D&D 5E [5e] QL's Al-Qadim Game

[Jago]

To be fair, if we got with a smaller caravan, it's possible. My gold and Najiyah's gold last time was used to pick up things like personal mounts loaded with food and water and such, so it should be cheap to do so for each of us. The question is when we head out for Qaybar, do we want a large, slow caravan that can trade goods by the ton, or a smaller, faster group that cannot carry anywhere near as much but is much more stealthy and less likely to be robbed.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

I don't need a lot I just need to go through my spells and see what rare and expensive items I might need. I know I need the 100 GP pearl but that is it off the top of my head. Probably only need 500 - 1000 GP at most. We should have plenty left over.

 

[Thateous]

Understood. Just letting you and everyone else know. Feel free. Akilah cares not.

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[Quickleaf]

I was using "caravan" in the loose sense of the word (a group of people traveling together across a desert), not implying you are supposed to accrue vast hordes of hirelings and mounts, or act like merchants instead of heroes.

It's up to you all to decide whether you want to...

1. Move like a small organized strike force (aka the typical adventuring party).
2. Travel along with another caravan as "caravan guards" or whatever.
3. Set up a decoy/false caravan with you disguised as merchants to lure out the raiders.
4. Assemble a small war party of your own and take the pain to them.
5. Do your mission, but spend the gold on trade items to turn a profit later on. Nobody needs to know.

I intended to introduce this later through a certain NPC that was mentioned, but since it's coming up now... Here's the system I am using for random encounter checks (what [MENTION=6855130]Jago[/MENTION] was eluding to). A roll of # or higher on a d20 indicates a random encounter (checks are usually made twice a day overland). Fyi 18+ is treated as the default by the DMG.

 

[Thateous]

Gift of Insight. Sub class truth domain. Let's me know their true social station. Not sure if that eludes to specifics, but worth a try.

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[Jago]

Meanwhile, I got bored and did a thing.

 

[Quickleaf]

Oooo! I did Hero Forge PCs for another game. It works really well color tinting them and using them as minis for combats too complex for theater-of-the-mind.

Akilah, "Amina"/Ankabut, Salahuddin, Kaniel, Najiyah ?

 

[Jago]

Hey, you got it! Guess I succeeded in getting them together, was ransacking through everyone's equipment lists to find distinct things.
It's a great little program, the minis themselves are not too shabby either. Pretty hard to put together Arabian fantasy attire, though ._.

 

[Thateous]

My comment probably got over shadowed by the awesome minis but does my truth domain ability gift of insight tell me her exact station

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[Quickleaf]

My comment probably got over shadowed by the awesome minis but does my truth domain ability gift of insight tell me her exact station

So, in AD&D, Al-Qadim used a number to represent station. For examle: "Ruler of a city = 2d4+10" or "Vizier/advisor to ruler or imam = ruler or imam's station -1d3." Furthermore, PCs had a starting station according to their kit and this increased by (a) gaining levels (when level exceeded station level became the new station #), or (b) spending money (ever 1,000 gp "wasted" on parties during downtime); while it decreased by (c) criminal activity (reduced to 1 or 2), (d) pennilessness (reduced to 3), or (e) enslavement (owner's station -1d6). Station's mechanical effect on play was to alter the encounter reaction roll (used in the AD&D DMG to determine Flight/Hostile/Threatening/Cautious/Indifferent/Friendly).

This could lead to nonsensical and unusual situations where an 11th level Beggar-Thief PC has a higher station than an NPC imam (1d10+8)!

For example, your PCs would have the following stations in AD&D:

Akilah 13 --- started at 7 (1d6+4) for hakima, then at 8th level began tracking with level, and when appointed vizier would have become 13 because 15 (2d4+10) - 2 (1d3) = 13.
Ankabut (undisguised) 11 --- started at 3 (1d2+2) for holy slayer, then at 4th level began tracking with level. Disguised as "Amina", an agent appointed by an imam, she would initially seem to have a station of 8 because 13 (1d10+8) -5 = 8.
Kaniel 11 --- started at 6 (1d4+4) mamluk, then at 7th level began tracking with level.
Najiyah 13 --- started at 8 (1d4+6) for elemental mage, then at 9th level began tracking with level, and when appointed vizier would have become 13 because 15 (2d4+10) - 2 (1d3) = 13.
Salahuddin 11 --- started at 8 (1d6+5) for sha'ir, then at 9th level began tracking with level.

You'll notice that this pecking order was construed through our role-playing quite organically without needing a codified station number. Everyone kow-towed a bit to the NPC Sheikh (station 15), then Akilah and Najiyah were afforded a bit of an elevated status over the other PCs (notice how neither of them was asked to swear upon the Sheikh's blade & their were no consequences for Najiyah's bit of prestidigitation showmanship), and [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] roleplayed Ankabut's deep deference to her "better" Akilah. Moreover, our roleplay added context that the numerical station system would lack, such as the Sheikh's suspicion of Salahuddin and all things genie-related.

AD&D Arabian Adventures clarified that station was mainly meant as a contextual roleplaying tool:

[SECTION]As noted, station is essentially a role-playing tool. It is of little use in combat, against monsters, or against bandits and others who attack first and talk later— they have no interest in etiquette. The same is true of genies. To most of them, a mortal is a mortal, although many noble genies do show a higher regard for mortals of significant station. Station also means little to intelligent creatures who do not interact with normal society. For example, a ghul doesn’t care about station, though an elf usually does. Furthermore, station is not the only factor that defines a person. To most Zakharans, station is ultimately less important than ability, and ability is ultimately less important than honor.[/SECTION]

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Since 5e lacks an encounter reaction roll, leaving initial attitude up to DM discretion (and giving PCs Backgrounds & Renown that incorporate some of that stuff), assigning a number to station seems kind of superfluous. Instead of a number (which wouldn't have any mechanical meaning in 5e), I'm thinking of using descriptive station.

For example, with Jina the bold, I used key words to indicate that she is a princess (or at least nobility) masquerading as a merchant-rogue.

Is that specific enough for you?