At Our Table: Town Projects

When I started planning my West Marches campaign I had initially been concerned that the death of a character might result in a player losing interest in the game. So I knew I wanted to set up as many incentives as possible to get players invested in the setting and world. One way I sought to do this was to make sure that characters had as much agency to shape the world as possible. This would hopefully mean that even if a character died, there would still be a meaningful impact from their existence and a sort of legacy or mark left by them. 

Finding ways to allow that to happen is relatively easy in a game like Cairn, it has agency and player choice literally written into the rules, but I wanted to take it a step further. I wanted players, not just characters, to feel like they were working toward something that could improve and grow. West Marches games generally have things like lore collecting and collective map making to help facilitate this but I double downed on the concept by introducing town projects. 

The idea is simple: Strotherhine is a small settlement with little to no infrastructure and it is up to the PCs to invest time, mainly downtime, and resources to construct the various buildings and amenities of their town. The PCs get to pick which projects they want to invest in, and get to name the buildings and decide where in the town they are located. Once completed they gain access to a whole new set of resources. 

This isn’t a novel idea: Azure Dreams had Monsbaiya, Darkest Dungeon had its Hamlet, Dark Cloud had its Villages, and there are countless other examples in video games and beyond. Drawing inspiration from these, I set out to create something similar for my Carin based West Marches campaign. 

I created several NPCs each eager to work on a town project, but lacking the resources to get it off the ground. I gave the players a brief description of the project and how it would benefit the town, as well as what kinds of doors it would open for them. Each project has an associated cost, as well as a number of weeks that it would take to complete. Players could invest 100gp,  or more, into a project to hire a work crew, and buy building supplies, to advance the project by a week. On top of that players could spend a downtime action, they each get one between expeditions, to invest their own labor into a project. This has the potential to reduce the costs, time, or both based on a die roll: 

1d4 helping with construction:

1. your help doesn’t hinder the project but provides little to no benefit
2. you are able to speed up construction by 1 week
3. you are able to reduce the costs of the project by 100gp
4. you are able to speed up construction by 1 week and reduce the costs of the project by 100gp

In order to determine the costs and times for the projects I pulled from the More Equipment page on the Cairn website.

From there I just divided costs by 100 to create how many weeks a project would take.

Here are a few examples of projects:

Clover, an Auld Wey Shaman, wants to establish a shrine and worship site in the Hazel grove with the large Menhir. It will be dedicated to both Dead Papa Toothwort, of the wild, and Abhainn (ahh-win) of the river.

800gp (8 weeks with one work crew)

Will serve as a worship, and offering, site for those that follow the Auld Wey. An ideal place for certain kinds of rituals and connection to the spirits and forces that the Auld Wey venerates.    

Lloyd Wogan, a tailor, tanner, & leathersmith wants to open a workshop

1500gp (15 weeks with one work crew)

This workshop will sell clothing and gear, it will also allow for animal hides to be turned into more valuable goods. Once completed it will also serve as a place pelts can be sold for a decent profit. 

Olwen Nash, a boatwright wants to repair the docks and open a shipyard, to help get fishing and oyster harvesting back on track

2000gp (20 weeks with one work crew)

The docks and shipyard will allow boats and crews to be rented that can travel the rivers and coast. If so desired, personal boats and ships could also be built. 

Harold Craddock, a farmer wants to build a barn and silo to keep livestock and give a better place to store grain

2000gp (20 weeks with one work crew)

This farm will allow for horses, donkeys, and carts to be rented and sold. 

Edris Hoolie, a brewer wants to open a brewery to preserve grain and make use of local fruit

1500gp (15 weeks with one work crew)

This brewery will allow for wild ingredients to be fermented into potions, tonics, and elixirs. 

Cecil Prothero, a scribe wants to construct a library

3000gp (30 weeks with one work crew)

The library will function as a place for research to be conducted and a place for books found in the wilds to be sold for a good profit. 

Vanora Seweard, the town Vicar, is looking to open a “proper chapel” 

3000gp (30 weeks with one work crew)

The chapel will allow for quicker healing, as well as the treatment of more serious diseases and mental maladies. Certain items will also be sold here, and religious relics can be sold for better returns. 

Governor Walsh is also looking for anyone willing to act as a patron to begin construction on paths or roads. Cost and times would vary based on terrain and length: