Investments

This section includes an expansion of the normal rules for investing wealth, along with a tune-up of those rules designed to simplify running them for the Arcydean system.

Each of the properties on the maintenance table forms the basis of a business. While a property is typically directed by a steward or castellan, allowing the owning character to go out adventuring, the profits and losses are better managed if the character sticks around to direct things.

Where a structure includes or implies additional buildings, like the area around a palace or the boarding house for a shop’s workers, these costs are included in the building’s construction and maintenance cost.

Every week, a business checks for losses or profits and pays its expenses, referring to the two charts below. To check for losses and profits, roll d100 and add the amount noted in Modifiers, below.

If the roll result generates a maintenance cost, this must be paid out of the owners’ pocket. Failure to pay immediately creates a “debt” for the unpaid portion. Debts not paid immediately can sometimes be wiped out or reduced by exchanging favors or services to whatever source or supplier owns the debt. Each debt still existing at the time of the next month’s losses and profits roll imposes a –10 penalty to the roll (min result with modifiers 04-05, max result 99; rolling 01-03 or 00 automatically has listed results). Failure to pay off a specific debt within 12 months typically ends the business; properties and inventories are seized and sold at auction (at half the value of the original investment), debts are paid from that amount, and the remainder reverts to the owner.

Note: A creative DM maytake any of the “loss” situations and use them as an adventure hook. For example: “Bloody cultist symbols were painted on the structure, scaring customers” could make the party seek out these cultists. Or, “A fire has destroyed part of the business, and must be repaired” could lead the party to some evidence of arson, and the party will need to find the culprits.

Private land to build on can be purchased for 100 gp to 5,000 gp, or even higher. Once land is acquired, a property needs significant wealth and time to build.

If the opportunity presents itself, an available property can be purchased for an amount equal to its construction cost. If a property is in a run-down state, the Dungeon Master will assign a percentage of ruin, usually 25%, 50%, or 75%. Repairing the property requires the equivalent percentage of the property’s construction cost and construction time. A property purchased in a run-down state will have its priced reduced by the same percentage to compensate.

Each property is staffed by a number of hirelings, including a steward who can take charge of almost everything, freeing up the owner to go adventuring. Hirelings’ wages are included in the property’s maintenance cost. Garrison members are skilled hirelings trained and equipped to fight; they use the guard statistics in the Monster Manual. For every full 10 members of a garrison, replace one guard with a veteran.

Sometimes property is acquired as part of a feudal system. Likely examples include a noble estate, fortified tower, outpost, fort, keep, small castle, large castle, or palace. While these enterprises can be built privately, they more often represent a grant of land and title from a powerful sovereign.

Grants of this nature typically come with a noble title. Sometimes the grant is for land and permission to build on it, but more often it includes lordship over an existing estate or fortification. In the latter case, no construction costs or times are required for the owner to take up residence, but some spring cleaning might be in order. Sometimes a sovereign will assign title to a property that has been overrun by orcs or trolls, on condition that the new lord or lady of the land can secure it successfully.

Although these properties use the standard rules for businesses, they are non-commercial in nature. They earn income in the form of taxes collected from the surrounding peasantry and merchant class. They pay expenses in the form of upkeep for soldiers, maintenance and security for the surrounding land, and taxes tendered to higher-ranked nobles or royalty.

In the case of a failed “business” for unpaid debts in the feudal system, where there has been no up-front purchase of the property by the “owner,” the whole enterprise simply reverts to the possession of the sovereign. The original grantor will pay the outstanding debts and then assign a worthier trustee to manage things the future. If the owner has invested construction costs, these might be lost or reimbursed on the whim of the sovereign, or other things of value might be given instead. Losing a business like this almost always means the character is stripped of any accompanying noble title.

A simple form of investment requires no purchases, relying upon intermediaries to handle set-up and maintenance. The investing character simply provides an amount of wealth to assist in the initial enterprise, or re-pays a portion of set-up costs to gain access to the profits.

The Dungeon Master can track outside investments abstractly, or can make rolls using the structural investment systems above. In the latter case, the DM should apply a consistent bonus somewhere between 1 and 20 to the profits and losses roll. This should reflect the strength of the investment opportunity and it replaces any bonus from the participation of the “owner.” Profits are usually paid out at the end of the year, dispersing percentages of the net gain across all 12 of the prior months.

A character that owns a share of a business receives a percentage of the net profits equal to the percentage of the initial set-up costs that she provided. This ownership share, or “investment percentage,” is a valuable commodity that can be traded or sold in the future.

Savvy investors often buy shares with associated terms. Depending on the exact terms of investment, a character (or coalition of characters) holding shares valued at a certain percentage of the set-up costs (often 51%), often have a say in how the business operates, wresting absolute control away from the founder. Such maneuvers can add intrigue to certain types of campaigns.

Not all monetary outlays are made intending to gain a profit. Sometimes characters give gifts or attempt to influence others with donations. (This section does not describe bribery in a commercial context—that is considered a normal expense for a business.)

Renown with an organization is typically gained or lost based on great deeds. But characters can also gain renown with purposeful strategies designed to raise their profile within the organization. The Dungeon Master’s Guide suggests that incremental gains are possible during downtime activity, when characters “undertakes minor tasks for the organization and socializes with its members.” However, organizations almost universally value strategic donations just as well as donated time.

A character (or party) wishing to gain renown may donate wealth in various forms. Temples may notice the giving of alms on a large scale. A small town may appreciate infrastructural investments that will not need to be paid back. And any organization that has the potential for corruption may appreciate bribes given directly to its members.

The amount of wealth needed to gain renown within an organization depends on the giver’s current rating. Typically, the cost is 50 gp multiplied by the current renown rating. The Dungeon Master may adjust this requirement up or down, depending on the size of the organization. A small organization with few assets is easier to influence, whereas a large group with plentiful resources might be less impressed by monetary gifts. While renown does not grant direct monetary rewards, it is sometimes just as good. The perks at low rank often include such things as access to reliable adventure leads, a safe house, or a trader willing to offer a discount on adventuring gear. At mid-rank, adventurers might gain a follower, access to consumable magic items, or military backup for a dangerous mission. At the highest ranks, a renowned party might be able to call upon a small army, take custody of a rare magic item, gain access to high-level spellcasting, or be able to use lower-ranked members as agents to assign tasks to.

Favors are more abstract than renown and they can be owed or owned by individuals or groups alike. Exchanging wealth for favors requires a more strategic approach than buying generalized renown. Because the entire renown system constitutes optional rules, a Dungeon Master who does not use them might consider favors to be an easier, more-abstract alternative.

Using wealth to get a favor is a tricky endeavor. Randomly gifting wealth usually improves the receiver’s attitude toward the giver and may create a generalized sense of obligation corresponding to the gift’s value. But the sense of obligation is easily cured by a gift of equal measure or simply repaying the gift. The trick to turning wealth into favors is capitalizing on opportunities where an existing need for money plays upon the receiver’s emotions, honor, or even his life.

For example, a young baronet has just inherited his father’s lands and titles, and the new baronet discovers that taxes on the familial estate weren’t paid for the last five years. At stake is the young man’s noble title and the dignity of his house. A strategic gift here is a good way to be owed a favor. When that favor is called in, the baronet remembers what the wealth provided for (the salvation of his very identity); he doesn’t just remember the number of gold pieces that were handed to him in a sack.

The Dungeon Master must determine ad hoc what degree of favor results from a gift of this nature, performing her own calculus to weigh the impact of the specific opportunity + the wealth expended. An additional discussion of favors can be found in Wealth.