Basically, I'm going to try and buy a plot of land close to a main city, and start building a quarry/mine. I'll then capture humanoid enemies in manacles etc. or buy slaves to work on the quarry. I'll also hire staff to look after the quarry while I'm off adventuring.
Surely mining for ores and valuable materials will bring me more profit for better items.
I was wondering if anyone else has ever done anything similar, such as opened a shop or something?
Your plan sounds pretty evil by the way. Enslaving people to work in a mine under the supervision of taskmasters? This is something most heroes would be fighting instead of starting. Consider discussing this with the rest of the group before going through with it.
Well, never in such a way as to try and yield a profit. I saw it done pure for the roleplaying aspect, but it was just that, roleplaying.
Your plan sounds pretty evil by the way. Enslaving people to work in a mine under the supervision of taskmasters? This is something most heroes would be fighting instead of starting. Consider discussing this with the rest of the group before going through with it.
Oh yeah, we're a neutral/evil party; all in it for the profit really. Based in a land of refugees and civil war, we try to exploit it in any way we can. Makes a change from a lawful good paladin!
While playing in a D&D 3.5 game after getting sick and tired of only getting 20% of the market value of the magic items I was selling I managed to find an NPC adventurer that was willing to pay 50% of the market price.
After this, I realized that since mainly adventurers were the main purchasers and seller of such items we could bypass the Magic Shops all together.
So I came up with a guild called the Adventurers' Guild or Adventurers Inc. We made contacts with adventurers all over the world and set up small guild hall in the largest city we could find. Before we knew it, it became a business. We traded information, sold items and gear. We also got dues from people wanting to become members as well as inns and shops who would sell to card-carrying members at a discount.
It became the campaign for awhile, and it was fun while it lasted.
While playing in a D&D 3.5 game after getting sick and tired of only getting 20% of the market value of the magic items I was selling I managed to find an NPC adventurer that was willing to pay 50% of the market price.
After this, I realized that since mainly adventurers were the main purchasers and seller of such items we could bypass the Magic Shops all together.
So I came up with a guild called the Adventurers' Guild or Adventurers Inc. We made contacts with adventurers all over the world and set up small guild hall in the largest city we could find. Before we knew it, it became a business. We traded information, sold items and gear. We also got dues from people wanting to become members as well as inns and shops who would sell to card-carrying members at a discount.
It became the campaign for awhile, and it was fun while it lasted.
Did almost the exact same thing in 3.5, and my PCs loved it- it's really fun if everybody gets into it. Plus, it always has hooks available for new adventures.
I mix all the merchanteering in with mythological monsters. One adventure involved a huge fiendish shark in a mutiny on the bounty adventure. Another, I stole elements from Jason and the Argonauts. We've had some hack and slash with manticores, whose treasure was the hulk of a ship they were using for their lair (and the hold was full of uncontrolled undead that were put there by an enemy nation, sparking further adventures and concerns...).
The merchanteering can be as involved as the players want to make it; I'd suggest for your own sanity to encourage them to keep it as simple as possible and use good judgment rather than complicated spreadsheets. If there are threats to their wealth or exciting chances to improve their lot.. be sure to use both... they will never lack for something to do, even if arguing with a petty port authority isn't necessarily epic stuff, it works well as a roleplaying campaign.
So my group is starting a new campaign soon, and I got this idea.
Basically, I'm going to try and buy a plot of land close to a main city, and start building a quarry/mine. I'll then capture humanoid enemies in manacles etc. or buy slaves to work on the quarry. I'll also hire staff to look after the quarry while I'm off adventuring.
Surely mining for ores and valuable materials will bring me more profit for better items.
I was wondering if anyone else has ever done anything similar, such as opened a shop or something?
We once had a very short campiagn (it litrally lasted one session because the party was so disfunctional that the DM got annoyed and decided to rotate) where three of the players had a snake oilsman business, me as a wizard, a =swindling begiler and a Lawful Evil Knight.
Essencally, our plan was to roll up into the village with our cavavan and, via a section of bluff checks, convince the crowd that (a) the bull **** we are selling really does make one healthy, with super strength and great vitality and (b) it's actually bull seman at all, but merely salted water. Once we had sold a bunch for mostly small amounts of gold (often enough to make back the money and a bit more beside)
It was how we met more random elements of our party, the bard saw our stand and brought some before he was going for a major concert. He then went on to preform terribly as we had dried out his throat and by the time he had come back, we packed up and fled, letting the diguse spell wear off as we assumed our normal appearances. XD
A party business could be a fantastic roleplaying oppertunity, but only if the party is all aboard and the DM is willing. Often as said, I would set these guidelines
1) Is this venture a major part of your partys identity? If so, is the DM willing to accomidate that?
a) Yes! Go wild with the idea, have quests make deals and get rich. Often this might bring around a confontion, violent or otherwise with a major business who finds the new pressence unwelcome.
b) Maybe, but it's not really a focus of the party. It could always be a small venture that earns X amount of money when you roll into a village. It can also provide a good cover for moving around. My case fell in the latter. Three members of the party were assissins, a cleric, a bard and us, the business was merely a small part of what was done. Though it could serve a good hook now and again.
c) No! If thats the case, just got to accept that dungion crawling is your main source of income. Though that isn't a bad way to live.
So my group is starting a new campaign soon, and I got this idea.
Basically, I'm going to try and buy a plot of land close to a main city, and start building a quarry/mine. I'll then capture humanoid enemies in manacles etc. or buy slaves to work on the quarry. I'll also hire staff to look after the quarry while I'm off adventuring.
Surely mining for ores and valuable materials will bring me more profit for better items.
I was wondering if anyone else has ever done anything similar, such as opened a shop or something?
Easier to co-own or own an existing business.
Persuade an innkeeper or storekeeper to be a partner or to buy him/her out.
How about creating a security company?
Or what about a delivery service?
Adventurers already the got the gear and all to do that sort of job
If you can find a copy, it's all laid out for you, would be easy to adapt to any version of the game.
Two wizards (one support and one aggro)
A barbarian (good for only making things explode into a gory mess)
Me the bard (Who has crappy stats apart from charisma. Fumbles are constant to the point where I impaled myself on my longsword during our second encounter)
The party has been considering for a few campaigns now whether or not to invest in a merchant caravan or the local brothel. The rothel has a quite reasonable turnover profit wise however swaying the party of chaotic good characters has been quite a challenge for me who is morallly grey.
Any ideas on how to sway the party?