PC Chronicler [Archive] - Wizards Community

PC Chronicler [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ravenhearte
07-14-05, 11:15 PM Are there any rules for a PC working as a chronicler for say the korranberg. Example, how much do they get paid for a story, how are stories chosen for the paper, etc.
cmanos
07-15-05, 07:57 AM Hmm, like freelance? I could see tons of opportunity for plotlines in this, especially if the character takes it on himself to CREATE news.

HMM...devious idea for an adventure plot...

YOINK!
Ryan_Singer
07-15-05, 03:34 PM Are there any rules for a PC working as a chronicler for say the korranberg. Example, how much do they get paid for a story, how are stories chosen for the paper, etc.

I'd say that the Chronicle will reimberse expenses up to 1,000GP/level and will pay 100GP/level for a story. But I would make the player actually write the story.
Lenin97
07-15-05, 03:58 PM I'd say that the Chronicle will reimberse expenses up to 1,000GP/level and will pay 100GP/level for a story. But I would make the player actually write the story.

Great idea!
MartM
07-15-05, 04:23 PM one of my player is a Bard chronicler for the Inquisitive.

It's a never-ending plot giver...
Save-vs-DM
07-15-05, 10:11 PM I give my players 10gp per story (they have to write the story). The chronicle will give them 100gp/level for expenses once per level.

Cheers,
Save vs DM
stevelabny
07-16-05, 01:14 PM my post got eaten. i'll try again.

100gp/level + 1000gp/level espenses PER STORY?

Yikes. People would be killing each other in order to be the next new reporter.

let's compare:
Regular worker: 1sp/day
Deneith gold blade 3rd level fighter mercenary: 1gp/day
Profession skill: 1/2 your skill check in gp/week

1st level character with profession:reporter 4 ranks, +2 wisdom will get a 16 on average for 8/gp a week.
If a player actually writes a story, I'm perfectly willing to give a +2 or even +4 circumstance bonus to the check.
So now we're looking at 10/gp per week.

Expenses?
Sure. But I can't imagine the story that would require over 1000gp in expenses.
I would imagine its VERY rare for any reporter to travel long-distances for a story. The Korranberg Chronicle most likely has correspondents in each of the major cities (at the very least, the 4 capitals and Sharn but probably even more locations than that)
So a reporter might have a few hundred miles of travel tops. Usually on a coach, not the rail. And I'm sure Orien is giving KC a group discount.
Lodging and food will also be paid for when you travel, but normally at middle-class establishments.
I'm also willing to grant "hazard pay" for reporters on the battlefronts of the Last War, or covering particularly dangerous stories. But the most this would do is double the standard rate.
Remember, a reporter isn't an adventurer. He doesn't need extra expense money for magic items or weapon and armor upgrades.
He needs ink and paper.

To answer the original poster's question about how stories get chosen. If I was running the game, I would put the PC on staff with a "lesser" paper first, then eventually work their way up to the KC. Just pay them with the profession check and assume they hand in a non-descript story or three each week.
Whenever you want to make it a plot point, just do it. Give him an assignment that leads into the next adventure, or create an NPC rival who wants to take the PC's job by discrediting him/sabotaging him/killing him, etc.
If the player rolls poorly on his profession checks twice in a row or more, you can tell him that his "editor" is expecting better, and punish him with a potentially troublesome assignment, or make him fear for his job.
If he continues to roll poorly, he can be fired.

But just remember, the rules already have ways to get paid for any regular job. The game is balanced that most of the PCs wealth will come from the treasure they find in their encounters. And if you overpay them for a job, you must compensate by lowering their treasure totals.
Bluebrush
07-16-05, 01:43 PM I play a journalist, and I suggested on my character sheet that pay for stories could be included as treasure if it would be otherwise implausible/inappropriate for the PCs to have any bodies to loot or patrons to pay for our services.

Profession (Journalist) or a Gather information check could serve for normal day to day journalism between adventures.
ravenhearte
07-16-05, 11:44 PM Thanks guys, all very helpful answers. I think I'm going to go with the 10gp per story, since she's a bard and doesn't have a proffession skill, tho she has perform(oration). I'm also going to allow the paper to cover some expenses, up to 100gp per level, if she can give the editor(ie. me) a damn good reason she needs the money.
Cloud Divider
07-18-05, 10:49 AM Are there any rules for a PC working as a chronicler for say the korranberg. Example, how much do they get paid for a story, how are stories chosen for the paper, etc.
It's a bit of a late response, but hey...

I'll also vote for using the standard Profession check to determine the value of the article.

HOWEVER - I'd also add a layer of complication (it'll work both ways for the character):

1) What a story is worth is going to be heavily dependent on the story it tells. If you're breaking the story on Hass ir'Tain (an otherwise upstanding member of Sharn's elite) being involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Boranel, it's easily going to be worth a LOT more than just the simple Profession check would suggest. If the story has concrete evidence of his complicity, it could easily be worth hundreds or even thousands of gp.

2) It goes along with (1) - Sensationalism sells, especially in a "pulp/noir" setting. Got an article on a Sharn High Councilman's affair? That might be worth a bit more than the usual rate.

3) (1) and (2) are likely going to result in the subjects being rather less friendly with the journalist. In (1)'s example, Hass might just take out a contract on the journalist (or any of a number of other dirty tricks), to try and stop the news before it gets out.

Essentially, the value of the article is going to depend on how "Front Page" the material is. Will it help sell papers? Then it's worth a LOT to the publisher. If you're writing a serialized "adventurer's journal," it's probably worth the Standard Rate (kinda like the comics section - sure, some readers will like it, but it's not going to give you a day-to-day boost in sales the same way a big headline will).

The more Front Page Headlines your journalist gets, the better his deals are going to be (he'll be paid more for the articles, and the publisher is more likely to give him more leeway, expense-wise, just to ensure that the journalist can be in the Right Place at the Right Time). A good example might be the publisher paying for a fancy Clebdecher glamourweave cocktail dress so the journalist can attend the ir'Tain ball and dig up some good dirt by chatting up the other guests.

So where does this leave you as a GM?

If you're willing to make the journalism a fairly major facet of the game (pretty easy with a politics/intrigue-heavy game), , you've got a lot to work with. If you're running the standard "globetrotting dungeon-delving," you're probably a bit more limited...A serialized article of your Adventuring Party's Perilous Tour of Xen'Drik, for instance. Maybe it'll hit big, like the original Sherlock Holmes serials (but that'd honestly be up to you as GM to decide).

In the case of your bard, I'd HIGHLY recommend that you strongly suggest to the player that she invest in some Profession (Journalist) skill if she wants to keep the job. If you're feeling generous, let the player shift some skills around to do it. If she can't write, her editor's wasting way too much time fixing her work. The editor would most likely be better served by just using the Bard as a source (= no expense account, and token compensation), and handing the article writing off to someone more trained. Call it an Unskilled roll (take some arbitrary penalty, if you so desire). DC 10 to even be worth the time of the Editor (and be considered for future work). DC 15 to get published (and thus paid).

I also don't know about giving them such a meaty expense account. 100gp is BIG BUCKS to the average person (that's two months' rent for a middle-class apartment). Especially considering this Bard isn't even an Amateur (Unskilled). If you want the benefits of a Real Job, you should really have the skills to justify it.

If you're feeling REALLY generous, and want the newshound business to be a major thing in your campaign, you could just give the PC a few free skill ranks, too.

A few thoughts.
ravenhearte
07-23-05, 05:17 AM The bard in question has perform(oration), i figure she can the translate this into a written story, as only barbarians have illiteracy. The editor may have to fix a few small grammatical errors, but overall the bard should be able to produce a fairly well written piece.
Cloud Divider
07-23-05, 02:06 PM The bard in question has perform(oration), i figure she can the translate this into a written story, as only barbarians have illiteracy. The editor may have to fix a few small grammatical errors, but overall the bard should be able to produce a fairly well written piece.
So be it - let her go ahead and roll, but I'd still apply a bit of a penalty for improvisation (-2 to -5, depending on your generosity). Elsewise, what's the point of having someone who actually chose to do this as their actual job, and spent the points to do it?

The spoken word and the written word do have fairly significant stylistic differences... Looking at an article that was written on something I did here at work, I probably wouldn't have chosen the same words were I giving a speech on the subject.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ravenhearte 07-14-05, 11:15 PM	Are there any rules for a PC working as a chronicler for say the korranberg. Example, how much do they get paid for a story, how are stories chosen for the paper, etc.
cmanos 07-15-05, 07:57 AM	Hmm, like freelance? I could see tons of opportunity for plotlines in this, especially if the character takes it on himself to CREATE news. HMM...devious idea for an adventure plot... YOINK!
Ryan_Singer 07-15-05, 03:34 PM	Are there any rules for a PC working as a chronicler for say the korranberg. Example, how much do they get paid for a story, how are stories chosen for the paper, etc. I'd say that the Chronicle will reimberse expenses up to 1,000GP/level and will pay 100GP/level for a story. But I would make the player actually write the story.
Lenin97 07-15-05, 03:58 PM	I'd say that the Chronicle will reimberse expenses up to 1,000GP/level and will pay 100GP/level for a story. But I would make the player actually write the story. Great idea!
MartM 07-15-05, 04:23 PM	one of my player is a Bard chronicler for the Inquisitive. It's a never-ending plot giver...
Save-vs-DM 07-15-05, 10:11 PM	I give my players 10gp per story (they have to write the story). The chronicle will give them 100gp/level for expenses once per level. Cheers, Save vs DM
stevelabny 07-16-05, 01:14 PM	my post got eaten. i'll try again. 100gp/level + 1000gp/level espenses PER STORY? Yikes. People would be killing each other in order to be the next new reporter. let's compare: Regular worker: 1sp/day Deneith gold blade 3rd level fighter mercenary: 1gp/day Profession skill: 1/2 your skill check in gp/week 1st level character with profession:reporter 4 ranks, +2 wisdom will get a 16 on average for 8/gp a week. If a player actually writes a story, I'm perfectly willing to give a +2 or even +4 circumstance bonus to the check. So now we're looking at 10/gp per week. Expenses? Sure. But I can't imagine the story that would require over 1000gp in expenses. I would imagine its VERY rare for any reporter to travel long-distances for a story. The Korranberg Chronicle most likely has correspondents in each of the major cities (at the very least, the 4 capitals and Sharn but probably even more locations than that) So a reporter might have a few hundred miles of travel tops. Usually on a coach, not the rail. And I'm sure Orien is giving KC a group discount. Lodging and food will also be paid for when you travel, but normally at middle-class establishments. I'm also willing to grant "hazard pay" for reporters on the battlefronts of the Last War, or covering particularly dangerous stories. But the most this would do is double the standard rate. Remember, a reporter isn't an adventurer. He doesn't need extra expense money for magic items or weapon and armor upgrades. He needs ink and paper. To answer the original poster's question about how stories get chosen. If I was running the game, I would put the PC on staff with a "lesser" paper first, then eventually work their way up to the KC. Just pay them with the profession check and assume they hand in a non-descript story or three each week. Whenever you want to make it a plot point, just do it. Give him an assignment that leads into the next adventure, or create an NPC rival who wants to take the PC's job by discrediting him/sabotaging him/killing him, etc. If the player rolls poorly on his profession checks twice in a row or more, you can tell him that his "editor" is expecting better, and punish him with a potentially troublesome assignment, or make him fear for his job. If he continues to roll poorly, he can be fired. But just remember, the rules already have ways to get paid for any regular job. The game is balanced that most of the PCs wealth will come from the treasure they find in their encounters. And if you overpay them for a job, you must compensate by lowering their treasure totals.
Bluebrush 07-16-05, 01:43 PM	I play a journalist, and I suggested on my character sheet that pay for stories could be included as treasure if it would be otherwise implausible/inappropriate for the PCs to have any bodies to loot or patrons to pay for our services. Profession (Journalist) or a Gather information check could serve for normal day to day journalism between adventures.
ravenhearte 07-16-05, 11:44 PM	Thanks guys, all very helpful answers. I think I'm going to go with the 10gp per story, since she's a bard and doesn't have a proffession skill, tho she has perform(oration). I'm also going to allow the paper to cover some expenses, up to 100gp per level, if she can give the editor(ie. me) a damn good reason she needs the money.
Cloud Divider 07-18-05, 10:49 AM	Are there any rules for a PC working as a chronicler for say the korranberg. Example, how much do they get paid for a story, how are stories chosen for the paper, etc. It's a bit of a late response, but hey... I'll also vote for using the standard Profession check to determine the value of the article. HOWEVER - I'd also add a layer of complication (it'll work both ways for the character): 1) What a story is worth is going to be heavily dependent on the story it tells. If you're breaking the story on Hass ir'Tain (an otherwise upstanding member of Sharn's elite) being involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Boranel, it's easily going to be worth a LOT more than just the simple Profession check would suggest. If the story has concrete evidence of his complicity, it could easily be worth hundreds or even thousands of gp. 2) It goes along with (1) - Sensationalism sells, especially in a "pulp/noir" setting. Got an article on a Sharn High Councilman's affair? That might be worth a bit more than the usual rate. 3) (1) and (2) are likely going to result in the subjects being rather less friendly with the journalist. In (1)'s example, Hass might just take out a contract on the journalist (or any of a number of other dirty tricks), to try and stop the news before it gets out. Essentially, the value of the article is going to depend on how "Front Page" the material is. Will it help sell papers? Then it's worth a LOT to the publisher. If you're writing a serialized "adventurer's journal," it's probably worth the Standard Rate (kinda like the comics section - sure, some readers will like it, but it's not going to give you a day-to-day boost in sales the same way a big headline will). The more Front Page Headlines your journalist gets, the better his deals are going to be (he'll be paid more for the articles, and the publisher is more likely to give him more leeway, expense-wise, just to ensure that the journalist can be in the Right Place at the Right Time). A good example might be the publisher paying for a fancy Clebdecher glamourweave cocktail dress so the journalist can attend the ir'Tain ball and dig up some good dirt by chatting up the other guests. So where does this leave you as a GM? If you're willing to make the journalism a fairly major facet of the game (pretty easy with a politics/intrigue-heavy game), , you've got a lot to work with. If you're running the standard "globetrotting dungeon-delving," you're probably a bit more limited...A serialized article of your Adventuring Party's Perilous Tour of Xen'Drik, for instance. Maybe it'll hit big, like the original Sherlock Holmes serials (but that'd honestly be up to you as GM to decide). In the case of your bard, I'd HIGHLY recommend that you strongly suggest to the player that she invest in some Profession (Journalist) skill if she wants to keep the job. If you're feeling generous, let the player shift some skills around to do it. If she can't write, her editor's wasting way too much time fixing her work. The editor would most likely be better served by just using the Bard as a source (= no expense account, and token compensation), and handing the article writing off to someone more trained. Call it an Unskilled roll (take some arbitrary penalty, if you so desire). DC 10 to even be worth the time of the Editor (and be considered for future work). DC 15 to get published (and thus paid). I also don't know about giving them such a meaty expense account. 100gp is BIG BUCKS to the average person (that's two months' rent for a middle-class apartment). Especially considering this Bard isn't even an Amateur (Unskilled). If you want the benefits of a Real Job, you should really have the skills to justify it. If you're feeling REALLY generous, and want the newshound business to be a major thing in your campaign, you could just give the PC a few free skill ranks, too. A few thoughts.
ravenhearte 07-23-05, 05:17 AM	The bard in question has perform(oration), i figure she can the translate this into a written story, as only barbarians have illiteracy. The editor may have to fix a few small grammatical errors, but overall the bard should be able to produce a fairly well written piece.
Cloud Divider 07-23-05, 02:06 PM	The bard in question has perform(oration), i figure she can the translate this into a written story, as only barbarians have illiteracy. The editor may have to fix a few small grammatical errors, but overall the bard should be able to produce a fairly well written piece. So be it - let her go ahead and roll, but I'd still apply a bit of a penalty for improvisation (-2 to -5, depending on your generosity). Elsewise, what's the point of having someone who actually chose to do this as their actual job, and spent the points to do it? The spoken word and the written word do have fairly significant stylistic differences... Looking at an article that was written on something I did here at work, I probably wouldn't have chosen the same words were I giving a speech on the subject.