Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

[Marullus]

Honestly, I've never been comfortable with trying to combine allocation of both treasure and magic items. It always ends up with false equivalencies. My recommendation is that you divvy up treasures and the draw-lots for the magic item (or just decide to give it to someone) and then move on.

[Zhym]

Stay out of it, DM. Treasure allocation is between the players. (Although it certainly helps when a DM gives gp values for magic items.)

Anyway: magic items are treasure. Trying to treat them otherwise isn't equitable.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Stay out of it, DM.

Honestly though, I think Marullus has done a good job of "normalizing" the imbued items of different values.
2k commonly gets decreased encumbrance on chainmail, +1 vs a specific enemy type, a tier 1or 2 spell 1x/week, a benefit to saving throws or thief abilities, 10 charges of a spell, or add 1HD to an animal.
4k commonly gets +1 weapon, another 2K bonus, improved spell frequency and/or effect, -1AC etc.
I haven't seen 8k items as much. Maybe that "cursed" sword?
16k gives +2 base bonus with +3 vs a specific enemy type, or summon a earthen squad of dwarfs and be heard across the lands with Lawfully aligned folks understanding it is a call for help.


Additionally, it takes 1-2 expeditions to gain 2k item XP. So a monetary amount can be assigned to imbued items. We just all need to agree. And convince Fingers we're correct.

Created items, on the other hand, is more difficult.

What would someone pay for a sleep spell 1x/week, +1 against trolls, or an increase chance of hiding in shadows? 50gp? 75gp? (That's a great deal considering the cost of a scroll, by the way.)

[Marullus]

As I said, I consider magic exponentially more valuable.

Magical Trade: Pierpont will consider purchase Created Magic Items and spellbooks after they have been researched.

My baseline is 200gp per item tier for items which Pierpont identified and which PCs are willing to sell. He buys scrolls and spell books at 50gp/spell level. (That's purchase price; assume sale prices are at least double.) Same in XP if donated to churches that take them. Of course, things leave play this way, so PCs and PC shops are preferable.

In my mind, when you're worried about sale price of magic items instead of their unique value, it means I have oversupplied and you need less in the game...

[Dram]

Neegan is voting for going to vote option A.

[Zhym]

We have two votes for Option A and none for B. So I move that we consider Option A approved and update our sheets accordingly. I'll do that with Pendleton now.

Option A:
1) Periapt (600 gp), -459 gp = 141 gp - Pendleton
2) Mask (350 gp), -200 gp = 150 gp - Neegan
3) 5 fire beetle organs (@10 gp), 100 gp = 150 gp - Idriss
4) Brooch (20 gp), 131 gp = 149 gp - Able
5) 150 gp - Dolph
6) 150 gp - Dare
7) 150 gp - Grimble

The pitcher is almost certainly worth a lot more than 175 gp (if we split cash value six ways). So in this plan, we keep the pitcher as unsplit loot until we get back. If we can close the hell hole, we should have more magical items to split, which would make splitting the loot easier next time.

[Marullus]

Dolph, Idriss, Dare, and Grimble updated (as currently NPCed).

[Marullus]

Is this finalized? Please note, if so.

Then go to the Tavern(s) and discuss/recruit for your return trip.

[Zhym]

I've already updated Pendleton's sheet, so I'm considering that to be finalized.

What are the dates for which we need to pay for rooms and meals, again?

[Marullus]

...just scroll up.

You returned on 23 July and are advancing to the current IC date of 19 August.

August 11, 2021

The party is able to rest and recover at the Infirmary, overcoming both the injuries and the horrors of their recent foray outward. (You advance to the current timestamp on entering town - August 11. That's three weeks of food and lodging. If you don't stay in the Infirmary, please post where you go and that you pay for food/meals accordingly.) All your wounds are healed, but strange rumors reach you from the guard and the town.

Brother Mylo addresses you all together in private. "I regret that your actions have worsened the state of affairs... while the incense was meant to be a string to lead you through the labrynthine maze to the hell gate at its center, your actions and then retreat have instead sparked the interest of the entity within AND provided it the thread to follow outward... and across the land to the gates of Gaul. It is even more imperative that you achieve your objective and seal the gate within."

"The Archduke is holding the Templars personally responsible for this; the Church of Baudh recently acquired a potent relic which protects the city walls from infernal incursion and is quite proud of its rather visible success. You know the Baudh followers have long seen us as a liability to a civilized city... given their success in protecting the city, and our apparent failure, the Archbishop is lobbying for us to be relocated outside the walls and away from Gaul so that we don't..." he pauses to sigh and recover himself, "we don't endanger everyone by leading more infernal beings back to the city."

You also have three NPC Templars (all with their own divine Protection from Evil) who are coming with Ablesforth on the return expedition.

19 August 2021
You spend some time transcribing spells and recruiting among the small cadre of Templars here in Gaul.

Idriss isn't permanently an NPC; his player is just traveling the Old Silk Road without wifi. He won't trade his unique spells, but he'll help you transcribe those obtainable through the Templars. You can aquire Protection Evil, Light, Magic Missile for 50gp each (cost of ink).

Recruiting Dolph [2d6] = 7
recruiting Dolph [2d6] = 7
Recruiting Dolph [2d6] = 7
Recruiting Dolph [2d6] = 7
Recruiting Dolph [2d6] = 5

(Assuming you cash out his share of the expedition) Brother Dolph Gundanar agrees to return with you under Ablesforth's leadership. "The job needs finishing. This time, we need to get to the end and get it done."

Recruit new templar [2d6] = 3 [2d6] = 7 [2d6] = 10 [2d6] = 9 [2d6] = 5
Level: [1d15] = 11 [1d15] = 13
Available: one level 3 fighter, one level 4 fighter.

Ablesforth speaks to Brother Mylo about taking more experienced Templars to deal with this sinister threat. As the ramifications have had such impact on the temple and the Eruannans are threatened with exile from the city due to the clergy of Baudh's accusations, he agrees. "Two are willing to go with you, as the threat of true demon gate is perillous."

Pair of Templars.jpg

[Zhym]

You returned on 23 July and are advancing to the current IC date of 19 August.

So 27 days now. I don't suppose we get monthly discounts for food and lodging?

[Marullus]

The Templars/Infirmary will feed and house you for free (with no bonuses), of course. The Inns expect their profit, though. (More important for Pendleton, that's four weeks of magical study if he gets a private room, right?)

[Zhym]

That is an excellent point that I had not thought of.

Time to go re-read the rules on magical study.

[Zhym]

Hm. If I read that right, for about 2 gp Pendleton can have decent odds of finding one property of a magic item, and lower odds of discovering two.

Do we want to try to ID the pitcher? If not, another party just came in with a whole bunch of magic stuff, some of which they might pay to have researched ahead of Pierpont's waiting list.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able is done and his sheet is updated.

I'll post his 27 days in the Infirmary.

He is interested in haven't Pendleton research the pitcher.

[Dram]

So we are going with option A? Neegan is putting 150gp in his pocket? What is the split on the pitcher?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Here is yet another possible split based on people being able to pay in (and assuming we can convert silver to gold easily enough):

1) Periapt (600 gp), pay in 459 gp = 141 gp
2) Mask (350 gp), pay in 200 gp = 150 gp
3) 5 fire beetle organs (@10 gp), 100 gp = 150 gp
4) Brooch (20 gp), 131 gp = 149 gp
5) 150 gp
6) 150 gp
7) 150 gp

Total: 1040 gp.

Shares with easily portable gem-like items are slightly lower to account for the usefulness of being able to wear 600gp around your neck.

That leaves the pitcher out of it, but we can either draw lots for that or wait to distribute it until we finish the mission, with a promise to the members of the current party that they'll be included in however it's eventually distributed.

Neegan likes this idea. Neegan does have 20pp to donate the cause if that helps.

You voted option A and said Neegan has 20pp, which, as had been discussed, was to "buy out"a share. So Neegan spends 20pp and gets a large, demonic, golden mask.

Speak up if that wasn't your intent/isn't okay.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Dram, how many flasks of oil does Neegan have left from your adventure? Is he willing to offer any of them back to the next expedition into the hole?

Marullus, how about Idriss and Grimble? Are they willing to donate them back to the expedition?

Thanks.

[Dram]

I was trying to understand how this is working. The value of the is 350 gp which 200 gp of its value is going back into to help the Demon Hole exp #3. Neegan also is going to donate 20pp to the expedition for a share of the treasure when you all return. If I am figuring correctly that is a total of 40pp Neegan is donating. As for the Flasks of oil. He does not have any oil.

Here is yet another possible split based on people being able to pay in (and assuming we can convert silver to gold easily enough):

1) Periapt (600 gp), pay in 459 gp = 141 gp
2) Mask (350 gp), pay in 200 gp = 150 gp
3) 5 fire beetle organs (@10 gp), 100 gp = 150 gp
4) Brooch (20 gp), 131 gp = 149 gp
5) 150 gp
6) 150 gp
7) 150 gp

Total: 1040 gp.

Shares with easily portable gem-like items are slightly lower to account for the usefulness of being able to wear 600gp around your neck.

That leaves the pitcher out of it, but we can either draw lots for that or wait to distribute it until we finish the mission, with a promise to the members of the current party that they'll be included in however it's eventually distributed.

Neegan likes this idea. Neegan does have 20pp to donate the cause if that helps.

You voted option A and said Neegan has 20pp, which, as had been discussed, was to "buy out"a share. So Neegan spends 20pp and gets a large, demonic, golden mask.

Speak up if that wasn't your intent/isn't okay.

[Zhym]

Each share of treasure is worth 150 gp. The demon mask is worth 350 gp. Neegan's treasure share has him getting the mask but paying 200 gp so that his treasure share will be 150 gp (and so we have the coin to distribute to those who get coin shares). So, for this treasure split, Neegan adds a 350 gp demon mask and deducts 200 gp.

I don't know anything about paying another 20pp for a share of the next expedition's treasure. Expeditions usually don't have investors. If Neegan isn't going on the retiurn trip, he won't get to share in its treasure. He will have a chance at the pitcher when we finally distribute it, but that's because he was on the most recent expedition.