DF Felltower - Stericksburg News 10/16

Stericksburg hasn't stood still. Some things have changed a bit.

Comments are Tavern Talk, Part II - the comments on last session's summary are a perfect example of why I say the comments on the blog are tavern talk.

This is also why I treat everything that happened in the dungeon as common knowledge. You can try to shape it ("I keep telling Larry that Hasdrubul was possessed when he electrocuted him."), you might not provide full details (maps, mostly), but you can't censor it. Partly this is for my own sanity - my last game had a lot of "we don't tell anyone anything, ever, unless we specifically agree to tell someone something," which meant the PCs never had outside rumors or help . . . but also never had consequences of sharing too much. That would be basically impossible in a pick-up game where you change out PCs, people around the world (literally) are reading and commenting on the game summaries, and new players join (like the ones running Kenner, Naida, Hjalmarr) and others drop out (Borriz, Chuck Morris, Bern) or can't play for a while (Galen). Sorting which PCs know what, and which NPCs know what, and how the PCs get ideas that some commentator thought up would be a nightmare. Better they come back to town and brag away and reap the benefits and consequences of that.

And the really secret private plans the PCs don't want to share? They do that by email. The publicly-stated stuff and delve results are exactly that.

Supercharged Power Items - supercharged power items are available. It came up on the rumor table*, so now it's out there. The usual rules & prices from DF18, p. 10 apply here. As it says in the book, this is effectively twice as much as buying Paut, but having a double-charged power item has all sorts of benefits that 4 FP per dose potions do not.

Volunteers & Hirelings Have Dried Up - the recent failures to get rich have dried up the enthusiasm for people joining up for tips. Those willing to work for shares (Orcish Bob, Melchior the Malevolent, others) are unwilling to risk death for no reward. And hirelings are less likely to sign up when Hadrubul "I'll kill you if it's convenient, or useful, or you're in my area of effect" Barca is the one hiring. So that's high risk (-), low reward (-), dangerous companions (-), and uncertainty of rescue if danger occurs (-). Those outweigh the previous net benefits of profitable runs (+), Vryce the Dragonslayer hiring (+), the Sense of Duty clearly shown by the group (+), and bonuses and extra rewards (+).

Once the PCs reverse those trends a bit, the NPCs will start to appear more. The PCs can still try to directly hire NPCs, but there is a penalty on the recruiting roll, so spending extra money on the search is advised. Otherwise you're most likely to get nothing, and more likely that the ones you find are rolling with a penalty on the Random Hireling Traits Table (DF15, p. 31), or they may or may not be as good as they claim, or it's one of Jason Sholtis's Useless or Half-Price Hirelings. At best. I have to stress - at best.

Cut-Rate Resurrection is Available - Dr. Nicholas - aka "Nick the Miracle Maker" - is in business. He's happy to bring you back from the dead. Cash only, sign this waiver form, don't forget results are not guaranteed. Motto, "Will you come back from the dead? You might, it's a free country." Only 5000 silver pieces. Tips welcome!



And that's what's going on in town.


* Which is rumors and random events, really.