The Regent's Chair

[[DM] Grinning Death]

The Regent's Chair is a mini-game that the nobles of Sundren can play in order to gain power in the valley through the use of espionage, poison, and any other strategy that one might be able to think up. The contest takes place over one month, with weekly rolls in order to determine results. The goal is to obtain votes from the six houses in order to have a majority by disabling the other houses henchmen. A house may forfeit their place at any time during the competition. To play, the noble must enter 5,000 stags into the 'pot'.

There can only be one noble per house entered at any given time. Any other nobles can advise and donate up to 10,000 stags, but may not take part in the game itself. For each henchman, they are allowed one action per week unless altered in some way by actions. The noble may hire one PC or NPC (for 5k) per henchman class.

o Henchmen (one action a week)
Can ‘hire’ a PC or ‘buy’ an NPC for 5k
One of five classes, cannot hire more than one of each.

Spymaster (PC must be rogue, ranger, assassin, or bard)
o Poison
Can use a poison that costs 1,000 gold per enemy henchman. Disables up to two henchmen for one turn.
o Secure Documents
(No chance of messages being misled)
o Assassinate
Can use Hide/MS for undetected hit on henchman (Hide+MSx1.5 must exceed target's hitpoints)

Alchemist (PC must have craft potion)
o Heroism Potions (1,000 gp)
(+5 to all checks for up until after your next action.)
o Haste Potions (1,200 gp)
(extra turn for a henchman)
o Slowing Potions (1,000)
( -5 to all enemy noble's checks up until after your next action)

Soldier (Must have BAB over 8)
o Intimidate/Threaten
(Henchman skips a turn)
o Bodyguard
(Protects a single henchman completely for two turns. Henchman isn't known to other players.)
o Duel
(Gentleman's duel between henchmen, five opposing rolls by players, highest three of the five wins. Add 1/2 of a soldier's ab to the rolls, rounded down.)

Diplomat (Must have CHA of 14 or over)
o Persuade
(+10 to diplomacy when making deals)
o Diplomatic Cover
(cover up signs of Spymaster attempts, diplomacy or bluff roll to exceed sense motive of target noble)
o Spy
Can use Gather Information for stats on henchmen or noble
o Implicate Scandal
(Can use bluff rolls in order to knock a henchman out of the contest due to embarrassing situation )
·
Accountant (Must have INT of 14 and Appraise of 10)
o Embezzle
(-1d3 x 1,000 gold from enemy)
o Procure
(add 1d4 x 1,000 gold)
o Fiscal Planning
(-500 gold per enemy, +x amount of gold)

Once all Henchmen are incapacitated in some way, the winner gets the loser’s vote. Votes can be distributed any way the nobles choose, unless their henchmen are defeated, in which case they go to the winner. The most votes at the end of the month wins the Regent's Chair. Henchmen who lose, lose 1,000 xp. Henchmen who win, win 1,500 xp.
o Most votes at the end of one month wins
o Starts again after another month
o Winner gets a reward of a red item, two blue items, or three green items and the pot


Of course, this hasn't been tested yet. But I'm planning on running one for the month of February, if nobles are available, in order to work out the kinks.

[Snowmane]

A few questions:

Will this mini-game take place in game or on the forums? I assume it's in game, in which case we'll have to plan the regent chair game times well in advance so that all the PC's involved can make arrangements to be present.

How will turn order be handled? Since the purpose of the mini-game is to eliminate all the henchmen of another house, this question seems import as whoever goes first will have an advantage. Maybe an initiative roll based off of the highest of the nobles diplomacy/bluff? And on a nobles turn, do all of his henchmen act? If so then going first is very important. If instead each noble gets to have one henchman perform one act, then has to wait for his turn (in order) for his other henchmen to act then the game would be much more strategic.

And one observation, Henchmen losing 1000 xp on a loss will deter higher level PC's from being henchmen. Perhaps this was intended. Also, can a player lose a level to this exp loss?

[[DM] Grinning Death]

The game will take place in game, yes. Nobles will have to set aside some time in order to make their rolls.

As for the order, we'll probably do an initiative based roll to begin to determine the order. Henchmen will act one at a time, in order of their nobles, until the turns are done.

And yes, the 1000xp was meant as a risk vs. reward gimmick.