- Location
- Toronto, Ontario(occasionally)
Have you considered expanding that to six and planting one in the city that stonewalled us?
Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest
- Thread starter Boney
- Start date
- Fantasy Users' Choice!
-
- Tags
- warhammer warhammer fantasy fantasy be gay do crimes (gay) female protagonist pansexual protagonist ck2 quest divided loyalties mountain vietnam ranald is real this is a dwarf quest (dwarfs) this is maybe an elf quest this is not a vampire quest this is not an empire quest try it and find out open voting
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
We have 3 villages and 1 town we have notable networks in. These are particularly cheap informants mind you.
And do not underestimate the pub gossip. The current problem is that Van Hal has no idea whats actually going on in the country.
Thats why we put cheap informants on cheap tasks, the guards are LOYAL, which is basically the only qualification you need to coordinate information reports.
The pub gossip gives you a feel for things like:
-Rise or drop in banditry usually indicates deeper problems, like cults, or undead moving in the countryside.
-Rabble rousing, like say, peasants angry at their gods being disrespected, or cultists recruiting.
-Beastmen, undead or other things moving in the background will be spotted because theres too many eyes. Now, a fair bit of these are just phobia or alcohol induced, but if you sum up the reports across a district you can find the spikes which highlight whether there IS a problem.
-Disappearances. The farmer's son disappearing is often just a runaway, but a spike in disappearances are individually unimportant, but together shows a problem.
For all that you need coverage.
And really, 10g a turn is cheap because they'd be spending their own actions widening the network, even if it's 'just' tavern gossip.
The suggestion is that it doesn't matter what Kasmir thinks, if we get the sub-council of priests set up, Kasmir has no excuse not to do his job, and we could basically marginalize him by giving him the TITLE, but actually just going straight to the sub-council.
Or if we frame him and purge him. Which gives us time to set up an alternative whatever the GT wants. But it's not recommended. Just mentioned because we should be giving our boss OPTIONS, not dictating how he can think for him.
Uh, no, I'm putting them to where they can take over existing networks. Currently we're managing a shitload of villages, more or less by dint of riding out to them and having a beer with the relevant headmen. This is a barebones intelligence apparatus.
As per Van Hal's instructions, we're better served building a dense network close to our castle, and then spreading that outwards, than spreading a thin network across the whole country. We just lack the budget for that.
Going to be next turn. Need better informants than ex soldiers if we want to START a network, though they can hook into the existing networks that don't require much finesse.
For a new agent in a new town we're better off going there to find one ourselves.
For regional supervisors we're better off taking from Anton's list but that takes actions we don't have this turn.
- Location
- Aotearoa
I thought the village headmen were already sending us the local news and gossip, and it's been 'nothing of note' so far.
Unless we can shift these guys onto the informant payroll, it's *not going to scale* and will eat up all our discretionary budget.
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario(occasionally)
I hadn't considered that, especially considering that the soldiers are explicitly stated to be terrible at espionage, but are we sure that Julbach is really part of our network?
It could be part of someone else's and we're just getting what they want us to know out of it.
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario(occasionally)
Another good point, I'd still try to send some to the towns we don't have a firm hold over and use others to ride around convincing officals to start sending us reports, as well as using one as a guard/secretary/gofer.
- Location
- Upon the back of the Great A'Tuin
Maybe we can use them to give us an introduction to the local leader in their home villages? Might better the odds if we have a local vouching for us.
As for Kasmir, I'm not sure what direction to take but I am certain that we should not suggest offing him to Van Hal.
As for Kasmir, I'm not sure what direction to take but I am certain that we should not suggest offing him to Van Hal.
- Location
- Aotearoa
My thought was that one would ride around collecting reports from the local Watch captains and bring them to us. One guard/gofer, and one keeping an eye on the army on the border. The army will patrol, soldiers will gossip in pubs about what happened.
A regional network of nobles keeping an eye on their sub-territories seems to make sense, perhaps?
Last edited:
Thats why we want a supervising eye. Not an imaginative one, just someone who has the time to spend weeks crawling their taverns.
Yep. But we need the Anton action for that. And probably a bigger budget...
DarkLight140
Credit to Team
- Location
- Lost in my thoughts
Okay, I've poked at this enough that I'm feeling pretty good about it. Key points:
[x] Plan Turn This Castle Upside Down And Shake It
-[x] Examine closely the corpse of the slain infiltrator, trying to determine the cause of their abilities.
--[x] Van Hal assists
--[x] Overwork
-[x] Examine and interrogate the imprisoned infiltrator.
-[x] Walk back their movements, see whether they left the castle and if so, what they were doing.
-[x] Closely interrogate every remaining servant.
-[x] Go out to the nearby villages and confirm the details of every single servant claiming to be from there.
-[x] If Kasmir is to be removed, he'll need replacing. Suggest somewhere that Van Hal could look to find someone.
--[x] The Morrites are a key part of the defense against Sylvania and care for Stirland. They can likely suggest a priest (presumably of Sigmar) who all Stirland's cults can work with well, and the other cults may have useful recommendations too. A probably-local priest well liked by the other religions here might not please the Grand Theogonist but at least they'll get things done.
-[x] Van Hal is having a crisis of faith, but as someone whose religion demands that she not talk about her religion, you don't think you can help. See if you can convince Wilhelmina to talk him through this. (no action)
-[x] Mention to Van Hal that you heard from your master in Altdorf that Schultz was the concession that brought Talabecland's vote. You have no reason to suspect his commitment to his role in Stirland, but it appears that Talabecland interests wanted him here. (no action)
-[x] Van Hal can get you veterans of the Army of Stirland - mostly uneducated and suspicious of magic, but unquestionably loyal to Stirland. (no action required, -10g discretionary/turn each)
--[x] Assign one to each of Drebkau and Langwald with orders to move in, build contacts, and send us reports regularly on recent events with an emphasis on anything unusual or suspicious. Veterans who have already retired into those locations or intend to do so anyway would be ideal.
--[x] Assign one to keep an eye on opinions in the military. Put an emphasis on the new Marshal for now, from his staff if they can manage it.
--[x] Assign one to keep in close contact with the Wurtbad Watch and personally get to know the Watchmen.
--[x] Hire a scribe to ensure that they are literate and numerate enough to send regular legible reports. (-15g discretionary)
-[x] Van Hal recommended asking Anton about sons and daughters of nobles to use as assistants. They're likely to be well-educated and politically savvy, but their loyalties would be to their family and they may be undisciplined. Line up some interviews and see how it goes.
--[x] Ranald's Blessing
-[x] Report on Gustav based upon the previous investigation, anything learned from initially meeting him and asking some general questions about his background and plans, and whatever the new hires turn up before the deadline. (no action)
--[x] Pass anything new to Van Hal, as well. (no action)
-[x] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
--[x] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
-[x] Wardrobe Expansion: Start wearing a tunic and breeches under your wizard's robes. (no action required, -personal gold)
--[x] Enchantment: So far you've failed to find suitable equipment (damn Wizard Chic) but you could always try again with local goods. (-discretionary gold, action required to set up and learn to use equipment, action expenditure can be postponed)
---[x] Postpone action. Just buy the stuff first
-[x] That damn Asp has still been quiet, but now you've got a lead. Peruse the book Light And It's Properties, by Leonardo da Miragliano.
- Investigates the castle thoroughly, by almost every avenue available. Van Hal assists in searching for sabotage/enemy action as his suspicion/paranoia and high Learning should make him very good at that
- Gives Van Hal thoughts on making sure Kasmir's replacement is what he needs instead of whether/how to replace him
- Throws Wilhelmina at Van Hal's crisis of faith in the hopes that an old and trusted friend can help talk him through his problems; we can't let him keep that trait because Crisis of Faith is how elector counts fall to chaos (he wouldn't, but still, bad shit down that road)
- Puts veterans into the Sylvanian border towns that don't have armies in them; not having any eyes on the Sylvanian border has been awful
- Uses veterans to investigate Gustav in order to save on actions; this is unreliable but we should get something and we already have some information to send along should it completely fail
- Ranald's Blessing goes to getting a noble lieutenant via Anton; hopefully this will make up for his abysmal Intrigue when selecting candidates and/or give us someone excellent as assistant
- Keeps to six actions to avoid exhaustion/worsened critfail risks
- Does not move our personal plotlines/development forward in any significant way; everything is Stirland this turn with the assumption that gathering so many assistants will lighten our load moving forward and free up an action or two to use for those later
[x] Plan Turn This Castle Upside Down And Shake It
-[x] Examine closely the corpse of the slain infiltrator, trying to determine the cause of their abilities.
--[x] Van Hal assists
--[x] Overwork
-[x] Examine and interrogate the imprisoned infiltrator.
-[x] Walk back their movements, see whether they left the castle and if so, what they were doing.
-[x] Closely interrogate every remaining servant.
-[x] Go out to the nearby villages and confirm the details of every single servant claiming to be from there.
-[x] If Kasmir is to be removed, he'll need replacing. Suggest somewhere that Van Hal could look to find someone.
--[x] The Morrites are a key part of the defense against Sylvania and care for Stirland. They can likely suggest a priest (presumably of Sigmar) who all Stirland's cults can work with well, and the other cults may have useful recommendations too. A probably-local priest well liked by the other religions here might not please the Grand Theogonist but at least they'll get things done.
-[x] Van Hal is having a crisis of faith, but as someone whose religion demands that she not talk about her religion, you don't think you can help. See if you can convince Wilhelmina to talk him through this. (no action)
-[x] Mention to Van Hal that you heard from your master in Altdorf that Schultz was the concession that brought Talabecland's vote. You have no reason to suspect his commitment to his role in Stirland, but it appears that Talabecland interests wanted him here. (no action)
-[x] Van Hal can get you veterans of the Army of Stirland - mostly uneducated and suspicious of magic, but unquestionably loyal to Stirland. (no action required, -10g discretionary/turn each)
--[x] Assign one to each of Drebkau and Langwald with orders to move in, build contacts, and send us reports regularly on recent events with an emphasis on anything unusual or suspicious. Veterans who have already retired into those locations or intend to do so anyway would be ideal.
--[x] Assign one to keep an eye on opinions in the military. Put an emphasis on the new Marshal for now, from his staff if they can manage it.
--[x] Assign one to keep in close contact with the Wurtbad Watch and personally get to know the Watchmen.
--[x] Hire a scribe to ensure that they are literate and numerate enough to send regular legible reports. (-15g discretionary)
-[x] Van Hal recommended asking Anton about sons and daughters of nobles to use as assistants. They're likely to be well-educated and politically savvy, but their loyalties would be to their family and they may be undisciplined. Line up some interviews and see how it goes.
--[x] Ranald's Blessing
-[x] Report on Gustav based upon the previous investigation, anything learned from initially meeting him and asking some general questions about his background and plans, and whatever the new hires turn up before the deadline. (no action)
--[x] Pass anything new to Van Hal, as well. (no action)
-[x] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
--[x] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
-[x] Wardrobe Expansion: Start wearing a tunic and breeches under your wizard's robes. (no action required, -personal gold)
--[x] Enchantment: So far you've failed to find suitable equipment (damn Wizard Chic) but you could always try again with local goods. (-discretionary gold, action required to set up and learn to use equipment, action expenditure can be postponed)
---[x] Postpone action. Just buy the stuff first
-[x] That damn Asp has still been quiet, but now you've got a lead. Peruse the book Light And It's Properties, by Leonardo da Miragliano.
Last edited:
Explicitly untrue, as we found out. He's great at interrogations but not skilled at any other intrigue.
Using him for non interrogations is a waste
- Location
- Germany
[X] Plan Solid Core
LoganBert34
Apprentice Clerk
- Location
- Australia
My main interest is that we need to make sure we spend as close to 100% of our discretionary income as possible every year. Money not used in the income is money wasted, or worse, money deducted from next year's budget. We've started embezzling just like any good civil servant of the time, but we haven't made very good use of the money we haven't embezzled. We should be more experimental with it.
Also, is it possible to encourage Van Hall to look up/autopsy the corpse of the infiltrator and the gribblies in the walls? We've done a good job so far and I think he'll actually welcome a chance to go back to his Witch-Hunter roots (and we really can't do that anyway). Plus, he does have high learning.
Also, is it possible to encourage Van Hall to look up/autopsy the corpse of the infiltrator and the gribblies in the walls? We've done a good job so far and I think he'll actually welcome a chance to go back to his Witch-Hunter roots (and we really can't do that anyway). Plus, he does have high learning.
DarkLight140
Credit to Team
- Location
- Lost in my thoughts
I'm pretty sure that he's making Intrigue rolls during interrogations the same as anyone else. Do you have a GM quote that he gets some special bonus during those?
Discretionary income is carried over from year to year, so I'm not too concerned about spending all of it. We're picking up additional ways to spend it as we go along in any case, though your point that the money is there to use and not hoard is well taken. I did want to send out a dozen new agents but opinion in the thread seemed firmly against it.
I wouldn't mind kicking Van Hal to the untaken "-[ ] Examine closely the corpse of the slain infiltrator, trying to determine the cause of their abilities." action but then we're not spending time with him, and I have trouble convincing myself to take that action when it doesn't seem likely to lead us to actually finding new infiltrators/plots. It is probably Learning-based so he'd be great at it, though.
This isn't true. Our discretionary budget is ours to do with as we wish, within the confines of our duties as spymaster. If we choose to hoard it for some future necessity, that's our prerogative. In fact, that's what we're doing now -- you can see on the character sheet that we have 320 gold stored. As far as state finances are concerned, that money's been spent.
LoganBert34
Apprentice Clerk
- Location
- Australia
Ah, the more you know
. I just assumed that the budget not used couldn't be stored, or if it could, it would look like embezzlement.On the point of the autopsies, I want him to do it without us. As in, he sits in the interrogations with us, and then uses a personal action to do the autopsies. It's admitting a shortcoming, but I think considering how well we've done so far, and how he might enjoy doing something witch-hunter-ish, it would be win-win really.
Hell, it could set us up to do an action of:
-[] Get Van Hall to tutor you on the undead, he's the expert after all, and would likely know more than any textbook or simple priest.
Like @veekie, what's your take on it? Will you be willing to add that into your plan?
Back when we got Interrogator we learned he gets interrogation training from being a Witch Hunter like we get Mage Sight for being a Wizard.
Narrows down the type of infiltrator. Maybe figure out a test?
- Location
- Canada
[x] Plan Turn This Castle Upside Down And Shake It
A thought about our soldiery agents. A lot of them are veterans, right - so why not have them play the roles of mercenaries working the trade routes and townships openly. The Iron Bull Method.
Paraphrasing Krem - He writes letters home. Lots of lads write letters home.
A thought about our soldiery agents. A lot of them are veterans, right - so why not have them play the roles of mercenaries working the trade routes and townships openly. The Iron Bull Method.
Paraphrasing Krem - He writes letters home. Lots of lads write letters home.
Last edited:
Uh, won't get a lot more information that way though, thats the kind of strategy you use to infiltrate other provinces.
Not really a this turn priority. This turn is pretty much purging the infiltrators before their lead grows stale.Ah, the more you know
On the point of the autopsies, I want him to do it without us. As in, he sits in the interrogations with us, and then uses a personal action to do the autopsies. It's admitting a shortcoming, but I think considering how well we've done so far, and how he might enjoy doing something witch-hunter-ish, it would be win-win really.
Hell, it could set us up to do an action of:
-[] Get Van Hall to tutor you on the undead, he's the expert after all, and would likely know more than any textbook or simple priest.
Like @veekie, what's your take on it? Will you be willing to add that into your plan?
Intellectual curiosity after we don't have assassins in the castle
LoganBert34
Apprentice Clerk
- Location
- Australia
It won't distract us, and to be fair, knowing what your infiltrator is might help us root it out. (The typed up option was something for the next turns, not this one)
Right now, we're just assuming they are 'Human Vamp servants', or some type of independent thrall.
I wouldn't mind a hypothetical future turn where we take a Sucking Up To The Boss action with a Research Undead action. That's good action synergy.
The problem is having a turn where nothing's of immediate urgency and where we don't have a bunch of other things (magical learning, combat training, catching up on past leads, etc) being important enough to prioritise ahead of it.
You might be overestimating what they're capable of. They're guys that marched around with a spear for thirty years. Building contacts, monitoring opinions, reporting on personality and habits, analyzing reports and passing on summaries? They're untrained, uneducated peasants. You can send them somewhere and they'll keep their ears open for rumours at the pub and gossip at the marketplace and pass on anything that sticks out, but that's about their limit.
And as I said earlier, there's a real danger in trying to get these veterans to spy on Gustav. As you reported to Van Hal, he's universally beloved by his men, and these are peasants suspicious of sneaky business in general and wizards in particular, so he'd be very likely to un-suborn the suborned men you send to him without even trying.
Last edited:
Guile
Having a really great time right now
Thoughts on Plan Turn This Castle Upside Down And Shake It:
Childhood Friend Campaign Quartermaster Friend.
But if not, then yes, this jumps to the head of the queue, because holy shit.
This is basically the only bit of the vote I have trouble with.
I think this is fairly brilliant. Get some use out of the
I feel like there must be SOME apparatus in place to catch incursions from Sylvania already, and we should focus on the contentious local topics like Flensburg?
But if not, then yes, this jumps to the head of the queue, because holy shit.
This seems a bit risky, since any of these veterans flubbing an Intrigue roll could out himself to Gustav and we have no idea how he feels about that. He might take it with good grace, he might flip out and declare bloodfeud for impugning his honor.
This is basically the only bit of the vote I have trouble with.
Yes, great choices both.
Last edited:
