Post/Author/DateTime	Post
meto30 10-17-07, 03:39 AM	I'm a DM. All of my players are newbies, and I'm acting as counsellor for their decision making process as a young scrivener/sage NPC whos combat power matches that of a ten-year-old with a stick. My players has done a nice work of fighting the villains in Neverwinter and has now decided to go to Waterdeep. The entire party is moving, which is 7 people plus two donkeys. Multiple factors are involved in this movement. As such, I cannot decide how my players will want to move. The party is currently divided on the issue and I believe it will be the NPC's vote that will decide it. The first choice is taking a coach cab. The distance of 280 miles means 84 sp for the transportation alone, and I'm figuring 7 full days of travel. A common dinner and poor breakfast and lunch would mean 5 sp per day, and 31 sp for the entire journey (first breakfast and last dinner would be taken at Neverwinter and Waterdeep respectively). No feed for the donkeys, becuase they aren't actually doing anything, and will probably do well on grass. Total of 125 sp. The second choice is by ship. Since we're passing the Sea of Swords, ships will be plenty, so I assumed normal charge. 30gp for the passage, and 5 days required, which in turn means 21sp for food and 50cp for donkey feed. Total of 326 sp. The reason they're not simply taking the ship is because they're on low budget. Well, not actually because the adventures I'm planning for them at Waterdeep are rewarding generously, but role-playing wise, the 'characters' will think they're on low budget. They have a total of 650gp in their possession, and characters are expecting to be forced to survive on this for the next few years. The additonal factor is that they have gone a long way to offend a powerful criminal syndicate that operates from Skullport; they have killed the syndicate's representitive in Neverwinter, who was a very influential person in the criminal world. If they take the trip via the road, they might get ambushed. But they can get attacked on the ship as well. Another factor is that Findel, the sage NPC, is carrying about 60 or so tomes and hundreds of parchment. All of this is quite valuable to Findel, and thus travel by sea might force him to do something to protect his papers or even refuse it entirely. If anyone has ideas on what effect sea travel will have on old parchment and what can be done to protect them, I'd like to know. The following spoiler block is my campaign log. It contains only plot material... === 1374 Tarsakh 19 === ---Noon--- -Caila approaches Sang-Hoon because she knows something of the Knight-Captain's blade. -Dorn is running from two thugs. -Sang-Hoon runs to Dorn's aid. Together he, Dorn and Caila defeat the thugs. -Caila exclamates the battle was great and starts asking Sang-Hoon questions. -Sang-Hoon is suspicious of why Dorn was running away. Dorn refuses to visit the City Watch. -Sang-Hoon continues to search for the blade. Caila recommends Findel's Scrivening, mentioning that for what people have to pay large sums of money in archives, Findel may sell for useful information. ---Nightfall--- -At Findel's Scrivening, the party meets Joy and Brottor. They are here to access the Srivener's personal study to look for information about some particular dragons. -Thugs attack Findel's Scrivening. Although Findel manages to save most of his tomes, the shop burns to the ground. Intense alchemical fire is used. -City Watch interrogates the party along with Findel. -Dorn reveals to the party the outlines of his 'revenge'. Caila insists that the party help him. -They make their case to the City Watch captain. The captain agrees to protect them, and introduces the party to Duncan, an innkeeper who is friendly with the Watch. -Party stays in the Sunken Flagon Inn, owned by Duncan. === 1374 Tarsakh 20 === ---Daybreak--- -The party runs an investigation at the Merchant Quarter. They learn that the criminals responsible for hurting Dorn's foster-uncle all have alibies. -Caila decides to take the direct approach and corner one of the suspects in a blind alley. -Thugs attack. Battle ensues. Thugs are defeated. Suspect tries to run away but fail. -Party learns of who the mastermind is. They learn of the location of his hideout. ---Noon--- -Findel demands that the party somehow find a way to pay for his loss. Caila succeeds in the diplomacy check and pursuades Findel to work with them to bring the criminal mastermind to justice. -The party is attacked while having lunch. The party manages to survive. -Captain: "Attacking you guys in the open will be their biggest blunder. They don't realize the real reason behind our leaving them alone." ---Nightfall--- -The party head to the criminal hideout, which is a large house in the Merchant Quarter. The party breaks in through the house's back door and confront the mastermind. He asserts that the crime will never see trial. When Dorn shows up, the mastermind taunts him about his uncle's rapier, and tells him that he will melt it. -Caila "Looks like you're right. This will never go to trial. You're going down now." -Party attacks villain. The battle is miraculously won. -<<End of 1st session>> === 1374 Tarsakh 21 === ---Daybreak--- -The captain informs the party that the watchmen have decided to turn a blind eye and fudge the evidence regarding the murder of the villain. He also informs them that now whatever criminal circle the dead man belonged to would want all of their heads. -To fudge matters even more would be a mistake. The party knows this, and are troubled. -Captain recommends joining the Watch completely. This way the City Watch could provide more protection, and they can continue their quest of destroying the criminal ring legally, albeit using more circumspect methods. ---Noon--- -Party makes their first patrol. ---Nightfall--- -Party is charged of murder by an agent of the criminal ring. -Findel agrees to be the party's lawyer. -Brottor pushes Sang-Hoon to answer the question he's been avoiding for two days: How does he know of Asaduanaivakka. She convinces Sang-Hoon to allow her to contact the Samurai's matron dragon. === 1374 Tarsakh 22 === -Day spent preparing for trial. === 1374 Tarsakh 23 === ---Daybreak--- -Trial is held in the Temple of Tyr in the Merchant Quarter. -Findel recognizes the opposing attorney. The criminal circle is in employ of the Dalhoun Syndicate operating out of Skullport. -Findel and Caila succeeds in winning the hearts of the Jury, but the Justiciar is still unconvinced. ---Noon--- -Caila makes a great oratory piece in front of all the Jury, detailing the points of the crime, and explains why Dorn, no, why Tyr speaking through Dorn wanted him to see justice done. -The party are declared not guilty. -Findel recieves compensation of 600gp. -The party informs the captain of the newfound information concerning the Dalhoun Syndicate. -Captain petitions for permission to send the party to Waterdeep. -<<End of 2nd session>> ---Nightfall--- -A congratulations feast is held in the Sunken Flagon. -Duncan reveals his ties to the Knight-Captain. -Greycloak Sergeant who was staying at the Flagon reveals that he is stationed at Crossroad Keep. -Party hears the story of the Knight-Captain of Crossroad Keep. === 1374 Tarsakh 24 === -Day spent doing patrols and filling out paperwork. -Sang-hoon tells of Kara-Tur. Findel is delighted and immediately writes down the account. === 1374 Tarsakh 25 === ---Daybreak--- -Sang-hoon, Caila and Joy are off-duty for the day. They go to Crossroad Keep. -The three meet Sal. -The three meet Kana. -A report comes in. Khelgar was found unconcious near West Harbor. ---Noon--- -At West Harbor the three meet a cleric of Lathander who just revived Khelgar. He says that Khelgar is in a terrible shape; Khelgar keeps insisting that he go back to the Fortress of Shadows and 'rescue' the Knight-Captain. Meeting the dwarf themselves is forbidden; the mighty fighter is yet to recover fully from his wounds. -The three return to Neverwinter. === 1374 Tarsakh 26 === -Day spent doing patrols and filling out paperwork. === 1374 Tarsakh 27 === -Day spent doing patrols and filling out paperwork. === 1374 Tarsakh 28 === ---Nightfall--- -Khelgar visits the Sunken Flagon. Duncan and Khelgar embrace. -Duncan is shocked to learn that the Knight-Captain was taken by 'three mysterious beings of shadow' after the King of Shadows was defeated. He is even more shocked that Ammon Jherro actually attempted to rescue her and entered the portal from whence the kidnappers came. -Khelgar tells his account of the Knight-Captain's curved sword. He confirms the sword was a Katana. -Sang-hoon is troubled, but since he recieved help from the party all along, he agrees to allow the clerics to contact Asaduanaivakka. -<<End of Preset Plots>> === 1374 Tarsakh 29 === -Day spent doing patrols and filling out paperwork. === 1374 Tarsakh 30 === -Lord Breleina permits the party to go to Waterdeep to pursue their enemies. Not only that, she commands them to aid Waterdeep in its fight against the Dalhoun Syndicate and look for clues to the crime organization's activity in Neverwinter. -Day spent doing patrols and filling out paperwork. -<<End of 3rd session, next session to begin at Greengrass day>>
Derren S. 10-17-07, 04:29 AM	With so much stuff to carry around I don't see how they could not book a passage on a ship. I mean all those books etc. would require several wagons if they choose the land road. And don't forget that the pack animals also need food (depending on what is pulling those wagons. Donkeys probably won't do it.).
meto30 10-17-07, 05:55 AM	With so much stuff to carry around I don't see how they could not book a passage on a ship. I mean all those books etc. would require several wagons if they choose the land road. And don't forget that the pack animals also need food (depending on what is pulling those wagons. Donkeys probably won't do it.). I was thinking there would be enough room in a Coach Cab for all the books for the land journey. And the Coach Cab fee includeds fee for using the horses, do they not? Besides, each tome is assumed to be around 300 pages average and would weight around 15 pounds. 60 tomes would be around 900 pounds. That plus 6 medium humanoid and one gnome... around 1800 pounds I guess. I was assuming the Coach Cab was pulled by two heavy horses, and decided they are ample for the job. Or perhaps I need to hire two cabs. But using two cabs is still cheaper than taking the ship and only two days longer. Buying the cart ourselves would be more expensive. The horse alone costs 75 gp. The reason we're still undecided, though, is that if NWN2 is to be trusted then the land road between Neverwinter and Waterdeep is very dangerous and only a lunatic would go on the road. NWN2 states that Sword Coast trade is exclusively marine. Does anyone know what the road actually presents? What exactly are the dangers? Besides the Mere of Dead Men, are there any other monster-riddled regions near the road? EDIT: Oh, and by the way, I'm going to stage an ambush for the party no matter which method they choose. Mafia-type grudges can be bloody ;)