Thursday 24 September 2020

Hired services of the Perilous Land


Art: Alan Lathwell

It only takes some coin to gain the services you might need on your adventures in the Perilous Land. Whether you're in need of a sword for hire, an invigorating musician or simply someone to cook your meals, this list of hirelings will offer you some help along the way (for a price).

Where to find hirelings

Services for hire can usually be found in larger towns and cities, where they're more likely to be able to play their trades. The local tavern is sure to have a few knocking around, particularly sellswords, pipers and thieves. Scouts are generally found nearer to vast areas of rugged wilderness, with travellers paying for safe passage through dark and perilous places. Torchbearers are ten a penny, often young whippersnappers who are eager for a taste of adventure, while healers often hawk their services on the street, or come recommended in smaller villages. Scribes are learned folk who tend to frequent more up-market drinking establishments and can be found in royal courts. Cooks are many, but cooks who would risk life and limb on a quest are few and far between. Sometimes local inns will advertise cooks for hire, but few like to venture further than their own kingdom without large recompense.

Paying hirelings

The listed prices below are guides. Some well-to-do scribe may only venture out to record the heroes' exploits for 20gp per day, while some desperate waif might bear torches for 2gp. Generally, hirelings will up their prices for danger pay, or if they're required to travel to another kingdom. Most wish to be paid a sum up front, such as if they know they will be travelling for four days, they will want at least half right away.

Disgruntled hirelings

If a hireling gets hurt, at the end of combat they must make a Mind check. If they succeed, they become disgruntled. A disgruntled hireling is in danger of leaving. They will question orders more and may cause issues in the party. If a disgruntled hireling takes damage make another Mind check. On a success they leave. Characters may try to placate the hireling by increasing their fee by 25% or succeeding a Persuasion check of tough difficulty. Placated hirelings lose the disgruntled status.

Hirelings may also become disgruntled every day they don't get paid. Use the same process as above, but at the end of every day they haven't been paid.

Cook
Cost: 10gp per day
Might 8 Reflex 10 Constitution 10 Charisma 13 Mind 12
HP 10
Talents: Wilderness Expert
Skills: Nature, Survival

Thief
Cost: 14gp per day
Might 10 Reflex 14 Constitution 11 Charisma 12 Mind 12
HP 11
Talents: Shadow Flourish
Skills: Stealth, Perception, Thievery

Piper
Cost: 9gp per day
Might 8 Reflex 13 Constitution 9 Charisma 15 Mind 12
HP 9
Talents: Leadership
Skills: Persuasion, Perform

Scout
Cost: 13gp per day
Might 11 Reflex 12 Constitution 10 Charisma 8 Mind 13
HP 10
Talents: Trapper
Skills: Perception, Nature, Survival

Sellsword
Cost: 14gp per day
HP 13
Might 15 Reflex 10 Constitution 13 Charisma 9 Mind 9
Talents: Critical Blow
Skills: Athletics, Intimidation

Torchbearer
Cost: 5gp per day
HP 8
Might 9 Reflex 9 Constitution 8 Charisma 12 Mind 10
Talents: None
Skills: Perception

Healer
Cost: 10gp per day
HP 9
Might 8 Reflex 11 Constitution 9 Charisma 13 Mind 16
Talents: Master Healer
Skills: Healing, Nature

Scribe
Cost: 8gp per day
HP 7
Might 8 Reflex 11 Constitution 7 Charisma 14 Mind 17
Talents: Sharp-Witted
Skills: History, Languages


Wednesday 23 September 2020

Explore your roots in Heroic Origins for Romance of the Perilous Land


Backgrounds help flesh out your character, giving them extra flavour, as well as skills and equipment. Now you can download the first supplement for Romance of the Perilous Land - Heroic Origins, which contains 20 brand new backgrounds.

Become an heir of monarchs with the Royalty background, which brings with it both privilege and enemies. For those who want a character to have a touch of the wonderous, the Feyborn background allows you to play as a hero from two worlds - the mortal world and the fairy Otherworld. Your origin could even be that of the Wytchguard, fearless undead slayers from the city of Beyonne.

Heroic Origins is available for $3 from DrivethruRPG and Itch.io.


Thursday 17 September 2020

The future of Romance of the Perilous Land


I wanted to give all of you an update on plans for Romance of the Perilous Land going forward as I'd imagine some people will have been wondering.

First off, there is an adventure in the pipeline. It's all written and it's just awaiting publication. This will be a free pdf starter adventure (one that of you came to my UK Games Expo or Gen Con games you will have experienced). Secondly, errata is also on the way soon - all with Osprey right now.

I've been incredibly proud of Romance and the reception it's had over the past nine months and it's been a joy to work with the talented team at Osprey. I'm also very keen to get more material out there because I have a tonne of ideas for adventures and supplements.

Right now these aren't something Osprey can facilitate, so I'm happy to say that Trollish Delver Games will be publishing the official material for Romance going forward. This is a really exciting time for me - the core book is out via a major publisher but I also now get to release material on my own schedule. This means zines, books and pdfs with more frequency.

The first of these releases will be a supplement of 20 new backgrounds. In the near future I'll be announcing the first print book supplement of the series.

All in all, an exciting time for the game, so watch this space.