Best Ways to Increase the Fame of Your Adventuring Group

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Sponsor the construction of public works. Roads, walls, churches, wells, bathhouses, etc. Make sure your company's name is associated with it.

 

[Numion]

5. Host a tourney, make sure any PCs entering put on a good show, but loose/withdraw before the final bout.

I'm puzzled at this. Why not go for the victory?

6. Don't Kill a culturally supported neutral Priest in is own temple. doh.

Or if you do, make it look like a suicide.

 

[Scribble]

Do everything with OVERKILL, and flamboyance.

Sure lots of guys fight and win wars... But we remember the guys that fight, win, kill all of the males of the opposing force, then salt the earth so that nothing can grow there for a hundred years.

 

[roguerouge]

My girlfriend said, "Duh!" to all of these. Then she added, "Support the arts!" ... to which I add, support sports! Try naming rights for the local arena or putting on a popular play at the theater, or, for the more subtle, try encouraging patronage to a struggling genius and commissioning inventions from that wacky old coot!

 

[BadMojo]

Plus ask yourself, does no one know about what the party has done? There were no witnesses? No innocent bystanders?

This is related to the "Leave at least one survivor" rule. Not a very popular rule.

 

[cmrscorpio]

My girlfriend said, "Duh!" to all of these. Then she added, "Support the arts!" ... to which I add, support sports! Try naming rights for the local arena or putting on a popular play at the theater, or, for the more subtle, try encouraging patronage to a struggling genius and commissioning inventions from that wacky old coot!

Heh, just make sure that the Palladin stops in regularly to have a friendly chat and [Detect Evil[/i].

 

[kigmatzomat]

5) Adventuring Outfit Is Not Your Only Outfit

Don't look like a vagabond. Clothes are relatively cheap. Get that royal level outfit and even some non-magical jewelry.

Agreed wholeheartedly. IMC the cleric started out as the clothes horse, more than the bard. In every major city that he didn't have a residence or storage, he'd commission two or three sets of clothes right before he left, that way when he got back there would be a set of clean, unwrinkled, never before seen outfit waiting on him. Given the time it takes to make a high end set of garments, it only took an extra gold piece or two to have the tailor hold them indefinitely.

High quality soap was originated in the party by the NPC ogre, who originally got it because he thought it was a soft candy. After he became a paladin (long story) the ogre went to even greater lengths than the cleric to have decent garb to overcome the ogre stigma.

5. Host a tourney, make sure any PCs entering put on a good show, but loose/withdraw before the final bout.

I'm puzzled at this. Why not go for the victory?

The logic is that the heroes are the best and out of the party's level. Kind of like Hercules getting into a wrestling contest.

IMC the heroes posted a couple of prizes for events at a county fair but decreed that the prizes would go to the highest ranked non party member in each event. The party swept almost all the events they entered two years running

The third year they got the event changed slightly. The PCs provided prizes ("minor" loot like masterwork or +1 weapons they acquired) for the tournament but did not compete. The PCs then competed against the victors, with a bigger prize for anyone who beat them. (Which is actually a great mechanism to allow new characters to join the party)

 

[Warren Okuma]

Hi,

The game is about being a member of, and running, an adventuring party. Thus, it's quite surprising that while many characters gain ultimate personal power, their adventuring groups still operate like amateurs; living from tavern to tavern, taking missions from shady/dirty old men in said taverns, their accomplishments unknown to all but those "in the know" (those in the know being the dirty old man who gave the mission and the adventurers themselves.)

Here are a few pointers how to take your adventuring group to the next level:

1) "Business cards"

Adventuring groups leave a lot of bodies behind in their line of work. Make that work to your advantage. One easy way is to order some nice arrows or other projectiles that have your groups name on them, with some kind of message, like:

"This Evil Was Vanquished by Companions of the Golden Goblet!"
"This Corpse Was Brought to You By Companions.."
"This Could be Your Nemesis Lying Here; Contact Us At.."

Just be sure to pack some ordinary arrows also; in case you have to open fire in crowd control situation or something.

Another similar, but less versatile idea is the Stamp Hammer. Have your normal war hammers or other bludgeoning instruments business end engraved with the mirror image of your groups logo. That way each skull that is bashed in with it will bear your trademark, and nobody else can claim the deed.

2) Decent Headquarters / Office

Forget living from tavern to tavern or campsite to campsite. You're not Aragorn. Fancy headquarters will instantly message everyone that you mean business and that you're professionals. Forget the usual inherited keep, and put your HQ in a large city. That way you'll generate more adventuring opportunities from wealthier clients. While you might be tempted by a wonky "adventuring" HQ where you both live and operate your business from, don't.

Have a separate office where you employ a hot receptionist who can meet prospective clients (adventure hooks), classify them according to expected pay / difficulty and otherwise keep your operation running. Locate the office in a busy street and turn nobody away; you can increase fame by doing some pro-bono problem solving for the less fortunate every now and then. Live in a different place from the office, preferably in an opulent mansion so you'll (again) message your success while distancing yourself from the ordinary rabble on an everyday basis.

Rent everything - the DM will probably destroy both places at some point, and don't get attached to the receptionist. She'll no doubt get kidnapped.

You might want to make the office waiting room a kind of museum of your past exploits. Have kill counts on the wall, memorabilia from defeated BBEGs.

3) Organize a Party at Your Mansion

That's one of the most efficient ways of increasing your fame. It will probably even catch the DM a bit off guard, since it's usually the adventurers who get invited to some boring nobles party (which itself will turn into an adventure). Invite the cream of the society - this is a good way to discreetly look out for adventuring hooks with hefty payouts, and to get a general feel of the citys power structure. Don't invite the mysterious stranger from the tavern; you've moved on.

Spare no expense; your opulent lifestyle will tell the attending nobles quite clearly that your services are expensive - saves you time haggling later on.

This maneuver involves some risks, however. For example, you might be tempted to use your characters perform skill. Otherwise nice, but the DM might force a roll instead of take 10, and you might roll a "1" and look like a dork. Just hire a good band instead. There's also the risk of the DM trying to subvert your moment in the spotlight into an adventure. This is a tricky one.

You don't want to appear decked out for adventuring in your garden party, but you want to be ready in any case for trouble. Keep all discrete magic items handy / hidden nearby (but make sure the guests don't steal anything. Patting down a suspect noble when he/she's leaving might be embarrassing, but it's better than losing a valuable magic item), and use some choice illusions to make you look respectable while still being ready for action.



This advice should get you started. Do you have any worthy advice? Post it here, comments are welcome also!

It depends on the campaign. By declaring a deeds, you give them an idea of your MO and power level. In some campaigns this is a very poor idea. In others, a great idea. Know thyne enemies.

 

[Mark]

Best Ways to Increase the Fame of Your Adventuring Group

Suppress appetite for puppies.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

When critters crash the big town party, chase them off. People hate having their parties crashed. They expect large amounts of food and entertainment, not large amounts of blood and gore - at least not if it's their own. If you can't happen upon a town party about to be crashed, pay some critters to do it and then "save" the town.