Easy Money
- Thread starter Centaur
- Start date
Rel
Liquid Awesome
I think that you guys might be looking at this from a "glass half empty" standpoint. Take this tack: Of course it works!
That's why Mazzar the Iron Mage has set up shop in Xcity, cranking out the Iron Walls and making himself a fortune. Of course he's used that money to buy up a band of thugs that will break the knees of any PC who comes along and tries to horn in on his trade.
The other effect is that the Dwarves of the Rusty Hills have nearly gone bankrupt since Mazzar started his business. Many of their young folks can no longer afford to work in the mines for the low pay they have to offer in order to stay competitive with Mazzar. They have left the Rusty Hills to find work in other places. But this has left the Dwarves very vulnerable to the predations of the nearby Orcs of Dung Mountain and there is talk of war in the air...
OR
Of course it works! But iron mining is an important part of the economy of Xcity and there are local ordinances to prevent Wizards from undermining it with magic like this. The PC may make a few sales of Iron Walls but then he gets a visit from the city guard who levy a fine against him and a Cease and Desist order. He'll have to take his trade in magical iron to the back alleys and streets where black-market iron smuggling is the norm...
To me, this type of situation is ripe with roleplaying opportunities.
That's why Mazzar the Iron Mage has set up shop in Xcity, cranking out the Iron Walls and making himself a fortune. Of course he's used that money to buy up a band of thugs that will break the knees of any PC who comes along and tries to horn in on his trade.
The other effect is that the Dwarves of the Rusty Hills have nearly gone bankrupt since Mazzar started his business. Many of their young folks can no longer afford to work in the mines for the low pay they have to offer in order to stay competitive with Mazzar. They have left the Rusty Hills to find work in other places. But this has left the Dwarves very vulnerable to the predations of the nearby Orcs of Dung Mountain and there is talk of war in the air...
OR
Of course it works! But iron mining is an important part of the economy of Xcity and there are local ordinances to prevent Wizards from undermining it with magic like this. The PC may make a few sales of Iron Walls but then he gets a visit from the city guard who levy a fine against him and a Cease and Desist order. He'll have to take his trade in magical iron to the back alleys and streets where black-market iron smuggling is the norm...
To me, this type of situation is ripe with roleplaying opportunities.
Kid Charlemagne
I am the Very Model of a Modern Moderator
I wouldn't necessarily rule it out - BTW, check this link for a calculator for metal weights - it gives a weight of 10,223 lbs for the 45' x 5' x 2" size of a Wall of Iron for a 9th level wizard. Can't vouch for its accuracy, but its handy in any case.
You'll need infrastructure to pull this off. Workers to break up the iron, transport it, store it, safekeep it. There will be taxes to be paid, bribes to be offered, angry miners to appease (as Rel rightly points out). There will be superstitious customers to convince ("Magic iron? How do I know it won't disappear when some wizard wants to dispel it?" "It doesn't work that way..." "Sure, you SAY that..."). You may also run into a supply-demand problem - there may simply not be enough market for that much iron!
It could give plenty of RP opportunities. It could be a good business, but not necessarily one you could get uber-rich at, even if you make 500 gp per casting. And just think how your standing in the Guild of Wizards would go down. "You make iron all day long? How quaint".
You'll need infrastructure to pull this off. Workers to break up the iron, transport it, store it, safekeep it. There will be taxes to be paid, bribes to be offered, angry miners to appease (as Rel rightly points out). There will be superstitious customers to convince ("Magic iron? How do I know it won't disappear when some wizard wants to dispel it?" "It doesn't work that way..." "Sure, you SAY that..."). You may also run into a supply-demand problem - there may simply not be enough market for that much iron!
It could give plenty of RP opportunities. It could be a good business, but not necessarily one you could get uber-rich at, even if you make 500 gp per casting. And just think how your standing in the Guild of Wizards would go down. "You make iron all day long? How quaint".
Kid Charlemagne
I am the Very Model of a Modern Moderator
kenc said:
Because no one can afford to pay for that.
Magic Sword---->????---->Profit
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