 2): Allows PC’s to submit requests for specialty items from civilization, PC’s can sell treasure here. The trading post has a base value of 2500gp for buying and selling of items as long as the base camp is “In Supply’. For anything more expensive you must order items. There is a 30-day delay between placing an order and receiving the item(s). This is reduced by a number of days equal to the result of the Supply check over 15 to a minimum of 1 week.
16. Watch Tower (cost 1): A watch tower increases defense by +1.
17. Wood Shop (cost 2): Allows the crafting of wooden items and magical items made primarily of wood.
In addition to base improvements, PC’s may, with a successful diplomacy check and use TPA/CPA to aassign/hire experts to aid the expedition as they see fit. TPA/CPA costs are monthly. Using diplomacy is a DC 20 Diplomacy check to convince the Expedition Leader to task/hire the NPC in this manner.
Each NPC and his/her specialty is listed in the chart below. PC’s may also request 1 NPC accompany them on expeditions into the ruins. This requires the expenditure of TPA/CPA. DM Approval since there are now six players.
NPC Name Specialty Cost Benefit
Athya Defense Adds +1 to defense
Patrol Reduces random encounter by 5%
Join Partu 3 CPA
Gelick Discovery Adds +1 to discovery
Morale Adds +1 to morale
Join Party 3 CPA
Pezock Defense Adds +1 to defense
Spy Adds +1 to discovery or +1 defense PC’s choice
Join PC 3 CPA
Cheiton Supply Adds +2 to supply or +1 to repair roll
Morale Adds +1 to morale
Nkechi Morale Adds +1 morale
Health Reduces chance of disease by 5% or +2 to repair roll
Join PC 3 CPA
Abbot Morale 10TPA and 4CPA or 40gp/mth Adds +1 to morale
Repair Adds +1 to repair
Wrangler Supply 10TPA and 3 CPA or 30gp/mth Adds +1 to supply can train animals
Guard Captain Defense 10TPA and 5CPA or 50gp/mth Adds +1 to defense, reduces random encounter by 5%
Doctor Repair 10TPA and 5CPA or 50gp/mth Adds +1 to morale and repair, reduces chance of disease by 5%
Sage Discovery 10TPA and 3CPA or 30gp/mth Adds +1 to discovery
Steward Supply 10TPA and 3CPA or 30gp/month Adds +2 to supply roll and +1 to repair roll.
Master Metal or Wood Smith Repair 10TPA and 5CPA or 50gp/month Adds +1 to defense, +1 to repair, Craft 1 masterwork item per week.
Master Engineer Defense 10TPA and 6CPA or 60gp/month Adds +1 to defense, +1 to repair, reduces cost of palisade and watchtower by 1, must be present to purchase redoubt. Together with master smith can craft siege engine. Must be present for siege engine use or -4 on siege engine Attack rolls.
Downtime Activities
Anytime PC’s are in the base camp players must choose one of the downtime activities. Each activity takes 8hrs or longer to complete. A minimum of 8hrs must be expended to gain any benefit from the activity unless otherwise noted in the activities entry.
Available Activities
Add Spell to Spellbook – copy from another source up to 8 spells (1/hr) into your spell book. (wizard, alchemist or witch)
Craft Magic item – providing the PC meets all the requirements he may spend 8hrs working on crafting a magic item. Requires appropriate base camp improvement (exc potions/scrolls)
Craft Mundane Item – providing the PC meets all the requirements he may spend 8 hrs working on crafting a mundane item. Requires appropriate base camp improvement
Heal Others – Per the heal skill. Additionally, spending 8hrs a day and making a DC 15 heal check at the end of the week adds +1 to the repair or morale roll.
Replace Companion/Familiar – Requires 24hrs of uninterrupted time and the correct environment.
Research Spell/Lore – Cost for spell research is 100gp x lvl of spell; time is spell level x 7 days, Spell Craft DC is 10 x (2xspell level); Spend 8hrs assisting in research of Saventh at the end of each period make a DC 20 intelligence or knowledge(history) check. If successful add +1 to the daily discovery check.
Full Days Rest – Rest for 24 hours. See heal skill.
Retrain – Ask GM - Requires appropriate base camp improvement
Train Animal – See handle animal skill - Requires appropriate base camp improvement
Base Camp Economics
One of the first offices established in any exploration base camp is the trading post. Here you can buy and sell items just as if you were in any other town or city throughout Golarion. The gold piece value of your faction trading post is directly related to your prestige level. The higher your total prestige award (TPA), the more funds your faction is willing to budget into your expedition.
Any magic item which has a market value less than the Base Value is available 70% of the time. This is 5% less than normal and reflects the austere conditions. Additionally, the item will not be available until your faction’s next weekly supply run arrives.
The purchase limit is the weekly market value of goods your Trading Post can accept. Once this limit is reached no additional goods will be accepted for purchase. This value resets Oathday each week.
The incidental limit is for expendable magic items potions, scrolls, wands, alchemical items, etc. This is once per week personal limit (no combining) for each PC.
The spell casting limit identifies the level of divine/arcane spell casting available for purchase from NPC’s in the base camp. Requires appropriate base camp improvement.
Additionally, certain minor/medium/major items will come available from merchants the DM will provide a list these items.
TPA Base Purchase Incidental Spell Casting
Value Limit Limit Limit
10 8000gp 32000gp 1500gp* 5th
20 15000gp 60000gp 3000gp**
30 25000gp 100000gp 6000gp*** 6th
45 50000gp 200000gp 8000gp****
50+ 75000gp 300000gp 10000gp***** 7th
* Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <3rd lvl, scrolls of <4th lvl, magic items <1001gp
** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <5th lvl, magic items <2001gp
*** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <5th lvl, magic items <4001gp
**** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <6th lvl, magic items <8001gp
***** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <7th lvl, magic items <10001gp
Expedition Mini Goal
What is the goal of all this? Simply stated it is to increase the epic feel of this campaign. The story is one of epic journey and discovery fraught with all manner of hazards, disease, hardship and deadly creatures. This also puts more at stake than your PC’s life. The lives, reputation and success of your expedition are in your hands as well.