Equiptment for a banished prince (my snugglebunny don't read)

[Kahuna Burger]

So I'm going to be running a one on one campaign in which my husband will be playing the role of a prince who escapes a bloody coup on the royal family and flees the kingdom to build his strength, and if neccassary gather an army (if you thought I had a different snugglebunny on the group, honey, stop reading now....)

I'm starting him with 3 ncp levels (aristrocrat) 3 PC levels (he's leaning towards paladin) and a free leadership feat that comes with no followers until he establishes himself elsewhere, but a cohort in the form of an expert/monk who is a kind of royal concubine/bodyguard cross. (stealth bodygaurd who dances, weaves, has a good sense motive and kicks ass when she thinks her king is threatened.) I think the campaign will flow pretty organicly once I rough out the motivations of the overthrowers and the politics and geography of the surrounding kingdoms.

What I haven't worked out is equiptment. I set the bodyguard up with a couple of minor items and I'm happy with that, but the prince is a different question. Since I'm starting the campaign with his flight from the castle in the middle of the night, he is not going to be perfectly equipt, and may have to travel a bit before he can sort things out, sell some stuff and buy some armor. What I'd like in theory is for him and the cohort to be grabbing small items off the shelves as they flee through the royal chambers, and later figure out what they do and don't have. On the other hand, if the prince actually wants to look for one or two items he considers crucial, I'm not going to say no - but I might say that it takes a lot longer and he gets less overall value of stuff by searching for the right thing.

So, being 6th level, but almost alone (thus I don't mind if he has a little more stuff than usual) what sorts of things should he be able to grab up as he flees his own castle. I'm thinking small and nice enough to be used as ornementation, not so dangerous that they would be locked up in the vault, and not so overpowered or useful that they would be out in use. An ancestral sword or spoils of war wouldn't be out of place on the walls, but he's not going to be able to just pick up a suit of armor. Any specific suggestions welcome, as well as a good method of determining whats available if he asks for a specific item and what it should cost him in terms of random junk. (of course, he can't detect magic, so there's a good chance that the ebony fly will end up in a jumble of completely non magical carvings, or rings and peripats will be overlooked for costume jewlery...)

Kahuna burger

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

Two initial thoughts, variant by playstyle.

1. Go through your magic/mundane items from whatever sourcebooks you use, and compile a table of items that could be grabbed. If necessary, two tables, one mundane, the other magical. You could even add "Kitchen Clutter + Fork Of Horripilation" and such.

or;

2. Grab a detailed castle from a free online module. Trace his path on the map, dump the contents of the room that seem easily accessible into his inventory. Modify as necessary.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

I assume that the prince will have to flee in haste, and thus not have much time to wander around the castle to look for equipment. If the coup happens at night, there's a good chance that the prince will be in his chambers when it happens. Now, what would a prince have in his chambers?

First of all, if he's in his chambers, he knows where is what, and what does what. What kind of equipment would a prince keep in his chambers? Probably his favorite weapon, and magic items that he would not have a reason not to wear all the time (mostly jewelry equipment, I would assume). The prince probably doesn't keep potions in his chambers (unless they are potions of endurance wink wink nudge nudge), neither does he keep armor. He could have some magic vestments (boots, capes, cloaks, shirts, etc.).

As a prince, he probably has some expensive jewelry or trinkets all over the place, so grabbing something valuable shouldn't be difficult. SELLING such an item for a good price might prove more difficult, though.

Hope this helps a bit.

AR

 

[Dirigible]

I'd use a few choice items, and if they could be integrated dramatically all the better.

"Princy McPaladin strides into the great hall, where he sees the leader of the coup, the villainous Invulnerable O'Normal Weapons. But wait, luckily here is the Campaign Sword of Heoric the Bold on the wall... if he can just get to it though the evil usurper..."

Also, I recomend magical signet rings. In my BirthRight campaigns, seldom a PC's nation went by without enchanted signet rings or wedding rings (rings of protection and mutual location used to be nice, but 3E's friedship shields are better. Unless your partner happens to be a 1st level aristocrat and would die from the backlash of something that barely scratches the PC.)

 

[Particle_Man]

"I was born a Prince of the Realm and all I got was this lousy tabard".

 

[Hand of Evil]

Some proof that he is the prince would be the most important thing, something everyone would know of, the signat of kings. Without it he is just another bastard or fool that says he has reslationship to the throne. Equipment would be things of protection that he would be required to wear at all time, rings/bracers of protection, cloak of warmth, boots of evenkind. Things that see to his comfort and protection as the prince but would not be out of the ordinary at a ball or in the halls for day-to-day business.

Followers and henchmen can be interesting, one would assume squire, friend, personal guard. The personal guard I would make a low level PrC and have a title for such as the Muskeeters, with equipment to support them, sword, bracers of protection, cape of ?.

I would also thing about places for him to run to, the family hunting lodge, the local temple, the next country over and what could he find there? Money and other friends.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Oh, something else that is more important than equipment, knowledge. What information is he taking with him? Spyring, secret ways into the castle, passwords, location of items?

 

[Privateer]

the villainous Invulnerable O'Normal Weapons.

"Is that French?"

"Actually, it's fiction."