Runkle Plays Games

In my last play session, we noted that the players probably need to hire torchbearers or similar companions. I took a look at the rules in 5e and some other games before deciding what to do, and ended up merging them into a simple system that I hope will work for us.

D&D Fifth Edition

The hiring rules[0] in 5e left me feeling really underwhelmed. And after I compared them with the rules in a number of other games, I felt even more underwhelmed. “Skilled” cost 2 gold pieces per day, and “unskilled” cost 2 silver pieces per day. I’d increase that significantly for NPCs asked to go into harm’s way, like torchbearers in a dungeon. Note that this only means hired workers, not “retainers” or “low-level followers”. In those cases, they get a share of treasure and experience points. They make good replacement characters when a regular player character dies, too.

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SLEIGHT OF HAND

“Sleight of Hand” is one of the 18 skills in 5th edition D&D. It is a Dexterity skill. This is because “Sleight of Hand” also known as Prestidigitation or Legerdemain, is the set of techniques used to manipulate objects secretly. The employment of purely manual dexterity without mechanical apparatus may be distinguished as “Sleight of Hand.”

There are eight principles to the study of “Sleight of Hand.” These include:

1. Palm – To hold an object in an apparently empty hand.
2. Switch – To secretly exchange one object for another.
3. Ditch – To secretly dispose of an unneeded object.
4. Steal – To secretly obtain a needed object.
5. Load – To secretly move an object to where it is needed.
6. Simulation – To give the impression that something has happened that has not.
7. Misdirection – To lead attention away from a secret move.
8. Display – To demonstrate an object…