Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Pre-Game Out-Of-Character Post

Hi guys. Now that everyone's character sheet is posted and linked on the PC information page, take a look at the other players' sheets (if you haven't already) to get a feel for the other PCs in the party.

Also, I've added a section on hirelings and a section on henchmen over on the Rules and Houserules page (at the bottom). Think about whether or not you'd like to go ahead and hire any "unskilled laborers" to act as torchbearers/porters, or mercenaries for added muscle (though remember the larger your group gets, the noisier it will be tramping along).

If you do want any hirelings, we'll say you've done the search ahead of time and you can simply pay their weekly wage up front (effective as of the first actual day of play, in-game). Doing it pre-game, I'll exempt your PCs from paying the search costs, and your hirelings will be right there at the start so you can just jump right in adventuring with them.

You can discuss that together here in the comments section, along with any other pre-game matters you see fit.

16 comments:

  1. I think we should at least get an unskilled laborer or two.

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  2. I concur and suggest at least one man at arms as well. I propose we all split these costs and begin recruiting them.

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  3. Definitely a unskilled worker. A man at arms won't be that bad of an idea since Bard isn't making us pay the searching cost.

    As a group do we want to get any basic supplies that we'll all use.

    And are we all on our own for rations?

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  4. Looks like everyone already has at least some rations:
    Oloc 3 days
    Varros 5 days
    Gaven 5 days
    Duran 7 days

    Before leaving town on any adventure, you will of course have to buy rations as well for hirelings you might have taken on. So keep that in mind as you consider how many hirelings you'd want employ at the start. Also for time spent in town (when presumably they won't be satisfied with eating rations and sleeping under the stars any more than you would) the "cost of living" rule (houserule # 5) will apply to them just as it does to your PCs. Any mercs, as level-one NPCs, will have a standard of living requiring 1 gp/day. The unskilled laborers who, as 0-level characters have lower expectations in terms of food/lodging etc., will have an in-town cost of living of only 5 sp/day. When you add up the cost of the up-front weekly wage, plus daily cost for rations and/or in-town lodging/meals, you can anticipate that each unskilled lackey will cost you about 6-9 gp/week total, and each merc about 12 gp/week total (though in each case perhaps a hair more, since you are likely to need to anticipate rations needed, so as not to run out while in the wilds or in a dungeon).

    In terms of anticipating such amounts, I can tell you that, at game start, in this earliest portion of your characters' careers, whatever type of adventure you engage in, you are not likely to need more than the rations necessary for a day's march out, maybe 2-3 days in some sort of adventure locale (dungeon or other) and a day's march back, either because the adventure itself is small, or because, if the adventure is large, you'll end up hitting another town and so be able to resupply.

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  5. So one unskilled laborer and one merc?

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  6. Sounds good to me. I propose we hire one of each and split the cost. I also propose we go ahead and hire them for two weeks in order to dispense with dealing with them for a while.

    Bard, assuming everyone agrees perhaps you could let us know the amount of gp we each need to subtract.

    I also propose in this initial pre-game lull we take advantage of our time by visiting the mayor and tavern, as well as questioning some of the townsfolk in order to gather any rumors or tidbits about the surrounding area.

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  7. One of each sounds good to me.

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  8. One unskilled laborer will cost 2 gp for one week (so 4 gp if you pay for two weeks up front)
    One merc costs 5 pg for one week (so 10 gp if you pay for two weeks up front).

    Rations are simply book cost (1 gp/day). Since most of you have about 5 days' rations, would I be right in assuming a purchase of 5 days' worth for the hirelings as well? And that you'll just buy additional rations for them any time you buy additional rations for yourselves?

    If so, and we assume a two-week wage payment up front, along with 5 days' rations each, we'd be looking at a total cost of 4 + 10 + 5 +5 = 24 gp total, divided four ways equals 6 gp per PC.

    Please let me know if this is acceptable or not.

    As for cost of living in town, that can't really be predicted in advance, since it will depend on how long you stay in town in any given stretch. I'll suggest the easiest way to do the accounting on this is to "settle up" at the end of each stretch of time spent in town, just before you leave for the wilderness or a dungeon.

    In terms of speaking to folks/gathering rumors pre-game, my initial game post is already prepared, and in it I assume that you have been together in the tavern for at least a few days now (no cost for time spent there prior to the game starting, of course), and have already picked up a few rumors that might get you started.

    Since that post is ready, and since our group of players is full and all character sheets are prepared, we could just go ahead and start prior to the officially announced March 1 start date, unless anyone objects. What do you think?

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  9. I have no problem starting early.

    Do we want to purchase our laborer and merc additional equipment?

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  10. Sorry I am late to the party here! I am ready to go as well. Just need to spend some time this weekend getting my blogger-Fu working. Charles

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  11. Sounds good to me. I'll go ahead and deduct the amount from my character sheet.

    We can start whenever.

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  12. 6 gp deducted here. What a bargain! We could have had an army! Lol.

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    1. LOL. You may need one before the campaign is over...

      But for now, you'll likely be okay with just the two. :)

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  13. 6 gp deducted for the sacrificial lambs...cough, cough...I mean hirelings.

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    1. Oh, dear. I can imagine who you'll be putting in the front of the marching order.

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