Ampersand: Monsters, Minis, Ammo

[Nymrohd]

If a player would rather break the economy that have adventures, the player can always find a way to do so.

 

[Drawback]

- trollskin *anything*. Shoes, jackets, hats, greeting cards - you name it, you can skin a troll & make it. They get up the round after, ready for more! Instant win.

Okay, now I want my players to read this thread and go "Let's do that to drive our GM mad!!!"

I'd let them "outsource" the breeding process of Rust Monsters, Trolls (all kinds, ESPECIALLY the internet kind) et al.

Then, after much profit, no more news from their breeder...

Let find out what happened... I see a regenerating Rustroll Monster lurking somewhere in this "Zoo".

 

[Inyssius]

You could perhaps get a small advantage from using raise dead on a rust monster, as long as the magical item was worth more than 1/5 -500gp that you'd gain in residuum. You couldn't buy magical items for this purpose, because you'd lose 500gp above the cost of buying the residuum in the first place.

Assuming you have a letter of marque from the Raven Queen or something that allows you to resurrect creatures that don't have a Glorious Destiny.

But if you have that, I think you could find more profitable sources of income...?

 

[ppaladin123]

So ... why do the adventurers need to be doing all the farming?

Depending on the density of PCs, seems that an enterprising businessman would already be in the business of farming the buggers.

Also, wouldn't there be a huge market for captured rust monsters?

The only way that I can see that the 4E economy would continue with the preset exchange rates, in the presence of rust monsters, would be for the cost of breeding the monsters to approach the difference in value in the amount of dust that can be obtained from one.

(Besides -- isn't the original idea that rust monsters are a part of a "standard wizards defense package, option 1B? Originally, capturing rust monsters alive was of value.)

Sure...but the only way to actually profit from the rust monsters is to have one or more epic level (24) rings that only function once per day after the bearer engages in at least two epic level combats. So these businessmen would cater to a rather select group of adventurers who would have to personally conduct the rituals. I already pointed out in another post the enormous effort, expense and loss of rust monster life that would be required for each doubling of residuum. I can't imagine how this would be profitable for those epic level adventurers.

 

[D.Shaffer]

We've already broken the 4e economy wide open anyway - trollskin *anything*. Shoes, jackets, hats, greeting cards - you name it, you can skin a troll & make it. They get up the round after, ready for more! Instant win.

Dont remember the exact issue, but there's a Dragon article about Eberron where they have 'Mills' to produce free food for the masses. It uses troll meat.

 

[vagabundo]

Lol, interesting concept, but hardily Wall of Iron.

The epic level ring scuppers the deal I think, not very practical, too much hassle for too little reward.

Campaign impact = Zero...


Still I like the idea of PC's trying to breed captured Rust Monsters. Handling costs alone for those little monsters would be huge.

Hmm my next epic level Archmage might have a pit complex - reungeon - where he throws unwanted magic items for recycling and some Troll thralls to collect the residium.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Dont remember the exact issue, but there's a Dragon article about Eberron where they have 'Mills' to produce free food for the masses. It uses troll meat.

In Droamm where most of the citizens are monsters such as Goblins, Gnolls or Ogres, who would generally be the only people who would find trollmeat to be appetizing.

 

[Rechan]

Assuming you have a letter of marque from the Raven Queen or something that allows you to resurrect creatures that don't have a Glorious Destiny

Beastmaster rangers know a ritual to raise their animal companion.