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Author Topic: Including Great Markets in your Campaigns!  (Read 1784 times)

Ghostmaker

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Re: Including Great Markets in your Campaigns!
« Reply #15 on: June 03, 2022, 10:11:25 AM »
Coinage may not be heavily used in some markets. Volo's Guide to Cormyr detailed 'tally sticks' which were essentially credit records, validated by the Suzail town guard, that many merchants used in place of coins. Bartering and haggling are most certainly going to be a part of any thriving market, as well.

THE_Leopold

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Re: Including Great Markets in your Campaigns!
« Reply #16 on: June 03, 2022, 10:12:50 AM »
Coinage may not be heavily used in some markets. Volo's Guide to Cormyr detailed 'tally sticks' which were essentially credit records, validated by the Suzail town guard, that many merchants used in place of coins. Bartering and haggling are most certainly going to be a part of any thriving market, as well.

Notes of Mark, Bank house scrolls, letters of credit, etc.

You could recreate the entire movie Heat or GTA in a setting like this for all the heists.
NKL4Lyfe

Ghostmaker

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Re: Including Great Markets in your Campaigns!
« Reply #17 on: June 03, 2022, 10:14:12 AM »
Coinage may not be heavily used in some markets. Volo's Guide to Cormyr detailed 'tally sticks' which were essentially credit records, validated by the Suzail town guard, that many merchants used in place of coins. Bartering and haggling are most certainly going to be a part of any thriving market, as well.

Notes of Mark, Bank house scrolls, letters of credit, etc.

You could recreate the entire movie Heat or GTA in a setting like this for all the heists.
Indeed. And that would make for a marvelous adventure, no matter what side the party's on.

Greentongue

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Re: Including Great Markets in your Campaigns!
« Reply #18 on: June 03, 2022, 01:32:36 PM »
Just how detailed would things need to be to be playable?
Seems like you could drill down to crazy detail if you had the right/wrong players.

THE_Leopold

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Re: Including Great Markets in your Campaigns!
« Reply #19 on: June 03, 2022, 01:36:04 PM »
Just how detailed would things need to be to be playable?
Seems like you could drill down to crazy detail if you had the right/wrong players.

For which setup? Heists? For the market salers?
NKL4Lyfe

Omega

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Re: Including Great Markets in your Campaigns!
« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2022, 05:40:38 AM »
Just how detailed would things need to be to be playable?
Seems like you could drill down to crazy detail if you had the right/wrong players.

For which setup? Heists? For the market salers?

For running a market you only need as much detail as you think the players will. Or whatever you are willing to go extra for on your own aegis. Just always stay aware that all that detail might never get used.

As a DM I usually do not detail too much unless the players start delving into those aspects. Same as for everything else. But when DMing for one of my local players who loves to delve into the merchant side of things whenever possible, I add more detail and drag out the system.

Bare bones is all you need to know is how much stuff costs

From there you can add more details like who likes to haggle and who does not. What coin is accepted and what is not. Is barter accepted. Is there a tax if some sort?

And then go further for things like rivalries, protection rackets, crime - especially pickpockets, and dishonest merchants.

And further for things like quality of goods. 2e D&D and Dragon way back introduced some mechanics for this. Like your average sword does the listed damage. But a well crafted sword gets a +1 to hit, or damage or both as if it were the equivalent of magical due to being well balanced and so on. I believe OA had this as well. Will have to check later.

And down from there there are things like supply lines. Where does the baker get his flour? Where does the weapons dealer get these fine quality spears? How many connections a merchant needs just to produce their goods can be a tale all on its own.

And down from there you have the merchants personal lives outside merchanting. Family, intrigues, past experiences.

And use some steps and not others as you deem needed.