as i was reading the city of gh box, got to wonder about all those sages, books and maps. theres a very nice colorofull map, made by a "flying painter".
do, the topic was created because im asking for opinion about:
-how common in your campaings is to have books and maps available to buy
-how useful would they be, like a book about history, or a book about "protection against the undead" (with true and false tips)
-how much would they cost?
-how can someone buy those?
-does this normal books and maps have any role in your campaing?
There are a number of named titles in the U-series which have found a place in my campaign world simply because of how often I have run those adventures (not in the same canon, mind you, rather through repetition have they been endeared to me) as well as in Baltron's Beacon there are quite a few interesting books as well.
I often incorporate skill manuals and the like as requirements for class levels if a mentor is not available.
Similarly, I often theme spellbooks as treasure. For instance, "Evocations Most Chilling: A Study of Ice Magic." I just make up junk like that.
I have also made a rather terrible map that continually changes. I role-played this by making a dozen maps, all subtly different, and then handing out a different version each time it was asked for, but only one at a time.
This is a subject that we keep coming back to -- I can think of a couple of threads in the last year.
"Ordinary" books on history can supply a great deal of useful information on locations and people, as well as some false and misleading information.
But we want to remember that inaccurate information, be it false and/or misleading need not necessarily be intentional. Sometimes a scholar wishes to write a book based upon local legend and hearsay. How accurate will the information be? Only as accurate as elderly people's memories.
The same can be said of maps. Even after the Lewis and Clark expedition, accurate maps of the US west were not readily available and inaccuracies could still be readily found. I would say that such books and maps have a definite claim to a place in the games, since they have a place in the W.o.G. setting.
As to price, that depends upon the availability and the accuracy of the book or map in question. Cheap copies of questionable accuracy? Fairly cheap. Quality books made/sold by scholars of good reputation? Pretty expensive.
i see, but how much in your opinion is "expensive"?
also, i have problems with the search engine. dont know why, but for instance, cant see all my topics. it shows that i have 3 pages of topics that i participated, but when i change to second or third page, it says that theres no page to see.
i've already talked to the guys responsable for that, but they dont know what is this error. :(
another thing on books is that a mage in my party found a simple abandoned library, but dont have how to transport all those books.
sad thing, heh?
like when you found a treasure of 10.000 cooper pieces
i see, but how much in your opinion is "expensive"?
That would depend on your campaign and I don't say that to be evasive. What does a common laborer earn in your world? If, say, a bricklayer or carpenter earn 1 gold piece a week for their labor, then 10 gold pieces would be expensive.
In my world a master craftsman may earn that, whereas those who are employed by him might earn 3 to 5 silver pieces a week. That would make a book worth 10 gold pieces very expensive.
rossik wrote:
another thing on books is that a mage in my party found a simple abandoned library, but dont have how to transport all those books . . . like when you found a treasure of 10.000 cooper pieces
You're a hard man, Rossik!
I would allow him to find a way to save as many of those books as he'd like. Make it difficult and expensive sure, but not impossible. But that's just me.
rossik wrote:
also, i have problems with the search engine. dont know why, but for instance, cant see all my topics. it shows that i have 3 pages of topics that i participated, but when i change to second or third page, it says that theres no page to see.
In my campaign, maps have become more rare, more expensive, and more heavily guarded. Why? Because of the military implications. I have become more aware of this simple, but important, use of maps as I have become less stupid...er...more wise. The rulers of most nations simply don't want enemy nations to possibly have access to particularly detailed/accurate maps of their entire countries.
So, for my campaign, very accurate maps of larger areas are extremely rare, and were probably stolen from a government building. Consequently, it is often illegal to possess such maps unless you are a ranking member of a Cartographer's Guild. Maps that just give an overview of nations are more common, as are maps of a city with businesses/temples/government buildings marked out. Both still tend to be on the pricey side though. Then there are simple little maps such as one may be offered at a city gate that show only how to get to a particular business. Advertisements basically. Inns, taverns, gambling houses, and houses of ill repute are the more obvious choices for businesses distributing the latter.
So, some maps will be expensive, some will not even be available for purchase, and some will be cheap or even free depending on what they show. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Because of the military implications . . . The rulers of most nations simply don't want enemy nations to possibly have access to particularly detailed/accurate maps of their entire countries.
An interesting point Cebrion. And a very good reason to make such maps very expensive.
I vary the cost and availability of books and maps depending on the skill level and interests of my players.
For skilled players that aren't interested I include only the occasional book or map as needed to advance the campaign, and usually only if they make the effort to search it out. The price varies depending on the importance of the document in question and the amount of money the players have on hand.
But then, I have run some campaigns with players who loved searching through ancient tomes and scrolls. In such cases I include lots of literature, varying the price according to the impact a given book or map might have on the ongoing campaign - the bigger the impact, the bigger the price.
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The rulers of most nations simply don't want enemy nations to possibly have access to 