Talk:Money and Merchants

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.

alright, I'm doing this now. Assumptions:

• thorpes and hamlets don't really have magic items, but do have potions and such. Therefore, the numbers for them are special. Starting at villages, however, I propose:
• base value = 100% (weapon cost) of the CR for settlement level -2 (i.e. 2,000 gp for a village, which is 100% value (weapon cost) of a CL 1 item).
• purchase limit = 100% of the CR for the settlement level -1 (i.e. 11,000 gp for a village, since that's 100% value (weapon cost) of a CL 4 item).
• coffer limit = 100% of the CR for settlement level (i.e. 25,000 gp for a village, since that's 100% value (weapon cost) of a CL 7 item).

I'm willing to hear alternatives. It seems extremely high for a thorpe, but perfectly reasonable at the larger settlements. We could scale things up from 50% (eventually getting to 100% at the higher settlements) instead of starting at 100% value, or we could just say villages are the 'base' settlement where magic items start coming available, and scale our CRs from there. Or we could just go with it, and say magic is easily available, even in the smallest of settlements.  What do you think?

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.