Difference between revisions of "The Wilderlands of Absalom"

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**[[Hosfai]] (Forager, Hunter), L1 Cerve Brave, HP 5/5, AC 8 (magical chainmail) or 5 (leather), Init +2
 
**[[Hosfai]] (Forager, Hunter), L1 Cerve Brave, HP 5/5, AC 8 (magical chainmail) or 5 (leather), Init +2
  
−
*[[WoA_Qutai | Qutai]], L5 Horse Shaman, HP 29/29 AC 5. Spear 9+ for 1d6-1. Init +2.
+
*[[WoA_Qutai | Qutai]], L6 Horse Shaman, HP 30/30 AC 5. Spear 9+ for 1d6-1. Init +2.
−
**[[WoA_Jochi | Jochi]], L4 Explorer, HP 12/18 AC 6. Sword [+1] 7+ for 1d6+1. Bow [MW] 5+ for 1d6+3 (may fire into melee at -2). Init +1.
+
**[[WoA_Jochi | Jochi]], L4 Explorer, HP 18/18 AC 6. Sword [+1] 7+ for 1d6+1. Bow [MW] 5+ for 1d6+3 (may fire into melee at -2). Init +1.
  
 
*[[WoA_Rabanus | Rabanus the Raffish]] (Diplomat), L5 Mage. HP 14/14, AC 1. Rapier 8+ 1d6+1. Init 0.  
 
*[[WoA_Rabanus | Rabanus the Raffish]] (Diplomat), L5 Mage. HP 14/14, AC 1. Rapier 8+ 1d6+1. Init 0.  

Revision as of 08:12, 15 January 2016

10Zcw4k.jpg

Statistics

Player Characters

  • Karag Two-Blades (Mapper, Forager/Hunter), L5 Assassin, HP 23/23, AC 7, Init +1, up to 5 cleave attacks
    • Hira of the Seven (Healer), L3 Antiquarian Witch, HP 9/9, AC 0, Init +0
    • P'zev the Hairless (Geographer), L2 Mage, HP 7/7, AC 1, Init +1
    • Hosfai (Forager, Hunter), L1 Cerve Brave, HP 5/5, AC 8 (magical chainmail) or 5 (leather), Init +2
  • Qutai, L6 Horse Shaman, HP 30/30 AC 5. Spear 9+ for 1d6-1. Init +2.
    • Jochi, L4 Explorer, HP 18/18 AC 6. Sword [+1] 7+ for 1d6+1. Bow [MW] 5+ for 1d6+3 (may fire into melee at -2). Init +1.
  • Xallijk, (Purser) L4 Nobiran Wonderworker, HP 17/17, AC 0
    • Nathet, L2 Nobiran Wonderworker, HP 5/5, AC 0
    • Mayaz, L1 Cerves, HP 1/1, AC 4
  • Zaharak The Unburned, L4 Ruinguard, HP 14/14, AC 8, Init +1, Surprise +1, x2 damage on natural 20, Immune to fear. Warhorse and wardogs.

Sample Character

Blank Character Sheet

Marches and Watches

Marching Order:

  • Sir Harn / Qutai / Zaharak
  • Jochi / P'zev / Pantera
  • Karag / Rabanus / Hanston
  • Xallijk / Nathet / Hira
  • Anbet / Sylanna / Jeffed
  • (Horse Archers ) / (Pack Train and Wranglers) / (Horse Archers)
  • - / (Horse Archers) / -

Watch Order

  • 1st watch: Rabanus, Hanston, Hira, Jeffed, 1 wrangler, 5 horse archers
  • 2nd watch: Sir Harn, Qutai, P'zev, Anbet, 2 wranglers, 5 horse archers
  • 3rd watch: Zaharak, Karag, Jochi, Pantera, 1 wrangler, 5 horse archers
  • 4th watch: Xallijk, Nathet, Sylanna, 2 wranglers, 5 horse archers

Proficiencies

  • Alchemy - Nathet x3
  • Alertness - Pantera
  • Animal Husbandry - Qutai
  • Animal Training - Qutai
  • Bargaining - Jeffed
  • Battlefield Prowess - Harn
  • Beast Friendship - Hira
  • Command - Qutai, Harn, Zaharak
  • Commune - Qutai
  • Diplomacy - Rabanus
  • Engineering - Xallijk
  • Healing - Hira x3, Qutai, Hanston, Sylanna
  • Knowledge (Geology) - P'zev
  • Knowledge (History) - P'zev
  • Land Surveying - Xallijk
  • Leadership - Xallijk, Harn
  • Magical Engineering - P'zev, Xallijk
  • Manual of Arms - Harn, Jeffed
  • Mapping - Karag
  • Military Strategy - Zaharak x2
  • Mystic Aura - Rabanus, Zaharak
  • Navigation - Pantera
  • Prophecy - Hanston
  • Seafaring - Karag
  • Seduction - Rabanus
  • Siege Engineering - Harn, Zaharak
  • Survival - Karag
  • Theology - Xallijk, Sylanna
  • Tracking - Anbet x2
  • Wilderness Explorer - Jochi

Encumbrance Ape

  • Harn
    • Equipment: 9 stone, 1 item
    • Treasure: n/a
    • Total: 9 stone, 1 item
    • Movement: 60/20/60
  • Hanston
    • Equipment: 8 stone, 5 items
    • Treasure: n/a
    • Total: 8 stone, 5 items
    • Movement: 60/20/60
  • Anbet
    • Equipment: 4 stone, 1 item
    • Treasure: n/a
    • Total: 4 stone, 1 item
    • Movement: 120/40/120
  • Jeffed
    • Equipment: 7 stone, 3 items
    • Treasure: n/a
    • Total: 7 stone, 3 items
    • Movement: 60/20/60
  • Xallijk
    • Equipment: 5 stone
    • Treasure: n/a
    • Total: 5 stone
    • Movement: 120/40/120
  • Nathet
    • Equipment: 3 stone 1 item
    • Treasure: n/a
    • Total: 3 stone 1 item
    • Movement 120/40/120
  • Zaharak
    • Equipment: 9 stone
    • Treasure: n/a
    • Total: 9 stone
    • Movement: 60/20/60
  • Karag Two-Blades
    • Equipment: 6 stone 5 items
    • Treasure: n/q
    • Total: 6 stone 5 items
    • Movement: 90/30/90
  • Hira the Witch
    • Equipment: 4 stone 3 items
    • Treasure: n/q
    • Total: 4 stone 3 items
    • Movement: 120/40/120
  • P'zev the Hairless
    • Equipment: 3 stone 4 items
    • Treasure: n/q
    • Total: 3 stone 4 items
    • Movement: 120/40/120
  • Character A:
    • Equipment:
    • Treasure:
    • Total:
    • Movement:

Treasure

  • Coinage and gems
    • 8,000 coins of electrum, bearing the likeness of a crescent moon upon one face and a rampant lion on the other.
    • 4,000 coins of gold, with the same imprints.
    • 750 platinum coins are also scattered about.
    • A pearl worth 2,000 gp and a diamond worth 4,000 gp.
    • Hobgoblin chest with 2000 copper coins and 4000 silver coins, newly minted with a crowned hobgoblin.
    • The sword Olusetoiku (mage-bane), +1/+2 v. spellcasters (Careful examination reveals the blade to be forged from a metal sages call nethite, an ore found deep underground in rare parts of the world. The legends say that weapons forged from nethite are extremely potent at damaging beings who can call upon magical energies to cast spells and dweomers.)
    • The writing upon the slate is a magical formulae for a spell that seems to be able to turn -- at least temporarily -- a certain number of steel or iron weapons into silver. Steel to Silver spell
    • The gem embedded in the statue's chest is rather rare, and known among magicians as yedrium. It can be used to hold a charge of magical energy for an extended period of time before discharging it in a controlled manner; the gem glows slightly when containing the energy, dimming and crumbling to dust when discharged.
    • a backpack containing 3,000 ancient gold coins
    • a leather sack containing another 3,090 gold coins
    • a chest containing 1,500 silver coins
    • a chest containing 1,500 gold coins
    • a chest containing thirty-two pieces of ivory carved into primitive shapes. Each piece of ivory is likely worth 60 gold or so to a collector of primitive art


  • Special Items
    • 4 cylinder seals depicting obscure religious scenes involving a three-faced bearded man, each weighing one stone and worth approximately 1,200 gold apiece
    • Two shields bearing the crest of a rampant lion before a crescent moon. The shields are beaten from some unknown metal that reflects light like mother-of-pearl and are exquisitely balanced, making it seem as if the bearer has almost no added weight upon his arm. The shields are masterwork and only count as 2 items instead of a single stone.
    • Five swords of average length, slightly rusted but looking like they could be easily reconditioned. Like the shields they are perfectly balanced and fit in the hand as if an extension of the arm, and are also forged from the same metal as the shields. The swords are also masterwork and grant a non-magical +1 bonus to the attack throw.
    • A brass scrollcase containing a single rolled scroll of soft vellum. It is a scroll of arcane magics, written in an archaic dialect of Common. It contains the following spells: Sleep, Read Languages, Dispel Magic and Giant Strength.
    • Chimera parts (4.33 units, each 300 gp worth and 5 stone = 1300gp and 21.5 stone) post
    • two clear bottles with silver stoppers -- one containing a bluish liquid, the other a reddish liquid suffused with small silver bubbles
    • ancient banded plate, with shield and sword. The armor, shield and sword are devoid of rust or damage; all are of a similar greyish-green hue that seems to shimmer like a drop of oil when examined closely
  • Trade Goods (0 stone, 0 gp)

XP Awards

Group Finances and Resources

Sully's spreadsheet

  • Google Sheets doc can be found here.

Party Funds and Expenses

NPCS and Animals

Assets

  • Resources
    • 6 medium draft horses carrying provisions and trade goods, about 440 gp value combined (Xallijk)
      • also carrying 135 stone of warhorse feed (27 horse-weeks or 189 horse-days)
  • Stored with Mr. Hand in Junction
    • 2500 gp
    • Three river boats
  • Party Treasury (Stored in locked chests, 3 stone / 40 stone)
    • Charter from the Scarlet Prince
    • Magical silver bowl to contact and speak to Mr. Hand 1/week
    • Map to gold mine
    • Map of the chaos lands
    • 100 20 gp gems (2000 gp worth)
    • 500 sp
    • 600 cp
    • 2090 gp


  • Supply Train

This supply train can carry 40 stone of treasure in locked chests. It can carry an additional 1350 stone of supplies, trade goods and treasure while moving at its full movement rate of 180'.

    • 10 medium draft horses, each carrying 1 barrel of preserved meat, 2 bags of grain, 10 man-weeks of iron rations, and a draft saddle (27 stone)
    • 2 medium draft horses, each carrying 0 barrels of wine, 10 man-weeks of iron rations, and a draft saddle (27 stone)
    • 2 medium draft horses, each carrying 1 locked ironbound chest, 5 man-weeks of iron rations, and a draft saddle (7 stone empty, 27 stone loaded)
    • 3 medium draft horses, each carrying 25 man-weeks of iron rations and a draft saddle (26 stone)
    • 20 laborer tools, split between the spare horses (20 stone)
      • All of the above are carrying enough feed to push their loads to 30 stone (55 stone of warhorse feed total, 11 horse-weeks or 77 horse-days)
    • 2 deer hides (3 stone)
  • Current encumbrance:
    • Locked chests 12 stone / 40 stone
    • Unsecured 1325 (now 1196) stone, plus 225 stone of treasure and trade goods / 1320 stone
  • Logistic Tracker (Updated Thirdmonth 23)
    • We have 6 PCs, 7 henchmen, 20 mercenaries, and 10 non-combatants, -1 mercenary at Hob, +2 Cerves henchmen (44 total)
    • We have 29 warhorses and 38 other horses. (68 total)
    • 802/1610 man-days of iron rations. Count 7 man-days as 1 stone of encumbrance.
    • 700 lbs of preserved meats
    • 700 lbs of grain
    • 0/266 horse-days of warhorse fodder. Count 7 horse-days as 5 stone of encumbrance.
  • Resupply costs and Pay Schedule
    • The cost to fully resupply the food and feed to what we are began with is 1742 gp. This should be enough food to last for 2 months
    • Monthly upkeep for the party and entourage is 5920 gp
      • Each veteran horse archer has a base pay of 57 gp per month, doubled to 114 gp for wilderness adventuring (2280 gp / month)
      • Each civilian horseman wrangler has a base pay of 12 gp per month, doubled to 24 gp for wilderness adventuring (144 gp / month)
      • Zaharak's entourage has the same pay as the wranglers (96 gp/month)
      • 4th level PCs (Xallijk, Zaharak) require 450 gp / month for lifestyle, 5th level PCs (Karag, Qutai, Rabanus, Sir Harn) pay 450 gp/month (2700 gp total/month)
      • 2nd level henchmen (P'zev, Nathet) require 50 gp/month for lifestyle, 3rd level henchmen (Hira, Pantera, Hanston, Sylanna) require 100 gp/month, 4th level henchmen (Jochi) require 200 gp/month (700 gp total/month)

Maps

Mapper's Journal

Setting

After a century the forces of Chaos have begun to subside and weaken and the Realm of Man has begun to expand again, to retake territory lost in the past hundred years and even expand past its original borders. The Five Princes of the Inner Kingdoms have called for all able-bodied adventurers to venture into the outlands, to drive the barbarians and humanoids and abominations out and establish new domains for Law and Order. The adventurers have a charter from the Scarlet Prince, granting them ten year monopolies on any trade routes opened with friendly territories and the ability to draw upon the population of the Inner Principalities for labor, for skilled craftfolk, for soldiers and for settlers. Of course, the adventurers could also do it on their own and attempt to establish their own domains without owing fealty to anyone. They also have a map, a century out of date and likely inaccurate; the incursion of Chaos has warped the landscape in strange ways in addition to the more mundane monsters wreaking havoc on the towns and villages beyond the River Sarn.

The seasons are like Philly, approximately three months long each, but the winters are much colder. There may very well be a supernatural reason for this -- perhaps even connected with the presence of Chaos.

Junction, Class IV

On border of Scarlet Principality.

Exports & Imports

According to Mr. Hand:

  • The main exports of Junction are meat, fur, cloth, timber and cloth and textiles refined from the bark of the whiteflower tree.
  • The primary trade goods that go downriver is timber from the rare Empress Blood tree. It is a dense, oily, fine grained hardwood that is heavy enough to be used as ballast for the outgoing trip.
  • In past years most of the traffic upriver has brought luxury goods and exotic wares for the nobility in Rhea's Ford and few staples.
  • Junction is, as mentioned earlier, somewhat lacking in metals both common and rare. A fair amount of their supply comes from further east within the Scarlet Principality. Also, tradesmen have found that Empress Blood is hard enough to be used as bearings, gears and other parts traditionally made from metal -- and has the added benefit of being somewhat self-lubricating from the natural oils -- so the metal shortage is not as much of a hardship as may be expected.
  • Junction has a high demand for metals (common and precious), glassware and armor and weapons (from the existing categories) as well as building supplies (wood and stone) due to the construction currently underway. It's essentially a frontier boomtown.
  • It has a low demand for meats, furs, animals, cloth, wine and spirits, ale and pottery.

Here's a new category of trade good, BTW:

  • Geegaw. 1 load = 2 bags, encumbrance per load = 10 stone, base price 50 gp (see below). A load of geegaws consists of brightly colored glass beads, shells, polished rocks, flavored toothpicks, jumping beans and the like. Such goods are typically only desired by primitive or remote peoples, and are often not sold but exchanged for value of goods equal to the base price. In addition, upon spreading out a blanket and presenting the geegaws in an attractive fashion the DM will immediately make another reaction roll if the initial result was Indifferent or worse. If the new result, however, is Unfriendly, the other party is deeply offended and will likely attack. One load is enough to satisfy the curiosity of a Class VI village (with each additional category requiring an additional load), and for every load added past the minimum required add +1 to the reaction roll.

Rhea's Ford, Class II

Some distance east from Junction

  • Mr. Hand hasn't spent enough time in Rhea's Ford to suss out the demand modifiers there, but you can hazard a guess that it will be fairly in line for what a relatively wealthy large city would want: silks, spices, coffee and tea, textiles, animals, etc.

Rivers Bel and Sarn

The rivers Bel and Sarn are both relatively wide, shallow and flat, and the majority of the boats plying their waters are one or two masted and fairly flat bottomed, the equivalent of a small sailing ship. They rely on the current to go downstream and on the return trip use a combination of sails and oars. The body of water shown at the south of the map is a large inland lake -- almost a freshwater sea, really -- similar to one of the Great Lakes. Before Chaos descended upon the land there were numerous civilizations ringing the lake, of which the Six Principalities were but one, but know little is known of how many survived.


Languages

  • Faery (elves, pixies, dryads, etc.) Rabanus, Hira, Sylanna
  • Undertongue (dwarves, gnomes, kobolds) Xallijk, Ishka
  • Bestial (ogre, orc, gnoll) Harn, Zaharak
  • Goblin (goblin, hobgoblin, bugbear) Harn, Zaharak, Pantera
  • Grog (common language of most primitive races) Hanston
  • Swampspeak (frogling, lizardman, troglodyte, etc.) Karag
  • Giant Qutai
  • Draconic Xallijk, P'zev
  • Law (must be selected through Proficiency)
  • Chaos (must be selected through Proficiency) Zaharak

Wolf Keep

The land is probably not that great for farming, at least not much past a narrow band on either side of the river. It is, however, ideal land to raise goats, sheep or even cows (again, think west Texas terrain). Fish and fowl are plentiful in the river -- or will be again, now that the trolls are gone. There is the copper mine with potential for more mines -- a comprehensive survey will determine how many -- and the possibility of quarrying sandstone. The land revenue for this hex is 7.

What makes it really valuable, however, is the location of the Keep for controlling (and taxing, potentially) river traffic.

Houserules

Important NPCs

Mr. Hand, our Factor

Mr. Hand will be able to do the following for you:

  • Recruit basic mercenary troops.
  • Sell magic items, provided he has them in, ahem, hand.
  • Find buyers and sellers for trade goods.
  • Retain specialists.
  • Arrange for supply trains to venture out, *assuming the infrastructure is set up*. If there's not a PC or henchmen with the train, they won't want to travel through uncleared hexes.

He comes with an office and warehouse with a capacity of 10,000 stones worth of goods/treasure. Assume that 1,000 stones worth can be stored in a vault-like space and the rest of the storage is simply locked. The warehouse/office will also be guarded by two veteran crossbowmen 24 hours a day. I need y'all to tell me if you want him based in Junction or Rhea's Ford. If he is based in Junction the above will cost you 500 gp a month (assume the 1st month is already paid); he will be closer to the frontier but in a smaller market. If based in Rhea's Ford the above will cost you 750 a month (again, assuming the 1st month is already paid); he will be farther from the frontier but in a larger market town.

Note that the above cost includes payments on the warehouse and the salaries of Mr. Hand and the guards, but does not include the cost of recruiting troops, IDing magic items and so forth. There will be the ability to ID magic items in Junction, but the sale of them will be limited to Rhea's Ford.

Other Adventuring Parties

Awyn's Band

  • They are led by Awyn the Acrimonious, a she-warrior of some renown. The party counts amongst its members a mage, a cleric of a deity I have never heard of and cannot pronounce the name of, two rangers, a bard for singing Awyn's praises and a cloaked, silent man who's duties and abilities I have been unable to determine, and a score of so mercenaries, cooks and so forth. I do not know there goal, only that I observed them purchasing furs and blankets and other cold-weather gear. Therefore, I can only conclude they are either heading north, to where winter still holds the world in an icy embrace, or west, towards and perhaps beyond Rocky Peak.

Sanke One-Eyed

  • Her brother is stricken by a mysterious curse that prevents him from speaking the truth. They had heard tales of a spring somewhere to the southeast, that has the power to cleanse one who drinks of it of all such afflictions. They were unable to find it, however. They stopped in Pevin, of all places, for a week of R&R but no idea where they went afterward.

Rumor Mill

  • While the road to Rocky Peak has been little used and ill-maintained over the past century, the occasional bold merchant or brave adventurers made the treacherous journey between the two cities. A dozen or so years ago, however, a pride of manticores staked their territory western edge of the forest, effectively shutting down transit between Rocky Peak and Junction. Mr. Hand, the factor in the adventurer's employ, notes that Rocky Peak was for years a source of iron and gemstones, two commodities that Junction is sorely lacking.
  • Far to the west, at the base of an active volcano, sits the legendary city of Pesh. Even before the darkness fell the route to Pesh was long and circuitous, for there is only one road onto the plateau where it is built, and the causeway is -- or was, rather, controlled by a fierce band of lion-men who demand tribute to those who would pass. Pesh is noted, however, for its great libraries containing books and scrolls of esoteric nature and for the veritable army of brass-skinned smiths who forge puissant weapons in the heat of the looming volcano. Were one to open a road to Pesh it would certainly bring great wealth to the indomitable individual.
  • Gold ingots are also in high demand in Junction, and a wild-eyed man has been spreading tales of a gold mine he stumbled across in the hills south of the Principality, abandoned for nigh one hundred years but barely touched. He is willing to sell a map to the mine for 500 gold coins.
  • A band of river trolls has established themselves in the River Sarn, demanding heavy tribute for those wanting to reach the Silver Sea and the markets beyond. The Scarlet Prince has offered a reward of 5000 gold alcedes to those able to defeat the trolls and open the waterways south. They are rumored to lair where the verdant grasslands turn to hills, some fifty miles southwest of Junction.
  • All agree that the most fertile, prosperous land in Absalom is to be found almost due west of Junction. They say the ground is so fecund that one need only scatter seeds on the soil and wait for the most bountiful of harvests.
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