Assume a players comes to you and says "I've noticed there aren't many sheep farms in this area and as a result wool clothes are more expensive than in many other places. How can I go about importing wool (in some form up to and including clothing) or starting a sheep ranch?" I'm using sheep/wool as the example but it could be any of a myriad of raw materials and finished products. I know you did a series years ago on how to start a settlement which provides some guidance but wondering if you could flesh it out a bit from a DM's position as to what/how we'd need to provide to the PC?
Answer: Briefly to start: 1. Identify what any of the players actually know about the sheep business. 2. Identify the practicality of raising sheep in the desired locale. 3. Locate a place where sheep/wool is produced in abundance. 4. If the players wish to merely import wool, point out that this has expenses incorporated, and that their desire for profit will likely not benefit the target location, but could make the players money. 5. Determine if there's a demand for wool at the target location, as the residents there may very well have gotten along without it. 6. As the DM, determine the price at the place of origin the players select. 7. Identify what the costs of transport are. 8. Let the players have at it.
It's very important to understand that doing business by the numbers is a dangerous proposition. Even if the game's metrics on prices from one part of the world to another are necessarily simplistic, this doesn't mean the DM is restricted in the manner in which the player's wishes are carried forth. Numbers might tell the players about trends that are in place, but they can't always account for unexpected events. Different areas have distinct costs of living, or taxes and regulations. Apart from transportation costs that are ascertained ahead of time, disasters can wreck roads, social troubles may temporarily suspend travel, while certain remote locations may prove unexpectedly difficult to reach both geographically and in terms of making the most of the market once getting there.
If a single market town has only a few hundred people, in a very large region the size of Ohio (with a commensurately lower population), we wouldn't expect all the people in Ohio to travel their for their goods. Most would sustain themselves without ever going to market. Bringing a hundred swords to a remote location because the prices are twice as high may still mean that only one person at the destination actually wants to buy a sword. And of couorse, there may very well be another NPC group right now in the process of doing this exact same thing, creating competition the players didn't expect.
I think fairly that players should be entitled to make one good profit, all things being equal, so long as their first venture is reasonable modest and they're diligent with their practices. Players who go all in with everything they own to take an extravagant cross-continental trip with imaginings of swimming in gold a la Scrooge McDuck may fairly be educated from the outset ... but on the whole, I'm generally of the opinion that the first one or two times, the matter is best brought off with a minimum of hitches. Thereafter, however, we can roll a d6, to see if a '1' comes up, to decide just how much awfulness we want to put between the players and their goal.
Once upon a time, in a game of Traveller I played, the Referee was so benign that we simply manipulated him into giving us tens of millions of credits, because he employed the rules surrounding trade written out in that game exactly as written. Was lots of fun for us, but it did break the game; and he quit playing altogether, as it destroyed his faith in the game.
Nigel writes,
This is an amusing anecdote about transporting porcelain and other easily broken objects
There's an expression in German, 'Alles in Butter' (translation in subject, meaning everything in fine) that comes from the porcelain industry here. Apparently, the porcelain was packed in a case, which was then filled with melted butter, to prevent breakage during transport.
Here's a German language Sesame Street equivalent youtube video.
https://youtu.be/xEGkBXmkkCk?si=2uEjTLfq0h3gRcjc
I thought that could be an interesting tidbit for your Streetvendor's Guide.
JB in Washington State writes,
Yes, this happens. It has certainly happened to me. And the fallout you describe: dissolution of the group, fracturing or relationships, abstention from gaming, emotional distress...yeah, that all happened.
It's tough. We belong to institutions...like school, or a job. But they usually have "outs," steam valves that allow one to escape before the pressure gets to you. You graduate from school after a few years. You're free to quit your job and seek another. People throw you a party, wish you well (whether they mean it or not) and everyone moves on with few (if any) hard feelings.
Even the "family institution" has an escape path...if we have difficulty we can move out, and move away. We don't need to call or visit on a regular basis; we can keep difficult parents or siblings at a healthy distance (if necessary). Hell, if we can't get along with our spouse, we can get divorced and move on.
But gaming doesn't have that easy, acceptable "out." You're expected to maintain group coherency...with no real end in sight. You MUST be together, in order to participate in the activity. A person who would flit from table to table, or who shows up only irregularly, is considered "flaky" and, thus, an undesirable participant. Tables want players (and GMs) that they can "rely" on. And, as you say, any flaws/cracks are only going to get worse over time, regardless of the chemistry that initially adhered the group together.
That's a tough nut...and I'm not sure how to crack it (perhaps being as open, honest, and authentic as possible could help). But it certainly won't be cracked if the issue is never brought up and dragged out into the light of day. Thanks for posting.
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