Thursday, August 5, 2010

Hirelings: The Master Rigger

Wage: 200 gp per month (more away from the sea) Although it may seem like the rigger of a sailing ship would find little work in a dungeon, their mastery of selecting cables, ropes, pulleys, sheaves, and blocks appropriate for moving heavy loads and controlling sails has numerous applications underground. They can splice long lines, tie harnesses, and construct rope bridges over chasms. The high quality lines preferred by a master rigger will be more expensive than the 50' ropes normally carried by adventurers, and their volume of gear may require 2-3 additional porters. Men with the courage to climb through the rigging of a ship have the will (or recklessness) to follow adventurers into dungeons for the right pay, but they'll always have one ear to the call of the sea. A master rigger is unlikely for join a land-based party for long. Master riggers will only be found in towns with significant sea trade.
Job Cost Time
Splice two lengths of rope (no chance of slipping) Cost of ropes 1 turn
Create a safe humanoid climbing harness from rope 1 gp rope 1 turn
Create a carrying harness that allows several men to move heavy objects by combining their strength 2 gp per carrier 1.5 turns per carrier
Create a pulley system to safely shift a 1 ton load 10' 50 gp 2d4 hours
Build a 50' rope bridge 42 gp 2d4 days
Build a platform elevator atop a deep pit 45 gp + 3 gp per 50' deep 2d12+6 hours

2 comments:

  1. I like this but the rope bridge time seems excessive and probably not worth a party's time in a dungeon, maybe just a day? Thanks for the write up, it got me thinking more about the needs of large subterranean expeditions.

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  2. I suppose. But 50' is pretty long if you want it to be safe for guys in full plate to cross. Some preliminary work might be done outside the dungeon, though naturally there would be a risk of tangling or other complications.

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