EN World City Project: Protecting the City (Guard Submissions)

[Lalato]

As long as we're throwing out opinions... I'll throw out mine...

Ruavel... great job.

Outland Rangers...
I think though, that the Outland Rangers don't necessarily have to be the PC Class Ranger or Druid. I think the closest parallel that we have to this force is a county sheriff. They patrol the rural areas and are involved with conflict resolution. I like the idea that they have special equipment to aid in their job, but I'm not so sure they need to be spellcasters. This group might benefit from a specialized PrC.

the Winter Storm...
Perhaps the Winter Storm can be written as a plot hook for the entire city. A large group of barbarians have camped outside one of the villages east of the city. Marcus Fleetfoot needs to assemble of group of people to investigate the group and their intentions.

GladiusNP, good work. I like the dwarven tower.

 

[Krug]

They don't really seem to add anything, except for complicating matters futher. The logic behind allowing a self-governing, independent force of trained warriors to work within the city is pretty flimsy – would the U.S. accept a trained group of Russian red army expatriates, and let them keep their gear in exchange for fighting for America?

Well the reason being that Mor's End is not the US. They don't have the resources for a powerful military force, particularly being an independent city-state whose survival is never assured. The Winter Storm certainly aren't antagonists or ancient enemies of the city, and an ally is always useful in a world where you never know who or what's around the corner plotting against you.
No satellite dish to find out who the enemy is, ya know...

It's complicated because it IS complicated. There are tensions between there are various groups hustling for power.

I quite like the Outland Rangers and agree that the two could be integrated. It could be at the onset of integration, and there's a split in the Winter Storm clan about accepting posting as Rangers or keeping to themselves. (Insert requisite Ranger/Storm romance here. )

And yes, good work with the dwarven tower. Perhaps some dwarvish siege engine to give them the extra edge?

 

[Conaill]

Another quick thought on the Dwarven Guard: such a strong force (40 fighters from a population of only 800) would make a lot of sense if Mor's End was geographically located in between Kul Moren and a strong foe of the dwarves. (E.g. Kul Moren is to the north, and the orcish raids tend to come from the south.)

Not only would the dwarves be defending Mor's End itself, but their positioning in Mor's End would also prevent raids from reaching north to Kul Moren. Hmm... maybe a watch tower on the east of Mor's End would make a lot of sense as well: an extra barrier to prevent raiders from circling around Mor's End (and protect the trading caravans).

 

[Lalato]

Another quick thought on the Dwarven Guard: such a strong force (40 fighters from a population of only 800) would make a lot of sense if Mor's End was geographically located in between Kul Moren and a strong foe of the dwarves. (E.g. Kul Moren is to the north, and the orcish raids tend to come from the south.)

That's funny that you mention that... I've been working on some of the early history of Mor's End... and I've been basing the raids from the swamps. So that would work nicely with your reasoning...

--sam

 

[jdavis]

Another quick thought on the Dwarven Guard: such a strong force (40 fighters from a population of only 800) would make a lot of sense if Mor's End was geographically located in between Kul Moren and a strong foe of the dwarves. (E.g. Kul Moren is to the north, and the orcish raids tend to come from the south.)

Not only would the dwarves be defending Mor's End itself, but their positioning in Mor's End would also prevent raids from reaching north to Kul Moren. Hmm... maybe a watch tower on the east of Mor's End would make a lot of sense as well: an extra barrier to prevent raiders from circling around Mor's End (and protect the trading caravans).

When I wrote up my watch tower to the north I figured that it was so quiet there because most of the trouble was to the south, the big problems to the north would probably be poachers and bandits, the monsterous tribes seem to be attacking from the south (maybe I need to do a south watchtower or two). Perhaps we should just make a blanket statement that the land north of town is much safer than the land to the south, thus most of your rural population would be to the north. That could also lead to a plot hook, the watchtowers north of the city have been undermanned or abandoned for years but what if some new strong force moved in to attck from the north?

I think the Winter Storm may need to be reduced in number, forced to work through the Guild of Guards and having their numbers reduced further as some decide to take post as Rangers or join the city population. If they have been in town a long time they would be slowly intergrating in with the population. There could be a plot hook there as older members try to hold on to their way of life but the younger members are moving on and becoming more and more like the city folk. They are a dying breed in a civilized town, they get less and less work and are loosing members to city life, what happens when they try to return to their roots? Would they end up blaming the city for their increasing softness? (fits in with their discription and existing plothooks)

 

[Krug]

Jdavis:
> Winter Storm
Yeap sounds good to me. There should be a few 'old guard' who want to return to the North, but some who want to abandon it and settle down as good citizens in ME.

 

[Ruavel]

OK... so it seems that the general consensus is that there should at least be co-operation, if not integration, between the Outland Rangers and the Order of the Winter Storm...

I would imagine that in the past there would have been an element of friendly rivalry between the two groups but an understanding that their ultimate goals are quite similar...

I will admit I like the idea of "now" being the beginning of their integration... so many plothooks...

so, should I rewrite what I've done to include this integration...?

Originally posted by lalato
Outland Rangers...
I think though, that the Outland Rangers don't necessarily have to be the PC Class Ranger or Druid. I think the closest parallel that we have to this force is a county sheriff. They patrol the rural areas and are involved with conflict resolution. I like the idea that they have special equipment to aid in their job, but I'm not so sure they need to be spellcasters. This group might benefit from a specialized PrC.

I see where you're coming from with this, and I had considered including other classes (Except, Adept), however I kept the members of the Rangers as PC classes on the premise that new recruits are screened for their ability to handle the arduous task set before them... if any old Expert could join, the Outland Rangers would not be facing the problem of diminishing numbers (which to me is the perfect motivation for integrating members of the Order of the Winter Storm)...

I've starting working on a 5-level PrC for the Outland Rangers and as soon as jdavis is happy with the basic proposal for the group, I'll flesh it out fully and post it...

 

[jdavis]

Members of the Winter Storm joining the Rangers would be more of certain members of the Order giving up on trying to return to the North and deciding to intergrate with the city. I would figure it would be more than a friendly rivalry as the Winter Storm is dying and the Rangers are taking some of their most valuable members. The Order of the Winter Storm used to hold itself as different from the city, they were exiles planning a grand return, now after several years many of the Winter Storm are abandoning this cause and becoming official members of the city. The old guard of the Winter Storm would not be happy at all with members leaving their order to join with the Rangers, whether they would view those who left as traitors or not would be up to who was Dm'ing the city and how much hostility they would want, but there would be nothing friendly about it. For the Rangers part they are also a dying breed and are happy to get all the help they can get. Being a Ranger is a hard and thankless task that requires men who are willing to all but live in the wild and take on odds soemtimes greater than 10 to 1, they need to be people who enjoy the wild and can fight better than even the average soldier in the wild. They have to be strong individuals who are willing to die alone in the woods fighting for what they believe. You are just not going to get that type of skill and dedication from NPC classes. This path would be mighty appealing to former members of the Winter Storm as they would be able to live the way they wish and also make a new home for themselves in the south. Go witht he PrC and we will see how it turns out, it would be optional at best but it may appeal to many who might want to intergrate this city into their game.

 

[Lalato]

Whoa... back up the cart. I re-read my post and I think I see where I may have confused.

I'm not suggesting that the Outland Rangers be an NPC class... I'm just saying that the Outland Rangers don't necessarily have to be Rangers or Druids. In fact, the skills required of an Outland Ranger are more closely aligned with a multi-class Fighter/Rogue type than anything else.

Fighter for the obvious reason that the Rangers need to be able to fight. Rogue for the skills required to be an Outland Ranger... Move Silently, Hide, Intimidate, Bluff, Diplomacy, Wilderness Lore, Swim, Spot, Listen, Search, Read Lips, Gather Information, Disguise, Sense Motive, etc.

Some of those skills would be hard to come by without a couple of Rogue levels. The Only Ranger specific skill in the list is Wilderness Lore. That's why I suggested a PrC. The PrC might give access to the appropriate skills.

I hope that's clearer... sorry if I caused confusion.

--sam

 

[Ruavel]

jdavis- this is what I had already written before reading your post... again, it's incomplete but it seems like we're thinking on the same wavelength...

The Future of the Outland Rangers
The Council of Warders have recognised that the Outland Rangers are extremely undermanned for the immense the role they perform on behalf of the people of Enheim. This has been a concern for quite some time, but an acceptable solution has yet to be found. Recently however, the Council was approached by a young man named Treygar, nephew of Styria Wolfgard of the Order of the Winter Storm, and presented with a plan that may alleviate some of the pressure currently placed on the Outland Rangers.

Treygar came to the Council on behalf of many members of the Order of the Winter Storm who wish to not only to now truly call Enheim home but also to serve the land, its people and their rulers in a similar manner to the way in which they formerly served their king.

Treygar bypassed his uncle and sought the approval of fellow members of the Order independently. Most of the Order have given up hope of ever returning to their homeland and feel that Styria’s insistence on clinging to the past and a hopeless cause may well bring about the demise of the Order. In Treygar’s proposal, his fellows have seen new hope for the future and continued honour of their Order.

Twenty seven (27) of the barbarian knights that came to Mor’s End, including Treygar, have volunteered to patrol the trade routes and “hot spots” around Enheim in order to aid the Outland Rangers that they know have struggled to maintain the tight net required to keep the rural areas safe.

The Council of Warders listened to the proposal with their usual stone-faced calm, but when left to discuss the possibility they were very animated and enthused by this prospect.

comments anyone...?