Party Resources

The title of this thread will change once the party decides on a proper name for their new organization.

In-character the group does not know this yet but soon enough they will become aware of having Agents at their command via the (new Undermarket) which they can send on missions. There are three types of Agents.

Operatives: These are people best suited towards intelligence gathering, acquisitions, and other spying missions. This can include something related to talking to people, lying your way into someone's confidence, sneaking onto an installation, stealing some item of value, etc.
Traders: A bit obvious, but the term applies to all aspects of mercantile life; appraisal, buying, moving, selling, identifying new markets, determining trade routes, and possibly investigating areas for resources to be gathered.
Researchers: Consistent of people who not only look into things back at the base and research or try to reverse engineer them, but people sent out on digs, expeditions, search parties, et cetera. These people will almost guarantee to engage in combat of some sort so either having Combat skill or guards sent along with is highly advised. Research done at a 'base' requires an amount of real estate devoted to them equal to how many are there and what they are researching.
Untrained: This is what most Agents will be when recruited. Most of these people have at least some skill in something, but they can be trained by sending them on proper missions or sending them to a headquarters with a trainer to specialize.

All types of Agents have the following 'Skills' (I put that in quotes because it's not the same as D&D Skills). These Skills increase over time, and someone with a greater rank in one Skill can train another up to one below their current rank. Thus, if one felt like it, you could 'retire' skilled Agents to headquarters to train new recruits. Further, these Skills will go up based on the types of Missions they are sent on, and what obstacles they encounter throughout. You will not always know the full extent of obstacles to be encountered, of course. Unlike standard player Skills, these rank up slowly, with any given recruit only having a single rank in a single Skill.
As an aside: Both Operatives and Traders gain hidden bonuses to their relevant Skills. This will not result in additional ranks, but simply increased chance of success. The only Skills that will never be given this passive bonus are Combat and Identification.

Spying: The gathering of information without the target knowing about it. Observing from afar, discerning classified documents, being disguised in a manner to move through an area without cause for alarm, and the like.
Sneaking: A bit more specialized then the rest, sneaking is the ability regarding not being seen period. While this has some obvious uses in any mission, it is of paramount importance anywhere where lying, disguise, charisma, or gold simply won't do, such as a military installation, an enemy abode, or the like. Sneaking also dovetails with the ability of Spying in being able to obtain goods, via theft most likely, that are otherwise secured.
People Skills: Refers to the gathering of information from informal and formal sources via word of mouth. Talking to others, being diplomatic, intimidating, and discerning lies from truth are what this ability is about.
Mercantile: This skill has to do with anything regarding trade. This includes knowing how to buy and sell well, securing transit, as well as a good deal of charisma and experience in dealing with people, trade routes, and the like.
Combat: Fairly obvious, the ability of this individual to fight should blows come to blows. The lower this is, the higher chance of that individual being wounded, crippled, or killed should combat ensue on a mission. Applies to all Mission types equally, depending on circumstances.
Identification: This is probably the most generic Skill, and its application varies significantly. Whether knowing which member of that group is likely a target, being able to tell which document is the important one, identifying valuable resources at a site or dig, or otherwise gaining any bonus information on a mission. Applies to all Mission types equally, depending on circumstances.
Research: Applies to finding useful items, artifacts, hints, clues, or otherwise on expeditions and digs, as well as the ability to identify their use. Also relates to the ability to reverse-engineer such things, or to look into new methodologies or paradigms regarding existing technology and magic.

I love you Arch there I said it.


This is cool idea and I can't wait to see how it play's out as for naming the new undermarket we don't seam to be able to come to a consensus about a name, I'll make a topic asking for names then a poll to decide on it (when I'm not weighting on my table)

Sounds good, although is this going to require someone with the Leadership feat to effectively use them or is this just a general pool of talent that the party has access to?

Snarg of Wildpaw wrote:Sounds good, although is this going to require someone with the Leadership feat to effectively use them or is this just a general pool of talent that the party has access to?

Both.

Pasting this here so I don't lose it.

Aluvia does business and trade a bit differently than Naverre. There are settlements called Bazaars scattered across its green plains which are the pipelines of basically all trade. There are exceptions of course but those are just that, exceptions.

While buying and selling does happen in cities and towns, that's usually the terminal points of contact; initial purchasing or final selling. All actual trade moves through Bazaars

Bazaars vary in size based on the nearby area of course, and don't always deal in currency (as barter is often acceptable medium for the conduct of trade)

As such values will shift drastically for obvious reasons

In any case most people you'd call 'traders' or 'merchants' make their living conducting trade through Bazaars... hitting one city, buying or selling to start or end a particular transaction, then take their newly acquired goods to the nearby Bazaar to barter, wager, or otherwise transit it for other goods to continue on to however many other destinations (other Bazaars, other towns, etc.)

*Z likes*


*Z rubs hands together gleeful at the minions*


... wait no that's not Z its xahn.... *little Boos fly around the party member's heads say "beware" "beware"

awesome stuff

Snarg of Wildpaw wrote:Sounds good, although is this going to require someone with the Leadership feat to effectively use them or is this just a general pool of talent that the party has access to?

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Leadership

i know that at least me, Zeiss and Kolson plan on taking the Leadership feat at level 6, i dont know if anyone elce is planing on taking it thou.

Z wrote:*Z rubs hands together gleeful at the minions*

Overlord minion voice: "For You!"

Tabran Cole (Azerk) wrote:
i know that at least me, Zeiss and Kolson plan on taking the Leadership feat at level 6, i dont know if anyone elce is planing on taking it thou.

If I was able to be online more when you guys are playing, I would take the Leadership feat. However since I don't play enough, I think it would be wasted. I'll leave the party/minion leadership to those of you that play more.

you could still take it (the leadership feat i mean) i spoted that you rolled on the Allegiance Collar and was interested in what type of way you would like to use the minions that the feat gave you?

Upper Management: Right now this is you guys, but at some point the organization will grow to require this. This type of job will require people who are smart, skilled, and trustworthy, and THEY will require a decent salary, some type of benefits, an office (which means a headquarters), and clear job instructions.

Middle Management: There were two types of jobs in the old Undermarket which are called Mid-Levelers and Coordinators which fulfilled this bracket. They basically ran everything, when it came down to it. All the details, bureaucracy, how many of what goes where to make what to sell what where, et cetera. Again, will require smart, skilled, trustworthy people with a decent salary, but they are more likely to sign on without amenities of station like an office and headquarters. It would be highly advisable to have some kind of real estate going though.

Scouters: A term I came up with two seconds ago, these are the people who don't do the buying, selling, moving, or organizing, but are good with people and know how to figure out when someone's looking. After all, most people don't know how to approach the illegal side of goods, either for personal or commercial use, and so Scouters help find those people and get them into contact with actual Buyers and Sellers. Very low requirements for them, except they will require a basic salary (of course) and they need Buyers and Sellers to work with.

Buyers: Obvious, but mentioning it for completion sake. These are people who know their goods, how to spot a fair bargain, how to obtain resources, supplies, and general capital at the best rates. They are also skilled for when individuals, adventurers, or otherwise wish to sell off items of a less then legal nature. Consequently...
Sellers: Again, obvious, but the other side of the coin. Knowing how to get the most possible without going too far out of a sale, convincing people to purchase their goods, et cetera. Percentage wise, it is likely that the vast majority of the Exchange will be Sellers and Movers (with third probably being Crafters, which I don't need to cover). I mentioned these both together because the requirements are the same; they need to be good with people, know their stuff, be versed in a huge variety of goods and services, and as ever, be trustworthy. These people will, flat, require someplace to buy and sell goods at in private. This ... can probably be your headquarters to start but as you expand you really want to have other buildings specifically for transactions.

Movers: Last but not least. These people are stealthy and good liars, and ironically are probably the ones you want to be the most trustworthy as they will be carrying your valuable goods to and fro. Now, it is unlikely that most supplies fall under this category as most of those are mundane and quite legal and can be carried en masse by caravan. Rather, the finished goods that need to move through Bazaars or between towns and cities are what the Movers carry. Aside from their stealth, deception, and trustworthiness you do not require much in the way of facility for these per say, as long as you have places setup already to both sell and buy at destination and start point.