Skull & Bones

[ehren]

I'd like to find out if any of the Orphans show an aptitude for one of our Disciplines. Then we can train them for free. Carve out a few hours a day to hang out with the Orphans, teach & play games.

Speaking of teaching, for those who don't show any magical aptitude (and maybe even for those that do), maybe teach them a skill for later:
Mes can teach - alchemy, physician, melee wpns, avoid blow, read/write, conversation, unarmed combat, swift kick, etiquette, embroidery, and resist taunt.
Mal can teach - parry, forge wpn, haggle, evaluate, melee wpns, creature lore, etc
Maw can teach - manuever, taunt, heartening laugh, melee wpns, riposte, parry, disguise self, languages, acting, dancing, performaces, etc.

We might not always have money to give our little spy network, but we can also pay we free medical services and teaching. With the side benefit that the skills taught can help them in their information gathering activities.

[GM / Malinous]

I like the idea, although I'm also prone to think you need to be at least 5th circle to train a new initiate. At least that's my impulse at the moment. Although we're not that far from circle 5 :-).

[ehren]

I'd like to keep the Skull & Bones organization somewhat seperate (buy friendly/aligned) with the organization we'll set up after the Kaer opens.

I think we could learn some lessions on how to teach, organize, and layout a group, based off what we learn teaching the Orphans.

We can also keep our eyes out for any with Magical talent. Then, if it would be impolitic to iniatiate them, we can work to find them teachers. We can also wait until we are 5th Circle (only a dedicated 7,500 LP away).

[Mawaris]

According to Companion, Swordmasters never actively recruit students. Swordmasters get challenged from time to time by those who want to be students, and if the challenger doesn't COMPLETELY embarrass him/herself, and demonstrates the necessary wit in the process, then they might get accepted as a student.

Illusionist recruitment refers to watching for potential candidates, particularly known compulsive liars. I figure I'll apply the same principle as swordmasters for any would-be Illusionist apprentices: they have to seek me out and attempt to deceive me in some way (but NOT by attempting to rob me through trickery; that would better suit a Thief, and Illusionists look down on adepts who use Illusion solely for their own gain), and do it well even if I see through the trick.

[GM / Malinous]

I"m sort of thinking of kid of leaving this more to the players.

So like if Joel thinks it would be neat that some orphan challenged him to a duel he's free to develop that NPCs personality/appearance/details and work with him as needed.

As the campaign goes on abstracting is ok too ["Every few years Maw takes on a new swordmaster apprentice]. Although the more details the better. I wouldn't worry about trying to make stats, but more descriptions of people you've tought through the years as it arises - whether they be orphans or just unrelated adventurers. Even making up stories about their accomplishments after you train them is cool, as long as it doesn't outshine anything the players are doing or have done in the recent past :-).

Time and Money will probably be how I'll measure the effect of the characters.
I.e., If you actually dedicate full weeks working with orphans to train them during downtime, like you would training your own skills, it will have more effect than just abstractly assisting them. Similarly with silver, cheap weapons for 10 people still cost 150 silver, More for armor, so *hundreds* of silver will have a much more noticeable effect. Smaller contributions like helping out/socializing, regular tips, things like that will tend to affect loyalty, but not their impact on the game world, if that makes sense.

So 10 silver here and there makes/keeps uld and lud loyal, but you'd probablyhave to drop 100+ silver in and encourage them to build a real spy network before their influence level would grow.

And back to the player-motivated thing, I'm fine with Ehren just saying "and there's a promising doctor/alchemist/swordsman I spot and train"). But I"m also fine with just keeping it abstract "dedicate a month to helping promising people who might display talents in one of these areas." Knowing that I won't actually probably develop who you trained unless it becomes relative.

Given the nature of the campaign, some races could very easily go through many, many generations, so I can't track everyone we know. That's the advantage of not attaching "give it back to us when you die" clausese to artifacts. AN NPC who got a weapon but falls off the face of the campaign map is easy to forget about, but his great grand daughter can easily show up in the game 50 years later and have a meaningful connection to the PCs :-).

[ehren]

Does the money to keep Skull and Bones & Uld/Lud loyal include the money being generated from the Alchemy Shop rent/profit - I figure that the profits from that shop are going to S&B and our information network. (that way I don't need to track it)

[GM / Malinous]

I knew we bought the actual alchemy shop, I can't remember/find where we discussed buying the real-estate and/or who/what we hired.

[ehren]

Yeah, I don't remember actually hiring people... I think I just assumed we had, without following up on it.

I saw your other post & posted my plans there.