On Caravans
Caravans quite simply consist of a group of people seeking to transport merchandise (or themselves) somewhere, who have decided to travel together to better fend off the many dangers of the open road (including bandits, bad weather, and hostile creatures) which beset even this fairly civilized region. Players may seek to join one of these caravans, either as passengers or employees; GM’s may use the procedures outlined below to construct these groups.
At any given time, there will be 3d12 caravans forming or passing through Haven each week; these caravans will vary greatly in destination, size, and quality. Modify this for other locations as appropriate.
If players have a particular destination in mind, the percentage chances of finding a caravan taking that route are dependent on the exact number of caravans present, and the distance of the desired destination from Haven.
Chances of Finding a Caravan
| # of Caravans Present | <100 mi | 100-500 mi | 501-1000 mi | 1000+ mi |
|---|:—:|:—:|:—:|:—:|:—:|
| up to 10 | 40% | 10% | 2% | 1% |
| 11 to 16 | 65% | 20% | 5% | 2% |
| up to 10 | 80% | 40% | 10% | 4% |
| up to 10 | 95% | 50% | 15% | 6% |
| up to 10 | 100% | 60% | 20% | 8% |
For distances greater than 500 miles it is usually necessary to transfer between caravans.
If the players do not have a destination in mind, the GM may select a destination for each caravan by consulting their world map. Caravans travelling between major cities are extremely common and percentage chances should be raised accordingly.
The travel speed of a caravan will primarily depend on the type of transport used. Wagon trains will average 15 miles/day on open terrain; horses, 20 miles/day; other pack animals, 18 miles/day; and foot caravans, 10 miles/day. This is modified by the factors at right.
Most caravans will have one individual who holds the chief decision-making responsibility - the caravan master. The Master is responsible for maintaining the caravan’s equipment and stores, for hiring personnel (including guards, drovers, cooks, bearers, and occasionally scouts or native interpreters), and for obtaining up-to-date information about area conditions. The Master’s abilities as a woodsman, organizer, and judge of men will largely determine success or failure of a given venture. The Caravan Masters described in this section are all rated as to their skills in their profession - Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor. To rate a random caravan master roll [roll:d100]:
- 01-15 Poor
- 16-40 Fair
- 41-90 Good
- 91-00 Excellent
Caravans are classified as small, medium, large, or huge. For a random caravan’s size, roll [roll:d100]. Add 20 to this die roll if the Caravan’s Master is rated Excellent, and subtract 20 if he is rated Poor (news, both good and bad, travels fast).
- 01-25 Small
- 26-60 Medium
- 61-90 Large
- 91-00 Huge.
The overall size of a caravan will have a bearing on the mode of travel used.
Mode of Transport Used by Caravan Size
| Mode | Small | Medium | Large | Huge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagon | 01 - 30 | 01 - 40 | 01 - 50 | 01 - 60 |
| Pack Animal | 31 - 95 | 41 - 97 | 51 - 99 | 61 - 00 |
| Foot | 96 - 00 | 98 - 00 | 00 | — |
Number of Spaces by Caravan Size
| Mode | Small | Medium | Large | Huge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagon | 2d6 | [roll:3d10+5] | [roll:5d10+20] | [roll:5d20+40] |
| Pack Animal | 3d10 | [roll:3d10+30] | [roll:5d20+50] | [roll:3d100+200] |
| Foot | [roll:5d10+10] | [roll:3d20+40] | [roll:2d100+100] | — |
| Guards | 4d6 | 5d10 | [roll:3d20+20] | [roll:5d10+50] |
The number of spaces listed for each group indicates the total number of cargo/passenger slots in the overall caravan. The number of spaces remaining available will depend on the Master’s skill rating.
| Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3d4 x 5% | 2d4 x 5% | 2d4 x 5% | 1d6 x 5% |
Speed
In general, caravans move at the rate of the slowest component. This base rate is further modifed based on the conditions.
- Weather:
- Fog: -30%
- Snow: -50%
- Rain: -20%
- Terrain
- Rough: -10% (-20% for wagons)
- Mountains: -20% (-50% for wagons)
- Roads: +20%
- Caravan Size
- Small: +20%
- Medium: no change
- Large: -10%
- Huge: -30%
- Master’s Skill Rating
- Excellent: +30%
- Good: +10%
- Fair: no change
- Poor: -20%
Fees
Fees for passengers average about
- 20-40gp/week for a person traveling by foot or horse (supply your own mount)
- 50-70gp/week for wagon accommodations (4-6 persons to a wagon)
Cargo spaces run anywhere from
- 150-250gp/week for a covered wagon
- 120-200gp/week for an open freight wagon
- 20-30gp/week for a horse, mule, ox, or other pack animal
GMs should note that a wagon will hold 8 to 10 times the cargo that an animal can carry on its back. In some cases (usually when a caravan is well below its capacity), these prices can be haggled down somewhat. GMs should also feel free to raise or lower these fees to reflect the number and quality of the guards accompanying the caravan - the larger and more potent looking the contingent, the higher the price.
Hiring On
If players wish to travel in indolent comfort, they may pay the customary fees and be done with it. If, however, their funds are a bit low, they may seek to hire on with a caravan. One may seek employment as a guard, a drover or herdsman, cook or assistant, or (in fairly rare cases) as a helper or bearer for a particular caravan passenger. The chances of getting hired - if there is an opening to begin with - will primarily depend on the person’s qualifications and ability to “sell” himself, but are often further modified by the personal likes/dislikes of a Caravan Master and his assistants.
To determine if a particular caravan has a job opening of a particular type, consult the chart and roll d100. Subtract 20 from this result if the Caravan Master has a Poor rating, and add 10 or 30 if he is rated Good or Excellent, respectively (this reflects the fact that a well-run organization has much lower turnover than average, and vice versa).
# Job Opportunities by Caravan Size
| Job Type | Small | Medium | Large | Huge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guard / Scout | 50 | 70 | 90 | 120 |
| Drover / Herdsman | 25 | 40 | 60 | 80 |
| Cook / Assistant | 15 | 30 | 40 | 55 |
| Helper / Bearer | 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
If an opening exists, players may then interview for the job; note that Helper/Bearer candidates will probably interview with their prospective employer rather than the Caravan Master. Each job has a base acceptance chance:
- Guardsman 50%
- Scout 30%
- Cook/ Assistant 25%
- Drover/Herdsman 60%
- Helper/Bearer 35%
These base chances are modified as follows
- Apply training & experience modifiers
- Apply attribute bonuses
- Apply caravan master racial modifier (see below)
- Add +2% for each point of CHA over 12, +5% for each point over 16
- Subtract 5% for each CHA point under 7
- GM may apply modifier for player’s roleplaying (plus or minus)
Qualification Modifiers By Role
| Role | Training & Experience | Physical Attributes |
|---|---|---|
| Guard / Scout | - No militia or mercenary training at all: -15% - Prior mercenary training: +10% - Militia experience: +5% - Mercenary experience: +10% - Leadership experience:+10% - Expertise with a weapon: +10% - Goliath race: +25% - Centaur race: +10% + 15% (for scouting) - Avanthar race: +25% (for scouting only) - Sense Ambush 50% or better: +10% - Tracking (for scouting only): +15% - Mountaineering (for scouting only): +10% | - For each point of STR over 13: +3% - For each point of STR under 10: -5% - For each point of STR under 7: -10% - For each point of DEX over 14: +3% - For each point of DEX under 9: -2% - for each point of DEX under 6: -5% - For each point of CON over 13: +2% - For each point of CON under 9: -4% |
| Drover / Herdsman | - No training at all: -25% - No prior experience at all: -15% - Peasant background: +0% - Wanderin Folk:+15% - Horsemanship: +5% - Master horseman: +10% - Husbandry: +10% - Master of husbandry: +20% - Prior droving/herding experience: +15% - Centaur race: +25% - Expertise with lariat or whip: +10% each | - For each point of DEX over 14: +3% - For each point of DEX under 9: -2% - For each point of DEX over 16: +5% - For each point of DEX under 6: -5% - For each point of CON over 12: +3% - For each point of CON under 9: -4% |
| Cook / Assistant | - No training at all: -25% - Cooking training: +0% - Cooking experience: +10% - Chef’s training: +20% - Master chef: +30% - Halfling race: +25% - Expertise with kitchen knives or cleaver:+10% | - For each point of APP over 15: +3% - For each point of APP under 9: -3% - For each point of APP under 5: -7% |
| Helper / Bearer | - Training in First Aid: +15% - Training in applicable fields: +5% each | - None for helper - For each point of STR over 11: +2% - For each point of STR under 7: -5% - For each point of CON over 1 3: +5% - For each point of CON under 9: -5% - For each point of CON under 6: -10% |
Racial Bias of Hiring Person vs. Applicant’s Race
| Applicant Race | Human | Elf | Half-Elf | Dwarf | Centaur | Halfling | Avanthari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human | +15% | -5% | 0% | -10% | +10% | +10% | 0% |
| Half-Orc | +0% | -25% | -10% | -10% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Elf | +10% | +25% | +10% | -40% | +20% | +35% | -10% |
| Half-Elf | +10% | +20% | +25% | -30% | +15% | +25% | 0% |
| Dwarf | +0% | 0% | +5% | +25% | -10% | +10% | +10% |
| Centaur | +10% | +15% | +20% | -50% | +25% | +20% | +15% |
| Halfling | +10% | 0% | 0% | -50% | +5% | +35% | -10% |
| Tiefling | -20% | -35% | -25% | -50% | -20% | -80% | -20% |
| Avanthari | +20% | +15% | +10% | -20% | +20% | +20% | +25% |
| Goliath | +20% | +5% | +10% | -20% | +20% | +5% | +5% |
- If modifiers total more than 60%
— an offer will be made
— if no openings, one will be created and an offer made - Roll d100 and if the result is less than or equal to the adjusted total, the player has been offered the job
Predefined Caravans
The following caravans are predefined, both to provide samples of caravans and to save time when a ready prepared caravan is needed quickly. Most of them are traveling extended distances; local caravans are usually small and of little import. At least two of each size range are given and each caravan is listed as Destination (Direction - Distance), Master (Rating), Transport Mode (Total Spaces/ Openings), Guards.
Small
- Brighton (east - 250), Bondi Hackett (Good), foot (38 spaces / 11 open), 14 guards
- Belakor (west - 450), Trevian (Good), wagons (9 spaces/2 open), 22 guards
- Huy Lankh (northwest - 300), Shosta Kovich (Poor), horses (20 spaces/7 open), 10 guards
Medium
- Herudana (southeast - 1,200), Merrill the Knife (Fair), horses (41 spaces/15 open), 26 guards
- Bredakis (east - 600), Kate Forny (Good), wagons (23 spaces/5 open), 15 guards
- Kura Lutrin (northeast - 2,300), Derry Goether (Good), horses (48 spaces/12 open), 28 guards
- Pharos (southeast - 350), Tom of Burrbank (Fair), horses (40 spaces/8 open), 22 guards
- Solhedrin (south - 800), Andur ar-Khanakis (Poor), wagons (22 spaces/11 open), 36 guards
Large
- Belakor (west - 450), Tino (Fair), horses (98 spaces/40 open), 49 guards
- dhar-Ankes (north - 800), Peter Obrovski (Excellent), foot (121 spaces/6 open), 51 guards
- Mandalai (north - 250), Bo Tan (Fair), mules (74 spaces/15 open), 68 guards
- Huy Lankh (northwest - 300), Bour Tamine (Good), wagons (35 spaces/2 open), 38 guards
Huge
- Emor (northwest -1,000), Peri de Matrunin (Good), horses (347 spaces/105 open), 74 guards
- Solhedrin (south - 800), Boki (Excellent), wagons (104 spaces/10 open), 75 guards