| jtreidno1 |
So the PCs currently own a manor. I want the PCs to be able to train manor NPCs with additional skills and levels as the PCs themselves level. The PCs will have to spend gold and time doing this. The aim of this is to allow the PCs to be able to increase manor security and manor economy as they themselves grow in power- it doesn't make sense for level 15 characters to have level 1 guards.
I've looked under hirelings and the kingdom building rules and can't seem to find anything that would provide guidelines for what I am trying to do. If any more experienced GMs have ideas, I'd love to hear them. I don't want my mechanic to be too easily exploitable or require exorbitant amounts of gold to get quality improvements in their manor.
| Meirril |
It sounds like you want to give the group what amounts to a free leadership feat with some extra restrictions. More like the NPCs are attached to a stronghold.
The way I'd do this is to have a few NPCs contact the players and make offers. Like if the players cleared out an old manor house that was taken over by bandits, the local lord could give the deed to the manor house to the players as part of the reward.
But the house is obviously trashed. Asking the locals about it and the head of the carpenter's union inspects the location. For 2,000 gp the manor house can be fully repaired. If the players are willing to put down 200 gp they will get stared on the work and are willing to give the party a loan with a 10% annual interest rate.
Once the party has work progressing on the manor house an NPC approaches them inquiring if they have anyone to manage the estate. He'll ask what the players intentions are, and offer a few business ideas that could be run on the property. He'll also ask about the desire of other servants and guards for the property.
That conversation should be the initial planning stage for other "requests" the NPCs associated with the manor will make to the players. Each request done should result in a noticeable change to the estate. Maybe not an immediate change, but something you could describe a few months later and mention what made the change happen.
Overall the estate should always be trailing behind the PCs in power and wealth, but it should also reflect how much effort they put into the estate. And if the players raid the estate for money, that should get reflected too. Both in actual assets and NPC attitude.
| Mark Hoover 330 |
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The Downtime rules in Ultimate Campaign allow you to hire Teams - laborers, guards, archers, etc. I'd start there and as the PCs outgrow the basic level 1-3 nameless Teams you as the GM step in and introduce NPCs willing to work for the PCs.
Example of this campaign (borrowing heavily from the first adventure of the Saltmarsh series from D&D 1e)
1. PCs begin in the town of Brinemoor. They are told of a spooky old house and rumors of it being haunted. By one hook or another they investigate. It turns out the house is currently being used Scooby Doo style by some bandits posing as a haunting to scare people away from the sea caves they're accessing for smuggling through the basement.
2. PCs learn of a larger slaver operation going on out of Brinemoor from the bandits' lair. They head out to sea on the appointed night and attack the knar that the bandits row out to in order to exchange slaves for ilicit goods. In one fell swoop the PCs have ended a great deal of crime flowing through the sleepy town of Brinemoor.
3. Since the town is fairly isolated and the economy has stagnated with all the dark dealings going on they can't really afford to pay the PCs a great deal of gold for their services. Since the PCs have leveled to APL 2 and the townsfolk would really like to keep their heroes around, the town council offers the PCs the manor house and grounds for free.
4. The house has been a derelict for years, since an alchemist used the place for nefarious purposes. The PCs investigate the place and find a proper scary adventure among the grounds, rooting out the ghast and several ghouls who represent the former occupants from decades ago. The house, expansive grounds and a private cemetery are all now legally the PCs', for better or for worse.
5. Downtime: the PCs use the house as a base of operations. They can either establish some kind of business by fixing the place up themselves or hiring out townsfolk to do it. They can also purchase/build businesses in Brinemoor. The old house and manorial grounds are actually a mile outside of town, overlooking the settlement from sea cliffs to the north.
6. During their Downtime session, the GM offers to the PCs the chance to hire Teams specifically for administering to the manor. For example they can hire a Team of 5 Laborers for a one-time payment of 70 GP; this Team represents 5 unskilled workers, typically Commoner 1 to do basic work around the property like fixing roof shingles, cutting the grass, etc. They could also hire more specialized workers like Elite Soldiers who cost 330 GP but who act as armed, armored guards on the property and are typically a band 5, Warrior 3 NPCs with either Chain Shirt or Banded Mail armor, spears and halberds or gisarmes.
At this point the Teams that the PCs hire are tied specifically to their manor. If the PCs create a business from the property these Teams can add to their Downtime checks from that location. For example, if the PCs spend the Capital as well as the 12 days to add a Garden room to their manor for the purpose of using the produce from said Garden to sell in town, the Garden grants a +8 on checks for GP or Goods. If they've ALSO hired a Team of Laborers, who give a +2 on checks for GP or Labor, they can say that their Laborers work as gardeners/groundskeepers and add the 2 bonuses together to get +10 on generating GP. So, their manorial grounds are now giving them 2 GP/day if the business takes 10.
Most specialized Teams you can hire like the Mage are a level 3 NPC. Once the PCs hit, say, about level 4-5 you as the GM can intro some specific, named NPCs that the party can work with in some way and then continue to be in their lives. Let's say the party saves a ranger 3 named Hyperion from a clan of ogres out on the moors. After they return from their adventure Hyperion shows up on their doorstep. He is impressed with the party and was wondering if they have any sort of permanent work for him. This NPC could be hired on as the Manager of the manorial business; his main function is to keep the business going when the PCs aren't around but he also has ranger 3 skills/abilities that the PCs can tap into for defense of the grounds, learning lore, etc.
Finally, as the PCs level to roughly level 7 you give them Leadership as a free feat and allow them to attract followers or level up their Teams/Manager(s) for either free or a small fee. These followers are specifically tied to the manorial grounds and support the business, protect the estate, and like Hyperion have specialized skills/abilities the party can tap as needed.
Please note: I made the mistake of letting my PCs turn all 4 of their loyal Cohorts into magic item crafters. This was a SERIOUS mistake since they now use these Cohorts to make tons of cheap magic items while they're off on adventures. I'd suggest that if you allow them a crafter, just let them have ONE for the whole party.
| Cevah |
Back in 3.X, you could hire a classed PC at 1 gp per level per day. This was for non-hazardous stuff, so guards were more expensive.
/cevah
