Lady Magda Marilenev, Machiavellian Plotter? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Lady Magda Marilenev, Machiavellian Plotter?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
yellowdingo
Dec 14, 2005 4:47:24 Lady Magda Marilenev
Norman Woman, AC9, 4hp; Mv:120'(40'); #Attacks: 1, Attack: Dagger (1d4) ML 11, Alignment: Neutral S 8, I 10, W 10, D 12, CO 10, CH 13;
Skills: Estate Management +1, Knowledge of Specularum Society +1

Here are her basic stats (they realy need conversion to D&D 3.)

She is in charge of a well managed which she built up over many years herself in the absence of her family(although now declining) estate with an annual income of 2,126,266gp. Is this enough to rate her as a Machiavellian Genius plotting to bring down a House, or is she little more than an overly successful estate manager with access to the sort of income that could hire an army of mercenaries to Kill a King and overthrow a Kingdom?

What do you think about this Angry lady?
#2
havard
Dec 14, 2005 5:58:15
Lady Magda Marilenev
Norman Woman, AC9, 4hp; Mv:120'(40'); #Attacks: 1, Attack: Dagger (1d4) ML 11, Alignment: Neutral S 8, I 10, W 10, D 12, CO 10, CH 13;
Skills: Estate Management +1, Knowledge of Specularum Society +1

Here are her basic stats (they realy need conversion to D&D 3.)

She is in charge of a well managed (although declining) estate with an annual income of 125,000,000gp. Is this enough to rate her as a Machiavellian Genius plotting to bring down a House, or is she little more than an overly successful estate manager with access to the sort of income that could hire an army of mercenaries to Kill a King and overthrow a Kingdom?

What do you think about this Angry lady?

I think that the fact that she is mentioned in Gaz1 (and K:KoA for that matter) indicates that she should be considered a major player.

In OD&D, anyone who has not been an adventurer rates as a Normal Man (or Woman in this case), a 1HD "monster". In 3.XE not so. For stat conversions, I'd make her at least a 10th level Aristocrat. To represent her OD&D skills, I'd say her highest 3.5 skills would be Knowledge (Nobility) and Knowledge (Local). Diplomacy, Bluff and Sense Motive are also popular politician type skills.

I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to make her alignment NE. Depends what K:KoA says though...

Håvard
#3
maddog
Dec 14, 2005 7:50:42
Here are her basic stats (they realy need conversion to D&D 3.)

Just this morning I did this conversion of Lady Marilenev.....not a 10th level Aristocrat as Havard suggested though. See if this works for you.

--Ray.

Lady Magda Marilenev, female human Ari1: CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 0 in. tall); HD 1d8-1; hp 7; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Attack +0 (+0 Base) melee, or +0 (+0 Base) ranged; SV Fort +0 (+0 Base), Ref +0 (+0 Base), Will +2 (+2 Base); AL NE; Str 8 (-1), Dex 12 (+1), Con 11 (+0), Int 11 (+0), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1).

Languages Spoken: Traladaran.

Skills: Diplomancy +5 (+4 Rank, +1 Cha), Knowledge (Local History) +7 (+4 Rank, +3 Focus), Listen +8 (+4 Rank, +3 Focus), Perform (Dance) +5 (+4 Rank, +1 Cha), Swim +4 (+4 Rank).

Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge (Local History)), Skill Focus (Listen).
#4
havard
Dec 14, 2005 9:03:01 Good work Ray. Nob was changed to Ari in 3.5 wasnt it? Or was it the other way around?

In any case, now all I have to do is update the poor lady to the level I want her to be!
Also, I am wondering if the stats shouldnt be upgraded a bit when converting from Classic to 3.5. I usually give then about 6 points to distribute between the scores since rolls are made with 4d6 (removing the lowest) rather than 3d6 as in Classic.

My reason for wanting her to be of a higher level is that 3.5 represents a different philosophy about levels than Classic. In classic, you can still be a very competent politician even if you are just a normal man (1HD). In 3.5 this is not the case since your skills will be extremely low, even if you specialize in just a few of them. 3rd level characters will likely see through all of Magda's schemes, let alone the 10th level Fighter King Stefan. At the same time, posessing a few levels in an NPC class does not mean you are comparable in power to a PC of the same level in terms of combat abilities, so Magda will still lose in a fight even if she has 50 HP instead of 5.

Just my

Håvard
#5
maddog
Dec 14, 2005 9:24:21 Thanks Havard! I used James Buck's NPC generator (Windows version from http://www.andargor.com/) to make the basics. I just worked with it until I had one that had the same INT score so the Skill points would be correct. A little bit of editting and she was finished. The Nob is a bug in the software. Good catch. I'll have to watch for it now.

As for the conversion being a 1st level, I just did a 1:1 conversion. I suppose there could be a higher level version of her too. I've never used Lady Magda so I am uncertain which would be a better interpretation.

--Ray.
#6
gazza555
Dec 14, 2005 9:31:59
Also, I am wondering if the stats shouldnt be upgraded a bit when converting from Classic to 3.5. I usually give then about 6 points to distribute between the scores since rolls are made with 4d6 (removing the lowest) rather than 3d6 as in Classic.

I initially (I may tweak the results slightly ;) ) follow the conversion guidelines in the back of the Rules Cyclopedia (it's obviously a conversion to 2ed but is still the 4d6 method). IIRC it suggests adding one to each stat other than the primary stat which you add two to. Also don't for get to add those extra points at 4th-, 8th-level etc.

Regards
Gary
#7
Traianus_Decius_Aureus
Dec 14, 2005 10:04:16 My take on Magda- I would make her an Aristocrat between 7-10. She should be influential/powerful enough to control/dominate the estate and even hatch some dangerous schemes, but not powerful enough to seriously threaten Stefen. She should have high skill ranks in Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Nobility), Diplomacy and good scores in Bluff, Gather Information and Sense Motive.
I think Gazza555's method for converting her ability scores is a good one.

Unfortunately with a straight conversion (ie NM to 1st Ari) wouldn't make her a threat to anybody in 3.5E, even the peasants that work her fields.

Anyway, just a few thoughts from over here in left field.
#8
yellowdingo
Dec 14, 2005 20:47:43 Gone are the days when the Marilinev would send an army to your farm to collect rent in food. Now your farm is five to ten times its original size, your production takes coin in the Market places of Specularum you are helping feed a city at great economic reward to yourself. If Ever the Marilinev estate converted from food production to Ale and Wine, Specularum would starve and 600,000 people would rise up against Stephan Karameikos to destroy him.

If she ever thought to bring a kingdom to its knees, it would be through a knife in its belly.
#9
eldersphinx
Dec 14, 2005 23:31:24 Edit: Y'know what? While I dislike yellowdingo's assumptions and economic conclusions intensely, I'm going to argue about them in the other thread. Not here.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 yellowdingo Dec 14, 2005 4:47:24	Lady Magda Marilenev Norman Woman, AC9, 4hp; Mv:120'(40'); #Attacks: 1, Attack: Dagger (1d4) ML 11, Alignment: Neutral S 8, I 10, W 10, D 12, CO 10, CH 13; Skills: Estate Management +1, Knowledge of Specularum Society +1 Here are her basic stats (they realy need conversion to D&D 3.) She is in charge of a well managed which she built up over many years herself in the absence of her family(although now declining) estate with an annual income of 2,126,266gp. Is this enough to rate her as a Machiavellian Genius plotting to bring down a House, or is she little more than an overly successful estate manager with access to the sort of income that could hire an army of mercenaries to Kill a King and overthrow a Kingdom? What do you think about this Angry lady?
#2 havard Dec 14, 2005 5:58:15	Lady Magda Marilenev Norman Woman, AC9, 4hp; Mv:120'(40'); #Attacks: 1, Attack: Dagger (1d4) ML 11, Alignment: Neutral S 8, I 10, W 10, D 12, CO 10, CH 13; Skills: Estate Management +1, Knowledge of Specularum Society +1 Here are her basic stats (they realy need conversion to D&D 3.) She is in charge of a well managed (although declining) estate with an annual income of 125,000,000gp. Is this enough to rate her as a Machiavellian Genius plotting to bring down a House, or is she little more than an overly successful estate manager with access to the sort of income that could hire an army of mercenaries to Kill a King and overthrow a Kingdom? What do you think about this Angry lady? I think that the fact that she is mentioned in Gaz1 (and K:KoA for that matter) indicates that she should be considered a major player. In OD&D, anyone who has not been an adventurer rates as a Normal Man (or Woman in this case), a 1HD "monster". In 3.XE not so. For stat conversions, I'd make her at least a 10th level Aristocrat. To represent her OD&D skills, I'd say her highest 3.5 skills would be Knowledge (Nobility) and Knowledge (Local). Diplomacy, Bluff and Sense Motive are also popular politician type skills. I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to make her alignment NE. Depends what K:KoA says though... Håvard
#3 maddog Dec 14, 2005 7:50:42	Here are her basic stats (they realy need conversion to D&D 3.) Just this morning I did this conversion of Lady Marilenev.....not a 10th level Aristocrat as Havard suggested though. See if this works for you. --Ray. Lady Magda Marilenev, female human Ari1: CR 1; Size M (5 ft., 0 in. tall); HD 1d8-1; hp 7; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Attack +0 (+0 Base) melee, or +0 (+0 Base) ranged; SV Fort +0 (+0 Base), Ref +0 (+0 Base), Will +2 (+2 Base); AL NE; Str 8 (-1), Dex 12 (+1), Con 11 (+0), Int 11 (+0), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1). Languages Spoken: Traladaran. Skills: Diplomancy +5 (+4 Rank, +1 Cha), Knowledge (Local History) +7 (+4 Rank, +3 Focus), Listen +8 (+4 Rank, +3 Focus), Perform (Dance) +5 (+4 Rank, +1 Cha), Swim +4 (+4 Rank). Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge (Local History)), Skill Focus (Listen).
#4 havard Dec 14, 2005 9:03:01	Good work Ray. Nob was changed to Ari in 3.5 wasnt it? Or was it the other way around? In any case, now all I have to do is update the poor lady to the level I want her to be! Also, I am wondering if the stats shouldnt be upgraded a bit when converting from Classic to 3.5. I usually give then about 6 points to distribute between the scores since rolls are made with 4d6 (removing the lowest) rather than 3d6 as in Classic. My reason for wanting her to be of a higher level is that 3.5 represents a different philosophy about levels than Classic. In classic, you can still be a very competent politician even if you are just a normal man (1HD). In 3.5 this is not the case since your skills will be extremely low, even if you specialize in just a few of them. 3rd level characters will likely see through all of Magda's schemes, let alone the 10th level Fighter King Stefan. At the same time, posessing a few levels in an NPC class does not mean you are comparable in power to a PC of the same level in terms of combat abilities, so Magda will still lose in a fight even if she has 50 HP instead of 5. Just my Håvard
#5 maddog Dec 14, 2005 9:24:21	Thanks Havard! I used James Buck's NPC generator (Windows version from http://www.andargor.com/) to make the basics. I just worked with it until I had one that had the same INT score so the Skill points would be correct. A little bit of editting and she was finished. The Nob is a bug in the software. Good catch. I'll have to watch for it now. As for the conversion being a 1st level, I just did a 1:1 conversion. I suppose there could be a higher level version of her too. I've never used Lady Magda so I am uncertain which would be a better interpretation. --Ray.
#6 gazza555 Dec 14, 2005 9:31:59	Also, I am wondering if the stats shouldnt be upgraded a bit when converting from Classic to 3.5. I usually give then about 6 points to distribute between the scores since rolls are made with 4d6 (removing the lowest) rather than 3d6 as in Classic. I initially (I may tweak the results slightly ;) ) follow the conversion guidelines in the back of the Rules Cyclopedia (it's obviously a conversion to 2ed but is still the 4d6 method). IIRC it suggests adding one to each stat other than the primary stat which you add two to. Also don't for get to add those extra points at 4th-, 8th-level etc. Regards Gary
#7 Traianus_Decius_Aureus Dec 14, 2005 10:04:16	My take on Magda- I would make her an Aristocrat between 7-10. She should be influential/powerful enough to control/dominate the estate and even hatch some dangerous schemes, but not powerful enough to seriously threaten Stefen. She should have high skill ranks in Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Nobility), Diplomacy and good scores in Bluff, Gather Information and Sense Motive. I think Gazza555's method for converting her ability scores is a good one. Unfortunately with a straight conversion (ie NM to 1st Ari) wouldn't make her a threat to anybody in 3.5E, even the peasants that work her fields. Anyway, just a few thoughts from over here in left field.
#8 yellowdingo Dec 14, 2005 20:47:43	Gone are the days when the Marilinev would send an army to your farm to collect rent in food. Now your farm is five to ten times its original size, your production takes coin in the Market places of Specularum you are helping feed a city at great economic reward to yourself. If Ever the Marilinev estate converted from food production to Ale and Wine, Specularum would starve and 600,000 people would rise up against Stephan Karameikos to destroy him. If she ever thought to bring a kingdom to its knees, it would be through a knife in its belly.
#9 eldersphinx Dec 14, 2005 23:31:24	Edit: Y'know what? While I dislike yellowdingo's assumptions and economic conclusions intensely, I'm going to argue about them in the other thread. Not here.