Thayian economics

[italianranma]

I'm DMing a campaign in Forgotten Realms in Thay. One of my characters has dreams of becoming a red wizard so I ruled that at 3rd level, he's an apprentice who has his own house (250 sq ft) and as part of his apprentice duties he has to make scrolls for his master totaling 3 spell levels per week. Now he's 'selling' those to his master at cost. He also needs to make a living. Now here's where I need help: with economics. If Thay is exporting magic items, then how much can he get for his scrolls? Not market value, because Thay is full of magic items.
Should I give him 90%market value when he's selling his scrolls, or 75%. Yeah, I know that your suppose to sell equipment at 1/2 market, but he can't do that or he's just losing XP without gaining anything.

 

[Argus Decimus Mokira]

Yeah, I know that your suppose to sell equipment at 1/2 market, but he can't do that or he's just losing XP without gaining anything.

That's the whole point ... it's a big part of the "evilness" of Red Wizards. Apprentices are more appropriately termed slaves, albeit spell slinging ones. Master Red Wizzies use them in sweat shops to mass produce these trinkets, so they can sell them cheap around the Realms, thus turning a profit. Need a real world example? Walmart.

I wouldn't have the character earn money *at all* for his efforts. His payment instead would be the protection of his master in the murky Thayan mago-politics, and maybe some food. On the other hand, this is a great catalyst to go adventuring ... as soon as the apprentice realizes he just a scroll squeezebox, and that his master will never let him rise from this position, he has plenty of fuel to get out there and kick some ass 'til he can challenge and defeat his master.

Just my thoughts
Matt

 

[italianranma]

Yeah, I realise that. The spell levels per week that his master requires will increase at an alarming rate, but still the character wants to sell scrolls on the side. He'll be motivated to adventure in plenty of other ways.

 

[Ferret]

I don't think there is much you can do, perhaps they are new spells, unabnle to begotten any where else and your character is the only one who has them?

 

[Argus Decimus Mokira]

Yeah, I realise that. The spell levels per week that his master requires will increase at an alarming rate, but still the character wants to sell scrolls on the side. He'll be motivated to adventure in plenty of other ways.

Then I would go with 65 - 75 % ... ramped up from the 50% suggested by the books. You'll have to come up with some creative reason why his scrolls are worth more, but he certainly shouldn't be hindered unreasonably for choosing a certain PrC. Maybe you could reason a way into having him gain some xp by making scrolls, just to offset some of the xp cost.

Thanks
Matt

 

[Caliban]

Then I would go with 65 - 75 % ... ramped up from the 50% suggested by the books. You'll have to come up with some creative reason why his scrolls are worth more, but he certainly shouldn't be hindered unreasonably for choosing a certain PrC. Maybe you could reason a way into having him gain some xp by making scrolls, just to offset some of the xp cost.

Thanks
Matt

Let him sell them at full price, if he can find adventurer's to buy them.

See, market price is what adventurers pay, half price is what NPC merchants pay. If he takes the role of the merchant, he just needs to find some adventurers he can overcharge.

Adventurers bring so much cash into the local economy that anyone can charge them double the going rate without them ever being aware of it.