A complex question for you gaming-gurus out there...

[Conaill]

I would NOT rely so much on random rolls for everything! Rather, I would present her with certain challenges regarding the running of her business, and reward her based on how well she deals with those challenges.

For example: The guy in charge of running the plantation for her is screwing her over (stealing sacks of beans, getting paid by a competitor, or just plain incompetent). If she doesn't correct this, the plantation will suffer a significant loss this year. Doesn't that sound more interesting than rolling a 3 on a d100?

I would essentially work backwards to figure out her "default" ROI, then adjust it up or down depending on how well she manages the business, and optionally add in a small random factor. For example, let's say you would like the business to pay back its investment over a period of 15 years. If she invests 250K, that means you should aim for an average net payoff of 16.7Kgp per year. Whether she actually makes that or not depends in large part on her involvement, not on a simple roll of the die!

Of course, you can still roll for things like weather, attack by bandits, etc. But if she's set up things efficiently, she may actually be able to circumvent a lot of the effects of these. She's an epic-level character, right? The plantation overseer tells her (via a Sending for example?) that a major tropical storm is brewing... so she hires a high-level druid and teleports to the plantation to protect her crop! Bandits in the area? Nothing that a party of epic-level PC's can't solve...

 

[Spike]

hey Arravis, what claracter class is the epic level that wants the plantation? if she has a good number of arcane spellcaster levels she could simpily summon monsters to work, then cast permancy. also, what sort of monsters does Maztica have?

 

[Jeph]

Wow . . . Cedric, where did you get all this info? If it's a book or site, I'd love to know which one. Or did you major in a related field of study?

 

[der_kluge]

I read something the other day that said that a coffee tree produced 1 lb. of coffee beans PER YEAR.

So, if she has 50 trees, she has 50 lbs. of coffee beans per year.

Easy.

 

[Cedric]

Heh, I was bored at home watching the kids, who both were taking naps, so I googled it for an hour or so. Comparing prices, production values, methods of growing and picking, commodities pricing in medieval times...etc

Cedric

 

[Ziggy]

<snip>

She is an epic level character married to an epic level wizard... so she'll be hard to push around.

<snip>

May I suggest that her husband should cast a permanent Teleportation Circle (or even a portal) ? A steal at 4500 XP and 1000 GP, as it makes transportation soo much simpler.

.Ziggy

 

[Robbert Raets]

I like. Can you use coffee as a spell component or potion base?

Okay, seriously now. Under Exotic Items on page 31 of the Arms & Equipment Guide, it says 'Coffee: 50 gp/lb.' It is also stated elsewhere that this is when grown on temperate farmlands, and prices vary due to changes in season and/or climate. A few pages further, the Guide dwells on trade goods and economic systems. If coffee is quite rare but wanted, you can increase the sale value by 50-100%.

 

[Arravis]

Damn... 50 gp a lb... ouch. So, should I increase the profits and increase the risks? Of course... as a friend of mine just pointed out: "That assumes that coffee is from unknown lands and in FR maztica and zakhara are known therefor the prices would be lower."

 

[Robbert Raets]

Well, if there are more people importing coffee, the price will inevitably drop. But if it's something completely new, you'll only sell it to a few quirky nobles.

 

[Arravis]

My new numbers... does this seem reasonable? I've halved the production of the Plantation and the consumption at the Coffee House, this could be explained by any number of factors... Is the initial charge for the plantation too high or too low? I've increased the risk on the coffee beans since they can be very difficult to roast properly.


Coffee Plantation:

Cost (this includes 200 acres, housing for 30-40 workers and their families, equipment, etc.): 600,00 gp (without bargaining)


Return on Investment: (1d100)

Years 1-2:
1-5: Catastrophe
6-34: Loss
35-39: No Profit
40-99: Profit
100: Special

Years 3-5:
1-3: Catastrophe
4-30: Loss
30-35: No Profit
36-99: Profit
100: Special

Years 6+
1-2: Catastrophe
3-9: Loss
10-12: No Profit
13-99: Profit
100: Special

Catastrophe: Weather, brigands, rivals, etc.
Loss: d10x10000gp loss.
No Profit: Break even, whatever is made is used to maintain the Plantation.
Profit: Roll the proper business skill check. This amount includes the loss of beans sent to the Coffee House.

Profit DC:
10: 5000 gp
15: d2x10000 gp
20: d4x10000 gp
25: d8x10000 gp
30: d10+2x10000 gp
35: 2d10+2x10000 gp
40: 2d10+5x10000 gp
45: 2d10+10x10000 gp
50: 2d10+15x10000 gp


Harvest:
Harvest season is from October to January, wherein an average of 21 tons of coffee willl be harvested.

Average Total Harvest:
10 tons: Regula beans. (Sells for 10 gp/lb, total: 200,000 gp)
1,000 lbs: Special reserve beans. (Sells for 50 gp/lb, total: 25,000 gp)
50 lbs: Plantation select beans. (500 gp/lb, total: 50,000)


---------

Coffee House:
On an average year the Coffee House will use 3.5 tons of regular coffee, 250 lbs of Special Reserve and 12 lbs of Plantation Select.

Coffee leaves plantation to export: Taxed upon leaving port, 10%
Coffee arrives in Waterdeep: Taxed upon entering, 5%
Coffee House is taxed: 10

Return on Investment: (1d100)

Years 1-2:
1-4: Catastrophe
6-44: Loss
45-59: No Profit
60-99: Profit
100: Special

Years 3-5:
1-3: Catastrophe
4-34: Loss
35-44: No Profit
45-99: Profit
100: Special

Years 6+
1: Catastrophe
2-16: Loss
17-21: No Profit
22-99: Profit
100: Special

Catastrophe: Out of favor, rivals, etc.
Loss: d10x5000gp loss.
No Profit: Break even, whatever is made is used to maintain the Plantation.
Profit: Roll the proper business skill check.

Profit DC:
10: 1d4x5000 gp
15: 1d8+5x5000 gp
20: 2d8+5x5000 gp
25: 2d10+5x5000 gp
30: 3d10+5x5000 gp
35: 4d10+5x5000 gp
40: 4d10+10x5000 gp
45: 4d10+15x5000 gp
50: 4d10+20x5000 gp