From: herbison@manage.enet.dec.com (B.J.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Selling Clerical Services
Keywords: Dosh for healing
Date: 1 Sep 92 21:46:54 GMT
Reply-To: herbison@erlang.enet.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Littleton, MA


A party can do anything they want, but the arrangement won't last long
unless all parties agree to the terms and believe the terms are fair.
The term `all parties' includes:
		The actual adventurers
		The dieties of any of the adventurers
		The head clerics of the temples where they worship
		The guilds and guildmasters of adventurers
		Anyone who loaned money to the adventurers
		The person who hired the adventures
		Significant Others of the adventurers
If the financial and treasure distribution arrangements aren't well-defined
before any adventuring starts, the adventurers are asking for trouble.  Of
course, I enjoy seeing this as a GM as it provides opportunity for role-play.

In article <1732@grivel.une.edu.au>, nsecomb@metz.une.edu.au ( Nige.) writes:

>   In a party of adventurers, a party where the individuals share
>a working relationship rather than being friends, should the cleric be
>entitled to payment for his (sorry, their) healing services? or should they 
>just give the benefits of their divine faith to the heathens in the party
>who's contributions take the form of muscle and swordsmanship, arcane 
>abilities, or rogue attributes. If the Cleric does get paid, then should the 
>warrior also get paid for each physical threat to the party they eliminate, or
>each spell the mage casts etc, or should the cleric once paid for services
>rendered just not be entitled to the rewards or booty from a successful
>adventure. 

Any way can work.  The per-spell option works well outside of adventuring
(`Cleric, can I purchase a raise dead'), but not so well when adventuring.
Clerics may cast unnecessary spells for the money (Hold Monster on the
Orcs) and other party members may make dangerous choices while trying to
minimize the number of spells cast.  Also, the potential of having a Raise
Dead available is valuable, even if the spell is never cast.

The same applies to other types of characters.  Fighters are useful in
the woods even if the rumored orcs never attack. 

The hiring formulas I have seen have generally been:

	All adventuring expenses paid by hiring party
	plus one or more of
		Fixed amount per day
		Fixed amount per adventure
	optionally plus one of
		percent of treasure found
		percent of treasure found minus expenses
		percent of treasure found in excess of a specified amount
	optionally plus one or more of
		bonuses for dangerous situations
		bonuses for certain spells
		guaranteed raise attempt if they die (when possible)
		death benifit to be paid to family and/or temple
		loan of magic items during adventure
		insurance for personal magic items
	plus some agreement on magic distribution
		(e.g.:  Except for the Holy Hand Grenade and
		religious artifacts we are searching for, you
		will get first choice to purchase any one item
		we find that you can use.  You will also be
		allowed to purchase and items the party doesn't
		want to keep.)

The payment to the temple may be included in the amount for
the cleric, or they may be separate.

>   For a LG or NG the cleric's diety may obligate their divine healing powers
>be used to aid anyone in need, and expect payment as the church strives to
>promote goodness etc. But what about any of the neutral clerics ( yes, those
>clerics that don't affect undead do exist somewhere), is it possible that 
>their diety does demand payment in certain or maybe all circumstances, and if
>so what may be examples of the situations.

Whatever the cleric/temple/diety decide, an honorable cleric would
make sure that the party understood the restrictions before heading
off into the wilderness.  When the third (and largest) group of giants
appears over the crest of the hill, the last thing a party wants to hear
is `I'll Heal you as soon as you convert.'.

>   I won't even pose the question for evil dieties for two reasons,
>(1) I can't imagine many instances where an evil cleric would heal someone,
>unless they expected a favour in return, and pretty big one at that. This
>would appear logical given that most good dietys disdain harm spells.

I don't agree with your logic, and don't understand your last sentence.

Evil characters have no problem entering into advantageous contracts,
and will even abide by a fair contract if they are lawful.  Evil clerics
will gladly heal temporary party members in exchange for a share of the
loot.  Unless there is a shortage of adventuring clerics, evil clerics
would command a lower price than good clerics since fewer parties will
be willing to hire them (unless, of course, the goal of the adventure
is to steal from or murder a lawful good character).

It is important to have a common goal (e.g., get rich) to give the
evil characters a reason to work together.

It is necessary to watch your back if you hire an evil character. 

Chaotic characters can be more difficult--some are quite tempermental
and may be apt to forget or modify the agreement on a whim.

>   The main reason why these questions are posed is because I'd like some
>ideas on how you can develop are cleric character's personality, especially
>of non NG and LG allignments, without it turning into the "generic cleric"
>character where the cleric just gives healing no questions asked or payment
>demands made.

There are other ways to develop a clerical personality.  Don't travel on
holy days.  Demand that certain temples be desicrated.  Demand time to
preach in every town passed.  Exchange services--join a party in one of
their adventures if they will help you in an attack on an opposing temple
(demand a share of the treasure from their adventure, but insist that
everything acquired in the temple raid be donated to your temple).  (It
isn't necessary to be totally obnoxious--you can bargin with the demands
as long as you don't compromise your religion--but remember that you won't
get anything you don't ask for.)

						B.J.