Game Primer:
Everyone will roll up 3 dudes and 3 proteges. That is a max limit. For now. We can explore it further if PC's get higher levels. You can always roll up less. The theory is for you to have a stable of guys to use.
From then on, we will reroll a new PC the session after you lose one.
We WILL NOT track honor by the book. I will track honor using a mix of gameplay decisions and my homebrew system. It will either be +1 to all rolls, +0, or -1 to all rolls. Same for alignment tracking. Alignment matters for spells and magic items that reference it. I am just gonna adjudicate old school style. Think B/X style game with Hackmaster rules.
My main concern is making sure we get things moving along at a decent pace. Having said that, I want to be able to accommodate the folks who post once a day and the ones who post once a week.
Passage of time:
For me, I would like to have a game where each group can move along as they please and we see a passage of time greater than in normal games. PC's take the time to heal correctly, train correctly, and do non combat things. If Group A PC's take on a job to dig latrines and it takes a week, then Group B PC's would have to wait a week or return after a week to be able to co adventure.
Even though I will let the dice fall where they may and not fudge rolls EVER, I still believe in the one and only rule. Have fun or don't play. So of course feedback is welcomed. Be it negative or positive.
Each of you will run Three characters at once. So you will have double the number of Proteges, etc... I will also add a stable of pregens for people to grab if they just want to jump in quickly or don't have the books. This will be a persistent dungeon. If people don't post often, duration to be determined, they will auto returned to the surface/home and only receive xp for what the contributed to thus far. It will be considered a cut and run situation.
DO NOT BUY EQUIP.
Premise:
All of the PC's (and any to follow) are lowly, destitute, 1st level adventurers needing work. They have agreed to sign on to the Teabags and Trouble Adventuring and Wig company ran by Snarfle the Gimpy Dwarf. It is located on the frontier of a newly risen continent and danger and wealth abounds.
Snarfle is rumored to be 500+yrs old and looks 800. He sports a Blond beard the envy of any maiden, fair and otherwise. It is no surprise the only wigs he provides are blond.
He has hired each and every PC to map, explore, and plunder the Dreadmire swamp, surrounding the Outpost of Dilfer, and other areas nearby.
The Company's Charter is as follows:
- 1. Each Party member keeps no goods or coins found adventuring. They are paid out as shares from the company. (XP is still granted in full) This does not include Claims (see below)
- 2. Shares are determined as follows. 1 Share per level of experience and 1 share if the adventurer dies(and stays dead). 1/5 share for all hirelings.
- 3. For every 500 GP, you can buy another share of the treasure. Up to 5 shares, then its 1000 GP for another 5 shares which is the max that can be bought. Special arrangements can be made with Snarfle privately past this point.
- 4. Snarfle will outfit said characters with equipment, weapons, arms, and miscellany appropriate to their class up to 500gp per level. (DM granted)
- 5. Snarfle will pay ALL training costs while each adventurer is a member of the company. not to exceed level x1000
- 6. For every 5000gp earned for the company the adventurer gains a free resurrection. (if the adventurer is currently is debt with the company Snare has the right to have said member animated to perform menial labor to a point where he has earned enough money to be raised from the dead)
- 7. Dividends will be paid monthly on the part of the company per share. Snarfle will take 51% then the remaining will be divided up between the shareholders.
- 8. Magic Items found will be assigned on an as-needed basis by Snarfle with loss, damage, upkeep, etc.. coming out of a PC's dividend and paid in 10% installments.
- 9. Company members may, after a 25% downpayment of fair market value (as determined by Snarfle), lease to own items found or desired from the companies vaults or that can be obtained by the company from abroad. The interest rate is 30% per year and paid monthly, but reduced by the number of shares said individual has in the company down to a minimum of 3%. 10. Items fully or partially owned by company member may be sold back to the company automatically at 60% of market value if fully owned or if leased can be returned and 75% of monies paid in minus downpayment returned
- 10. PC's are shareholder's/employees and thus have the benefit of 'free' common barrack sleeping and common mealtimes. 'Free' meaning if they meet the following requirements. They must actively pursue mapping and exploration 50% of their time 6 days a week. They are on a task approved by Snarfle or taking a listed job in the outpost, this also counts. This means you must have everyone, including proteges, occupied with a task to qualify.
- 11. Claims: Claims are when any shareholder finds a mine or any other site that will actively produce income in the form of ore or any other raw material that can be exported and sold. They can lay claim to it for the company and themselves. If a silver mine is found and cleared out to where miners can work, 50% of all proceeds of PROFIT are paid out to Snarfle, 25% to the company at large, and 25% directly to the claimant(s). This is paid out monthly.
This is not only a typical hexcrawl but is wide open for mercantile type gaming or simply reaching 3rd level, striking it rich, and opening up a general goods store under agreement with Snarfle. There is limitless options in this game. The answer no won't come very often in the ATTEMPT of anything. Success is another matter entirely. Charisma as a stat will matter much more I would think that in any previous game you have played.
This is not an exercise in bookkeeping. I will keep up with most of it.
Things of note:
1. Sex in-game. Under no circumstances will we roleplay relationships. If you want to say you are married, fine. If you say I want to go blow 300gp on mead and courtesans, fine. It will all be abstracted. No rolls for seduction.
2. Killing Orc's, babies, or otherwise. Hackmaster Orcs are evil by the rulebook and I am playing it that way. Now having said that, if you subdue the Orc village that has been raiding the town, nothing will keep you from killing them all. Killing 3yr old orcs and their surrendered parents will cause an alignment check. I would consider subduing the Orc village 'winning' in that instance and from there you drive them out to other territories.
3. Moral quandaries: My game will not be a place for exercising deep moral questions or judgments. Its main goal is to entertain and manage resources. That doesn't mean we won't roleplay and or discover wild NPCs. It means we won't be solving the world's problems via Hackmaster.
4. Leaving the game. I also understand if anyone does not like my premise and/or my views on gaming. Don't hesitate to let me know. We can discuss it but I may not change and you are welcome to part ways at any time with no lip from me.
5. Play frequency. I would like to be able to interact with your posts no more than 48 hrs after you post. If for any reason I cannot, I will message directly through Discord.
6. Discord. Using Discord is not a requirement, but it allows for real-time talk and feedback. There will be occasions I am up for face to face play for big or meaningful encounters. Those will be noted ahead of time and planned for by me and the parties involved. We would use Discord to RP real-time.
7. Rule zero. There will be no rape, racism (I hate Orcs is okay, but no real-world discussion of racism.), slavery, sexual situations, etc.... In-game. The PbP site will have an OOC section for talking whatever as will Discord but I reserve the right to boot anyone for any reason. I am not some board Nazi and have never needed to do so but I like to state it anyway.
8. I am in this to have fun and to facilitate fun for others. It's my main and really only goal. If you aren't having fun, please let me know. From there we decide how to fix it or you decide to not play.
Terrain and area primer:
The region we are in is mostly jungle to swamp. Swamp predominantly. It is a region claimed by the crown, with Snarfle one of many racing to map and exploit it. Everything within 2.5 miles of the outpost has been mapped.
85% Water flow is mostly brackish slow moving if not still water. Fishing is horrible here. Worst place to forage and hunt
10% Water flow is that of a slow, lazy river or stream. Good to Great fishing and hunting. Foraging good to great. Hunting good.
5% Water is like a fast moving river and or fed by numerous fastwater springs. Best place to forage, hunt, and fish.