Now we talked about this and one of their arguments is, that a charter is actually uneffective to controll the adventurers roaming the country. So can someone please help me about this?
What powers does a charter bestow on adventurers (FRCG is unclear)?
Under what circumstances are you required to get one in cormyr (PCs as guards for a traider, or even if they just travel through Cormyr)?
Am I correct that a purple dragon can just arrest unchartered adventurers if they cause trouble?
And what´s the prime reason for having a charter how does cormyr actually benefit from it? The way I read it a couple of sembian cutthroars could coem overthe boarder call themselves "the seven swords of seraba" and run around cormyr as charters adventurers.
"Of primary note to all who would conduct adventures within Cormyr is that no adventurers may operate as a group without first acquiring a royal charter.
The strict enforcement of this law began after Gondegal raised a mercenary force from within Cormyr and tried to secede from the kingdom. Enforcement of the requirement of a charter is meant to prevent a recurrence of this sort of activity. Any group of five people or more is required to obtain a charter."
Charters:
Without a charter, adventurers can be apprehended by any force representing the king, including the Purple Dragons, the War Wizards, and local militia. Give the peaceful nature of Cormyr adn the power of these forces, it behooves a group of adventurers to register their names and obtain a charter."
"An adventurering band must disclose its members' names and its number in the charter. This makes adding members to the group especially difficult, so those who appy for a charter should be confident of their group's intergrity before application. If someone is added, the group must make sure that the new member's name is recorded in Suzail. Records of charters are updated on a monthly basis. Regardless, the group cannot number more than 30. Once a group is chartered, members must wear the group's badge or coat of arms at all times."
"Having its charter revoked does no merely that the group is barred from adventuring in Cormyr, but also that the group has decided to oppose the crown by willfully refusing to renew the charter. The group is considered outlaw, and a warrant is issued for members' arrest and detention."
"Cormyr has a keen interest in keeping close tabs on those who walk the countryside bearing arms and who seemingly have no higher purpose than to merely "seek adventure," which is a formula for unrest and chaotic behavior if there ever was one. The Purple Dragons generally dislike adventurers because of the disruptions they cause the peaceable Cormyreans.
Anyone with the power to issue a charter can revoke one at any time for any reason. Should a member of a given group commit a crime, that person is automatically removed from teh list of registered names on the charter.
The charter gives the adventurers the right only to bear arms, not the right to conduct themselves in an uncivilized manner."
There may be more information on charters from the Grey box set if I recall. My house is in shambles currently from packing to move.
Since the Crown knows who these adventurers are and what they are capable of, they can better "utilize" them to deal with plots, treachery and other dangers to Cormyr.
This allows you as DM to embroil them in any number of adventures, plots and dealings with all the enemies of Cormyr that exist within and outside of it.
If you are having trouble getting your players to accept this concept, you can have a noble (Crownsilver, Huntsilver, Truesilver) sponsor the characters and their charter.
Perhaps a noble will offer to pay the fee for the charter, in exchange for the character's agreeing to come calling when the noble finds things for the characters to do, and for them agreeing to give the noble first pick over any loot the characters sell.
You could sweeten the pot by having the noble offer to pay more than 1/5 market value, which is the current set-rate for the 4E rules.
Good luck!
War Wizards, Highknights, Boldshields and other agents so empowered by the Crown)
What are Highknights and Boldshields? Got the old 2nd ed Cormyr stuff.
Mercenary bands have even more laws to cover their actions and limit their abilty to be used against the crown, or to operate in numbers within the borders of the kingdom.
Wagon guards, unless members of a recognized mercenary band, are covered under the laws for merchants using guards and do not constitute an adventuring company. However, if you start wandering away from those merchants in any type of armed group, you would need to have a charter.
Mercenary bands have even more laws to cover their actions and limit their abilty to be used against the crown, or to operate in numbers within the borders of the kingdom.
Hmm so if the group meets inside cormyr and then wants to start adventuring it´s actually breaking the law until the come across 4 places in Cormyr... kinda tough.
The info about Mercenarys is very interresting too thanks.
Do you have access to 9410 Cormyr? Page 61 covers Charters in a bit of detail.
"Of primary note to all who would conduct adventures within Cormyr is that no adventurers may operate as a group without first acquiring a royal charter.
The strict enforcement of this law began after Gondegal raised a mercenary force from within Cormyr and tried to secede from the kingdom. Enforcement of the requirement of a charter is meant to prevent a recurrence of this sort of activity. Any group of five people or more is required to obtain a charter."
Charters:
Without a charter, adventurers can be apprehended by any force representing the king, including the Purple Dragons, the War Wizards, and local militia. Give the peaceful nature of Cormyr adn the power of these forces, it behooves a group of adventurers to register their names and obtain a charter."
"An adventurering band must disclose its members' names and its number in the charter. This makes adding members to the group especially difficult, so those who appy for a charter should be confident of their group's intergrity before application. If someone is added, the group must make sure that the new member's name is recorded in Suzail. Records of charters are updated on a monthly basis. Regardless, the group cannot number more than 30. Once a group is chartered, members must wear the group's badge or coat of arms at all times."
"Having its charter revoked does no merely that the group is barred from adventuring in Cormyr, but also that the group has decided to oppose the crown by willfully refusing to renew the charter. The group is considered outlaw, and a warrant is issued for members' arrest and detention."
"Cormyr has a keen interest in keeping close tabs on those who walk the countryside bearing arms and who seemingly have no higher purpose than to merely "seek adventure," which is a formula for unrest and chaotic behavior if there ever was one. The Purple Dragons generally dislike adventurers because of the disruptions they cause the peaceable Cormyreans.
Anyone with the power to issue a charter can revoke one at any time for any reason. Should a member of a given group commit a crime, that person is automatically removed from teh list of registered names on the charter.
The charter gives the adventurers the right only to bear arms, not the right to conduct themselves in an uncivilized manner."
There may be more information on charters from the Grey box set if I recall. My house is in shambles currently from packing to move.
Thx a lot for all that, and with this context it´s actually way easier for me to explain to my group. I gues I´ll just show them this thread and hope they get it.
Another way Cormyr benefits (and so Realms Dungeon Masters benefit) from Royal Charters is that a charter allows Cormyr and its agents (War Wizards, Highknights, Boldshields and other agents so empowered by the Crown) to prod, cajole or otherwise directly order the chartered adventurers towards sites of interest or trouble for the Realm of Cormyr.
Since the Crown knows who these adventurers are and what they are capable of, they can better "utilize" them to deal with plots, treachery and other dangers to Cormyr.
This allows you as DM to embroil them in any number of adventures, plots and dealings with all the enemies of Cormyr that exist within and outside of it.
If you are having trouble getting your players to accept this concept, you can have a noble (Crownsilver, Huntsilver, Truesilver) sponsor the characters and their charter.
Perhaps a noble will offer to pay the fee for the charter, in exchange for the character's agreeing to come calling when the noble finds things for the characters to do, and for them agreeing to give the noble first pick over any loot the characters sell.
You could sweeten the pot by having the noble offer to pay more than 1/5 market value, which is the current set-rate for the 4E rules.
Good luck!
Thanks for the anser too, but I wonder how good Cormyrs information network currently is, the war wizards were sorely weakended after the forbid mind reading and scrying is hardly as usefull as 100 years ago.
Getting a noble to take them under his wing might actually work out finde, I just have to stage it right....maybe they rescue the child of a noble on their adventures... The ideas are comming :D
What are Highknights and Boldshields? Got the old 2nd ed Cormyr stuff.
I know that Highknights are a bit like James Bond, there is a nice story about one in Eds Best of book.
Hmm so if the group meets inside cormyr and then wants to start adventuring it´s actually breaking the law until the come across 4 places in Cormyr... kinda tough.
The info about Mercenarys is very interresting too thanks.
Well as long as that group that met together in Cormyr was only encountered on the road to one of those four locations, most agents of the crown would be most understanding, especially if the group consists of younger types (though they might try to recruit you into the Purple Dragons or War Wizards, seeing as those are more honorable pursuits than adventurer). And would give them a temporary pass allowing them to travel under arms to the nearest location. Which would be suitable to most other agents, as long as the characters stay on the path (no running off to explore until you have a real charter). Exceptions would be made for individuals helping to fight off a group of attacking monsters.
Well as long as that group that met together in Cormyr was only encountered on the road to one of those four locations, most agents of the crown would be most understanding, especially if the group consists of younger types (though they might try to recruit you into the Purple Dragons or War Wizards, seeing as those are more honorable pursuits than adventurer). And would give them a temporary pass allowing them to travel under arms to the nearest location. Which would be suitable to most other agents, as long as the characters stay on the path (no running off to explore until you have a real charter). Exceptions would be made for individuals helping to fight off a group of attacking monsters.
I ran the adventure Kobold hall from the DMG for my PCs to let them learn the rules the session after that (still complaining that the Dragons esaped after they escaped him) I ran this:
Well I brought them all togehter in a Fallcrest transplanted to into the north of cormyr, there two of them were in the elven temple when a big wodden crate arrived for the head pristess.
There were instructions on it that what was inside was for her eyes alone so she had it brought into her chambers, but only seconds after the door had closed had closed my two heroes heard screams ran in the chamber and found a ghoul raking at the shoked priest. After the shamefully long fight (they only won after the priest came over the shock and used radiant powers) they asked the priest, went outside to check for the cart that delivered the crate and after some questions wer told that the cart did deliver at least one other crate at the other large temple in the city.
They ran to the other temple (while picking up two friends of the first PC) and saw the wagon leaving while two temple acolites were trying to get a very big crate up the temple stairs. The PCs immediately attacked the wagon and his driver and ugred the acolytes to drop the crate. They hesitated to long and one was quickly killed when the (medium sized) zombie hulk burst free.
After a tough fight (gods I love to yell "zombie smash!" ) they searched the scorched reamains of the (undead) driver and found instructions where the crates had to be delivered. The instructions were signed Kalared and my players immediately decided that he had to be an evil mage with that name :D
After seeing the town lords estate on the list they immediately ran for it - especially since they remembered the uninterrested guards at the gate from their first visit. They came to late but nothing serious happended the zombie crate was to be lifted in one of the upper rooms, but it fell down into the stabels. It killed several of the lords horses, but nothing more happened.
The last adress on the list was the local wizards tower, they arrived out of breath, and the crate was still in front of the long stone bridge to the tower. The wizards assistant was trying to get the big crate on a floating disc when the PCs came and stopped him. The apperentice quickly explained that the crate was full of book sent from another town and his master was already waiting. They opened the crate and took the books out. The apperentice was already moving the books back to the tower on his disc when the dwarf looks into the crate, spots a book the apperentice didn´t spot and decides to steal it. He grabs the book with his greedy little fingers, however the taking the book actually triggers a trap that sprays poison dust on everyone arround the crate. They survive but when the wizard hears about this he is shocked - especially since he actually got the books he requested from his colleague.
At the next day the PCs are invited into the lords estate to discuass the situation with the towns priest and some other guests. Long story short the PCs are given the task to check out the situation and end the threat (of course they wanted a reward) and were given seveal magic items to help them with their quest.
They left the next day with the lords carriage (since they did not have horses themselves) their driver (and old man with pipe) drove like the devil himself was chasing him - the pcs weren´t all that curious about this, they decided it would be wise to decimate the drinks the lord had in his carriage.
Shortly after nightfall they arrived at a circular wall with a large gate that blocked the street. They were quickly let inside after the driver spoke with the guards.
My pcs found it really dumb that a walled inn (thats what they were thinking since they were told that they would rest along the way) would block the road, but I tried to explain them that it´s intended to block the road (you can walk or ride arround it but there isn´t really a road). Well anyways inside was a heavy fortified inn and several other buildings to house the horses and a small post that houses the purple dragons stationed here.
Well they came into the inn and ordered something hearthy to eat, had a talks with some unfriendly mercenaries (or rather asked dumb questions like: how much do you cost? - and getting the answer:100 gold coins per hour) .... the dwarf was about to throw a chair at them while the half-elf warlock was trying to stop him I ran the introduction from the Kots FR conversion with the priest the mercenaries tried to get the priest - but the pcs tried to stop it and talks about the whole problem - rather unusually diplocatic for my group but ok. The mercenaries weren´t perceptive, and so after out smartass wizard was obnoxious enough the leader yelled "kill the bastards!" - he fight wasn´t very tough since they concentrated on the wizard - but he has AC 19 +shield and his staff so he´s a tough customer. Well after the fight ( I have to say that the pc wizard wanted them to surrender but they fought to their death) they talked to the priest got the quest ;) and went to their rooms.
While the dead bodies where still lying downstairs .......
. About half and our later and enraged leonar banged at the party leaders door and demanded explanations. He said the truth, that they were attacked and defended themselves and that the priest would confirm their story. The priest could no longer be found he left with another carriage already - but the leonar had already questioned people downstairs so he left the matter for the next day but posted some guards at their carriage. At the next day they were questioned by the leonar, and where asked about a charter .....then came the discussion about how useless it would be in controlling adventurers, but the PC didn´t really mind and asked for the paperwork but it was explained where they could get a charter. The leonar did actually scribe something for the if they should get asked for a charter and sent them away, muttering under his breath "I hate adventurers :D "
They arrived in Winterhaven, I described the town what the buildings are and so on - then the discussion about what H means .....
... so they are Houses 
. I didn´t really came much further yet ....My PC are: Dwarven Fighter (uninterrested player, not really a fan of D&D, little brother) Human Wizard Samael escaped from the killers send by his uncle and searches now for power ....yada yada yada, Half-Elf Warlock from Mytah Drannor send as liason to the cormyrian highknights (one of my players girlfriend but still quite interrested) and Human Paladin of Torm(only real other D&D expert in the group).
Well I don´t really know why I wrote this but the first D&D movie comes in TV and I am searching for likeable stuff. Ok the rogue just died thats a good one.