Page 64 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

found human society interesting and observed caravans ters earn progress toward achieving the alliance. On a
and villages in secret. She knows about the outside failed check, they don't lose any ground, but the charac-
world but feigns ignorance in an altempt to catch the ter who made that check. along with any who helped on
characters in a lie. She respects those who show her the check, cannot try to gain that group's or individual's
respect and treat her people as their equals. rather than trust again.
as primitive fools to be mocked or patronized. Her ex-
perience with humans tells her that they can be useful CHARISMA CHECK BENEFITS
allies, but she also knows that they can be duplicitous.
Accomplishment DC Benefit
During this meeting. the queen makes it clear how
Earn trust of commoners 10 +5
she feels about the characters' behavior so far. She
Earn trust of other lizardfolk 15 +5
gives them a lot of credit for not killing any lizardfolk
Earn trust of shamans 20 +10
(if that's the case), or she chastises them for taking the
lives of lizardfolk unnecessarily. If hatch lings are among Earn trust of locathah 15 +S
the characters' victims, the queen is close to outrage Earn trust of merfolk 15 +5
and makes no secret of it. Conversely. if the characters Earn trust of Sauriv 10 +10
arrive with hatchlings in tow, her estimation of them Earn trust of Othokent 15 +15
rises steeply.
If the characters have accumulated any creasure while If the characters can raise their score to 50 points
in the lair, either from victims or from unoccupied areas, with a sufficient number of successful checks, relations
the queen demands its return. She doesn't hold a grudge with the lizardfolk become amicable and an alliance
as long as the characters give it back. can be formalized. If they fall short at the end of the 24
If the mission isn't ruined by how they conduct them- hours, there are a couple of other ways (see below) that
selves prior to this first audience, the queen allows the they can get to the required number.
characters to circulate through the lair for a brief time to
give all the occupants a chance to pass their own judg- BRIBERY
ment. Beyond this point. the only ways the characters
If the characters have exhausted their opportunities
can improve their score hereafter are by succeeding
to impress the lizardfolk but don't have the needed 50
on Charisma checks (see "Goodwill Tour·· below) and
points. Othokent might be willing to cooperate if the
perhaps tipping the scales by offering the queen some of
characters offer her tribute from their personal trea-
their valuables or the use of their services.
sures (not including loot from the lair). Por every 10
gp in coins, gems, and other valuables they offer, the
INITIAL ATTITUDE
characters gain 1 point. Consumable magic items earn 5
Characters Have ... Penalty or Benefit points and permanent ones JO points, provided that the
Killed lizardfolk adults -1 per victim items have direct application for battling the sahuagin.
Killed hatchlings -10 per victim
KILL THE CROCODILE
Taken treasure from lizardfolk -1 per gp of value
unless returned Another way the characters can earn points is by defeat-
Been apprehended trying to enter by -5 ing monsters in the marsh that threaten the lizardfolk,
sea (see area 49) demonstrating both their skill and their good intentions.
Killed no lizardfolk +15 ln particular, the great crocodile called Thousand
Teeth is an ongoing problem for the tribe. If the charac-
Arrived accompanied by hatchlings +10
ters are shy of 50 points and out of options, you can have
the queen bring up this opportunity. See "Epilogue:
GOODWILL TOUR
Croc Hunt'' at the end of the adventure. Slaying the croc-
After the characters meet the queen, she gives them odile earns the characters 10 points.
24 hours to prove their worth and win the lizardfolk's The lizardfolk have other enemies in the swamp as
trust by visiting and interacting with occupants of the well. If the characters are earnest in their attempt to
lair. Successful Charisma checks during this activity succeed on the mission but have fallen victim to some
can add to the characters' points and help sway the bad luck (low die rolls), you can arrange for them to
lizardfolk into an alliance with Saltmarsh. For the best gain some last-ditch points by seeking out and defeat-
possible outcome, the characters must win over most or ing some of these other creatures. Stage encounters
all the occupants of the lair, including its two most im- in the marsh as you see fit. involving trolls, ogres, or
portant individuals. bullywugs. The characters earn 2d6 points for every
To earn the trust of an N PC (Sau riv or Othokent) or a troll slain, ld6 for each ogre, and ld6 for every three
group (commoners, shamans. other lizardfolk, locathah, bullywugs.
or merfolk). one or more characters must display their
good intentions to that individual or group consistently DEAL BREAKERS
for at least 3 hours. At the end of that time, a character
Regardless of how they otherwise conduct themselves.
can then attempt a Charisma (Persuasion) check against
the characters will see their mission end in failure. or at
a DC that depends on the group or individual in question
least be seriously compromised. if they perform any of
(see the table below). On a successful check, the charac-
these deeds.
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