Celebrating 2020 - The Year of Blackmoor - 50th Anniversary of Blackmoor and of Role-Playing!
Today is Part 70 of my series on OD&D, with The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures Vol. 3.
**For those coming in, in the middle of this series I am giving you my take on OD&D during my first exposure starting in Sept of 1975. For this first part it is just the first three books of the original woodgrain box set and prior to obtaining the Greyhawk, Blackmoor and later Supplements.**
Let us now take a look at some Specialists that become available for hire, once you have a stronghold.
Once you settle down or establish a stronghold or headquarters a lot of options open up for you as a player.
Above are very small list of some specialist and the suggested amount to hire them. Of course, although not stated, these were on a gold standard, and I use a silver standard. That would alter the prices themselves, but you should look at the economy that you have established for your game and perhaps make adjustments for that. If your flow of coin and wealth is on the stingy side then prices should be lower. If you are very generous then the prices should be higher.
While this is setup to allow an Alchemist to duplicate anything but only research poisons, you may want to allow them to research almost anything.
IMC when you hire an Armorer it is a given that he has out least two assistants, additional assistants are what you would pay extra for. Some of the additional assistants for these various professions may be apprentices. If you have a long running campaign, how you run apprenticeships are something that you may need to know.
Hiring Assassins IMC is a Chaotic act that would cause a change of Alignment with all of the consequences that entails. If you are found out that you are behind an assassination, you would be viewed as Evil IMC, with the consequences that would entail.
You would also need an Animal Trainer specifically for Warhorses, separate from training of horses for other things. You may also want to breed really large Mules as Warmules for the advantages that they have versus horses in some situations. This is beside your requirements for Workhorses, mules and oxen for the required farming to supply food for all those support personnel for your castle or stronghold. Do not forget your flocks of cattle, sheep, goats, geese, chickens etc.
Do not forget that hiring an Engineer that specializes in castle building will be needed for your castle, stronghold or tower.
This is something that I find is best handled between games to avoid having your group sitting twiddling their thumbs while the referee and one or a few players are in another room. This depends on how secretive the players involved want to be.
I suggest that all of your seaman have at least some brawling ability as a minimum.
Indeed. Do not forget the other positions that a ship would require such as: Captain/Master, First Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Quartermaster, Sailing Master, Boatswain, Carpenter, Master at Arms, Sailmaker, Cooks, Surgeon, and many others.
This is of course a Blacksmith, an Armorer and a Weaponsmith are both specially trained Blacksmiths.
If you campaign goes this route there are endless possibilities. If this is the route your campaign goes, a player returning from a dungeon crawl or wilderness excursion of more than short duration could find things have changed dramatically during their absence. The loyalty of those left in charge could have been found wanting.
It should evident that all of this is an excellent way of extracting wealth from players, not even counting any taxes that they might have to their sovereign.
Other professions that they will likely need to hire include: Butcher, Baker, Stonemason, Weaver, Winemaker, Mason, Farmer, watchmen, Shoemaker/Cobbler, Wheelwright, Roofer, Tanner, Belt Maker, Carpenter, Cooks, Apothecarist, Bowyer, Bricklayer, Candlemaker, Cartographer, Clothier, Dyer, Fisherman, Forester, Furrier, Gardener, Glassblower, Hunter, Goldsmith, Silversmith, Cooper, Potter, Rat Catcher, Scribe, and many more. There is almost no end to the people that will show up at a castle or stronghold looking for employment, all with a good story about why there are needed. One must keep up with the other barons and nobility after all. And what if a member of the royal household or other nobility would come to call, you must be able to entertain lavishly and maintain appearances. You can do this kind of thing as much as you and your players desire or not.
Do not forget basic household staff such as the Steward (Seneschal of Lands), Marshal (and clerks), Chamberlains, Laundresses and Personal Attendants, Cooks (plus undercooks, servers, cupbearers, plus all of the menial tasks, butler, baker, brewer, slaughterer, poulterer, fruiterer and the like). Just to name a few.
Today is Part 70 of my series on OD&D, with The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures Vol. 3.
**For those coming in, in the middle of this series I am giving you my take on OD&D during my first exposure starting in Sept of 1975. For this first part it is just the first three books of the original woodgrain box set and prior to obtaining the Greyhawk, Blackmoor and later Supplements.**
Let us now take a look at some Specialists that become available for hire, once you have a stronghold.
Once you settle down or establish a stronghold or headquarters a lot of options open up for you as a player.
Above are very small list of some specialist and the suggested amount to hire them. Of course, although not stated, these were on a gold standard, and I use a silver standard. That would alter the prices themselves, but you should look at the economy that you have established for your game and perhaps make adjustments for that. If your flow of coin and wealth is on the stingy side then prices should be lower. If you are very generous then the prices should be higher.
While this is setup to allow an Alchemist to duplicate anything but only research poisons, you may want to allow them to research almost anything.
IMC when you hire an Armorer it is a given that he has out least two assistants, additional assistants are what you would pay extra for. Some of the additional assistants for these various professions may be apprentices. If you have a long running campaign, how you run apprenticeships are something that you may need to know.
Hiring Assassins IMC is a Chaotic act that would cause a change of Alignment with all of the consequences that entails. If you are found out that you are behind an assassination, you would be viewed as Evil IMC, with the consequences that would entail.
You would also need an Animal Trainer specifically for Warhorses, separate from training of horses for other things. You may also want to breed really large Mules as Warmules for the advantages that they have versus horses in some situations. This is beside your requirements for Workhorses, mules and oxen for the required farming to supply food for all those support personnel for your castle or stronghold. Do not forget your flocks of cattle, sheep, goats, geese, chickens etc.
Do not forget that hiring an Engineer that specializes in castle building will be needed for your castle, stronghold or tower.
This is something that I find is best handled between games to avoid having your group sitting twiddling their thumbs while the referee and one or a few players are in another room. This depends on how secretive the players involved want to be.
I suggest that all of your seaman have at least some brawling ability as a minimum.
Indeed. Do not forget the other positions that a ship would require such as: Captain/Master, First Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Quartermaster, Sailing Master, Boatswain, Carpenter, Master at Arms, Sailmaker, Cooks, Surgeon, and many others.
This is of course a Blacksmith, an Armorer and a Weaponsmith are both specially trained Blacksmiths.
It should evident that all of this is an excellent way of extracting wealth from players, not even counting any taxes that they might have to their sovereign.
Other professions that they will likely need to hire include: Butcher, Baker, Stonemason, Weaver, Winemaker, Mason, Farmer, watchmen, Shoemaker/Cobbler, Wheelwright, Roofer, Tanner, Belt Maker, Carpenter, Cooks, Apothecarist, Bowyer, Bricklayer, Candlemaker, Cartographer, Clothier, Dyer, Fisherman, Forester, Furrier, Gardener, Glassblower, Hunter, Goldsmith, Silversmith, Cooper, Potter, Rat Catcher, Scribe, and many more. There is almost no end to the people that will show up at a castle or stronghold looking for employment, all with a good story about why there are needed. One must keep up with the other barons and nobility after all. And what if a member of the royal household or other nobility would come to call, you must be able to entertain lavishly and maintain appearances. You can do this kind of thing as much as you and your players desire or not.
Do not forget basic household staff such as the Steward (Seneschal of Lands), Marshal (and clerks), Chamberlains, Laundresses and Personal Attendants, Cooks (plus undercooks, servers, cupbearers, plus all of the menial tasks, butler, baker, brewer, slaughterer, poulterer, fruiterer and the like). Just to name a few.
Tomorrow we look at Men-At-Arms.
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