D&D 5E Help me with ways to generate income

[Degwerks]

Well I've already managed to get 5 unsavory type retainers to move to our little kingdom to serve me. So getting some kind of thieves guild/fencing operation going isn't a bad idea.

I need to get started on a trade route/caravan type stuff so I can get money from hauling/selliing/&maybe robbing it too.

We have 2 weeks in game (holiday hiatus) to allow the characters to do whatever, before we start back up in our regular sessions. I thought getting some business going full throttle or ways besides pickpocketing to raise more cash.

I might have my warlock go Carousing for a week to see what happens.

 

[empireofchaos]

Eldritch Blast breaks down doors pretty good, and behind locked doors, there's often gold. Just make sure there's someone else in town with similar skills who can take the blame.

EDIT: surreptitiously cursing people, and then being on hand to remove the curse might generate cash flow, too (since you're unscrupulous).

 

[Degwerks]

Might get into money lending, loan farmers money with farm as collateral, find ways to hamper their ability to pay & foreclose on it.

Hex people in games of skill and bet on their opponents.

Can't wait for higher level spells....

 

[Fimbria]

Two weeks of downtime to make money while building a village, while playing the role of the mayor.

1. Establish a trade route to a neutral nation or village.
2. Build a bank or other business.
3. Levy taxes.
4. Convert one of your old dungeons into a gold mine.
5. Sell the rest of your old dungeons as housing.
6. Publicize a local bard in exchange for a cut of his profits. Call him Melvis.
7. Build an arena, circus, forum, or other public spectacle. Charge admission.
8. Conjure up some lesser demons, befuddle them with your diplomancy, steal every magic item they own, and sell their souls into slavery.
9. Start a cross-training program so every member of your army can cast some random magic. It's not money, but you get free utility spells whenever you have soldiers nearby.
10. Build a metalworks or leatherworks. Tell your DM it's to equip your army with better armor. If that armor happens to be better than what your party members are using, give someone a Christmas present.

 

[AriochQ]

Any individual money making efforts will probably not amount to much. The real money comes in when you start to get other people working for you. As others have already mentioned:

1. Organize and run some sort of guild.
2. Trade routes or caravans
3. Organized crime (protection rackets, burglary, gambling/prostitution).
4. Become a Lord/Noble and collect taxes (I recently allowed a PC to purchase a Baronial title, it is a long term investment since it was not cheap).
5. Run a business (but have other people do most of the work, being the middle man is where the money lies).

 

[Cody C. Lewis]

Fence comes to mind.

Find out who the current fence is for the local thieves. Eliminate the competition. Become the only game in town. Profit.

 

[Eltab]

Hire a teacher to run a school. Charge tuition. Anybody who wants their kids to not be stuck on the farm for life will be a potential source of income, for 8 years per child.
Also hire a marketing manager, to think up more ways to get people to want to buy YOUR stuff.

 

[Jester David]

Set up a gambling ring or casino. Perhaps a lottery.

 

[Degwerks]

Casino sounds awesome.

Saw a pic of Henry Winkler today "Fonzi" , immediately I thought about a Ponzi Scheme. I'm going to have some serious research on my hands to do that right.

Everyone is right about being the middleman or owner in their advised ventures mentioned. I'll get some things started on making me a legitimate businessman first and later focus on my organized crime ring.

Keep the ideas coming and thanks.

 

[Chaosmancer]

The crafting rules, such as Jewelry making, in the phb essentially allow you to double money.

A jeweler gets a gem worth 100 gp and materials worth 10 gp to make it into a necklace and then can sell it for 220 gold. Takes time, but long-term investments always do.