Theldrin will gladly spend the time and gold to copy Blur and Mirror Image into his spellbook. Since it seems like there would be time he will also ask Morley to locate a Cloak of Protection for him if there isn't one on hand at the Unearthed Arcana.
(OOC: Not sure why the devs decided that a ring of protection would be rare and a cloak uncommon...shrug. Seems like the vote is tending towards the manor though Theldrin has security concerns... like do we plan to hire some folks to look after the place for us?)
Theldrin will also replace his stained and threadbare Baklunish outfit he favors, looking for something in the city that is still Baklunish in style and well made but not too fancy as to attract attention (subtracting 10gp as a price in between fine and traveler's clothes).
Coriana and I are agreed we will advocate strongly for the storefront, but will admit the manor house is better than the townhouse.
We need to be in the heart of things,, and having a layout designed for a professional/personal divide is going to be important.
That is my peace, I will accept the judgement of the group. I will say the temptation is to save up and make by own bastion a simple keelboat or something
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
Theldrin listens thoughtfully to Coriana's argument for the storefront, slowly nodding his head. "You bring up good points, it's worth considering... in your view what would we sell in the store? Of course we could make potions and scrolls and such, but I don't want to go into competition with Morley... he's been such a good resource for us."
He rubs his beard and frowns, then continues, "And I could see the appeal of saving up for a boat as well. Hmmm, I wonder if we really need to invest in a home base right now or if we should be more focused on our next expedition. Much to consider, and I am open minded about it."
Khessa, in fact, despite having expressed a preference for the Manor House, which seems more versatile and more open to possible evolutions, is in no hurry to build a base... Not while her family languishes in the hands of the Drow!
The blonde arcane warrior is therefore quite available to start a new adventure even before having bought the base. Even more so if it is an adventure that can give her an excuse to snoop around the Hellfurnaces to the west of Old Keoland...
But all in all, every adventure can be precious - where information cannot be found, perhaps allies or other resources can be found... So, if the group comes to an agreement early, the tall adventuress adapts to the majority decision; but if the matter is postponed, she is perfectly ready to collaborate with the Company on a new assignment.
Ok so you could pool your money for a Sailing Ship if you definitely wanted to make your home on the open seas. Coriana could probably get a good price on a fixer upper for 5000gp. Just a warning that it would probably mean leaving the City of Greyhawk behind you. Is everyone cool with that?
Theldrin is open to that idea... if we did get a boat would we be able to use the docks at Greyhawk port as a base and what would that cost? He seems happy to debate the different options for the party's next move for the moment, before making a decision.
I think we would say that the 5000gp includes the price of docking at the port. Let me know how you all feel about this boat thing. In my head you'd be travelling around on a boat between adventures, which is cool, but I also understand if this doesn't fit with some of your characters' goals in life. It's somewhat hard organizing a base of operations for such a diverse group of adventurers! Perhaps some kind of compromise will have to be reached.
We purchase the boat and use it as a floating bastion. Any expansion that can't fit into the footprint of the boat, we can buy/rent dockside warehouse space to expand into.
The boat is largely docked, and if people want bigger sleeping quarters, there is a whole city out there.
Coriana would take the boat out on a few days/hours journey every few weeks in order to keep the boat active and prevent it from falling into disrepair.
We could change our minds. The boat is an investment, sure we'll need to put in some money to get it up to snuff, but we can always sell it for a tidy profit.*
*Please note, I am fully aware a boat is a hole in the water you throw money in. Coriana is excited enough that she is ignoring some basics.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
(OOC: Seems like the vote is tending towards the manor
(OOC: Well, I put the manor before the house above the shop because I didn't realize that we'd also be acquiring the shop. If we would acquire the shop with the house, then that might bump it up the list for me. As a player, I'd prefer not to do the accounting to figure out how to fund our headquarters and spend much of our the treasure that we bring back from adventures just to pay our living expenses during our downtime. That'll make it hard to build up a treasure horde to pay for more expensive things at higher levels. If our shop generates income that can cover basic upkeep of our headquarters and also pay our living expenses during our downtime, then that becomes a really attractive option.
I guess I'd say it this way.
If @drumdigby wants to try out the bastion rules, then I definitely prefer the manor house. It looks like bastions are already largely self-sustaining, and the manor house will make it easier to add facilities and expand the space over time as we level up. If we're not using the bastion rules, then I think that the shop moves to my #1 spot since there's a built-in way for it to generate income...not that Xanrym knows anything about running a shop.)
(OOC: @drumdigby - While we resolve the decision about possibly acquiring a house or ship as a bastion in the OOC thread, did you want to start putting some info in the game thread about the next possible job(s) for The Company of the Grey Chain?
Have we heard of anyone willing to pay The Company decent coin to act as escorts, solve a mystery, break up a cult, or explore a dungeon? Or if we haven't found an employer, have we heard any rumors of great treasures that we might want to investigate on our own?)
Some speculative skill checks in the spoiler in case that's needed to resolve some of Xanrym's activities: Performance: 17 - Entertaining at taverns and inns, basically to see whether he earns any gold from those endeavors.
(OOC: @drumdigby - With that Performance check, was Xanrym able to earn some coin by performing at inns around the Free City during part of this time? Do I need to roll multiple Performance checks? During their 12 weeks in the Free City, I figure that Xanrym probably worked for a few hours per night on ~50% of the days that he's in the city. It's not a full-time job, but it's not nothing.
I have deducted 114 gp for Xanrym's lifestyle expenses. 76 days at the Black Dragon Inn (1 gp/day) and 14 days at the High Tower Inn (1 gp/day). But Xanrym would be happy to earn back some of his lifestyle expenses from performing during their downtime. His primary purpose is really to make more contacts within the city and to bolster the reputation of The Company of the Grey Chain, but he still expects to be paid for his time performing.)
Ok so let’s go through a few things while your characters spend a few months in Greyhawk.
Since The Company of the Grey Chain is staying in the City of Greyhawk for 90 days, Xanrym would definitely spend most of the time with the others at the Black Dragon Inn. He splurges on the High Tower Inn for the first few days after they get back from their trip aboard the Soul of Winter. If any of the others ask, he says that he feels that it's important to stay there from time to time so that people know to contact The Company via the High Tower Inn. ("At least until we establish our own headquarters!") He does not mention that it's mostly because he finds the rooms there so comfortable that it's worth it after living rough on the ship for a few weeks. Xanrym also stays at the High Tower Inn from time to time if any wealthy potential employers reach out to The Company or whenever he needs to meet with a member or agent of the Citadel of Eight, reporting back to them about The Company's exploits and asking whether there's anything that they need him (and/or The Company) to do.
Early during their stay in the Free City, Xanrym stops in at Unearthed Arcana to see whether Morley or his clients have any interest in the two vials of "caustic ichor" that he collected on his last adventure. "This one is from a massive, four-armed Sahuagin captain whose blood burned like acid! The other is from the gullet of a hideous demon whose mouth made up about half of its body! It must have been summoned from the Abyss by an evil cultist, and in battle, it disgorged this acidic concoction at us!" As before, he doesn't want to sell these vials for a pittance. They were dangerous enough to collect! If Morley doesn't offer a high enough price, Xanrym will just add the acid to his personal collection for now. Perhaps these ingredients will help Syllen or Theldrin infuse acid damage into a weapon or enable them to create a potion of acid resistance some day.
Xanrym also asks Morley about some possible purchases, but he waits until The Company makes a decision about their headquarters before he finally buys anything specific. He admits that he's not sure what he can afford, but he asks Morely to keep an eye out for a bardic drum. And if Morley can find a Cap of Water Breathing, Xanrym may want to sell Morley his mask and purchase the cap instead. "The Company of the Grey Chain just returned from a job where we sailed across Nyr Dyv--my first time on a ship! I anticipate that we'll be taking to the seas again soon. Last time, we were attacked by a Sahuagin raiding band! If they were to drag me into the dark depths of Nyr Dyv, I'd surely drown without some magical assistance. I love the Crocodile Mask, but it only permits me to survive underwater for a short swim. If I could breathe underwater, now that would be something!"
Xanrym will also reserve enough treasure to pay Syllen to create a spell scroll of Darkvision during their downtime. Xanrym cannot cast the spell himself, but he's happy to pay for the scroll so that Syllen always has that spell available in case Xanrym needs Darkvision for scouting in darkness.
(OOC:
@drumdigby - If Morley is interested in either vial of acid, what does he offer to pay?
@drumdigby - Xanrym is asking Morley to look for a Rhythm-Maker's Drum, +1 and a Cap of Water Breathing for him. He's pretty sure that he'll be able to afford both of them even after we purchase our bastion.
@JehanO - Xanrym would offer Syllen 125 gp for the spell scroll. It looks like a level-2 spell scroll would cost 100 gp in materials, so Syllen would make an extra 25 gp for his time. Let me know if that's fine, and I'll deduct that amount from Xanrym's sheet. You can add the 25 gp and the spell scroll to Syllen's sheet.
Theldrin has the following 2nd level spells in his spellbook, available to Khessa if she would like to copy them:
Aganazzar's Scorcher
Scorching Ray
Web
In that case, Khessa will definitely copy Scorching Ray and Web!
If Theldrin is interested, Khessa learned independently (by leveling up) Blur and Mirror Image
He is of course welcome to copy them, if he so wishes!
Theldrin will gladly spend the time and gold to copy Blur and Mirror Image into his spellbook. Since it seems like there would be time he will also ask Morley to locate a Cloak of Protection for him if there isn't one on hand at the Unearthed Arcana.
In the three months Morley would be able to get you a Cloak of Protection for 400gp. Did we reach a consensus on what house you wanted to buy?
(OOC: Not sure why the devs decided that a ring of protection would be rare and a cloak uncommon...shrug. Seems like the vote is tending towards the manor though Theldrin has security concerns... like do we plan to hire some folks to look after the place for us?)
Theldrin will also replace his stained and threadbare Baklunish outfit he favors, looking for something in the city that is still Baklunish in style and well made but not too fancy as to attract attention (subtracting 10gp as a price in between fine and traveler's clothes).
[[We're going to have to.]]
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Avery is easy and will go with the group's decision on the house purchase
Coriana and I are agreed we will advocate strongly for the storefront, but will admit the manor house is better than the townhouse.
We need to be in the heart of things,, and having a layout designed for a professional/personal divide is going to be important.
That is my peace, I will accept the judgement of the group. I will say the temptation is to save up and make by own bastion a simple keelboat or something
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Theldrin listens thoughtfully to Coriana's argument for the storefront, slowly nodding his head. "You bring up good points, it's worth considering... in your view what would we sell in the store? Of course we could make potions and scrolls and such, but I don't want to go into competition with Morley... he's been such a good resource for us."
He rubs his beard and frowns, then continues, "And I could see the appeal of saving up for a boat as well. Hmmm, I wonder if we really need to invest in a home base right now or if we should be more focused on our next expedition. Much to consider, and I am open minded about it."
Khessa, in fact, despite having expressed a preference for the Manor House, which seems more versatile and more open to possible evolutions, is in no hurry to build a base... Not while her family languishes in the hands of the Drow!
The blonde arcane warrior is therefore quite available to start a new adventure even before having bought the base. Even more so if it is an adventure that can give her an excuse to snoop around the Hellfurnaces to the west of Old Keoland...
But all in all, every adventure can be precious - where information cannot be found, perhaps allies or other resources can be found... So, if the group comes to an agreement early, the tall adventuress adapts to the majority decision; but if the matter is postponed, she is perfectly ready to collaborate with the Company on a new assignment.
"I'd just set the storefront up as a place to meet clients."
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Ok so you could pool your money for a Sailing Ship if you definitely wanted to make your home on the open seas. Coriana could probably get a good price on a fixer upper for 5000gp. Just a warning that it would probably mean leaving the City of Greyhawk behind you. Is everyone cool with that?
Theldrin is open to that idea... if we did get a boat would we be able to use the docks at Greyhawk port as a base and what would that cost? He seems happy to debate the different options for the party's next move for the moment, before making a decision.
I think we would say that the 5000gp includes the price of docking at the port. Let me know how you all feel about this boat thing. In my head you'd be travelling around on a boat between adventures, which is cool, but I also understand if this doesn't fit with some of your characters' goals in life. It's somewhat hard organizing a base of operations for such a diverse group of adventurers! Perhaps some kind of compromise will have to be reached.
Here is an idea:
*Please note, I am fully aware a boat is a hole in the water you throw money in. Coriana is excited enough that she is ignoring some basics.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
(OOC: Well, I put the manor before the house above the shop because I didn't realize that we'd also be acquiring the shop. If we would acquire the shop with the house, then that might bump it up the list for me. As a player, I'd prefer not to do the accounting to figure out how to fund our headquarters and spend much of our the treasure that we bring back from adventures just to pay our living expenses during our downtime. That'll make it hard to build up a treasure horde to pay for more expensive things at higher levels. If our shop generates income that can cover basic upkeep of our headquarters and also pay our living expenses during our downtime, then that becomes a really attractive option.
I guess I'd say it this way.
If @drumdigby wants to try out the bastion rules, then I definitely prefer the manor house. It looks like bastions are already largely self-sustaining, and the manor house will make it easier to add facilities and expand the space over time as we level up. If we're not using the bastion rules, then I think that the shop moves to my #1 spot since there's a built-in way for it to generate income...not that Xanrym knows anything about running a shop.)
(OOC: @drumdigby - While we resolve the decision about possibly acquiring a house or ship as a bastion in the OOC thread, did you want to start putting some info in the game thread about the next possible job(s) for The Company of the Grey Chain?
Have we heard of anyone willing to pay The Company decent coin to act as escorts, solve a mystery, break up a cult, or explore a dungeon? Or if we haven't found an employer, have we heard any rumors of great treasures that we might want to investigate on our own?)
Avery concurs; we need more coin if we're going to invest in a place.
(OOC: @drumdigby - With that Performance check, was Xanrym able to earn some coin by performing at inns around the Free City during part of this time? Do I need to roll multiple Performance checks? During their 12 weeks in the Free City, I figure that Xanrym probably worked for a few hours per night on ~50% of the days that he's in the city. It's not a full-time job, but it's not nothing.
I have deducted 114 gp for Xanrym's lifestyle expenses. 76 days at the Black Dragon Inn (1 gp/day) and 14 days at the High Tower Inn (1 gp/day). But Xanrym would be happy to earn back some of his lifestyle expenses from performing during their downtime. His primary purpose is really to make more contacts within the city and to bolster the reputation of The Company of the Grey Chain, but he still expects to be paid for his time performing.)
Since The Company of the Grey Chain is staying in the City of Greyhawk for 90 days, Xanrym would definitely spend most of the time with the others at the Black Dragon Inn. He splurges on the High Tower Inn for the first few days after they get back from their trip aboard the Soul of Winter. If any of the others ask, he says that he feels that it's important to stay there from time to time so that people know to contact The Company via the High Tower Inn. ("At least until we establish our own headquarters!") He does not mention that it's mostly because he finds the rooms there so comfortable that it's worth it after living rough on the ship for a few weeks. Xanrym also stays at the High Tower Inn from time to time if any wealthy potential employers reach out to The Company or whenever he needs to meet with a member or agent of the Citadel of Eight, reporting back to them about The Company's exploits and asking whether there's anything that they need him (and/or The Company) to do.
Early during their stay in the Free City, Xanrym stops in at Unearthed Arcana to see whether Morley or his clients have any interest in the two vials of "caustic ichor" that he collected on his last adventure. "This one is from a massive, four-armed Sahuagin captain whose blood burned like acid! The other is from the gullet of a hideous demon whose mouth made up about half of its body! It must have been summoned from the Abyss by an evil cultist, and in battle, it disgorged this acidic concoction at us!" As before, he doesn't want to sell these vials for a pittance. They were dangerous enough to collect! If Morley doesn't offer a high enough price, Xanrym will just add the acid to his personal collection for now. Perhaps these ingredients will help Syllen or Theldrin infuse acid damage into a weapon or enable them to create a potion of acid resistance some day.
Xanrym also asks Morley about some possible purchases, but he waits until The Company makes a decision about their headquarters before he finally buys anything specific. He admits that he's not sure what he can afford, but he asks Morely to keep an eye out for a bardic drum. And if Morley can find a Cap of Water Breathing, Xanrym may want to sell Morley his mask and purchase the cap instead. "The Company of the Grey Chain just returned from a job where we sailed across Nyr Dyv--my first time on a ship! I anticipate that we'll be taking to the seas again soon. Last time, we were attacked by a Sahuagin raiding band! If they were to drag me into the dark depths of Nyr Dyv, I'd surely drown without some magical assistance. I love the Crocodile Mask, but it only permits me to survive underwater for a short swim. If I could breathe underwater, now that would be something!"
Xanrym will also reserve enough treasure to pay Syllen to create a spell scroll of Darkvision during their downtime. Xanrym cannot cast the spell himself, but he's happy to pay for the scroll so that Syllen always has that spell available in case Xanrym needs Darkvision for scouting in darkness.
(OOC:
)