The Commodore's Caravan

[CommodoreFluffy]

Once we are all organized, I will BEGIN!

[CommodoreFluffy]

The Commodore’s Caravan

In Ravens Claw Port, there are many imports, and it is the major trade center of the world. Despite the fact that it is as such, there are almost no resources in Raven’s Claw, they come from mysterious veiled people from the west side of the infinite ocean (so much for that).The world itself is currently facing change, from being almost devoid of magic, major temples and schools are popping up everywhere. And most importantly, the Westerners are finally allowing access into their lands for a few selected caravans, Yours is one of them.

Walthers’ Trading Corp.
One of the world’s smallest legitimate companies…fine…a quasi legitimate pseudocompany. Your pay is good, and the fights are few. Mr. Fredric Walthers enlisted you all to protect, and lead this small caravan to transport goods from here to there, to just about anywhere. When the Westerners looked at the trade company official roster in Raven’s Claw, they picked you first…because you are the smallest quasi legitimate pseudocompany listed, and you are about to journey into the unknown. Most of your money is from federal funding to the caravan, the rest is you ten last hard years of work,

Welcome to Geldar.

[Daryk]

Once we are all organized, I will BEGIN!

Handy reference links:
Maeleg: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=2030
Theirry: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=32540
Vos: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=2029
Byrnes: http://www.thetangledweb.net/addon.p..._char&cid=4951
Bazral: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=2135
Hkil: http://www.roguepenguin.com/castella...iew.php?id=952

As far as organization:
We know we have at least one wagon to guard (Bazral's), and that the rest of us are all (the only?) hired guards working for Mr. Walthers. Thierry and Maeleg have the best Spot and Listen checks, so one should take point (Maeleg and Rakir?) while the other trails. That leaves Hkil, Vos and Robert riding shotgun (shotcrossbow?) among the wagons (probably excluding Bazral's, unless we only have three wagons including his).

[Ranthog]

Another major consideration is a quick look at all the sheets and Hkil and Thierry are the only two who seem to have purchased riding horses. So if we have a decent number of wagons, we're the only ones who are highly mobile along the length. While me might have the best spot checks, depending on the length of the caravan and people's ranged attacks we might be better in the middle and scouting ahead.

[Daryk]

I don't know if the company will have horses for those of us without, but Maeleg is fast (40' move) regardless. I was also thinking that if there are any tracks, the best place for Maeleg to be to examine them was before the caravan trod all over them.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Vos would probably be best in the rear of the caravan. He's not much of a scout, and he's not very fast, but he can absorb a few hits if the rear gets attacked, or he can move up in time to change the tide of battle if the front gets hit.

[GimliFett]

Hey, Commodore! I still need prices for a silver tankard and brewing equipment, por favor!

[The_Shaman]

Hkil would probably be riding either alongside the caravan, for example at one of the sides to spot any trouble the front men have missed, or with it. I'm not familiar with what riding shotgun means, though... Is it the same?

[GimliFett]

Shotgun is the position next to the driver of a wagon or other vehicle. Basically, front seat passenger. In Old West times, the Shotgun position was your security man on stage coaches and wagon trains. He generally carried a rifle or shotgun, leaving the driver to only deal with driving or handling the team. [/history lesson]

[Daryk]

Honestly, I had missed Hkil's horse mule when I made my initial suggestion. Having Hkil ride in the middle of the caravan is a great idea, though. Vos on the last wagon is also a good idea, but I think there should still be someone with good Spot and Listen in trail behind that. If Thierry wants to take point, Maeleg will cheerfully take trail.

[Ranthog]

I would guess then Thierry is mobile and generally scouts out likely areas for ambushes and the like before the caravan gets there. Otherwise I imagine hanging midway to a little forward in the line. He's not the sturdiest of the party but he'd probably stay ahead of the caravan to up near the front significantly.

[Daryk]

Ok, so it's beginning to sound like:
Thierry on point
Bazral somewhere in the caravan
Hkil as an outrider in the middle
Vos on the last wagon
and
Maeleg (and Rakir) as tail end charlie

That just leaves figuring out where Robert is. Might I suggest on the first wagon, mirroring Vos' position?

[Ranthog]

Yeah, having slightly more gaurd to the front is probably best, especially with the mobile people to cover the rear.

[CommodoreFluffy]

You are the only, and you have about 4 (very wide, and full to the brim) wagons:

1. Fore Cart: has samples of cheap goods, fastest team
2. Bulk Cart: Carries the bulk of supplies and wares
3. Walther's Cart: his room, also holds the most expensive goods
4. Rear Cart: holds munitions and extra survival/combat supplies, also holds cash

Each wagon has a driver, and the entire crew has a supplies officer (NPC) who will beat the living SH** out of anybody who messes with the carts (including you)

[Daryk]

Does this mean Bazral doesn't have his own cart?

[Daryk]

Darn, I missed him...

Well, at the very least, we have a better handle on the caravan as a whole. If I understand the Commodore, we have:

Mr. Walthers (the boss)
An unnamed "supply officer" (wagon master?)
4 teamsters driving 4 wagons
Bazral driving his wagon (?)
5 guards (the rest of us)

For a grand total of 12.

I propose the following marching order:
Thierry (mounted) on point
Robert and one teamster on the lead wagon
The supply officer and one teamster on the Bulk wagon
Hkil riding along side the caravan, pacing various wagons at different times
The boss and one teamster on the boss' wagon
Vos and one teamster on the "rear wagon"
Bazral on Bazral's wagon (assuming he has one)
Maeleg (and Rakir) trailing the caravan, occassionally riding with Bazral

[CommodoreFluffy]

This is all good and well, but how do you guys make those spiffy character sheets?

[Ranthog]

Basically those sites have a web program that stores and generates sheets. Its really cool and easy to use.

[Daryk]

Maeleg is the first character I've used a profiler for. The coyotecode website just needs an e-mail address to create an account. It took me longer to type Maeleg in than to log in to the site from scratch.

Here are some suggested names for our NPC's:

"Supply Officer": Purser, Cook
Teamsters: Carter, Cartwright, Wagoner, Wainwright

I can whip up some basic (Commoner or Expert) stats, if you like, at least for the Teamsters.

[CommodoreFluffy]

Yeah, thats great, I was thinking that they would just be some useless NPCs but I could incorperate them

[The_Shaman]

Sounds like I may have to patronize Coyotecode myself... My current character sheet Dbase just logged me off instead of saving nearly a page of character story for a game I was already overdue for. Ah well.

[Ranthog]

I think that makes us good to go for the most part then. We have our caravan idea well in hand then and such along with the standard guard duty jobs then. Can anyone think of anything else besides perhaps any goals or suchthe government might have given us?

[Daryk]

Commodore, submitted for your approval:
Using a 15 point build, two Commoners, one Expert, and one Warrior for our teamsters yields the following:

Jack Carter: Commoner 1, Feats: Alertness, Toughness, HP: 7
S: 10, D: 10, C: 10, I: 12, W: 12, Ch: 9
Skills: Handle Animal: 4 (-1), Profession (Teamster): 4, Spot: 4 (+3), Listen: 4 (+3)
Sketch: Jack is a bit twitchy, but it has kept him alive, if not well liked. (Kept vague for Vos to flesh out while riding along).
Leather Armor, Dagger
Jack drives the "rear" wagon.

John Cartwright: Commoner 1, Feats: Iron Will, Toughness, HP: 8
S: 10, D: 10, C: 12, I: 10, W: 12, Ch: 9
Skills: Handle Animal 4, Profession (Teamster): 4 (+1), Use Rope: 2, Craft (Cartwright): 2
Sketch: John is more stubborn than the mules, but knows how to fix the wagons. (Kept vague for Robert to flesh out).
Leather Armor, Club
John drives the lead wagon.

James Wagoner: Warrior 1, Feats: Animal Affinity, Endurance, HP: 8
S: 12, D: 10, C: 10, I: 11, W: 10, Ch: 10
Skills: Handle Animal: 4(+2), Profession (Teamster): 3, Swim: 1 (+1), Jump: 1 (+1), Climb: 1 (+1), Ride: 2 (+2)
Sketch: James was a soldier, but eventually figured out he was good with animals, and being a Teamster paid better than soldiering. He's the least experienced at driving a team, but he makes up for it in natural talent.
Studded Leather Armor, Heavy Wooden Shield, Battle Axe, Long Bow
James drives the boss' wagon, and complains the least (which may have something do with it).

Jim Cook: Expert 1, Feats: Deft Hands, Skill Focus: Use Rope, HP: 6
S: 10, D: 12, C: 10, I: 9, W: 10, Ch: 12
Skills: Handle Animal: 4(+1), Profession (Teamster): 4, Use Rope: 4 (+6), Survival: 4, Profession (Trail Cook): 4, Gather Information: 2 (+1), Sleight of Hand: 2 (+3)
Sketch: Jim is Bob Purser's right hand man, and likable despite being a little slow. He's also the one who does the cooking. The food isn't great, but it's not bad either. He's an expert with rope, and block and tackle. When it comes to getting heavy loads on or off the wagons, Jim will find a way.
Leather Armor, Spear, Dagger, Heavy Crossbow
Jim drives the "bulk" wagon (with Bob riding along).

Using a 20 point build and 3rd Level Expert for the "Supply Officer":

Bob Purser: Expert 3, HP: 14
Feats: Persuasive, Quick Draw, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Repeating Crossbow
S: 12, D: 12, C: 12, I: 10, W: 12, Ch: 12
Skills: Handle Animal: 6 (+1), Profession (Teamster): 6 (+1), Use Rope: 5 (+1), Bluff: 5 (+3), Intimidate: 6 (+5), Appraise: 3, Knowledge (Geography): 3, Knowledge (Local: Raven's Claw): 3, Ride: 3 (+1), Sense Motive: 2 (+1)
Sketch: Bob is the boss' "right arm". He's been a teamster for many years, and knows the area around Raven's Claw well. If the boss needs any supplies for the caravan, Bob knows where to get it, and how much is too much to pay for it. Early on in his career, Bob came into possession of an oddly designed crossbow, and set about teaching himself to use it. He usually keeps it stowed under his seat, but can ready it with uncanny speed. More than one would be bandit has found themselves staring down the length of a heavy crossbow bolt before they knew what was happening. Bob has a somewhat overbearing personality, and uses it to good effect, keeping both draft animals and employees in line. Bob knows his limitations, and is more than happy with his lot, working for the boss, who has a much better knack for "merchanting".
Notable Equipment: Chain Shirt, Heavy Wooden Shield, Heavy Mace, Heavy Repeating Crossbow, 5 +1 Crossbow Bolts in a marked case

Edit: Put in Bob Purser (and cleaned up references to him), and changed James' bow to a long bow (since Bob has a repeating crossbow, I figured a long bow wasn't out of line).

[Daryk]

I think that makes us good to go for the most part then. We have our caravan idea well in hand then and such along with the standard guard duty jobs then. Can anyone think of anything else besides perhaps any goals or suchthe government might have given us?

Oops... Looks like I took too long to type all that in. Anyway, I think our goal is to get there and back in one piece. Maybe bring word of what it's like, though the government will be more likely to listen to the boss on that score. And speaking of guard duty, I propose double watches, with one character with dark vision on each of three shifts. The two arcane spell casters should take the first and last watch (sorry Thierry, that leaves you the mid).

[Ranthog]

That might leave our nights too long for the caravan if we take the extra time to make sure the wizard gets enough rest before relearning spells.

[CommodoreFluffy]

The caravan stops only for the horses, sleep tied under the cart for all I care

[Ranthog]

I think that the three shift system with arcane users on both end would probably stretch the time the caravan stood still from around 12-13 hours to something more like 15. (Caravan needs time to care for the horses in the evening and morning. Then cook and do dinner. Break and tear down camp.) That is unless people can sleep on the wagons, which is fine by me.

Mind you this isn't mine to say, but its Commodore's to say what we can do. I personally like having more people on each watch but its just something that has come up before and I want to make sure its alright with our ST. Otherwise I really like the idea of two to a shift.

[Daryk]

Given the extremely cruel things force marching does to mounts (they automatically fail their CON checks, and take lethal damage), I don't think we'll be traveling more than 8 hours a day. That means we're doing 16 miles per day, and "standing still" for 16 hours. Figuring 2 hours for camp set up/break down and meals, that leaves the middle 12 to be covered by our watch schedule (the duty can be rotated during the set up/break down process, and Rakir can fly around that whole time).
Since Maeleg only needs four hours of "trance" to recover spells (it's good to be an elf), he could take the mid-watch and be all right (my initial thought had been we'd be doing less than four hour watches). Robert would still need to be on the first or last watch, but that's a much easier scheduling problem. I think Vos should also be on the first or last watch because of the time and effort it takes to don and doff his armor. Overall, it would look something like this:
2200-0200 Mid watch (Maeleg and Bazral)
0200-0600 Morning watch (Thierry and Vos)
0600-0800 Breakfast and breaking camp
0800-1600 Travel (lunch on the road)
1600-1800 Setting up camp and dinner
1800-2200 Evening watch (Robert and Hkil)

If this is a plan we go with, Maeleg would take at least most of his "trance" during the evening watch, stand the mid, "nap" to catch up on any lost "trance", and spend the rest of the morning watch studying his spells and taking off his armor/casting Endure Elements/putting it back on.

[The_Shaman]

Depending on what time of the year it is and where the region is, the daily schedule can vary, I think. During the winter, when sundown happens fairly early, chances are that we'd try to set camp more early as well. Also, I think that it may be better if, as a caravan, we travelled more time but with some breaks in between so that the mounts can catch their breath.

Also, I'm not sure about everyone's character sheet but I'd think it best if every shift has at least one character with darkvision or LLV.

[Daryk]

Yes, exactly. That's why I proposed splitting up the dwarves and Vos across the sections.

As far as taking breaks during the day, I think the 2 hours to either side of the travel day will easily support that. With only 5 wagons and 12 people, it shouldn't take all that long to set up or break camp, or feed us all. I wouldn't want to set up a camp at lunch, though; call a halt, sure. Looking at the overland travel rules for horses, Stone Horses make more and more sense as magic items.