How much would the Korranberg Chronicle pay for stories? [Archive] - Wizards Community

How much would the Korranberg Chronicle pay for stories? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Newbisan
01-26-06, 11:22 PM Hello all, I'm thinking of using the Korranberg Chronicle to list want ads (for adventures), plot hooks, etc. I'm hoping that my group's PC's will become friendly with a journalist there by the end of their first adventure. My hope is that after an adventure, the PC's can sell their story to the paper (w/ verification). After a few of these, they will be able to be hired on by the Chronicle to persure major stories.

I'm wondering how much the paper would pay for their stories. I was thinking something along the line of

Party ECL x (highest PC Bluff check - Chronicle's journalist's Sense Motive check) (to represent the success in telling their story to the paper), with a minimum an maximum amount for each story. MAybe a 3rd factor as well.

This isn't set in stone, and I'm wondering if anyone has a better formula/can add to this formula to make the effort worth it.
Arz
01-27-06, 10:48 AM The paper most likely won't pay them squat. What they will get is recognition and introductions to society peers. Newspapers are not wealthy institutions. Just look at how much your reporter NPC will be making via Profession checks. Sure he'll buy them drinks and generally help them out in pursuit of a good story but he and his paper just don't have a significant amount of money.

If they want to make money, they need to look into speaking tours, book deals[dime-store serials], and promotionals. Don't sneer at what you gift them via favors. They might gain passage on an airship, introductions to nobility, and best of all - diner's club memberships. Nothing an adventurer hates more than trail rations.
Belabras
01-27-06, 11:35 AM I'm with Arz - the stories for the paper would pay chump change if anything. The more important benefit is the fame and recognition. If the party has a money seeking bent, maybe they could get a merchandising deal (Try the new Cannith auto-crossbow!) and tour stops on the lightening rail stumping for the new product.
Cloud Divider
01-27-06, 06:25 PM Hello all, I'm thinking of using the Korranberg Chronicle to list want ads (for adventures), plot hooks, etc. I'm hoping that my group's PC's will become friendly with a journalist there by the end of their first adventure. My hope is that after an adventure, the PC's can sell their story to the paper (w/ verification). After a few of these, they will be able to be hired on by the Chronicle to persure major stories.

I'm wondering how much the paper would pay for their stories. I was thinking something along the line of
To be honest, I'd treat "day to day" journalism work as a Profession (Journalist) or Profession (Writer) check. If it's relaying the story (as in an interview) like a bawdy bar tale, it'd be Performance (Oratory). Base the reward on the result of that check. I forget what the normal rule is (I want to say Roll Result in sp).

I'd treat it as a career - not every Joe Adventurer can author tales of his own exploits and have them published and get rich at it. For the typical journalist (ie not a Big Famous Journalist) it's probably Profession Roll in sp. As you start accumulating fame and credibility, the reward goes up. Keep in mind that 10gp is a pretty significant sum to the Average Joe.

If you're a famous top-gun Sharn-based field reporter for the Korranberg Chronicle, and you're the equivalent of Ted Koppel (or whoever), you'll probably make lots more - but what you make at this point is less related to your actual skill, and more to your reputation and celebrity.

Now, this is really mostly just relevant to the actual Journalist character. The dudes he happens to be hanging out with probably aren't getting any significant cut. Unless they're explicitly hired for whatever purpose (e.g. bodyguards, guides, etc).

If the players are just regaling the tale to a reporter...they're probably not going to get any meaningful monetary reward (as others have suggested). Fame, Recognition (and whatnot) are the rewards they reap.

Now, if you're wanting to make some amusing mini-game out of it, have one PC make his Bluff or Performance (Oratory) check for the whole party (alternately, everyone gets to roll, but if someone screws up it hurts the best roll - that simulates the "conflicting stories" or other ill-placed statements that hurt your credibility as a whole). Make a second Profession (Journalism) check on the part of the journalist (modified by +1 for every 2 points over 10 on the Bluff/Oratory). Subtract the Journalist's result from 25 - this tells you what page the story is on (ie the PC's rolled a 16 - that nets a +3 to the Journalist's roll; he rolls a 15, +3 for the PC's "assistance" in spicing up the story. 25-18 = 7. The PC's story made Page 7. Not bad for a middle-level party ("Hey! At least we made the paper! That should be worth a couple drinks at the pub!").

Alternately, use the some arbitrary value (maybe rough CR for the entire tale) as a modifier to the Bluff or Journalism roll. A good Bluff may improve the effective CR modifier...

Then once your PCs get higher level, they'll (generally) get better results, and they'll attract higher-quality journalists... It probably wouldn't take that long to start hitting Page 1 regularly...

For added fun, roll for how many long the story was. Call it 3d6 paragraphs (or whatever).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Newbisan 01-26-06, 11:22 PM	Hello all, I'm thinking of using the Korranberg Chronicle to list want ads (for adventures), plot hooks, etc. I'm hoping that my group's PC's will become friendly with a journalist there by the end of their first adventure. My hope is that after an adventure, the PC's can sell their story to the paper (w/ verification). After a few of these, they will be able to be hired on by the Chronicle to persure major stories. I'm wondering how much the paper would pay for their stories. I was thinking something along the line of Party ECL x (highest PC Bluff check - Chronicle's journalist's Sense Motive check) (to represent the success in telling their story to the paper), with a minimum an maximum amount for each story. MAybe a 3rd factor as well. This isn't set in stone, and I'm wondering if anyone has a better formula/can add to this formula to make the effort worth it.
Arz 01-27-06, 10:48 AM	The paper most likely won't pay them squat. What they will get is recognition and introductions to society peers. Newspapers are not wealthy institutions. Just look at how much your reporter NPC will be making via Profession checks. Sure he'll buy them drinks and generally help them out in pursuit of a good story but he and his paper just don't have a significant amount of money. If they want to make money, they need to look into speaking tours, book deals[dime-store serials], and promotionals. Don't sneer at what you gift them via favors. They might gain passage on an airship, introductions to nobility, and best of all - diner's club memberships. Nothing an adventurer hates more than trail rations.
Belabras 01-27-06, 11:35 AM	I'm with Arz - the stories for the paper would pay chump change if anything. The more important benefit is the fame and recognition. If the party has a money seeking bent, maybe they could get a merchandising deal (Try the new Cannith auto-crossbow!) and tour stops on the lightening rail stumping for the new product.
Cloud Divider 01-27-06, 06:25 PM	Hello all, I'm thinking of using the Korranberg Chronicle to list want ads (for adventures), plot hooks, etc. I'm hoping that my group's PC's will become friendly with a journalist there by the end of their first adventure. My hope is that after an adventure, the PC's can sell their story to the paper (w/ verification). After a few of these, they will be able to be hired on by the Chronicle to persure major stories. I'm wondering how much the paper would pay for their stories. I was thinking something along the line of To be honest, I'd treat "day to day" journalism work as a Profession (Journalist) or Profession (Writer) check. If it's relaying the story (as in an interview) like a bawdy bar tale, it'd be Performance (Oratory). Base the reward on the result of that check. I forget what the normal rule is (I want to say Roll Result in sp). I'd treat it as a career - not every Joe Adventurer can author tales of his own exploits and have them published and get rich at it. For the typical journalist (ie not a Big Famous Journalist) it's probably Profession Roll in sp. As you start accumulating fame and credibility, the reward goes up. Keep in mind that 10gp is a pretty significant sum to the Average Joe. If you're a famous top-gun Sharn-based field reporter for the Korranberg Chronicle, and you're the equivalent of Ted Koppel (or whoever), you'll probably make lots more - but what you make at this point is less related to your actual skill, and more to your reputation and celebrity. Now, this is really mostly just relevant to the actual Journalist character. The dudes he happens to be hanging out with probably aren't getting any significant cut. Unless they're explicitly hired for whatever purpose (e.g. bodyguards, guides, etc). If the players are just regaling the tale to a reporter...they're probably not going to get any meaningful monetary reward (as others have suggested). Fame, Recognition (and whatnot) are the rewards they reap. Now, if you're wanting to make some amusing mini-game out of it, have one PC make his Bluff or Performance (Oratory) check for the whole party (alternately, everyone gets to roll, but if someone screws up it hurts the best roll - that simulates the "conflicting stories" or other ill-placed statements that hurt your credibility as a whole). Make a second Profession (Journalism) check on the part of the journalist (modified by +1 for every 2 points over 10 on the Bluff/Oratory). Subtract the Journalist's result from 25 - this tells you what page the story is on (ie the PC's rolled a 16 - that nets a +3 to the Journalist's roll; he rolls a 15, +3 for the PC's "assistance" in spicing up the story. 25-18 = 7. The PC's story made Page 7. Not bad for a middle-level party ("Hey! At least we made the paper! That should be worth a couple drinks at the pub!"). Alternately, use the some arbitrary value (maybe rough CR for the entire tale) as a modifier to the Bluff or Journalism roll. A good Bluff may improve the effective CR modifier... Then once your PCs get higher level, they'll (generally) get better results, and they'll attract higher-quality journalists... It probably wouldn't take that long to start hitting Page 1 regularly... For added fun, roll for how many long the story was. Call it 3d6 paragraphs (or whatever).