D&D Economics - Out of the Dungeon

[Jürgen Hubert]

This recent thread got me thinking.

D&D adventurers typically start out rather poor. But they engage in high-risk, high-reward activity that tends to make them either dead, or quite rich indeed - and in fact, the assumption that the PCs will steadily accumulate wealth is built into the very rule system itself, thanks to the cost of magic items and other gear the PCs will have.

In the beginning, it is entirely understandable that the PCs will reinvest their earnings into their equipment, since that's what keeps them alive. But sooner or later, it is quite possible that their wealth reaches a point where the PCs might say: "We are rich now - so let's invest our money in things other than equipment!" Opening up a buisiness, creating a trading company, or purchasing land - all are viable possibilities for a sufficiently rich PC.

Of course, none of these need be hindrances to further adventures. For one thing, they have now property to defend. For another they can get into trouble or find new challenges when they try to expand their business. Finally, they might adventure for ethical or political reasons unrelated to their property.

With that in mind: What kinds of businesses have the PCs created or what kinds of other larger-scale efforts did the PCs pursue in your campaigns to accumulate even more wealth?

 

[Gilladian]

The classic one, which various PCs of mine have done many times, is the tavern/inn.

Then there was the PC who opened a pottery (never did understand why!) and one who raised horses. One started a music school, and several other founded baronies in the wilderness flanking the kingdom.

One group turned their flying ship into a courier service (until it got struck by lightning and semi-permanently destroyed).

Another took over a floating island and turned it into a tourist destination.

But the best group was in the midst of setting up an underground railroad for escaping slaves when the campaign fizzled (I got overwhelmed).

All these ideas/career paths took lots of funds and energy; some promoted adventures, and some didn't, but all were interesting to the PLAYER.

 

[Crothian]

With that in mind: What kinds of businesses have the PCs created or what kinds of other larger-scale efforts did the PCs pursue in your campaigns to accumulate even more wealth?

After rescueing the King of a nation, I had my thief strike a deal to buy uncut gems from him. I had my people cut and sell them for a huge profit. I also opened an Arena, a Bard school, a Hippodrome, bought a run down part of a city and fixed it up with paved roads and built warehouses and brought in a large open market. I made two inns one for common folk and one for the wealthy there. He then built stores in each major city and built up a shipping company.

 

[Turanil]

A PC of mine opened a luxury inn ("The Flash & Steel Inn", as the PC was a swashbuckler fighter-thief).

Another PC of mine wanted to rebuild a ruined city, but died before getting enough money...

A player in a campaign I ran, had his ranger eventually create a network of shops (with employees), where he sold what he did find during his adventures. He did it more for the fun than for the money though.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

The Door Shop. Needless to say, the party got pretty good at removing all those dungeon doors. Heck, they could have gotten into supplying the dungeon builders!

 

[Rothe]

One was a magical component supply shop, supplied by the party who was always bring back parts of slaim magical beasts. Another was a player who opened a bank, making money off of loans and owning a security interest in a lrage part of the barony.

 

[Cedric]

Commodity trading...had a group make a ton off of this. We took local, relatively small, sought-after commodities and transported them across long distances for sale.

Ok, so once we had the "haul" from the most recent excursion, it was split in half. The first half went to the investment pool. The second half was split equal among the party members.

We then took the investment pool and before we left a place, we'd find those commodities and buy as much as we could, stuffing our portable hole with them.

We'd then take the furs, spices, gems, etc. and carry them along with us. When our travels (we traveled a lot), took us to a new city a long ways off. We'd sell those luxury items for a nice profit, since we chose items you couldn't get in that location...and we'd use the money to buy more local luxury commodities.

We continued this for our entire time and made TONS.

This requires a GM who knows some of the rudiments of basic finance and trade and is willing to be semi-realistic in employing those financial fundamentals.

Cedric

 

[Turhan]

IN one campaign the PCs I DM'ed pooled some cash and bought a shipyard that had been damaged by fire. They rebuilt it and started constructing ships for trade and for the King's navy.

In the same campaign one PC used the last of his ready cash to buy land, a low title and some horses for breeding stock. His ranch then sold good horses to the royal army and to adventurers.

In our recently pended campaign one PC opened a wizard school where he charges apprentices for learning his skills and some fo the excess magical products are sold to the king or turned over to pay the annual taxes.

In the current campaign one PC convinced a powerful npc to allow him tobuy into a classy General Store, all with the intent of keeping an eye on any adventurer or lordling who buys "dangerous" stuff. With such knowledge and by spying on those sort of folk, the PC intends to build a spy network and sell his info to the highest bidder.

 

[Lanefan]

My Telenet group found a clutch of dragon eggs once; having slain the mother they stole, incubated and hatched the eggs, then sold the baby dragons at a whopping profit. With this they founded the 7-Dwarves Holding Company, bought a shipbuilding concern (they knew the local land was about to need a navy), and eventually expanded to take over much of the economy of the northlands. The fact that the local Queen had been a long-time member of the party before all this didn't hurt either.

I hand-waved most of the details, and every now and then rolled some dice to see how well the company was doing...usually just fine, thank you.

As for more mundane economics - buy something in one town, sell it at a profit at the next town; or lending money at interest - I have not the time, patience, or willingness to DM this. Adventurers should be adventuring.

If wealthy PC's want to spend their money founding temples, building strongholds, etc., that's fine by me; I can sit down with the player out of session and take care of the details.

Lanefan

 

[Tonguez]

1. Orbril the Gnome started a travelling Circus and later founded a School of Performing Arts

2. Another PC started a Merchant Trading Company

3. As a PC I helped to dig 'Dungeon Land'. An innovative idea another group of PCs had to build and stock a Dungeon and charge average people to 'Take the Adventurers Challenge'