[3.5] Owning a Business (Mine)

[Thurbane]

So, in an adventure my party recently completed, we cleared out an abandoned silver mine, which was inhabited by a Vampire, and a cult of Goblin Wererats.

No one currently holds the title to the mine (the previous owners and their family are long since gone), so we're approaching the authorities about purchasing the title ourselves.

I've never had any real experience owning/running a business or property in D&D/3.5 before.

Just after some general advice, and maybe which books/rules to consult about running costs, profits...that sort of thing.

Cheers - T

[Blackhawk748]

I believe that it's DMG 2 that has the rules about Businesses and I think that it's mentioned in Cityscape as well. Depending on how in depth you wanna get the easiest method would be to just get X amount of gold per month as your share of the profits from the mine.

[MisterKaws]

I believe that it's DMG 2 that has the rules about Businesses and I think that it's mentioned in Cityscape as well. Depending on how in depth you wanna get the easiest method would be to just get X amount of gold per month as your share of the profits from the mine.

DMG2 page 180. It's a ten-page section, and pretty detailed, actually.

[tyckspoon]

DMG2 page 180. It's a ten-page section, and pretty detailed, actually.

It's also kind of terrible, in the 'doesn't really work' sense, but it's the most detailed treatment of business management in 3.5. I want to say Pathfinder took a shot at general downtime rules as well, could be something worth yoinking there.

But mostly I'd say just treat it as a background detail. Maybe sometimes you want to curry favor with a political figure so you offer them access to silver from your mine at a favorable rate. Merchant-type people treat you more respectfully because you're a 'respectable property owner' and not just an itinerant sword-arm, that sort of thing. Don't worry about the daily operations or profit flow of the mine, unless something significant enough that you need to personally intervene happens (new monsters try to move in, somebody tries to execute a hostile takeover with an emphasis on the hostile, whatever.) When that does, you get the same rewards for it that you would for any other encounter or small quest, just try to sort out with your DM how much time your party wants to spend fussing over the mine as compared to other activities.

[Saintheart]

It's also kind of terrible, in the 'doesn't really work' sense, but it's the most detailed treatment of business management in 3.5. I want to say Pathfinder took a shot at general downtime rules as well, could be something worth yoinking there.

It's not. The setup and break-even costs under downtime rules make it barely worthwhile.

Now kingdom building (under the original unmodified rules) is another matter, hilariously breakable given enough time.

[noob]

It's not. The setup and break-even costs under downtime rules make it barely worthwhile.

Now kingdom building (under the original unmodified rules) is another matter, hilariously breakable given enough time.

Like how animating a bank and making it gain some levels makes your kingdom richer.
Or how making a thousand roads all leading nowhere increase the productivity of the kingdom.(actually real life economics are so weird it might work in real life)

[Ruethgar]

I would probably just go with treating it as a Stronghold. Determine all the buildings present and just gain the money as a resource in accordance to SBG. It would probably be the easiest way to have rules for it and not have to be heavily invested in it like the DMGII requires to break even.