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One of my PC's had a fun idea of burying some of their recently acquired treasure for a "rainy day". They're a bit ahead of the wealth-by-level mark, so they might just follow through with this. I heard this idea and realized with some shock that not in any of the 6 books for Skull and Shackles does the AP ever play with the idea of the PC's burying their own treasure, as opposed to seeking out someone ELSE'S buried treasure, and I was doubly surprised that I couldn't find someone else sharing their experience with this on the forums.
On the surface, this might just seem silly, if fun and worth some rp-points. However, we're smack dab in the middle of Book 2, when gaining Infamy is the name of the game. I realized that buried treasure always, ALWAYS holds some level of myth (or Infamy, if you will) for the one who buried it in the first place. The treasure of Mancatcher Cove, for instance, comes with a dedicated Adventure Background entry to share in the legend of Cyrus Wolfe and his immense reputation and treasure horde.
What if I applied this cause-and-effect relationship with Infamy and buried treasure to what the PC's are doing? I could say something like they need to bury x-amount of gold/treasure, make a y-skill check to hide it/leave cryptic clues to find it, and then gain z-Infamy as stories of their buried treasure spreads through the Shackles. Maybe the Infamy they gained for burying it goes away if the treasure is ever retrieved (either by them when they decide they need the cash more than the Infamy, or by some other pirates who followed the clues and found their hidden horde.
If I do make a system out of this, I'd want it to be balanced, and remain so as the PC's gain levels and wealth. I'm thinking at least 1,000gp per ACL as the baseline, and the skill check can be Survival, Bluff, or Profession, with the DC weighed against the gp-value of the treasure, which would represent their ability to hide it well. Based on the check result, I would make a secret check once per week or so to see if someone finds it. It could make for a pretty awesome story hook for them to head into port, only to hear stories of how someone found the buried treasure they were bragging about a few months back (i.e. I tell them their Infamy has dropped), they go back to the dig sight, and find a note from the thief.
Any guidance on this system would be greatly appreciated!
I like the idea.
However, measure it in terms of points of plunder, not gp.
Perhaps the following:
Successfully hide 1 point of plunder for a month while also allowing rumors float that it is hidden somewhere. Success gains 1 point of infamy.
To gain another point of infamy, you must bury at least 1 point uf plunder more than the last time. It also must not be found for a month, and have rumors. Success gets the point of infamy.
The first few points of infamy don't cost much, but the later ones start adding up.
Any treasure retrieved secretly does not caus problems. If word gets out, that point of infamy is lost.
Any treasure retrieved by others, and traced back to you has the same effect.
The DC for secret burial is actually two DCs. One for survical to hide it in such a way it will not easily be found. Maybe DC 20 or 25. The second is a DC for keeping the crew tight lipped. Add a bonus if the crew never assists in the burial. This check needs to occur when buried, and anytime new crew is brought on board. [Gotta worry about spies.]
Just as there is a limit for infamy gain in a given city, there shoud be a limit on buried treasure as well.
As for others seeking it out, I would say 1% chance each month someone goes looking. They need to make a high gather information check to get the correct area, and further checks to find it. However, if the party gains enemies that want to do them ill, change the 1% to 10%.
/cevah
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Thanks for the suggestions, Cevah. Though nice and simple, I don't think I like the idea of initially giving them 1 Infamy just for spending 1 point of Plunder. Plus, 1,000gp-worth of treasure hardly seems like something many people would really pay attention to, as far as spreading rumors. Also, I took into account that in most games, the cost of these treasure hordes will be split 4 ways (5 ways in my game), so making it cost more doesn't feel too restricting to me.
I've got a first draft ready. I went through the process and following cause-and-effect as thoroughly and logically as I could (including the steps the PC's could take to better fortify their hiding places, the likelihood that multiple attempts on the same horde could increase the chances of it being found due to the evidence left by previous would-be thieves, etc.), while keeping in mind how setting certain DC's and bonuses would effect later play. The end result seems a bit cluttered and complicated. I'm open to feedback and suggestions.
Burying Treasure for Infamy
To gain Infamy from burying treasure, the PC’s must spend 1,000gp-worth of treasure per Infamy level. For calculating this total, 1 point of Plunder is worth 1,000gp, and items are not halved in price (a +1 weapon would add 2,000gp to the horde, not 1,000gp). Plunder in the form of perishable goods cannot be added to a buried treasure horde, unless the PC’s have some magical method of preserving the goods. Doubling or tripling the minimum gp amount will add 2 or 3 Infamy, respectively. No more than 3 Infamy can be gained from a single buried treasure horde.
Once the treasure to be buried is selected, the PC’s must spend 1d4 days finding a suitable location, devising a hiding spot within the location, and leaving/noting innocuous markers for the hiding spot. If a location is already available prior to this step, the process instead takes 1d2 days. At the end of this time period, a PC must make a plunder check, which can be either a Bluff, Knowledge (Nature), or Survival check. Knowledge (Dungeoneering) or (Local) can also be used if the hiding spot is subterranean or within a settlement. Up to two others can assist on this check. This check is made by the GM in secret, and represents how well the treasure is hidden, and also how difficult it would be for other pirates to find it.
The check takes a -1 penalty for every 10,000gp-worth of treasure is in the horde. There are four ways a PC can add bonuses to this check: adding certain long-duration spells like Permanent Image or Secret Chest that would make the treasure harder to find add a bonus to this skill check equal to the spell’s level, though spells with a duration shorter than Permanent or Instantaneous will need to be reset at regular intervals, or that spell’s bonus will be lost. Adding a trap adds a bonus equal to ½ the trap’s CR. Adding some kind of guardian adds a bonus to the check equal to ½ the guardian’s CR, though a guardian would need some way to remain nearby the treasure horde for a long period of time in order for this bonus to apply; the guardian would need to have no desire/reason to leave the area, either for want of food/water, or otherwise. Finally, PC’s can also add 5 to the check’s result by adding 1 day to the hiding process, representing a more thorough job, usually including trickier markers and more steps to arrive at the hiding spot. However, this increase in complexity to the hiding spot requires the PC’s to create a physical map or legend in order to keep track of the extra measures taken to hide the treasure. If this map were to be stolen, the new owner would have an easier time finding it (see below). Each of these measures (spells, traps, guardians, and maps) stack with each other, but adding additional spells, traps, guardians, and maps don’t stack – take the highest bonus from each.
Once the Plunder check is made, the GM notes the result and the Infamy value, and commits them to that particular treasure horde. Once per month, the GM rolls a d%. There is a 1% chance per buried treasure horde that one of their hordes are actively being pursued. If this is the result of the roll, randomly select one horde. The GM secretly rolls a d20 and adds the result of the PC’s Plunder check for that treasure horde, and then makes an opposed roll, adding 10 + ½ the PC’s Infamy score to it. If the PC’s have lost their treasure map, the +5 bonus they gained on the initial Plunder check is lost, and is instead added to the opposed roll. If the opposed roll is higher, the buried treasure is found and looted. The next time the PC’s arrive in a settlement, they will be informed of the drop in their Infamy. If the Plunder check is higher, the would-be thieves are unsuccessful in finding or retrieving the treasure, but there is a 50% chance that their efforts triggered a trap, destroyed a guardian, or dispelled a spell erected by the PC’s when initially hiding the treasure, which means that when next the treasure is targeted, the new thieves will have an easier time. Subtract the bonus the removed obstacle granted the initial Plunder check from future opposed Plunder checks on that treasure horde. At any time, the PC’s can re-visit the site of a treasure horde and spend the resources necessary to reinstall these obstacles, though if a Treasure Map was made for the location, and the Map is no longer in the PC’s possession, they will need to succeed at a Perception or Survival check with a DC equal to the initial Plunder check (including the +5 gained from the Treasure Map). Each one of these checks requires a full day. If the check fails, they can try again tomorrow with a +2 bonus. Each day’s bonus is cumulative with previous days. If the PC's elect to simply remove the treasure from the horde, their Infamy will automatically drop appropriately.