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Thread: Price of a PC

  1. #1
    Mark A Vandermeulen
    Guest

    Price of a PC

    On Tue, 14 Oct 1997, Caryl Takvorian wrote:

    > Hi,
    >
    > Finally I had my first game - as a DM - yesterday, and I stumbled accross a
    > big problem that I didn't expected.
    >
    > We had decided to play with only one regent in our group, 2 blooded and 3
    > non-blooded characters. When the regent needed to go in adventure to sort
    > out some family problems, 3 of the PC's told him they would gladly help him
    > out only if he was to pay them. They're all thieves, so I must admit it's a
    > natural demand from them. But I couldn't find anywhere some indications of
    > what the rates should be. The regent is a PC, so it should be his call as to
    > how much he's going to pay them, but I still need to give him some ideas of
    > their expected salaries. Any suggestions?
    >
    >
    > Caryl
    >

    There are two main options, and perhaps a third. First, you can put them
    on retainer, meaning that they're employed full time by the regent, in
    return for a weekly or monthly salary. I expect that somewhere between 1-5
    gp a week plus expenses is appropriate unless they are VERY qualified.
    Note that this will put them somewhere near the upper end of the middle
    class. Paying them more may help to ensure their loyalty, but paying too
    much more would be counter-productive: paying too much is a sign of how
    little you value your money, and only encourage a self-respecting theif to
    assist you in lightening your load of the dispised stuff.
    The second option is on a case-by-case basis. This tends to be
    less expensive, but leaves the hirelings no loyalty to you as soon as
    they've been payed. And hey, if you're a regent, your income is measured
    in gold BARS, not gold pieces, so you can afford a little loyalty.
    The final option is to make them nobles: give them a manor and a
    plot of land and the villeins needed to tend them. Then, as their sworn
    lord, command them to help you out, as any vassal owes his/her lord, free
    of charge. This devious little plan may even be the best plan: keep
    rewarding them more and more for their success, until, with a crowning
    achievement and a public ceremony, you make them noble. And just when
    they're rubbing their greedy little hands together in glee, pull the rug
    out from under them: now they have to work for free, pay even more taxes,
    etc, etc.

    Mark VanderMeulen
    vander+@pitt.edu

  2. #2
    Jan P. M. Arnoldus
    Guest

    Price of a PC

    Mark A Vandermeulen wrote:

    > On Tue, 14 Oct 1997, Caryl Takvorian wrote:
    >
    > > Hi,
    > >
    > > Finally I had my first game - as a DM - yesterday, and I stumbled
    > accross a
    > > big problem that I didn't expected.
    > >
    > > We had decided to play with only one regent in our group, 2 blooded
    > and 3
    > > non-blooded characters. When the regent needed to go in adventure to
    > sort
    > > out some family problems, 3 of the PC's told him they would gladly
    > help him
    > > out only if he was to pay them. They're all thieves, so I must admit
    > it's a
    > > natural demand from them. But I couldn't find anywhere some
    > indications of
    > > what the rates should be. The regent is a PC, so it should be his
    > call as to
    > > how much he's going to pay them, but I still need to give him some
    > ideas of
    > > their expected salaries. Any suggestions?

    Just pay them according to the ply trade action. (25GP/level per month)

  3. #3
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    Price of a PC

    One could use the figures in "Training" action as a guideline for
    negotiation. An upper limit would probably be the costs of an entourage
    (Rulebook, pp.93-94). That reminds me of a story. . . In a game I ran
    (non-regents) 1 PC was given (what I thought was) a generous amount of cash,
    and pointed on an expedition needing a ship. This allowed me to introduce
    the rest of the party, as captain and crew. When she asked to hire them, we
    worked backward from the maintenance figures in Cities of the Sun, to arrive
    at 25 gp/day (with profit margin, salaries, et c.). The expedition was
    successful, but that particular group of characters will not play again,
    since the "leader" exhausted her expense account and swore off sailing ever
    again! Live and learn. . . .

    Lee.

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