Scaling PC Landowner Revenue

[Sardonic]

So in a recent dungeon raid and windfall of material wealth gain, one of my player's has purchased a recently vacated tavern that he spent some time and money renovating. It's pretty busy most of the time and there's a secret door that leads to a little hide out for him and his colleagues.

My question is simple: How do I scale the revenue he should gain for owning this tavern? I don't know if there are rules on this, but if there are, I couldn't find them. I don't want him to be gaining a ton more money than anyone else in his party, but I still want to reward him reasonably for an investment well made. The tavern is located in the capital city of a rich, powerful human kingdom. Any ideas?

[Hirax]

DMG2 has rules for owning a business. They're spotty, but with a little work they can be adapted just fine. As for increasing his revenue, franchising comes to mind. Or he can expand the services of his existing business, or start new, additional business ventures altogether.

[Big Fau]

DMG2 has rules for owning a business. They're spotty, but with a little work they can be adapted just fine. As for increasing his revenue, franchising comes to mind. Or he can expand the services of his existing business, or start new, additional business ventures altogether.

Spotty? How about a 5% chance of your business spontaneously combusting and being utterly destroyed with no save?

[Tvtyrant]

Al-Qadim does a pretty good job with rolls for a business, but it is 2E. My personal suggestion is have stock rather then an income, and then have the stock price rise over your levels, with the option of selling them at any time.

[Fable Wright]

Spotty? How about a 5% chance of your business spontaneously combusting and being utterly destroyed with no save?

If it was only once, it would be fine. One roll a year would be fine.

DMGII gives you a 5% chance per month. Sucks, doesn't it?

[Big Fau]

If it was only once, it would be fine. Once toll a year would be fine.

DMGII gives you a 5% chance per month. Sucks, doesn't it?

Yeah, you need a +6 or higher modifier before rolling to even avoid that chance, and even then, a +6 means you get robbed 5% of the time every month.


Hell, there are 6 events on that chart that are actually welcome. Everything else (on a 25 point chart) hurts with the exception of #10 (No Event). I have better odds just being an adventurer than I do running a business.

[navar100]

While not getting rid of adventuring treasure entirely, you could have the business profit be the treasure. For a particular adventure arc it may be logical there isn't a treasure hoard to be found. When the party returns from the successful mission, what a coincidence the business turned a nice profit.

Also consider have the business wealth be NPC wealth. The player can't use it to make or buy magic items, but he can still play wealthy. When traveling he stays at the finest inns. For formal occasions he wears exquisite clothes. The player does not need to mark off gp spent on rations, supplies, bribing the bartender for information, and all sorts of minutae adventurers do. It's presumed the character can afford it and gets it back from the business profits when he returns home. Only major expendatures using adventuring treasure is marked off as spent.

[tyckspoon]

Spotty? How about a 5% chance of your business spontaneously combusting and being utterly destroyed with no save?

What do you care? The same rules cause the most profitable business to be a run-down shack in the middle of unclaimed lands (which helps make a certain amount of sense to why it's so at risk of spontaneous explosion, at least) so it's not like you had much invested there to lose. :smallamused:

[Gullintanni]

Hell, there are 6 events on that chart that are actually welcome. Everything else (on a 25 point chart) hurts with the exception of #10 (No Event). I have better odds just being an adventurer than I do running a business.

...which mirrors real life perfectly. Ever met a successful small business owner? Yeah, neither have I. :smallwink: