Post/Author/DateTime	Post
stupnick 01-26-07, 03:06 PM	well i am creating a Hammer of Moradin for a new game i am playing in. i am taking the battlesmith prestigeclass before i go in HoM. so i am taking craft weaponsmith, craft armorsmith, and craft blacksmithing, i am looking at a background of the town blacksmith that goes out of adventures leaving his workers to run his shop. we are going to be level 10 or 11, and i am looking at cleric4, fighter4, Battlesmith1, HoM1 or 2. so i guess i am asking for help with 2 things 1. creating a background, if you need some items answered i will be happy to help. 2. designing his shop. how much would a storefront cost in the avg town? how much would it make per week? how much would upkeep be? the way i see the character and his background involving the business is he would sell at or below cost b/c he makes his money adventuring and also help supply the town with items cheaper than the public, so under cost. Thank you in Advance for any replies, and i will check back and answer/reply to posts as often as i can
Adrian_Crane 01-26-07, 05:54 PM	You can put about anything you want as far as the background, since a blacksmithing, adventuring Dwarf sounds like it could be just about any one of them. Perhaps he's adventuring because some monsters or organized force have taken over the roads that wagons take to bring him supplies? Maybe he has a personal grudge that's come up? It could be any number of reasons, really, though you could break it down to: -personal; boredom, friend in need, etc -business (anything related to keeping the store going) -clan; anything to do with helping his people As to the store, check the DMG for that info. Also, since he's a Dwarf, his "storefront" itself might be fairly small, but it could be larger inside if it's cut into solid stone. If you want the details on how he'd turn a profit, you could always ask the Char Op forums. They optimize more than just character builds. Favorite quote: "You guys broke the Commoner class!" "It's what we do." :D
stupnick 01-26-07, 07:07 PM	alright, i think i have figured out how to construct the business. what i do need help with is a background? anyone willing help write one?
Thangor 01-26-07, 10:37 PM	How about this: Besides being a master blacksmith, he is a civic-minded cleric with a love for adventure and a hint of self doubt. He adventures: 1. To protect his town. "Protection" could be one of his domains. 2. To finance his non-profit smithery, which provides a valuable service to the community. Something to consider: Is he the town's only blacksmith? or does his "charity" undercut the profits of other merchants and blacksmiths? or does he only sell simple items "at cost" to the neediest people? 3. To find metalwork finer than his own. He could always be comparing himself unfavorably to his hero, some other great blacksmith– living or dead 4. For fun– his friends, family and fellow civic leaders try to convince him not to go. He acts like it's his sacred duty, and it is... but he really enjoys it, too. Hope that helps. :D
stupnick 01-27-07, 11:01 AM	i like some of those ideas. i am unsure what domains i was going to take, i see him providing his service to the townsmen for under cost, and anyone in the town that's a resident for cost, he as a dwarf would be, likes to make sure his people are provided for. i would see him being the towns only smith. for those who know about building a business would this look right? Fancy Armoury (2,000 gp) - artistically-decorated area for storing lots of equipment on racks and shelves. Holds 25 soldiers' worth of armour and weaponry. Fancy Smithy (2,000 gp) - High-quality stone smithy with excellent tools, giving +2 on all Craft: Armourer, Weaponsmith and Blacksmith rolls. Needs an Exp 1 to help out (12 gp monthly wage). Fancy Storage (1,000 gp) - 3,000 cubic feet of storage in a tidy room full of shelves and boxes. Fancy Shop (4,000 gp) - Nicely-decorated store with pleasant surroundings and two assistants to help out customers (Exp1, 12 gp monthly wage each). Fancy Study (2,500 gp) - For doing the accounts and other paperwork in, it's a high-quality study to relax and work in. Optional accountant (Exp 1, 12 gp monthly wage) for people more interested in the smithing. 11,500 gp and 5 stronghold spaces for the rooms, with three-foot thick stone walls, on the ground floor only (extra 30,000 gp). Add up to 10%, depending on the size of the settlement it's in, and another 10% to account for it being a money-spinner, and your grand total should be about 50,000 gp for your high-quality all-inclusive smithy, which pays for its own upkeep and generates about 500 gp profit a year. does that sound right? and if you know about this, how would adding additional smiths that work for me say level 5-6 experts in smithing up the profit? b/c 500gp a year just seems WAY to low..