[OOC] House Millithor in City of the Spider Queen
- Thread starter Endur
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Endur
First Post
Hiring Mercenaries:
Mecenary prices are all over the place, depending on the market and the skill level.
Most mercenaries want:
1) something in advance;
2) something as a daily rate (although they don't have to be paid every day, you could pay them once a month);
3) extra pay for combat (typically x3 to x7 pay on days they fight);
4) a share of the loot.
#1 is likely to be high for House Millithor, because most mercenaries distrust dark elves. Especially if you don't tell the mercs what the job is, if you just say, "trust us, we'll tell you later." Also, most mercs do not take their advance payment with them on campaign, so you can't count on looting their bodies and getting the money back. Advance Payments tend to be spent on wine, women, and song at the nearest tavern after being hired. For a Goblin, an advance payment could be a gold piece. For a specialist like Chirar or Kilcif, the advance payment could be as much as 10k gold or a magic item or both.
#2 Daily rates tend to be pretty reasonable, and Mercs are used to not getting paid on a regular basis (its not uncommon for the boss to say everyone gets their daily pay after the campaign is over... however, the boss usually doesn't tell the troops this until they are in the field). Goblins might get CPs or SPs per day. Ogres will probably want gold. Specialists might want multiple platinum pieces per day.
#4 Goblinoids want their share of the loot, but when the division of loot comes along, they can be intimidated into getting very little. Ogres tend to be quite greedy when loot sharing comes along.
Mecenary prices are all over the place, depending on the market and the skill level.
Most mercenaries want:
1) something in advance;
2) something as a daily rate (although they don't have to be paid every day, you could pay them once a month);
3) extra pay for combat (typically x3 to x7 pay on days they fight);
4) a share of the loot.
#1 is likely to be high for House Millithor, because most mercenaries distrust dark elves. Especially if you don't tell the mercs what the job is, if you just say, "trust us, we'll tell you later." Also, most mercs do not take their advance payment with them on campaign, so you can't count on looting their bodies and getting the money back. Advance Payments tend to be spent on wine, women, and song at the nearest tavern after being hired. For a Goblin, an advance payment could be a gold piece. For a specialist like Chirar or Kilcif, the advance payment could be as much as 10k gold or a magic item or both.
#2 Daily rates tend to be pretty reasonable, and Mercs are used to not getting paid on a regular basis (its not uncommon for the boss to say everyone gets their daily pay after the campaign is over... however, the boss usually doesn't tell the troops this until they are in the field). Goblins might get CPs or SPs per day. Ogres will probably want gold. Specialists might want multiple platinum pieces per day.
#4 Goblinoids want their share of the loot, but when the division of loot comes along, they can be intimidated into getting very little. Ogres tend to be quite greedy when loot sharing comes along.
So let me make sure I understand.
Mid-to-high-CR mercenaries expect to recieve the following.
(note: values extrapolated from your post, may be a bit off...)
CR x 1000gp Signing Bonus, +
CR x 2gp Idle Daily Rate, +
CR x 10gp Combat Bonus, +
a share of the loot?
So, um, is there anyone in the market for hiring high-CR
drow priestesses?
Seriously though, those values seem way out-of-line compared to published costs to hire mercs.
Mid-to-high-CR mercenaries expect to recieve the following.
(note: values extrapolated from your post, may be a bit off...)
CR x 1000gp Signing Bonus, +
CR x 2gp Idle Daily Rate, +
CR x 10gp Combat Bonus, +
a share of the loot?
So, um, is there anyone in the market for hiring high-CR
drow priestesses?
Seriously though, those values seem way out-of-line compared to published costs to hire mercs.
Serpenteye
First Post
My gold! My precious, beautiful gold... *sobbing* 
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Endur
First Post
hmmm, actually the prices are consistent with my published resources. Also, don't forget this is the underdark where there is a bit more wealth than on the surface. Also, don't forget that Dark Elves have to pay more for a signing bonus, because nobody believes that the mercs will survive or that they will ever get paid on items 2-4. Dark Elves have a reputation with mercenaries for telling the mercs that the assignment is to beat up "a couple of old ladies." When the mercs get to the destination, they invariably discover that the "old ladies" are either dragons or powerful spellcasters or both.
The math formula is a bit more complex than the one you gave, though.
Signing bonus: CR^3 x 10gp (i.e. CR cubed, CR10 merc gets 10k, a CR 1 creature gets 10gp, a goblin gets a few silver pieces or a gold if you are feeling generous)
Daily Rate: CR^3 x 1/20 gp
Combat Bonus: 2-6 x daily rate
a share of the loot (note this is not necessarily an even share with others, just that they are entitled to loot enemy bodies and cities and allowed to keep some of what they loot)
The CR is cubed because 10 1st level characters are not equivalent to 1 10th level character.
I'm sure if you talk to Laral, he might be able to find some room in his organization for a high CR drow priestess.
The math formula is a bit more complex than the one you gave, though.
Signing bonus: CR^3 x 10gp (i.e. CR cubed, CR10 merc gets 10k, a CR 1 creature gets 10gp, a goblin gets a few silver pieces or a gold if you are feeling generous)
Daily Rate: CR^3 x 1/20 gp
Combat Bonus: 2-6 x daily rate
a share of the loot (note this is not necessarily an even share with others, just that they are entitled to loot enemy bodies and cities and allowed to keep some of what they loot)
The CR is cubed because 10 1st level characters are not equivalent to 1 10th level character.
I'm sure if you talk to Laral, he might be able to find some room in his organization for a high CR drow priestess.
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Serpenteye
First Post
Rambling pointless Speculation
Right now we have about 50k gp in cash, which would be enough, barely, to get everything on my list. But that assumes that Seonid is willing to pay a disproportionate part of her wealth compared to the other players. I'd have the same problem but for me that's not so much of an issue since that's part of the premise of being the Matron and Ki'Willis had more money to start with. Getting to play the boss is worth a few extra expenses
Since we have no significant capacity for casting clerical spells we are going to need a large number of wands and potions, though, and that's likely to be expensive (if it's even available in sufficient amounts)
Assuming the odds on the Dariel-Dwarf fight are about 2 to 1 in Dariels favour we'll have about 75k, 45k of which will be mine and another ca: 5k from taxes will place my disposable wealth at 50k (assuming Dariel doesn't get a huge sum for selling back the dwarf). Seonid and Dariel will be significantly wealthier and I will, barely, afford to pay for the mercs. The list is rather short, though...
Lets say we're fortunate enough to have the Troll in the ring and he makes his usual "Supreme Warrior!!" display after beating some poor fool (probably the only way that Yyssiriryl would be forced to allow him to fight Quertus). Say we bet 50k of my money (and whatever the others are willing to bet) and get odds of 3 to 1 in Trygon's favour (a low estimate considering his reputation). We will not only be able to get everything on the list, we will also be able to get a couple of additional meat-shields, plenty of potions and wands, and even a few choice magic-items to make up for our priestesses' inability to cast spells. Perhaps equally important, we'll get a virtually unkillable super-warrior on our side, who will only rarely drain our healing-resources. I'm afraid we're going to need every last bit of that to have a good chance of succeeding on our mission.
Right now we have about 50k gp in cash, which would be enough, barely, to get everything on my list. But that assumes that Seonid is willing to pay a disproportionate part of her wealth compared to the other players. I'd have the same problem but for me that's not so much of an issue since that's part of the premise of being the Matron and Ki'Willis had more money to start with. Getting to play the boss is worth a few extra expenses
Since we have no significant capacity for casting clerical spells we are going to need a large number of wands and potions, though, and that's likely to be expensive (if it's even available in sufficient amounts)Assuming the odds on the Dariel-Dwarf fight are about 2 to 1 in Dariels favour we'll have about 75k, 45k of which will be mine and another ca: 5k from taxes will place my disposable wealth at 50k (assuming Dariel doesn't get a huge sum for selling back the dwarf). Seonid and Dariel will be significantly wealthier and I will, barely, afford to pay for the mercs. The list is rather short, though...
Lets say we're fortunate enough to have the Troll in the ring and he makes his usual "Supreme Warrior!!" display after beating some poor fool (probably the only way that Yyssiriryl would be forced to allow him to fight Quertus). Say we bet 50k of my money (and whatever the others are willing to bet) and get odds of 3 to 1 in Trygon's favour (a low estimate considering his reputation). We will not only be able to get everything on the list, we will also be able to get a couple of additional meat-shields, plenty of potions and wands, and even a few choice magic-items to make up for our priestesses' inability to cast spells. Perhaps equally important, we'll get a virtually unkillable super-warrior on our side, who will only rarely drain our healing-resources. I'm afraid we're going to need every last bit of that to have a good chance of succeeding on our mission.
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Seonaid
Explorer
Meh, I don't think Narcelia would be willing to part with more than half of her gold at once . . . though she might be willing to spend much more of it if she thought the risk was worth it. "Encouragement," particularly from the Matron, would help, I'm sure. But it would be nice to not spend all of my cash, just in case. 
I would definitely be willing to drop a chunk on Dariel. I would be willing to spend significantly less on Quertus, but I'd still pay up. As for other "stuff," it would depend how directly it would affect me, and how it would help all of us together.
But it would be nice to not spend all of my cash, just in case. I would definitely be willing to drop a chunk on Dariel. I would be willing to spend significantly less on Quertus, but I'd still pay up. As for other "stuff," it would depend how directly it would affect me, and how it would help all of us together.- Status
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