stonegod
Spawn of Khyber/LEB Judge
Won't be fixed by me until we move to the new wiki (which is likely soonish? maybe).
LEB Discussion Thread '09
- Status
renau1g
First Post
This is detailed in the 3.5e book Sharn:City of Towers
[sblock=prisons]
There are five prisons in Sharn—one in each of the
garrisons of the Sharn Watch, and the high-security
prison in the Citadel of Central Plateau.
The garrison prisons are designed to hold prisoners
until trial, and are not intended for long-term
use. Each prison contains 10 separate cells, each of
which can hold 8 prisoners. Spellcasters, monks, or
other characters considered to be high escape risks
are chained to the wall using masterwork manacles
(hardness 10, 10 hp, break DC 28, Escape Artist DC
35, Open Lock DC 30), and suspected spellcasters
are usually gagged. Each cell has an iron door
(hardness 10, 60 hp, break DC 28, Open Lock DC
40) and thick stone walls (hardness 8, 180 hp, break
DC 40). Typically, a prison is guarded by a 5-person
Watch detail.
The prison of the Citadel is designed to hold
dangerous prisoners for extended periods of time.
The first security measure is simple: height. The
prison is located at the top of the tower, and there is
a 500-foot drop between the entry chamber of the
prison and the observation deck below. The only
access is via a magic lift that is open on the sides and
can hold a maximum of six Medium humanoids.
There are four sniper posts 150 feet up from the
observation deck, each home to a 2nd-level fighter
specialized in archery; these snipers have a clear
view of the lift and can shoot at prisoners attempting
to escape as the lift descends. The lift moves quite
slowly—10 feet per round—giving the snipers and
guards on the ground a considerable amount of time
to prepare or to attack escapees. In addition to the
four snipers, the observation deck is guarded by a
Watch post and a countermage from the Blackened
Book—a 4th-level abjurer equipped with a wand of
dispel magic and a wand of force hammer. A central column
in the observation deck includes a crystal ball with telepathy,
which is used to monitor the cells of the prison
and to communicate with the guards. The crystal ball
was created as part of the stone column, which is
itself fused with the floor of the chamber; it cannot
be removed.
The bottom level of the prison contains the
guard barracks. Four Watch posts are stationed at
the prison, along with another 4th-level countermage,
a 5th-level cleric of Aureon (who maintains
the glyphs of warding), and four Vadalis-trained horrid
wolves. At any given time, one of the posts is off duty,
while the other three patrol the upper levels. The
second level contains the mess hall, recreation area,
and bath hall. The third and fourth levels hold the
prisoners. There are twenty-five cells on each level,
each capable of holding up to four Medium prisoners.
The walls are 2-foot-thick stone (hardness 8,
360 hp, break DC 45). All of the doors are locked
with arcane seals; the doors on the third level are steel
(hardness 10, 60 hp, break DC 28), while those on
the fourth level are forged from adamantine (hardness
20, 80 hp, break DC 48). The hallways contain
glyphs of wardingholding blindnessspells (save DC 15).
Spellcasters, monks, and characters considered
to be high escape risks are kept in masterwork
manacles, just like in the garrison prisons. In addition,
the guards have access to ten sets of wizard’s
manacles—four each of Small and Medium, and two
sets of Large manacles.
[/sblock]
[sblock=legal stuff in Sharn]
The Wages of Sin
A party of adventurers clashes with an Aurum mastermind
and sends him to a richly deserved grave. But
another member of the Platinum Concord sees to it
that the heroes are brought to trial for this so-called
murder and ultimately they are convicted. What
happens next?
This section describes a few of the more
common forms of punishment used by the courts
of Sharn. It is up to the DM to decide how severe
the punishment should be based on the nature of
the crime. As with any use of the law, the challenge
is to find a way for the punishment to enhance the
adventure and challenge the party as opposed to
ruining the story.
IMPRISONMENT
Long-term incarceration is rarely used as a form of
punishment in Breland. Prisons are primarily used
as holding cells, keeping criminals contained until
a case can go to trial and a final punishment can
be decreed. If a prisoner is deemed too dangerous
to be allowed to roam free, she is usually executed;
Breland has just emerged from a century of war, and
death is a reality of the world. There is only one situation
in which an extended prison sentence would
be warranted: If the prisoner cannot be allowed to
go free and if his death would have major repercussions.
For example, if a cousin of Queen Aurala
of Aundair committed a serious act of treason, his
execution could provoke Aundair to renew the war;
instead, he would be held in the Citadel, while King
Boranel contacted Aurala and demanded reparations
for the crime. A lengthy prison sentence could
also occur if a trial fails to resolve doubts about the
crime; the magistrate can rule that the accused be
detained while a further investigation occurs.
FINES
Fines are the most common form of punishment
used by the courts of Sharn. The fine is based on
the nature of the crime, but the magistrate has
leeway to raise the amount of the fine to ensure
that it actually serves as an effective punishment.
For a commoner, a 10-gp fine is crippling; for
an experienced adventurer, it is trivial, and the
magistrate ensures that the criminal feels the
loss. What may hurt adventurers more than fines
of gold is confiscation of items; weapons, armor,
wands, and similar treasures may be taken away if a
character is convicted of using them in a criminal
manner. This can allow the DM to force a party to
rebuild its strength after losing powerful items—
or the characters can make an adventure out of
breaking into the vaults of the Citadel to reclaim
their impounded goods!
HARD LABOR
If a convicted criminal can’t afford to pay a fine,
he is assigned to work off his debt in a chain gang.
There are a number of city-owned workhouses
throughout Sharn, including the Bazaar of Dura
and the Ashblack foundries. The work is extremely
unpleasant, and the prisoner pays off his debt at a
rate of 1 sp/day.
BRANDING
Repeat offenders are often marked with a symbol
that warns others about their criminal tendencies.
In the past, these marks were made with branding
irons. In this more civilized age, a House Sivis heir
inscribes the mark using a pen of the living parchment
(see page 169). Marks are either placed on the forehead
or on the back of the right hand, and guards
often demand that suspicious strangers remove
their gloves and show the backs of their hands. A
criminal’s mark causes most law-abiding citizens to
have an unfriendly reaction to the character, and
he may be refused service at respectable businesses.
However, in the bad parts of Sharn a criminal mark
is a badge of honor, and other criminals often treat
marked men with more respect.
MYSTICAL PUNISHMENT
The clerics of Aureon may be called upon to use
magic to punish wrongdoing. A few spells are often
used as punishment.
Bestow curseis a common form of magical punishment
used against repeat offenders. A –4 penalty to
attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks can
prove to be a serious setback to muggers, con artists,
and pickpockets alike.
Blindness/deafness is occasionally used as a form of
punishment. Most often blindness is applied to dangerous
prisoners who are going to be incarcerated
in the Citadel; the magical handicap is simply one
more way of preventing escape.
In high profile cases, High Priest Phthaso
Mogan may be called in to place a mark of justice on
the criminal. This is often used as an alternative to
prison when guilt is still in question; if the accused
character stays on the righteous path, the mark is
never triggered.
EXILE
Exile is considerably more common than longterm
incarceration. Depending on the severity of
the crime, the character may be exiled from Sharn
or from Breland itself. In either case, the victim is
marked with a pen of the living parchment (see page 169)
to indicate his status, and if he returns after exile he
may be executed or sentenced to an extended period
of hard labor.
OUTLAW
A criminal who has proven himself unfit to be a
member of society, yet who is not deemed worthy of
execution, may be branded as an outlaw. An outlaw
is stripped of the protection of the Galifar Code
of Justice, and anyone may do anything they like
to him without fear of legal retribution. He may
be beaten, robbed, or even killed with no consequence.
While the status of exile generally only
affects the character in one nation, the mark of the
outlaw is recognized in all of the Five Nations, and
any nation that respects the Galifar Code of Justice
looks suspiciously on exiled outlaws. As a result,
outlaws usually congregate in Darguun, Droaam,
the Shadow Marches, Xen’drik, the Lhazaar Principalities,
and Q’barra—nations that either ignore
the Galifar Code or that believe a man can overcome
a criminal past.
EXECUTION
Executions are rare, but the magistrates are always
prepared to eliminate a criminal who is seen as
posing a serious ongoing threat to the community.
Typically, the death sentence is only invoked for
murder or treason of the highest degree. Hanging
is the standard form of execution, but criminals
(notably warforged criminals) have been beheaded
in the past.
SPECIAL SERVICES
Adventurers are generally remarkable, highly
talented individuals. People in power—city councilors,
guard commanders—often keep an eye on
skilled adventurers. Such people often have jobs
they need done—often shady tasks they can’t afford
to be openly associated with—and adventurers seem
ideally suited for this sort of work. As a result, a
party charged with a crime may be approached by
an influential personage before trial and given
a choice. If they perform the requested task, the
slate is wiped clean. If not, the VIP uses her power
to ensure that the upcoming trial goes poorly for
the adventurers. Shadier individuals—such as
Councilor Thurik Davandi of Upper Menthis or
Commander Lian Halamar of Upper Dura—may
frame the party as a way of forcing them to perform
a special service.[/sblock]
[sblock=prisons]
There are five prisons in Sharn—one in each of the
garrisons of the Sharn Watch, and the high-security
prison in the Citadel of Central Plateau.
The garrison prisons are designed to hold prisoners
until trial, and are not intended for long-term
use. Each prison contains 10 separate cells, each of
which can hold 8 prisoners. Spellcasters, monks, or
other characters considered to be high escape risks
are chained to the wall using masterwork manacles
(hardness 10, 10 hp, break DC 28, Escape Artist DC
35, Open Lock DC 30), and suspected spellcasters
are usually gagged. Each cell has an iron door
(hardness 10, 60 hp, break DC 28, Open Lock DC
40) and thick stone walls (hardness 8, 180 hp, break
DC 40). Typically, a prison is guarded by a 5-person
Watch detail.
The prison of the Citadel is designed to hold
dangerous prisoners for extended periods of time.
The first security measure is simple: height. The
prison is located at the top of the tower, and there is
a 500-foot drop between the entry chamber of the
prison and the observation deck below. The only
access is via a magic lift that is open on the sides and
can hold a maximum of six Medium humanoids.
There are four sniper posts 150 feet up from the
observation deck, each home to a 2nd-level fighter
specialized in archery; these snipers have a clear
view of the lift and can shoot at prisoners attempting
to escape as the lift descends. The lift moves quite
slowly—10 feet per round—giving the snipers and
guards on the ground a considerable amount of time
to prepare or to attack escapees. In addition to the
four snipers, the observation deck is guarded by a
Watch post and a countermage from the Blackened
Book—a 4th-level abjurer equipped with a wand of
dispel magic and a wand of force hammer. A central column
in the observation deck includes a crystal ball with telepathy,
which is used to monitor the cells of the prison
and to communicate with the guards. The crystal ball
was created as part of the stone column, which is
itself fused with the floor of the chamber; it cannot
be removed.
The bottom level of the prison contains the
guard barracks. Four Watch posts are stationed at
the prison, along with another 4th-level countermage,
a 5th-level cleric of Aureon (who maintains
the glyphs of warding), and four Vadalis-trained horrid
wolves. At any given time, one of the posts is off duty,
while the other three patrol the upper levels. The
second level contains the mess hall, recreation area,
and bath hall. The third and fourth levels hold the
prisoners. There are twenty-five cells on each level,
each capable of holding up to four Medium prisoners.
The walls are 2-foot-thick stone (hardness 8,
360 hp, break DC 45). All of the doors are locked
with arcane seals; the doors on the third level are steel
(hardness 10, 60 hp, break DC 28), while those on
the fourth level are forged from adamantine (hardness
20, 80 hp, break DC 48). The hallways contain
glyphs of wardingholding blindnessspells (save DC 15).
Spellcasters, monks, and characters considered
to be high escape risks are kept in masterwork
manacles, just like in the garrison prisons. In addition,
the guards have access to ten sets of wizard’s
manacles—four each of Small and Medium, and two
sets of Large manacles.
[/sblock]
[sblock=legal stuff in Sharn]
The Wages of Sin
A party of adventurers clashes with an Aurum mastermind
and sends him to a richly deserved grave. But
another member of the Platinum Concord sees to it
that the heroes are brought to trial for this so-called
murder and ultimately they are convicted. What
happens next?
This section describes a few of the more
common forms of punishment used by the courts
of Sharn. It is up to the DM to decide how severe
the punishment should be based on the nature of
the crime. As with any use of the law, the challenge
is to find a way for the punishment to enhance the
adventure and challenge the party as opposed to
ruining the story.
IMPRISONMENT
Long-term incarceration is rarely used as a form of
punishment in Breland. Prisons are primarily used
as holding cells, keeping criminals contained until
a case can go to trial and a final punishment can
be decreed. If a prisoner is deemed too dangerous
to be allowed to roam free, she is usually executed;
Breland has just emerged from a century of war, and
death is a reality of the world. There is only one situation
in which an extended prison sentence would
be warranted: If the prisoner cannot be allowed to
go free and if his death would have major repercussions.
For example, if a cousin of Queen Aurala
of Aundair committed a serious act of treason, his
execution could provoke Aundair to renew the war;
instead, he would be held in the Citadel, while King
Boranel contacted Aurala and demanded reparations
for the crime. A lengthy prison sentence could
also occur if a trial fails to resolve doubts about the
crime; the magistrate can rule that the accused be
detained while a further investigation occurs.
FINES
Fines are the most common form of punishment
used by the courts of Sharn. The fine is based on
the nature of the crime, but the magistrate has
leeway to raise the amount of the fine to ensure
that it actually serves as an effective punishment.
For a commoner, a 10-gp fine is crippling; for
an experienced adventurer, it is trivial, and the
magistrate ensures that the criminal feels the
loss. What may hurt adventurers more than fines
of gold is confiscation of items; weapons, armor,
wands, and similar treasures may be taken away if a
character is convicted of using them in a criminal
manner. This can allow the DM to force a party to
rebuild its strength after losing powerful items—
or the characters can make an adventure out of
breaking into the vaults of the Citadel to reclaim
their impounded goods!
HARD LABOR
If a convicted criminal can’t afford to pay a fine,
he is assigned to work off his debt in a chain gang.
There are a number of city-owned workhouses
throughout Sharn, including the Bazaar of Dura
and the Ashblack foundries. The work is extremely
unpleasant, and the prisoner pays off his debt at a
rate of 1 sp/day.
BRANDING
Repeat offenders are often marked with a symbol
that warns others about their criminal tendencies.
In the past, these marks were made with branding
irons. In this more civilized age, a House Sivis heir
inscribes the mark using a pen of the living parchment
(see page 169). Marks are either placed on the forehead
or on the back of the right hand, and guards
often demand that suspicious strangers remove
their gloves and show the backs of their hands. A
criminal’s mark causes most law-abiding citizens to
have an unfriendly reaction to the character, and
he may be refused service at respectable businesses.
However, in the bad parts of Sharn a criminal mark
is a badge of honor, and other criminals often treat
marked men with more respect.
MYSTICAL PUNISHMENT
The clerics of Aureon may be called upon to use
magic to punish wrongdoing. A few spells are often
used as punishment.
Bestow curseis a common form of magical punishment
used against repeat offenders. A –4 penalty to
attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks can
prove to be a serious setback to muggers, con artists,
and pickpockets alike.
Blindness/deafness is occasionally used as a form of
punishment. Most often blindness is applied to dangerous
prisoners who are going to be incarcerated
in the Citadel; the magical handicap is simply one
more way of preventing escape.
In high profile cases, High Priest Phthaso
Mogan may be called in to place a mark of justice on
the criminal. This is often used as an alternative to
prison when guilt is still in question; if the accused
character stays on the righteous path, the mark is
never triggered.
EXILE
Exile is considerably more common than longterm
incarceration. Depending on the severity of
the crime, the character may be exiled from Sharn
or from Breland itself. In either case, the victim is
marked with a pen of the living parchment (see page 169)
to indicate his status, and if he returns after exile he
may be executed or sentenced to an extended period
of hard labor.
OUTLAW
A criminal who has proven himself unfit to be a
member of society, yet who is not deemed worthy of
execution, may be branded as an outlaw. An outlaw
is stripped of the protection of the Galifar Code
of Justice, and anyone may do anything they like
to him without fear of legal retribution. He may
be beaten, robbed, or even killed with no consequence.
While the status of exile generally only
affects the character in one nation, the mark of the
outlaw is recognized in all of the Five Nations, and
any nation that respects the Galifar Code of Justice
looks suspiciously on exiled outlaws. As a result,
outlaws usually congregate in Darguun, Droaam,
the Shadow Marches, Xen’drik, the Lhazaar Principalities,
and Q’barra—nations that either ignore
the Galifar Code or that believe a man can overcome
a criminal past.
EXECUTION
Executions are rare, but the magistrates are always
prepared to eliminate a criminal who is seen as
posing a serious ongoing threat to the community.
Typically, the death sentence is only invoked for
murder or treason of the highest degree. Hanging
is the standard form of execution, but criminals
(notably warforged criminals) have been beheaded
in the past.
SPECIAL SERVICES
Adventurers are generally remarkable, highly
talented individuals. People in power—city councilors,
guard commanders—often keep an eye on
skilled adventurers. Such people often have jobs
they need done—often shady tasks they can’t afford
to be openly associated with—and adventurers seem
ideally suited for this sort of work. As a result, a
party charged with a crime may be approached by
an influential personage before trial and given
a choice. If they perform the requested task, the
slate is wiped clean. If not, the VIP uses her power
to ensure that the upcoming trial goes poorly for
the adventurers. Shadier individuals—such as
Councilor Thurik Davandi of Upper Menthis or
Commander Lian Halamar of Upper Dura—may
frame the party as a way of forcing them to perform
a special service.[/sblock]
ScorpiusRisk
First Post
That could prove invaluable, plus I always wanted to know. Thanks Ren.
elecgraystone
First Post
Well... It's been a while but I don't think they have one big jail. Each 'station' has holding cells for temp situations. Let me pull out the old book...
OK, there are 4 prisons in Sharn, one in each garrison. They are designed to hold prisoners until trail and NOT for long term. Each prison has 10 cells and each can hold 8 people.
Now there IS the 5th prison under the Citadel for 'dangerous prisoners' that are long term.
First you have to 500' drop with only a 6 person magic lift. There are snipers and mages set up and the lift only moves 10' per round.
Then you have to work your way through levels 1 and 2 (upper level and living area's for guards) to get to the cells. There are 25 cells (up to 4 people in each) per level, with magically sealed doors (steel on level 3 and adamantine on level 4). Walls are 2' thick stone. Magic using prisoners have shackles put on that stops casting.
EDIT: I see someone else beat me to it.
ryryguy
First Post
Preventative measures for prisoners in 4e are a little more problematic... Gags and manacles don't prevent a wizard from casting spells under 4e RAW. But since it's basically a story issue, not a combat system issue, I think the DM should have a lot of handwaving leeway to make "arcane draining" manacles or the like. To keep them solidly in the story realm and not generally-usable magic items, maybe say that they are keyed to an enchantment which is placed on the prison, and only work within that area.
Teleportation is another issue that actually can be addressed within RAW if you want. Since it requires line of sight, eladrin prisoners would be blindfolded and/or kept in rooms that are windowless. Of course you could also have anti-teleportation enchantments on particular rooms allowing those poor eladrin jailbirds to get the occasional glimpse of sun and sky.
Teleportation is another issue that actually can be addressed within RAW if you want. Since it requires line of sight, eladrin prisoners would be blindfolded and/or kept in rooms that are windowless. Of course you could also have anti-teleportation enchantments on particular rooms allowing those poor eladrin jailbirds to get the occasional glimpse of sun and sky.
ScorpiusRisk
First Post
Apparently I am incapable of writing up a simple vignette. The adventure will not be submitted today, but it is making good progress. As I write I tend to add and change. . .
So no more estimates. You don't really want em anyway. It's coming soon. Keep up the amusing banter in the meanwhile.
So no more estimates. You don't really want em anyway. It's coming soon. Keep up the amusing banter in the meanwhile.
CaBaNa
First Post
maptool, now there is something that needs it's own little training camp.
If I could figure out maptool, I'd start DMing.
I downloaded it, and started playing, but the learning curve has me frustrated. Any advice, suggestions, tips, tricks, tactics, secret buttons that make things easier, or guidebooks I should know about?
If I could figure out maptool, I'd start DMing.
I downloaded it, and started playing, but the learning curve has me frustrated. Any advice, suggestions, tips, tricks, tactics, secret buttons that make things easier, or guidebooks I should know about?
renau1g
First Post
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