D&D 5E Simple (but not too simple) Business Rules

[Stalker0]

I like the ease of play and keeping it simple enough to keep the business in the background until you want it to be a focus. I'm not understanding the 100gp per level of the business. Would a dive bar be a level one and a tavern in the merchant quarter be level 5

I have left that somewhat vague as it can just fit the needs of the story. Maybe a level 5 business is a really fancy bar, maybe a level 10 is that same bar but is also a powerful meeting place for demons and angels.

Aka I leave the flavor to the people using the system. The mechanics were just to give them a solid understanding of how much profit (or loss) such a business can accrue. In my more complex systems I try to model types of business more concretely.

 

[Stalker0]

The only reason to start a business in DnD is to have more adventures and enemies. Having a business that generate or not gold with a few rolls lack of sense and meaning.
it would be better to list the possible adventures, challenge and enemies a Pc businessman can face.

This is a perfectly viable idea, its just not what I am going for here.

The goal here is that sometimes players just like having a little something in the background. We make a few checks every so often, they get to tend to it a bit, but for the most part its a backdrop. I have made rules for more involved and complex businesses that are more central to the story....but these rules are decidedly not for that.

Its for players that want to own a tavern and have it mean a little something. Not a big something, but more than just "you own a tavern and it has no mechanical bearing on the game whatsoever".

 

[Krachek]

This is a perfectly viable idea, its just not what I am going for here.

The goal here is that sometimes players just like having a little something in the background. We make a few checks every so often, they get to tend to it a bit, but for the most part its a backdrop. I have made rules for more involved and complex businesses that are more central to the story....but these rules are decidedly not for that.

Its for players that want to own a tavern and have it mean a little something. Not a big something, but more than just "you own a tavern and it has no mechanical bearing on the game whatsoever".

I take a look at your home brew, there is plenty of good idea.
A good add could be to make the link with PCs skills and the managing of a business.
It can incite players to creative use of skills and spells or other features to run their business.
It´s not an ordinary business, it is one own and operate by the PCs, the future kings of the world!

 

[dechartmark]

I think something like this platform Cetera Labs — website maintenance in the United Kingdom can be also useful. There are some effective tools that can be used for website promotion and maintenance.

 

[aco175]

@dechartmark welcome to the boards. I try to welcome all first time posters here, but I'm not sure if your above post is fishing for business or something gamers could actually use for managing a fantasy shoppe. We are a big umbrella here, so I'll go with you contributing. Cheers.

 

[Zaroden]

Many variations of business rules have been proposed, most of them going into a lot more depth into business management. I have my own version of that: D&D 5E - (Homebrew) Stalker0's 5e Business Rules Draft 1

My goal here is a set of rules to keep business running simple but still add a few more options for players wanting to see their business grow. The money profit on average is a bit high but again its designed for player fun and so you want to see some reasonable numbers most of the time.

Buying a Business
A business costs 100 gp for each level of the business (a 3rd level business would cost 300 gp). A business can either be "Standard" or "High Risk"

Making Money
Each quarter, a business generates profit (or loss) based on this value (the profit check):

Standard Business: (2d6 - 5) * 20 gp * Business Level
High Risk Business (1d12 - 4) * 20 gp * Business Level

Rolling the maximum value is considered a critical success, and the minimum is a critical failure (see below).

Example: A standard 3rd level business rolls 2d6 - 5 gets a 2 total. That is 2 * 20 * 3 = 120 gp, a very solid quarter.

Unsteady Business
A business becomes unsteady under the following circumstances:

• New business just starting out
• Grows into a new level (investment only)
• Is taken under new ownership
• Suffers a critical failure on a profit check.

This applies a -1 to all profit checks. The business remains unsteady until it rolls a positive profit check.

Growing a Business
A business grows to another level in two ways:

Investment: The owner spends 100 gp and rolls a profit check (gaining no money from the check). On a 0 or higher, the business gains a level and becomes Unsteady. On a failure, half of the investment is lost. On a critical success, the business gains an additional level.

Organic Growth: When a business rolls a critical success on a profit check, it may attempt to gain levels like the Investment option but with no money required. Business levels acquired this way do not unsteady the business.

DM Note: Particularly open and friendly markets may give a bonus on the investment profit check, while extremely competitive markets may give a penalty.

Merchant and business characters are sooooooo underrated, tbh.