Output of an adamantine mine?

[Mort]

I’ve just had my group discover several veins of adamantine on their lands. They plan to mine it for sale and use. Problem is, I have no Idea how to price this out. Any thoughts on the costs, timeframe and profits I should impose in mining adamantine. I want it to be a pretty hefty endeavor, but I want them to realize a substantial profit.

Thoughts?

 

[Softwind]

Lessee, if I remember correctly, adamantite is considered rare, and other than the deep veins that usually only dwarves find and mine, most of it comes from the skies. At least, in a Forgotten Realms setting.

There is another setting (Thunderhead Games?) that has a city sitting on a huge mine of the stuff, and the government keeps a close watch on it. Can't think of what the setting is called though, sorry.

Anyway. I would say output would be minimal, with a lot of work, since it is a hard, rare metal. Most likely wear out tools rapidly. I don't have any of my books on hand, but I would say gross income would be considerable, but the overhead would eat up profit. Once they get enough of the metal to make tools of the stuff, then the profit would increase. Add the ability for PCs to shape rock/metal, and disintegrate non-ore stone, and other magical helps, the profits would increase more.

Good luck, and I hope other posters are more helpful than I!

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Considering how valuable the material is, I would suggest they keep it very quiet and very secure. Not only could they flood the market and devalue the material, but every would-be conqueror is going to head off to kick their asses.

Just imagine if gunpowder was a natural resource and only available in a few areas.

 

[Mort]

One of the PC’s is the ranking cleric of Clangedin (sp?) in the region (around the Ulek states, don’t have my notes so can’t be too specific). Dwarven workers are no problem, especially since he can afford to pay them and have them work for the “glory of their god.” The palyers have access to very good mining materials – and since they solved the problems of all their smiths dying , have access to great metal workers. The PC who took to the mine (the dwarf) is very detail oriented so I want to present him with some hard figures that don’t seem too out there. Assume an economy depressed by war, but with great need of adamantine (weapons and all that) for those that can afford it.

Thoughts?

 

[Mort]

Considering how valuable the material is, I would suggest they keep it very quiet and very secure. Not only could they flood the market and devalue the material, but every would-be conqueror is going to head off to kick their asses.

Just imagine if gunpowder was a natural resource and only available in a few areas.

Yep!

They've had to fend off 2 different attacks just on the rumor that they have the adamantine - never said it was going to be easy!

 

[Nifft]

It's a magical metal. It's harder than conventional mining tools. You'd need:

- Fire Elementals bound into mining picks
- Enchanted mining picks
- Magic (Stone Shape away the rock-parts to get at the adamantine)
- Earth Elementals able to shift the rock away from the metal

Any of the above explain why output is NOT like it would be for any other mine. Yay DM handwaving!

For output, I'd calculate how much in GP you want them to make, then just back-calculate, and make this the average range. Then figure out how to roll dice and add stuff to make a reasonable "weekly distribution" roll, and roll that every week.

-- N

 

[Deadguy]

There is another setting (Thunderhead Games?) that has a city sitting on a huge mine of the stuff, and the government keeps a close watch on it. Can't think of what the setting is called though, sorry.

Your memory serves you fairly well, Softwind. The setting is Bluffside. And indeed, the Adamantine Security Council is assiduous in protecting the mined material. Can't say I blame them since this stuff is amongst the most precious of materials in the whole world!

 

[The Sigil]

The following link: http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?threadid=12885 leads to an old discussion on these boards of the value of adamantine per cubic foot (including a discussion of its weight, the ore required to derive a given unit of admantine therefrom, and several other things).

Doesn't have so much on the RATE of mining (i.e., how many cubic feet you can excavate per day) but may be an interesting read to give you an idea of the potential value of the output.

--The Sigil

 

[Vaxalon]

The rate of mining is immaterial.

First, decide how much income you want them to make from the mine.

Decide how much excavation you want them to accomplish per month, and divide it out to find out how much is in each cubic yard of material.

Personally, I like the way Empire handles this kind of thing.

 

[Mort]

Thanks,

All very helpfull replies, especially the link.