The Gaming Den

So I stupidly put a 20x18' mosaic of precious stones in the hands of my pcs. they of course popped out all the gems, and sold them, netting a rough 15 million gold. Of course the large city they're in can't afford that, so they convinced the jeweler buying the gems to give them 90% of the value in credit backed by his reputation usable anywhere (the jeweler's an imp), 9% in credit usable in the city backed by his rep, and 1% in cash. They then contracted him as a broker to manage their purchases in markets they could not otherwise access themselves.

...*headdesk*

anyway, I need a bit of help adjudicating something. They want him to track down the most informed person he can so they can get more info from him on who's attacking them. Obviously the most informed person is Vecna, and they don't have that much money. But, I still need to adjudicate how long it should take, and how much money it should cost for them to find an information broker. Suggestions?

I'm also taking suggestions on the best ways to pimp out a gryphon, and whether a mount gets it's own magic item slots, or uses the riders.

Imp - those are Devils right? Part of an infernal hierarchy right? So he's going to report this up his chain of command until it reaches a devil of appropriate influence (ie CR) to deal with the matter, and then this feudal devil baron is going to "befriend" the PCs and trade them information that is true-to-the-letter but is easily misinterpreted and not worth what the PCs will want to pay for it.

In 3.x there are rules for making barding for mounts (including flying mounts) and there were a couple mount-specific items (Horseshoes of speed). So clearly mounts have Armor and Feet slots, and it's arguable if they do or should have other item slots.

In 4th ed, characters have a single "Mount Slot" to hold one item which benefits their mount.

In either case, the best general way to pimp out a flying mount is with items of extra-dimensional storage filled with Alchemist's Fire and other bomb-like magic items that can be dropped from higher than longbow range and still cause damage to ground targets.Top off with items of perception enhancement and wands (or other items) of Long range+ spells for effective air-to-air combat.

They can trade some of the gems around to various wizards (components are expensive, after all) and other people who like shiny rocks and sort of hit a small-scale wish/favor economy with those and word will get around about the adventurers with the pile of gemstones and a lot of people will want to get in on that. Including an information broker, because gem prices in the region are going to -plummet- and that's info worth knowing.

Prak_Anima wrote:I'm also taking suggestions on the best ways to pimp out a gryphon, and whether a mount gets it's own magic item slots, or uses the riders.

I would assume that if the mount counts as one of the rider's magic items, its gear does too. Then again, I don't see any reason you shouldn't be able to count a robo-gryphon with laser eye beams as one magic item at higher levels.

I would enhance a gryphon with performance enhancing alchemical drugs. One or more of these might be aimed at turning it into a more interesting and higher-CR monster type. Maybe a Wyvern with fire breath and sphere access.

Totally pimped griffon?

+1 Chain shirt barding is usually crazy-awesome for monsters that are clearly intended to not wear armor. 5 AC for 1K - YES, please.

After that, you Awaken it for 450gp (you can BUY +2HD (11hp), the goodies that come with that, and the ability to speak a language for so, so cheap)

After that, you teach it (ab)Use Magic Device with a wand of Fireball, and Light of Venya, and you have a touch, flying, mobile, laser-blasting, fireballing, healing squad, with special bonuses against undead, that glows in the dark.

Item list for crazy-awesome mount:
Awaken - 450
+5 AC - 1K
Light of Venya - 25 charges - 5625gp
Fireball - 25 charges - 5625gp

If you can, you give it a level or two in something like Sorceror/Wizard/Druid/Cleric so that it can make it's own wands and doesn't have to UMD them. Or, give it a level in a Tome of Battle class, and take higher level maneuvers.

I should specify this is a tome game, so I was specifically wondering whether the gryphon gets it's own 8 slots.

The Imp isn't necessarily part of the infernal hierarchy, I set him up as just a jeweler in a large city on the Prime. So he's probably left Hell and Blood War far behind, or as far behind as he can.

They also didn't keep any of the gems, stupidly, in my opinion, but rather traded them over for cash. Because they wanted to carry wheelbarrows of gold or something, I don't know.

You're the DM. Have him cut them a deal or something.

He's an imp on the prime, right? Maybe he's hiding out from the bosses and the jewels mean he can sort of pay away some of the things he did to get in trouble.

He can be so grateful that he'll hold the gems for them, and sell them whenever he can, but also give the party back some of them any time they want a handful of rubies or whatever and they can toss him a commission.

Bring out the wish economy. They can get messages from wizards and clerics and other powerful figures making offers for the gems. Add in magic swords and shields and loot into the equation.

Dwarves can make an offer of rare metals by the hundredweight in exchange for a bucketful of gemstones. Getting adamantine and mithril ingots suitable for forging and enchanting will make the players pay attention. Especially when they're now in the good graces of a lot of people who can buy the gemstones with any useful loot they have around.

Prak Anima wrote:fucking adventurers...

HOW DO THEY WORK?[/magical explosion]

*golfclap* I was thinking it the whole time Lago.

Imp - those are Devils right? Part of an infernal hierarchy right? So he's going to report this up his chain of command until it reaches a devil of appropriate influence (ie CR) to deal with the matter, and then this feudal devil baron is going to "befriend" the PCs and trade them information that is true-to-the-letter but is easily misinterpreted and not worth what the PCs will want to pay for it.

Would he though? That begs two questions...

1) How much do infernal entities really care about even vast quantities of human material wealth, except insofar as they inflict pain and suffering?
2) I know he's lawful and all, but Imps are pretty innately mischievous fuckers. And greedy too, IIRC. Especially in light of 1, wouldn't he try to maximize the profit for himself? If any demon is going to give a crap about $$$ it would probably be something down to earth like an imp who is stick planetside.

In light of that, it seems likely he'd bring in some RIDICULOUS CHARLATAN to try and feed the PCs blatantly false information in a scene that was somewhat slanted for comedic value. I mean, that is assuming of course that a CL whatever imp is not meant to be a serious or major antagonist in your game.

Schwarzkopf wrote:

Imp - those are Devils right? Part of an infernal hierarchy right? So he's going to report this up his chain of command until it reaches a devil of appropriate influence (ie CR) to deal with the matter, and then this feudal devil baron is going to "befriend" the PCs and trade them information that is true-to-the-letter but is easily misinterpreted and not worth what the PCs will want to pay for it.

Would he though? That begs two questions...

1) How much do infernal entities really care about even vast quantities of human material wealth, except insofar as they inflict pain and suffering?.

Gemstones are magic item components and spell components and all. They have a practical value that creatures which live and die with magic would care about, as opposed to gold, which is only worth something because people think it is.

Point. I forgot that it was gemstones being fenced to begin with.

Schwarzkopf wrote:Point. I forgot that it was gemstones being fenced to begin with.

They could convert a chunk of those goldpieces to silver and use the silver for weapons and equipment.

Seeing as how a pound of silver is 5 GP...You could very much be in pocket.

Silver is -also- a wish economy material, since some stuff does have DR against it.

Silver and gems are not wish economy materials, because they can be obtained by repeatable casting magic.

From the Tomes "The realities of the wish based economy ensure that gems can simply be obtained in large numbers by anyone who really cares enough to dedicate a conjured earth elemental to collecting them. Magical items that cannot be created with the application of spells (that is, magic items valued at more than 15,000 gp) cannot be purchased on the open market with mundane currency, not even gems."

So the players can buy armloads of mundane equipment, and fill all their slots with lesser items. No-one is going to sell them anything you couldn't obtain with a Wish or Plane Shift though.

Red_Rob wrote:Silver and gems are not wish economy materials, because they can be obtained by repeatable casting magic.

From the Tomes "The realities of the wish based economy ensure that gems can simply be obtained in large numbers by anyone who really cares enough to dedicate a conjured earth elemental to collecting them. Magical items that cannot be created with the application of spells (that is, magic items valued at more than 15,000 gp) cannot be purchased on the open market with mundane currency, not even gems."

So the players can buy armloads of mundane equipment, and fill all their slots with lesser items. No-one is going to sell them anything you couldn't obtain with a Wish or Plane Shift though.

Damn! Forgot that one!