What to do with a Scout force?

[BlackMoria]

Query: is this a PC-run organization, or an NPC-run one?

It is a PC run organization, which figures prominently in my long running campaign. PCs either are part of the organization or they have run-ins or dealings with the organization at some time or another, depending on the campaign elements.

Major spy/info gathering/infiltrations etc are roleplayed out, as are any major acquistions.

Minor 'doings' are not roleplayed out but are resolved by the DM and simply reported. The DM also provides what revenues the organization's assets earn on a per month basis. On this latter point, we don't sweat it too much....this is D&D, not Financial Accounting 101, so we keep it simple. The organization simply tries to make enough money to cover expenses, not try to get filthy rich.

Of course, sudden changes in expected revenues can generate adventure hooks on their own - like the time that a partially owned merchant coaster failed to show revenue or turn in any situation reports - which investigation showed to be due to the fact that the two co-owners not associated with the organization were replaced by doppelgangers who had their own agenda and hadn't discovered that the people they replaced had a 'silent partner' arrangement with organization. Of course, the organization were interested in what the dopplegangers were up to....

Feel free to ask any questions about any aspect of this 'shadowy' organization's operations and how they conduct them. This organization has been a staple of the campaign (in some fashion) for some 10 real years now.

 

[Thanee]

Listen to Thanee, Thanee thinks like your DM.

Hehehe. this is good to know. (Thanee, I shall be coming back to you! )

This is also wrong (to find proof look up the Sense Motive thread in rules)...

(Just out of curiosity, would that "cheapest possible" solution be a one-a-day item?)

Without actually looking at the tables, I'd say...

Sending 4th spell level, 7th caster level, 1/5th cost for 1/day usage, command word trigger:

4 x 7 x 1/5 x 1,800gp = 10,080gp

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Anyways, here's some loosely structured approach, which I would probably follow.

Divide the region into areas (not too large, but not too small either), which would then be patrolled by 1-3 scouts each most of the time.

Enlisten enough scouts (be sure to mix them, so you lower your chances to get some opposing espionage teams there ) to cover all those areas in maybe six four-hour shifts. Be sure, that those have means of communication (see above... trained animals mostly).

Meanwhile get a good number of advanced scouts and train them further. These will be sent out to investigate, once something gets reported.

Other than that, BlackMoria has some very useful suggestions above, I think.

Bye
Thanee

 

[S'mon]

Unless you're game world is different, you don't have to cast it at 12th level, even if you need to be 12th level for the feat (you can cast it at minimum level you would need to be to cast the spell). Also, I'm pretty sure you can use someone else who has Forge Ring and you (your cleric) supply the spell.

12th level is minimum level for Forge Ring feat, 35,000gp cost assumes its spell caster level is 7th level, the minimum for a Clerical Sending. I'd allow a (Divine) scroll of Sending to be used if necessary by a 12th level Cleric with the Forge Ring feat, with its cost (700gp) added on of course, but most Clerics IMC take Sending as one of their spells anyway (Clerics IMC cast Spontaneously, like Sorcerers). Very few Clerics IMC have Forge Ring though, and there aren't many level 12+ Clerics available to start with (offhand I can think of one apart from Tarquin, Kaldrinn the High Priest of Thrin in Imarr). In all likelihood you would need a Wizard with Forge Ring to make it, which bumps the cost up since Sending is 5th level for Wizards.

 

[Thanee]

Just make it a pearl instead of a ring (craft wondrous item - who in his right mind would learn any other item creation feat over this one anyways (except maybe the expendable ones, like scrolls, potions and wands)).

Bye
Thanee

 

[S'mon]

Thanee - I agree w you on the Rules forum stacking-metamagic thread. Me & SB differ from you on sense motive checks, but I guess our approach is a house rule aimed at encouraging IC-roleplay over rollplay - relying too much on dice, as 3e seems to advocate, IMO favours certain kinds of players over others, eg Randomling is a fantastic roleplayer but for a long time she didn't have much chance to shine in my roll-heavy campaign. Since I started tweaking the campaign to encourage roleplay I've been a lot happier, I think Randomling & StalkingBlue have been, too. Of course some of my other players are natural rollplayers and less comfortable w IC-roleplay, but I think the change has been worth it.

 

[S'mon]

Just make it a pearl instead of a ring (craft wondrous item - who in his right mind would learn any other item creation feat over this one anyways (except maybe the expendable ones, like scrolls, potions and wands)).

Bye
Thanee

Would cost x2 for a slotless item, ie min 70,000gp.

 

[randomling]

Thanks for all the ideas, folks - I'm certainly starting to get a much better handle on how to make this thing work! It looks like at the start I'm going to need to focus as much on recruitment and training-up (and generating funds somehow) as I am on actually setting up on intelligence-gathering procedures.

As a first strategy, I need to better organize the scouting and intelligence-gathering in the Dosk Heights to ensure the most efficient use of resources there. Next we need to start an intelligence-gathering project in the west with the objective of finding out as much about the Mongali and their strategies (and potential weaknesses) as possible.

My next objective is probably going to be to set up an agent/cell in Imarr, which is the capital city of the Overkingdom that my liege has just allied himself with. Information from Imarr is going to be invaluable. Information about the Overking himself will be difficult to collect but it might be possible with diligent and careful work.

After that, I start setting up cells in the world's major cities, and developing political allegiances with other scout forces and leaders...

Start small and build up, that's what I say.

 

[simmo]

Druids can make good allies and sources of information. They are often on the look-out for humanoid activity in their regions. However, they often have their own agendas and probably will not have that much loyalty. If there is a druids circle then perhaps you could come to some agreements with them.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I was about to suggest linking up with Leo and the White Way. Leo (Wiz13/Loremaster1, I think) is obsessed with knowing what's going on at all times. His participation could really help you out. Particularly as Forge Ring is a feat he's thinking of taking at some point...

I certainly suggest taking trusted merchants aside and mentioning that bringing information to you would bring a small monetary reward, especially if the information had not gone to anyone else in the meantime. What you really need is a system whereby the information gathering happens by itself, eg Bards, Merchants, Rangers and Rogues all contributing small scraps that filter through to you.

And, of course, I'm happy to step in and do some shaking down of people if we can't get the information we need.