Talk:Money and Merchants: Difference between revisions

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complicated. I'll take a stab at this and you can let me know what you think.
complicated. I'll take a stab at this and you can let me know what you think.
I like the bones of it. we can go with it, and say that thorps have a travelling merchant (to justify the high numbers) and those prices are only available when the travelling tinker is in town.  otherwise, the scaling factor works just fine.


Add in non-settlement Merchants (predefine several and allow GM's to add more)
Add in non-settlement Merchants (predefine several and allow GM's to add more)

Revision as of 15:19, 13 September 2019

Re-scale gold limits, DC's and other elements

the re-scale mentioned above is getting increasingly urgent, the current coffer limits and such are just wrong. it would be nice to tie this to the treasure rules directly, so if we tinker it cascades to here as well.

complicated. I'll take a stab at this and you can let me know what you think.

I like the bones of it. we can go with it, and say that thorps have a travelling merchant (to justify the high numbers) and those prices are only available when the travelling tinker is in town.  otherwise, the scaling factor works just fine.

Add in non-settlement Merchants (predefine several and allow GM's to add more)

settlement stuff

  • economy - how much trade, how strong the guilds are, how self-sufficient the town is
  • civics - presence of guards, ease of obeying rules, how common is crime?
  • morality - fairness of rules, expectations of bribery, bigotry/racism
  • lore - availability of libraries, how chatty the public is
  • alignment - friendliness, trustworthiness, willingness to help, community support


  • government type
  • autocracy
  • NPC trade skills, such as 'lumberjack' employ the use of lay magic, which grows substantially at higher levels of skill in their trade. A high level lumberjack can not only fell a tree in a single hit, he can explode the bark off of it and split it lengthwise, perfectly, with that hit. A highly advanced librarian can conjure a book from anywhere in their library, or even other, distant libraries they have relations with, simply by stating its title. A master constable can instantly sober someone up, strip someone of city buffs (or grant them) even without access to the city's founder's stone, can see someone's past convicted crimes simply by looking at them, etc. A high level city watch captain can identify spies and those who intend harm to their city simply by speaking with them for a minute or two. A master farmer can perform a daily ritual that doubles crop growth speed, enriches the soil, and doubles the harvest when it is ready to be sown, can cause livestock to breed faster and with greater health, etc.
  • 'drinking' leads to a condition stack, some of which are actually useful. this opens the idea of 'buff stations' in settlements, bars for drinks, back alleys for chicanery, pugilariums for fighting, libraries for smarts, temples for devoutness, etc. scaling of these things? ties into social events, festivals (Hale Winter, etc), formal balls, tavern parties, weddings, funerals, etc.
  • settlements (or locations within settlements) may lay a mandatory charge, overwriting any buffs the character may already have. In some cases, this is the town buff (assuming the target character is considered an ally), but in less friendly climates, it might simply be an empty charge, meant solely to negate buffs. Mandatory buffs are very expensive settlement features and are rarely found protecting a merchant's shop (except for the most prestigious and wealthy; and they might employ a charge that inflicts 'mellow' to facilitate sales; this is highly illegal in most places, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen).
  • a lot of settlement abilities and magic should be tied to the remnant system. Furthermore, we should allow players to 'buy' buffs from a settlement in exchange for remnants. Remnants can never be exchanged for gold, only services or buffs, regardless of which system they are used in.
  • settlements should also use a currency along the lines of food (in Japan, a 'kiko' was enough rice to feed 1 person for a year, for example). This currency is also not equatable to gold, only usable for improving a settlement. Some settlement functions output food, while others cost it. (Replaces the 'gold bars' system from Birthright)
  • settlements can have an affiliated power. This can be a spirit, demon, a powerful elemental, etc. The power grants a bonus to the settlement as a whole, as well as specific bonuses to the summoning controller (and their immediate circle). Such affiliated powers have significant effects on the alignment and disposition of a settlement, directly influencing crime/justice, cultural outlook, etc. Those who take up residence in such a settlement find themselves inexorably drawn toward an alignment complimentary to the affiliated power.
  • settlements can have permanent magic circles to bind such creatures, and provide a space to make sacrifices, offerings, etc. to appease the affiliated power.
  • if a settlement has more than one affiliated power active within it, all such affiliated powers are immediately aware of the other(s), and are immediately hostile to each other. These beings despise the notion of sharing and cooperation; they operate on the basis of deals, favors, and debts. Such conflicts can create significant unrest among the populace (who likely have no idea why they suddenly hate their neighbors).

Settlement Spells To Review / Discuss

Name School Cast Time Description
Animate Objects Transmutation Std Objects attack your foes.
Atonement Abjuration Std Removes burden of misdeeds from subject and reverses magical alignment change.
Bless Water Transmutation Std Transmutes water in a flask into Holy Water.
Blessing of the Watch Enchantment (compulsion) Std Like Bless (Cleric Spell), except it lasts 1 hour per level instead of 1 minute per level and only working in the caster's home city, specifically referring to areas under the jurisdiction of the city watch.
Commune Universal Std Deity answers one yes-or-no question/lvl.
Consecrate Evocation Std Fills area with positive energy, weakening Undead.
Control Weather Transmutation Std Changes weather in local area.
Darkness Evocation Std 20-ft. radius of supernatural shadow.
Death Ward Necromancy Std Grants bonuses against "Death" spells and negative energy.
Desecrate Evocation Std Fills area with negative energy, making undead stronger.
Enter Image Universal Std Transfers your consciousness to an object bearing your likeness.
Fire Trap Abjuration Std Opened object deals 1d4 Fire Damage + 1/lvl.
Forbiddance Abjuration Std Blocks planar travel, damages creatures of different alignment.
Hallow Evocation Std Designates location as holy.
Permanency [universal]] Std Makes certain spells permanent.
Read Weather Universal Std Forecast the weather at your location for the next 48 hours.
Silence Illusion Std Negates sound in 20-ft. radius.
Symbol of Healing Conjuration Std Triggered rune heals living creatures.
Unhallow Evocation Std Designates location as unholy.
  • crystal balls, scrying pools, magical merchant wells, etc.