The dilemma. An old shepherd swears that Swallow Pass, abandoned since a rockfall in his grandfather's day, is open again. It would cut three days off the Kordag–Saltmere road. Every driver you have refuses to be the first.
From the gameThe painting on this decision card in Valmora.
What would you do?
Play itDecision 1 of 1
Dilemma
Nobody Uses Swallow Pass
An old shepherd swears that Swallow Pass, abandoned since a rockfall in his grandfather's day, is open again. It would cut three days off the Kordag–Saltmere road. Every driver you have refuses to be the first.
If the roll succeedsThe pass is narrow but sound. Your drivers now call it the Master's Road.If it failsA ledge gives way under the second wagon. You climb out of the pass alive, and much humbler.
What happenedThe surveyors say yes, slowly and with many conditions. Others will use it as soon as you do.
What happenedThe shepherd shrugs. Shadow Caravan's scouts are seen on the pass a month later.
No right answer.
In the game the roll is d20 plus your adviser’s skill. Here the bonus is a flat +2.
The options and what happens
Lead the first wagons through yourself.Bold · decided by a d20 roll against 14
Succeeds: The pass is narrow but sound. Your drivers now call it the Master's Road.
Fails: A ledge gives way under the second wagon. You climb out of the pass alive, and much humbler.
Pay surveyors to check it first (300 cr).Certain outcome
The surveyors say yes, slowly and with many conditions. Others will use it as soon as you do.
Stick to Greyhorn.Certain outcome
The shepherd shrugs. Shadow Caravan's scouts are seen on the pass a month later.
About this card
This is one of 8 hand-written dilemmas set in Valmora (Year 412 of the Lantern Calendar), one of three ages in Be a CEO, a business strategy game where you run a trading house. Each dilemma has one bold option, decided by dice, and safer options with certain outcomes. The text above is the card exactly as it appears in the game, with the amounts it showed on the first day of a new game.
Questions
What are the options in “Nobody Uses Swallow Pass”?
There are three: “Lead the first wagons through yourself”; “Pay surveyors to check it first (300 cr)”; “Stick to Greyhorn”. The first is the bold option: the game rolls a d20 plus your adviser’s skill against 14. The other two have certain outcomes.
What happens if the bold choice fails?
A ledge gives way under the second wagon. You climb out of the pass alive, and much humbler.
What happens if the bold choice succeeds?
The pass is narrow but sound. Your drivers now call it the Master's Road.
A Partnership with the Horse ClansThe Tal clan of the steppe offers to share its grazing grounds and remounts with your caravans, in exchange for iron at a fair price.
A Caravan from the Fever CountryA steppe caravan has arrived at Aldheim's east gate from lands where the sweating fever is spreading.
Bandits Who Want to Be GuardsSix men who robbed the Stonebreak road for years have walked into your yard, laid down their knives and asked for work as caravan guards.
Written by the Mantar Tech team from the game’s own data and text. Be a CEO is in closed alpha, so numbers and cards can change. About the art: much of it was made with AI tools and then selected and edited by hand.
