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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ElectricDragon" data-source="post: 863846" data-attributes="member: 10778">I agree with maddman75 on most points. I disagree that most businesses break even. Most businesses fail. Most businesses do not last more than one year. Here's what I would do:1. Quote a price for the plantation, workers, defensive structures, supplies, defenders, etc.2. Use the place for many plot hooks: monster attacks, worker rebellions, supply ship disappearances, shoddy materials delivered, local wars, pirate attacks, crop diseases, etc. Each plot hook raises the price by about 25% if the player takes an on-hands approach; by 50% if otherwise. Also increase the building time for all required buildings by the same per cent.3. After the building is done (this should take more than 2 years because of the distance involved, unless the player is willing to be the "teleport ferry" for at least a year-this means no time off for adventuring or fixing the plantation's problems), list three to five ways the business could be improved to increase "profits" (laughable at this point, less than 100 gp profit if any). All will involve more money, more time, and more player involvement.4. After the end of the second year, let a minor profit be shown (say 1/10% of amount invested if you feel generous, half that otherwise). After the end of the 3rd year, allow the profits to pay the upkeep. After the 4th year, there should actually be a profit of up to 2% of the investment. All of these assume that the player is deeply involved. If the player does not involve herself, the place should become a money pit, sucking up whatever the player puts into it and producing little or nothing.5. The Coffee Shop in Waterdeep should go under, or almost so from supply problems (can't sell anything if the shop is empty). If coffee is not a new or nearly new item in your campaign, this should be enough. For new items on the market (what's that black drink? It looks gross, smells gross, and tastes gross; gimme a brewsky), problems of "spreading the word," called advertising in our world, should abound.6. If number of bushels is needed, use this: 1st year-4 to 5 of poor quality. 2nd year-40 to 50 of average quality. 3rd year-400 to 500 of good quality. 4th year and beyond-400 to 500 of excellent quality. All this assumes the player is taking an "on-hands" approach (hiring druids and rangers, training farmers and workers, patrolling the area around the plantation for monsters, etc.). If not, reduce the bushels by 75% and the quality will never go above average. Don't worry about the acres (I'm assuming over 500). This time period is notoriously deficient in modern farming methods. Poor soil could ruin the business before it starts.And poor soil can ruin it later because crop rotation is something not unheard of yet.7. Upkeep: 1/10 of the building price. Keep in mind that the price keeps going up as more things are added (druids, defenders, keep, patrols, supply ship escorts, etc.). As far as coffee not being from the new world: play it the way you want it; do not be railroaded into following what happened in real life; this is your game.This is the way I'd do it. It will take a lot of work from both you and the player. The player will have to give up adventuring to get it "off the ground;" but xp can still be awarded for overcoming (economic) problems.          Good Luck in your game.                     Dave</blockquote>

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