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Message: <blockquote data-quote="loseth" data-source="post: 4144218" data-attributes="member: 54535">Re: Monsters vs. CaravansIn a world that suffers a sudden cataclysm, trade will only pick up again once this trade is lucrative enough that caravans can hire adequate protection. So, you can pretty much assume that whatever trade is going on is going on precisely because the merchants can afford adequate protection.In an area where the worst monster you might expect to encounter is a level 10 dragon, then you might expect a typical caravan to be 8-10 wagons guarded by 40 or so level 1 NPC fighters, maybe 5 level 3 NPC fighters as officers and 1 PC-classed 5th or 6th level fighter in command. In an area where the toughest opponent you might expect to encounter is a level 20 purple worm, then you might expect a typical caravan to be 15-40 wagons protected by 100 Level 2 NPC guards, two companies of elite guards (with 20-ish 3rd-8th level NPC guards each), several PC-classed captains and probably a few very-high level PCs in command (most likely including spell casters).Basically, as monsters increase in level, they make trade A) more dangerous, necessitating more powerful guards, and B) more lucrative, making those more powerful guards worth the extra cost. More powerful monsters will cause bigger, better guarded caravans that cost more but bring in much bigger profits; they won't stop trade.</blockquote>