Well, most unusual: Party of Elves/Dwarves go into business...

[Dash Dannigan]

Hmmm, how many folk have come across this theme? A party of friendly PCs (dwarfs and Elfs, or other long-lived races) that have progressed a number of levels (say 10th) and decided to retire for a century or two to run a business, building a small empire/fortune perhaps?

Perhaps nothing so complex as a fortune or merchant dynasty but simply spending a couple of years (these long-lived race can spare the time) amassing a "fair" amount of gold and spending it on adventuring gear and then go back out into the world for more classic adventure? These seems a reasonable prospect, but how about considering long-lived races?

Here's a group that decides to spend 100 years working. Well, for 10th level PCs we can assume at least 10 ranks or so in a profession let's say. Averging rolls we'll assume a roll of 10 on a d20. Per year that will be (10+10) *48 weeks/yr = 9600 gp. Wow, not so much in the way of gold eh? At least, not for an adventurer. Anyhow, the PC does this for 100 years: 9600*100 = 96,000. A nice little chunk there eh? All done at little-no risk to our entrepenuing PC. Not all that exciting but hey, what's a 100 years to a dwarf or elf?

To be honest I have a group that may consider such a thing (they are heading down that path, I can see it now), and I was wondering what other DMs may do in such a situation.

It's an interesting idea, as DM you can can come up with all sorts of fun stuff that occasionally draw the friends together (whenever you want to boot) once again from trade disputes to political/power-struggle plots to the murder of a business partner and all that neatness. So abuse of PC business is unlikely with proper DM intervention.

On the other hand, D&D business practices of dwarves and elves doesn't exactly fit the typical game and may in fact offend the sensibilities of certain gamers.

Again, as usual, I find myself taking the ball the PCs having thrown into my corner (albeit, only a whipser of an idea but I can see it germinating) and decided to run with it. But how the heck does one progress a campaign world by the centuries!? Ack. Talking about Epic/Sweeping campaign, lol. I haven't even begun considering the possibilities for mulit-generational character progressions (i.e. original PC dies, continues play as son, etc.).

Anyone have ideas/previous experience both rule-wise and DM handling to share? My group is a lively bunch and I like to keep one step ahead of them, hehe , thanks to all in advance!

 

[Aloïsius]

Sometimes you go adventuring, sometimes adventure come to you. You don't allways choose it, as some well known hobbit will confirm you. In a 100 years lasp time, many, many things may happens. By example, an ennemy of old may sabotage the PC enterprise, making them loosing an awful lot of money.

That's why I won't bother much about PC making money this way : I just rule that they won't or won't significaly (no more than +1 equivalent level on the DMG chart). Hey, will you allow a wizard PC to gain free levels, because he temporarily retreat in his tower to study and research ?

XP awarded for adventuring suppose you don't gain XP (nor any other advantage) while staying home. If you (realistically) change this, you must first reduce the number of XP and treasure gained the old hard way.

Sorry to not be more helpful than that.

(and, unless you started playing in the past of some campaign world, you will see that making 100 years of world history may be hard, too)

 

[Steverooo]

Laff!

Where are these folks setting up a business? In the wilds? If so, there will be very few customers!

In a country? Then they will have to buy land, build a building or buy/rent a place with a suitable one already on it. A "Border" area might be best.

Next, what's the law level, there? Low law level means facing down frequent robbers. High law levels equal business licenses, property taxes, sales taxes, bureacracy, and all the wonderfully fun things we have here, today!

Once they have lost money on the set-up and started a business, can they make enough to pay the property taxes for the next year, AND pay living expenses, AND still save enough to make it all worthwhile?

Then you can add complications... Every time the town has a problem, the local government will be knocking on the "town heroes'" door. Eventually, the government will change. Dwarves and/or Elves may boycott the shop out of hatred for the other race. If the PCs have powerful enemies, the town may not want them there, as they "attract the wrong elements" (of course, if you use the "Town Heroes" idea, then don't use that one, too). Then, of course, there are always wars...

If they're interested, the PCs might even want to become members of the town council, or whatever, so that they can pass all the tax laws, themselves... You can then turn the 100 years into a campaign, and play it season by season until something happens, then go back into day mode. This can be good, as it frees you from planning the PC's century, and allows them to plan events for their town... you just run the country around them, and "the people's" reactions to their policies.

Finally, if you're against them doing this, there's always the disparity in wages... The average worker makes 1 SP/day, and they make 100x that? Not too many average workers can afford their prices! They'll need an area with a lot of adventurers, to support their business. That probably means less law, more thieves, less bureaucrats, and more (well, uhm) adventure!

There are all sorts of things you can do, depending upon whether or not you want to encourage the players to do such things...

 

[Stalker0]

I do something similar in my campaign, the players runnning a business, although not on the time span your considering. How I do it, is basically say, okay guys what are you going to want to be doing? They will tell me running their business, any new deals they want to make, etc. So I'll go, alright, after about two weeks a mysterious gentlemen...

They will roleplay out the scene, and then I'll take them another two weeks or a month ahead. They make a certain amount of money, and I can jusify giving them roleplaying experience so they can increase their business skills. I don't mind it, because the majority of the game is spent on the big adventure, but the players feel like their advancing their own stuff.