Argent Lodge Operations Manual
Congratulations on your promotion to Lodgekeeper!
We here in the Argent Company would like to thank you for your service and look forward to you taking on a senior role in the organization. As Lodgekeepers, you are expected to achieve two goals:
Direct the growth of the business in the region for which you are licensed for
Increase profits for the Lodge by continuing to assign and complete missions
Success in these goals will keep the Lodge in good standing with the Argent Company which will result in new opportunities as the Lodge grows.
Good luck!
Darius Bronzefist
Chief Commander of the Argent Company
Staff
As Lodgekeepers, you will be responsible for the hiring and assigning of Lodge staff. Each lodge rank grants a number of new staff members who live in the lodge or within its geographic scope. The cost of maintaining staff is included in a lodge’s costs. Each staff member has a proficiency bonus equal to 2 + the lodge's rank.
Majordomo (10 downtime days per month)
A majordomo administers the lodge. They typically reside within the lodge and seldom leave it, sending out communications through a dedicated messenger (at no extra cost, and traveling on foot or by means the franchise provides). Your majordomo should be dependable, goal-oriented, and possess a skill set that aligns with your goals for the Lodge. They will see to any and all resource allocations that you require.
Retainers (5 downtime days per month each)
Retainers are skilled individuals that can assist in a specialized area. A retainer has one or more skill, weapon, or tool proficiencies. A lodge can request retainers when needed (up to the maximum allowed by lodge rank, with the players describing the concept behind the retainer and selecting one proficiency for each). Retainers can be fired and hired as needed but can only perform one task (including adventuring) per month. If a retainer assists on a mission then they cannot be allocated for downtime activities.
Lodge Staff (1 downtime day per each)
Lodge Staff provide general labor, and can function as cooks, cleaners, porters, and other workers. They will not engage in combat and do not leave the headquarters to join the party on adventures.
Crew/Workers (1 downtime day per 10 allocated to a task)
Crew and workers are skilled hirelings trained in tasks pertaining to the physical maintenance of a lodge (for example, masons, carpenters, servers or gardeners) or the navigation of a vehicle.
Tasks
At the end of each month (mission) the Lodgekeepers may allocate resources to specific tasks for the Lodge to accomplish. Each resource available (either Lodgekeepers or Staff) can only be allocated to one downtime activity per month. There is also a limit on the number of tasks the Staff can be allocated to. For example, a Rank 1 Lodge can only assign its resources to one task per month. Lodgekeepers do not have this limitation and may spend their Downtime Days among multiple Downtime Activities.
Additionally, Lodgekeepers are responsible for a Lodge Report (see below) task in addition to other tasks. This task must occur whether any resources are allocated to the task. However, allocating resources and spending Downtime Days will improve the chances for a favorable outcome.
Lodgekeepers may allocate as many Downtime Days as they choose to a task, staff provide all of the days relevant to their station. For example, a majordomo, a retainer, 1 staff, and 10 crew provide a total of 17 Downtime days towards a task. A lodgekeeper could then use 3 of their Downtime Days for a grand total of 20.
Lodge staff may be assigned to any of the standard downtime activities described on the Argent Company Downtime page. Additionally, there are certain Lodge Tasks that can be performed as well. Lodgekeepers are encouraged to “think outside the box” and work with their Majordomo to determine how what they want to accomplish fits into the tasking structure.
Lodge Tasks
Explore Territory
Lodgekeepers and certain lodge staff can explore their licensed territory in search of useful features, hidden lairs, resources, and creatures that can be engaged in beneficial service.
Exploring the Territory requires at least one week of effort and incurs 200 gp per lodge rank in expenses. Spending more time and money increases the chance that the expedition finds something of use to the franchise.
Lodge Modification
Characters and lodge staff members can use this activity to modify an existing headquarters feature.
To modify an existing lodge feature requires the involvement of the Lodge’s majordomo and at least one Lodgekeeper or staff member. This team must dedicate at least three workweeks to this activity, and the franchise must spend 1,000 gp per franchise rank to cover expenses.
Marketeering
A lodgekeeper or lodge staff member must spend at least one workweek to engage in marketeering, and must spend 100 gp per lodge rank in expenses. Spending more money increases the chance of the plan’s success.
Philanthropic Enterprise
Lodgekeepers can select a philanthropic cause related to a nearby area, settlement, or group of people. Example causes include such efforts as picking up trash from roads or forests, improving schools, and raising funds for victims of a recent disaster. Success benefits the Lodge by helping the selected cause — or at least giving the appearance of having done so. Failure might worsen both the underlying issue and the Lodge’s reputation.
The philanthropic enterprise activity requires at least one workweek of effort, and incurs 50 gp per Lodge rank in expenses.Lodge Report
A Lodge Report covers the many and varied duties necessary to keep a Lodge running smoothly, and reflects how well the Lodgekeepers and their staff manage those duties. This includes the amount of money acquired from completed missions assigned to operatives and the expenses of running the Lodge.
Unless the DM decides otherwise, this lodge task must be run at the end of each month of game time. Unlike other activities, results are determined for running a lodge even if specific characters and staff members are not allocated to the activity. However, allocating characters or staff members to running the lodge greatly improves the chances for a favorable outcome.
During any given month, the players decide how many days their characters and the lodge staff can dedicate to this activity. Lodgekeepers and staff members cannot perform other activities while focused on this activity (as normal), and any days spent adventuring or engaged in other activities cannot be used for this activity.
Scrutineering
The scrutineering activity covers basic research easily enough (finding a new profitable venture, learning what pleases the Command Staff, amassing lore about a site or monster, and so forth). But it can also expand across a much broader range of activities. You might engage members of a rival group, learn the secrets of a stronghold known only to those who built it, assess an organization’s business model to determine its weaknesses, or lay rightful claim to any information that might benefit your franchise in some way.
The DM determines what resources are required for any particular scrutineering goal, including access to specific people or places. Once that access has been gained, this activity requires at least one workweek of effort and 100 gp per franchise rank spent on bribes, materials, and other expenses. Spending more money increases the chance for successful scrutineering.
Shady Business Practice
An intended shady business practice is detailed by the players and approved by the DM. Any shady business practice requires at least two workweeks of effort, plus 50 gp per franchise rank in expenses to set up the scheme.
Schmoozing
Schmoozing covers at least one workweek of interactions. Characters or staff members undertaking this activity must look and play the part of the confident franchisee — dressing well, spending money, giving gifts to new friends, and so forth. Schmoozing with laborers and other working-class folk might incur expenses of 10 gp per franchise rank, with expenses escalating to 100 gp or more per franchise rank for schmoozing professionals and business rivals. Schmoozing at the highest level with nobles or ranking members of a faction might incur expenses of 250 gp or more per franchise rank as the character or staff member attempts to put on an impressive social display.