Killing the Beast \ Getting a Paycheck

[Angel Tarragon]

How do you handle proof of extermination?

 

[Mark CMG]

Why not make it 5% to 20% of the experience gained (in silver or gold, depending on the economy of your campaign), depending on the negitiating skills of the exterminators? You don't pay dragonslayer prices to a dragonslayer if he is only killing some kobolds for you . . . you simply don't hire him in the first place or he takes the paycut and picks up a fast bit of cash.

 

[Peterson]

Something I've done for an old game (a few examples):

A few examples of Bounties (price is per ear)

Kobold 1 silver piece
Goblin 2 silver pieces
Orc 3 silver pieces
Hobgoblin 4 silver pieces
Bugbear 1 gold piece
Troll 8 gold pieces
Ogre Mage 64 gold pieces
Very Old Red Dragon 1,638 platinum pieces

I'm trying to remember how I figured it though...I know it had something to do with either Hit Die or CR....

If I find the notes, I'll let you know.

Peterson

I found the notes. Here it is.

From Peterson's Kill Your PCs Faster Design Journal:
Remember that for killing a monster, adventurers are already being rewarded in terms of XP and gp (for its treasure). So bounties should be low, since you don't want to reward them twice for the same effort. As a rough guideline, start with 1 gp for CR 1 monsters and double it every CR after that. So a CR 4 leucrotta would be 1x2x2x2 = 8 gp, which can easily be rounded off to 10 gp. It sounds like a huge number to the many many low-level adventurers and peasants out there, when really it's not a lot of money in terms of adventurers above about 3rd level. It's basically a "signing bonus" for killing the monster.
For treasureless monsters you can be more generous, since the party isn't getting a primary gp award for killing the monster. But in general, bounties should be low. People who need the money will go for it, and those who don't need the money might do it anyway just to show they can take care of the problem. It also encourages low-level characters to take on more challenging creatures.

Hope this helps, and at least provides another viewpoint.

Peterson

 

[Pinotage]

E.N. Publishing's Monster Hunters' Guild detailed this kind of thing. You may want to take a look at it. IIRC, it had prices based on type and HD, and lots of other details as well.

Pinotage

 

[tensen]

Anyone who pays per Troll ear is a damn fool!

*dumps out a overfull bag full of Troll ears* "I'll take my bounty please."
"There were that many trolls out there?"
"No, just 1. And we are heading back out to continue cutting off ears from him until they stop paying us."
"What? Isn't he dead?"
"Dead? Nah, we are paying him 1 copper a piece for his troubles. He said he doesn't even have to worry about manning the bridge anymore."

 

[Land Outcast]

Originally Posted by Numion
Anyone who pays per Troll ear is a damn fool!

... some time later...

-We killed some more and took their...
-WHAT THE NINE HELLS WENT ON HERE????!!!!

The market is devastated, corpses lying everywhere, bloodiyng the usually dry sand of the market square. An agonizing youn man is breathing heavily under what seems to have once been a leather armor.

-Man! what went on here?!
-You... *cough* >spits blood<... you murderers!
-But... but... what are you saying?, we were out hunting trolls to protect the town
->Deep breath< *cough* and what do you think attacked me? White bunnies? *cough*
>trembles, tries to moves and screams< You knew... didn't you?, you should BURN THE GODDAMN EARS BEFORE GIVING THEM IN!