Bazaar outside dungeon input requested

[Kaveman26]

Not bizarre as in strange or aberrant, but bazaar as in place of business where many goods are offered.

I am designing a new dungeon centric campaign and one of the elements I am exploring is having an open air bazaar of sorts outside the dungeon complex.

Premise:

A sprawling underground complex has been discovered with three entry points. For one hour every thirty days the doors to this complex open and once they close no force divine,arcane, or mundane can open or prevent them from closing.

A list of banned/blocked spells and abilities will prevent circumventing this premise. My group is perfectly fine with this wrinkle. The knowledge and wealth believed to be located inside have drawn seekers from across the lands and a good rush type boomtown and cottage industry of supplying adventurers has sprung up around the entry points.

At this I am planning on Thay controlling one access point. Frost giants controlling the second, and a human based monarchy controlling the third. They have all loosely agreed to cooperate but each entry will have its own quirks. What kind of his hijinks would you expect such a bazaar to enable?

Assume calling spells and plane shift teleport are impossible. So you are limited by what you can carry and once in you are stuck for a month.

The dungeon is absolutely massive, miles upon miles of corridors.

[claypigeons]

Everlasting Rations are 350g. Everfull mug is equally affordable. PCs won't run out of food or water.

One Decanter of Endless Water ends this place. Put drainage pipes under the floor with drains to stop such shenanigans.

[Kaveman26]

Good catch on decanter. It would take a long time to flood the whole place, but that could have been problematic.

[Red Fel]

A good bazaar will have various rental services. I don't mean renting things to adventurers, but from them.

For example, that's a lovely horse you have there. A trained charger, you say? What magnificent thews. Surely you don't expect to bring that into the dungeon with you, do you? Those cramped quarters, and all those stairs? Not to mention the added difficulty of cleaning up after it and feeding it. What, just leave it up here? You'll be gone for a month, friend; who will take care of this noble creature? What, me? Well, I suppose I could, I do own a very fine stable. But, naturally, I can't simply care for any horse that comes along- I have a wife and children to feed, you see. Yes, I think that should cover a month's care for your mount nicely, friend. Enjoy the dungeon!

This bazaar will basically trade in two categories of goods - goods for adventurers traveling into the dungeon, and goods purchased from adventurers who have escaped. Obviously, the former will be in larger and sometimes less reputable quantities. Consider the more traditional goods - lanterns, ropes, bags and extradimensional containers, ten foot poles, and so forth.

Consider also services to be provided to would-be dungeon-delvers, like the horse-keeper above. Also, when you realize that the door only opens once every thirty days, there will be a lot of people waiting - that's good money to anyone who runs an inn and tavern. Consider also the possibility of establishing a business just inside the doors. Yes, it's dangerous, and you won't see the outside for a month, but you basically have a monopoly on commerce while the gates are sealed.

Consider also that if it's at all possible for one of the three kingdoms to reach the other's gate, there would have to be military presence guarding each one to prevent an unseen incursion. After all, it's the perfect way to stage an invasion - for the entire month, your troops would be approaching the kingdom, undetected until the doors open.

[Kaveman26]

Consider also the possibility of establishing a business just inside the doors. Yes, it's dangerous, and you won't see the outside for a month, but you basically have a monopoly on commerce while the gates are sealed.

This occured to me, just not sure how to execute the logistics


This bazaar will basically trade in two categories of goods - goods for adventurers traveling into the dungeon, and goods purchased from adventurers who have escaped. Obviously, the former will be in larger and sometimes less reputable quantities. Consider the more traditional goods - lanterns, ropes, bags and extradimensional containers, ten foot poles, and so forth.

Rental services are not something I had considered and those would be nice addition. I like the horse vendor especially

I also thought about cartographers offering both legitimate and fake maps to the complex.

[Avaris]

Persumeably the bazaar only exists for a few days either side of the door opening? People would start arriving about a week before and activity would intensify as the hour draws near.

Each force controlling an entrance could have different ways of deciding who gets in. One might sponsor a group of adventurers each month, with all equipment provided and good pay if you survive, but anything you take out being surrendered to the sponsoring body. Another may require groups to prove themselves in competition before entering, and another might collect a fee from anyone wanting to enter.

I suspect you'd have a lot of people for hire who would be willing to join groups going in, for the right price. Poor labourers acting as equipment carriers may ask for payment in advance which they give to their families, so even if they perish the family has the money.

I also imagine there will be people offering 'if you don't return' services. Wills, letters to be delivered home etc.

Accurate timepieces are a must, as are map-making things. Don't want to miss the opening!