Design Notes
Our first roll for stats netted us 15, 16, 8, 12, 12, 10. This stat line really lends itself to either a Fighter or a Magic-User, but with 50,000XP also lets us make the Captain of the SHIP as a Merchant-Prince of the Minrothad Guilds. The special rules used here will come from the Gazetteer 9 – The Minrothad Guilds.
As a Minrothad sailor, and a member of Guild Corser, the trading ventures are going to be important for Allyn so the initial skills we are looking at are Appraisal, Bargaining +1, Navigation, and Ship Sailing. As he leveled up and was trying to become a Merchant-Prince, his new skill is Merchant-Prince Magic as required by that class. His trading background has him learn Sindi and Thyatian as additional languages past his Minrothad Patois and Neutral Alignment languages to begin. Similarly, coming from the Minrothad Guilds, he chooses his Weapon Specializations as Short Sword, Trident, Light Crossbow, and Net to start eventually training to Expert level in the Short Sword.
Optional D &D Rules Notes
Weapon Specializations
As a fighter, Allyn, started with 4 Weapon Specializations and has sunk the advancement levels into his short sword to become an Expert.
- Short Sword – Expert
The Short Sword’s damage in 1d6+4 now and Allyn has additional abilities against opponents who are wielding Hand Held Weapons against him. Specifically, he gains an additional +4 to hit, and receives a -2 Armor Class bonus against the first two attacks from Hand Held Melee weapons in a combat round. He only has an additional +2 against missile weapon wielding or monster opponents though. He can roll to deflect the two missile or melee weapon attacks against him in a round by making a save against death rays and can attempt to disarm his opponents with a +2 Penalty to resisting the roll. Finally, Allyn can throw the short sword as a missile weapon but using his Strength bonus to hit with a medium range of 10 and a long range of 20.
- Net – Basic
Normally, I wouldn’t add much about a basic level proficiency since it is just using the stats from the book, but the net’s ability to Entangle is worth a mention. If entangled, a victim can neither move nor cast spells. To escape, the victim must make a roll against death ray.
Merchant-Prince Class
The Merchant Prince Class is a special class available to certain members of the Minrothad Guilds. The class does not offer additional hit points, or skills, but lets its member access the special water magic developed by the Sea Elves as part of the Minrothad history. The Merchant-Prince Spell List includes numerous spells that are designed to enhance their abilities on the seas and in command of ship from controlling weather to preserving the food stores needed for long voyages. Effectively, you get to double class into a spellcaster without all of the benefits. The way the Experience Points break down, Allyn was able to pick up a few classes of Merchant-Prince without falling too far behind in class advancement compared to others.
Spell Book
1st Level
- Read Magic
- Warp Wood
- Light
- Tar
2nd Level
- Web
- Nightwatch
- Purify Food & Water
Character Notes
Having been elevated to Merchant-Prince far earlier than most, Allyn still has much to prove and only has a schooner to his name. While growing his reputation and wealth, Allyn is still pulled into the politics of the Guilds but his motley crew has been a boon to his trading ventures. As Mystara reels from Alphatia’s sinking, Allyn hopes to expand his influence in the Minrothad and has his eye on a trading ship capable of carrying even more cargo.
It wasn’t that long ago that Allyn was just a journeyman on a trading venture for the Guilds starting out in his career. Sadly, a powerful storm sunk the ship he was travelling on not far from the coast of Sind. The silver lining of this cloud was that he had the opportunity to bargain his way back East to get home. Allyn has never been accused of having common sense and took a big gamble when he bought trade goods from Sind in the form of oddly dyed silks with his last few gold. The profit from selling these to Karameikos nobles was almost as important as meeting Hatim who was trying to find a way out of Sind.
The two of them made their way back to The Minrothad Guild islands and further adventuring ensued. Along the way, Allyn bought an Ork gladiator out of Thyatian slavery much to the chagrin of Balia who joined up in Karameikos on the run from the Black Eagle Barony and Bargle’s long and vengeful memory. When Allyn’s shrewd business sense (and lack of common sense) had him try to make an overland trading route for some highly desirable precious wood this motley crew added Sharvon and Bors while passing through the Republic of Darokin.
The six adventurers had their merchant plans interrupted when the Thyatian-Alphatian Great War broke out in AC 1005. During the war, Minrothad was studiously neutral as the superpowers of the continent fought with sword and sorcery but Allyn didn’t let the chance for profit slip by. Returning to and from Sind while the war raged, they barely stayed one step ahead of the Master of Hule’s effective coup. These actions and the wealth realized left little choice but to allow him to study as a Merchant-Prince.
The Callie’s Song
An able schooner from the Minrothad Guild, the Callie’s Song is captained by Allyn and his adventuring party with a few dozen hirelings to keep things ship-shape. Emblazoned with the emblem of Guild Corser on the maroon sails and decorated with a flashy style, as befits the Minrothad way, the Callie’s Song has been making high value and risky ventures for several years enriching the Minrothad Guilds, Guild Corser, and Allyn. It also serves as the primary method of transport for Allyn and his friends when they are off to seek adventures, but he will leave the ship to his crew to return it home if the cargo is ready but they are not. Allyn named this ship after his Mother and has proven to be far more capable than many thought he would be when he was elevated to Merchant-Prince far in advance of anyone’s expectations.
Callie’s Song Overview Here.
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