PHILANTHROPY AS CAROUSING: Making Your Mistakes Other Peoples' Problems

artist: Jan Steen

I enjoy carousing options in general because they can add a bit of chaos to the predictable back-and-forth of megadungeon procedure. They are also a convenient mechanism to get factions into play with the PCs. And in terms of XP, carousing is a risk-infused double-dip* route with low DM overhead. Perfect.

Initially, the carousing tables I had were not uniquely differentiated beyond the save throw used and the "fail-state" tables. Eventually, in addition to the traditional carousing table for drinking and revelry, I added one that was MU research-oriented adapted from a Chris McDowell d30 table from KNOCK! This was perfect for fighter-types and magic-user types, but shortly after I was asked by Miranda of InPlacesDeep if I happened to have a Philanthropy table.

And that got me thinking about what would differentiate carousing based on philanthropy versus one based on revelry or magic research. I came up with two differences: one on my own and another after consulting with some folks on the Prismatic Wasteland Discord.

First Difference: the results on the failure table should affect social standing, create problems involving societal class, and generally affect the whole party. In return, I made this table a 1d8 x100sp for 1:1 XP reasoning that trouble treated for everyone should be worth the headache.

But this still didn't quite feel correctly dialed in because it was just a worse set of returns (potentially) than a regular carousing table. So I asked around and the general consensus was that it should be less about the PC gaining XP and more about building something in/around the community the PCs are in. As total XP accumulates, rewards are bestowed. This is a path that Downtime in Zyan, Ben L.'s very excellent book, takes. I've also explored this too in a related fashion with cleric shrines, reliquaries, and ossuaries.

Second Difference: now the philanthropy table is a way to pump money into institutions in a manner that places all the prestige on the PC, but the XP on named institutions. This fictionally occurs through various channels that avoid a lot a scrutiny by the Crown and Church at least initially. However, this re-routing comes with risk and misidentification and so allows me to still employ the table below:

PHILANTHROPY

DM NOTE: Problems created when contributing to philanthropy are those that affect money, social standing, and the whole community. RULES: The PC nominates which institution they are trying to direct money towards. Once declared, the PC spends 1d8 x 100sp, and then rolls a save vs paralysis: A pass means the institution gained that money and a fail, means that money was lost somehow- roll a 1d20 to figure out how:

1. TITHE TO THE CHURCH: Unfortunately the heretical branch, make all saves at a -1 unless your party contains a cleric from that church
2. INVESTMENT IN NEW INDUSTRY: Your contributions have added a new industry with an eye toward growth but not safety (all hirelings are now missing a hand for the next month; including any this session)
3. CHILDREN’S CRUSADE: Your work at the orphanage has earned you renown…among the children; many loud, joyous, and plump children join your party (encounter checks are 1-2 in 6)
4. UPSTART! The local lord is displeased at your attempts to gain influence above your station- you are jailed on spurious charges
5. I CAN DO THAT! An NPC the party interacts with has formed their own party to delve the dungeon (50% chance they die causing that NPC’s establishment to close)
6. SO MANY IN NEED SURELY YOU CAN SPARE MORE? Spend 1d6 x 100 sp more if you cannot pay, lose all your money, and gain a -1 to reaction rolls in town
7. FRATERNAL ORDER OF GUARDSMEN NEEDS YOUR HELP: Lose all your money
8. DUNGEON WILDLIFE FUND: Your money has helped preserve the unspoiled gygaxian naturalism of the dungeon (DM performs another restock procedure to the dungeon)
9. RIVAL TO THE KING: Your likeness is used quite extensively to promote regime change in the area, but don’t worry you don’t have to do any work nor have any input in this whole thing
10. MYSTERIOUS BUILDING APPEARS! With your generous funding, a windowless cabin has appeared just in the treeline outside of town (DM treat as a dungeon room of a level that is an average between the highest and lowest PC Fighter; 50% chance the single painting in the room leads to that level)
11. WIZ BIZ: An interest in the arcane arts has fueled risky experimentation– the sun is now a pale grey and the moon blood red (known MUs will be hunted by authorities)
12. BAD BLOOD: Donations to the scholarly pursuits reveal your family was involved in many of the past atrocities visited on the local area (-1 reaction, but gain one piece of lore)
13. SAINT OF LIES: Lose all your money in a relic scheme, and gain 100 false relics with teeth in them (all hirelings have missing teeth for a month)
14. LITERACY FOR ALL: No hirelings for 3 sessions- they know better
15. LINKLIGHTERS OF THE WORD UNITE: All hirelings demand wages equal to the highest one
16. DUNGEON CHIC: Your stories at dinner parties have made dungeon equipment a part of high fashion; equipment prices skyrocket to 10 times the value
17. NEW VICE: Your trade good investments have yielded a new fad in drinking “caffeey”: replace the drinking carousing table with: You are jittery, make a separate initiative roll for this session)
18. FOR THE CROWN: Spreading your wealth about town has raised questions about unpaid taxes (pay 10% of last session's total treasure haul)
19.  TAKE YOUR LORD ON A DELVE DAY: The source of your investments about town has reached the ears of the lord’s most worthless children; they want to honor you with their presence on this delve and participate in combat; they bring a squire– either’s death would bring much disfavor
20. PROBLEM SOLVER: If you agree to only ½ XP gained, then one pre-existing problem will come to a very bloody, public end immediately

I see a lot of bumps that need to be evened out but in the style of DIY and old-school scene spirit, I'll just press "publish" instead of worrying about it.

* Need because few adults over the age of 25 have the time to play weekly 8+ hour sessions as Gygax's original group did. And I'd rather not resort to alternative-level progression or Monte-haul treasure hoards.