Methods of making money without adventuring

[Reprimand]

Party is slightly behind on WBL due to party expenses and a loss of equipment through an npc thief (a few botched spot checks etc). So were a bit low on money overall and are trying to get back up to a healthy amount of gold. Reason we're trying to avoid combat is because we are all extremely squishy with the swash buckler having the highest strength at a whopping 10 and the swash buckler also having a whopping 14 con.

So I ask you the playground! What are some low risk but fast methods of making money via spells and such that can be afforded in a smaller end town (not even close to a "major" town) the part is currently consisting of Five 5th level characters, A cleric (doesn't have a divine focus since he is a cleric of vecna and would get wrecked by guards), a 4th Rogue/ 1st Wizard, a 5th level wizard, a 5th level sorcerer, and a 5th level swash buckler. The party is all either CN CE or NE. Any advice for general money making outside of profession and such?

We might also consider investing in scrolls of fabricate and crafting art objects with bonus from something like divine insight or make jewelry who knows.

[MisterKaws]

Were you level 7 I'd recommend Wall of Salt.

At level 5... Maybe open a brothel and start spamming Distilled Joy while hidden? It's an old trick, but it works. Plus you could sell it to any goodie two-shoes temple and they wouldn't suspect a thing, unlike using the diametrically opposite Liquid Pain(which is also not available until 7th level) to open a hospital.

But yeah, just do that. You're on an evil game, so just get some homeless girls, clean them up, find some house you can use, clean it up with Prestidigitation and Mending, then set up the marketing and cast a couple of Distilled Joys every day. Each casting is effectively 200 gp, although your party probably can't cast it more than once or twice per day. Nevertheless, in a month that's 6000-12000, which is around the estimated WBL for a single 5th-level character. I don't know if that's enough for you, but that's what I've got.

Not involving Pazuzu, at least.

[Reprimand]

What about running a healthcare racket with contagion? We MAY have already infected some tradegoods (grain) which may or may have not ending up infecting the rest of granaries in the valley with burning sickness and we happen to have the highest level cleric in the valley.

I mean is it so wrong to provide an in demand service and help people for a price?

And If I were to run such a racket what would some good counter measures to be to stop some paladin smucks or shieldbearers of odin from getting the ides of march on my ass?

[MisterKaws]

Killing a creature just because it emanates a light aura of Evil is a Chaotic action, tending to Evil as well. You can't get into a courtroom and kill everyone just because your Detect Evil is flaring like a party show.

Basically, a Paladin can't kill you unless he has proof that you are committing Evil deeds. If you start spreading plagues, then it's high likely someone is going to eventually find it. Plan around doing businesses that only show your group as useful members of society, instead of criminals.

If you ever commit a crime, don't get caught.

[Reprimand]

Killing a creature just because it emanates a light aura of Evil is a Chaotic action, tending to Evil as well. You can't get into a courtroom and kill everyone just because your Detect Evil is flaring like a party show.

Basically, a Paladin can't kill you unless he has proof that you are committing Evil deeds. If you start spreading plagues, then it's high likely someone is going to eventually find it. Plan around doing businesses that only show your group as useful members of society, instead of criminals.

If you ever commit a crime, don't get caught.

I was exaggerating somewhat but we are team squish and there is a group of 4 paladins with stuff like track with ranks in survival and are pretty competant overall.

So far the plague isn't super fsr spread (There are only 3 settlements in the whole valley area) but we do want to expand it a bit more to the 3 areas and some minor villages and control it. The paladin has also specifially met ME. So thats a bit worrying. Our Cleric snagged glibness through the whsipered secrets feat and basically told the paladins the sky was green and got me out of a tight spot but still disconcerting.

[MisterKaws]

I was exaggerating somewhat but we are team squish and there is a group of 4 paladins with stuff like track with ranks in survival and are pretty competant overall.

So far the plague isn't super fsr spread (There are only 3 settlements in the whole valley area) but we do want to expand it a bit more to the 3 areas and some minor villages and control it. The paladin has also specifially met ME. So thats a bit worrying. Our Cleric snagged glibness through the whsipered secrets feat and basically told the paladins the sky was green and got me out of a tight spot but still disconcerting.

Well, if you want to spread the plague(why? Don't just kill for no reason - kill for profit), then you need to be more careful.

If you act as benevolent people cleansing the plague after its spread, you might get some short term profit, but if you keep appearing every time there's a plague, someone's gonna start suspecting you.

[Reprimand]

Well, if you want to spread the plague(why? Don't just kill for no reason - kill for profit), then you need to be more careful.

If you act as benevolent people cleansing the plague after its spread, you might get some short term profit, but if you keep appearing every time there's a plague, someone's gonna start suspecting you.

Well more like plague to bring in some civil unrest so we stage a coup later on againist the local leader and were going to not keep it going indefinitely. Only long enough to upset a enough people and lower the local lord's approval rating per say.

[King of Nowhere]

i would say too talk it with the dm. if he does not want you to make money in overtime like that, he won't let you. if he agrees to help you recoup the llosses, he will drop extra loot.

[Jowgen]

Races of Ebberron p. 191 has the spell for you: Unseen Crafter

Your cleric and wizard both get it, and if you can arrange a change of spells known so can the Sorcerer.

This 2nd level spell lasts days/level and gives you an unseen servant that can also craft. Uses your ranks plus your casting stat for crafting (which is untrained btw). As is, with blowing all your 2nd and 3rd level slots, you should be able to have a minimum of 6 between the wizard and the cleric (bonus spells adding), each lasting at least 5 days, more if you can boost CL. After 5 days, you'll have accumulated 30 of them (next day 6 disappear and get replaced).

The ways to make money with these is limited to your imagination as to how to best put 30+ tireless, somewhat skilled labourers to work. Mine natural resources. Produce goods that are in demand. Start a logging company and sell timber, or use that timber and get into real estate development. Start making drugs/poisons.

Honestly, within your given setting, there is bound to be a way to make use of this, especially if you can increase the workforce further.

[Bohandas]

*Use the magic weapon spell to counterfeit magic weapons

*Alter Self and Detect thoughts could both be used for all mammer of fraud

*The dismissible Blindness/Deafness spell has potential for setting oneself up as a fake healer

[rel]

My preferred option at lvl 5 would be the spell Create Lantern Archon from Champions of Valor.

You sacrifice a bit of con and call (actually create) a lantern archon.
The archon is loyal for 1 non-combat task taking no more than 1 hour.
The task you want is 'Enchant all these sticks with the continual flame spell' which the archon gets as an at-will spell like ability.

In one hour the archon creates 600 everburning torches. They are useful and individually cheap so you can sell them in most places. You will have to travel and negotiate to get them all sold and expect to crash a few markets and get a lot less than the normal price for your big stack of torches.
BUT by raw you can get 33000 gold from this trick.



Failing that, crafting poisons is pretty lucrative and magic can help a lot with crafting. Even in a small town there should be some demand for ingestion poisons to control pests and vermin. Also, you could market poisons that cause sleep as medicine, those that cause unconsciousness as anesthetics and so on.

[mabriss lethe]

Create Lantern Archon would require one of the CN characters to cast it, since sanctified spells require a non evil caster.

[Mr Adventurer]

Sounds like you should be putting together some kind of heist, not noodling around with cash-making tricks or twiddling your thumbs on "non-adventuring" stuff. YMMV.

[Mordaedil]

Sell your spellcasting as services. Seriously, why can't your party do the same as NPC's and charge per spell cast?

Generally at level 5 this is how much each of these characters could earn per day. Mind the extra spell for clerics is from their domain slot and might not be as flexible as the other slots. The wizard as a specialist has access to more spells and can then earn more than the sorcerer. That said, the case could be that the casters have no spells that can help, which is why I made this handy table.



Wizard(specialist)

Cleric

Sorcerer

Rogue/wizard



Cantrip/
orisons

4 x 5 = 20

5 x 5 = 25

6 x 5 = 30

3 x 5 = 15



Level 1

4(5) x 10 = 40(50)

5 x 10 = 50

7 x 10 = 70

2 x 10 = 20



Level 2

3(4) x 20 = 60(80)

4 x 20 = 80

5 x 20 = 100

-



Level 3

2(3) x 30 = 60(90)

3 x 30 = 90

-

-



Total sum

180(240) gp

245 gp

200 gp

35 gp

[Jack_Simth]

Sell your spellcasting as services. Seriously, why can't your party do the same as NPC's and charge per spell cast?

Generally at level 5 this is how much each of these characters could earn per day. Mind the extra spell for clerics is from their domain slot and might not be as flexible as the other slots. The wizard as a specialist has access to more spells and can then earn more than the sorcerer. That said, the case could be that the casters have no spells that can help, which is why I made this handy table.



Wizard(specialist)

Cleric

Sorcerer

Rogue/wizard



Cantrip/
orisons

4 x 5 = 20

5 x 5 = 25

6 x 5 = 30

3 x 5 = 15



Level 1

4(5) x 10 = 40(50)

5 x 10 = 50

7 x 10 = 70

2 x 10 = 20



Level 2

3(4) x 20 = 60(80)

4 x 20 = 80

5 x 20 = 100

-



Level 3

2(3) x 30 = 60(90)

3 x 30 = 90

-

-



Total sum

180(240) gp

245 gp

200 gp

35 gp




Warning: This is "potentially" - it assumes you successfully sell all your spell slots every day at minimum caster level. That's not necessarily a given. While yes, there's a lot of folks who'd benefit from an Invisiblity spell... finding enough folks who trust you to cast it on their behalf and will pay you for it is not necessarily a given. Honestly, as a DM, someone trying this at my table will be required to roll Profession(Spellcaster) checks (or similar), and end up getting the amount specified by the roll.


My preferred option at lvl 5 would be the spell Create Lantern Archon from Champions of Valor.

You sacrifice a bit of con and call (actually create) a lantern archon.
The archon is loyal for 1 non-combat task taking no more than 1 hour.
The task you want is 'Enchant all these sticks with the continual flame spell' which the archon gets as an at-will spell like ability.

In one hour the archon creates 600 everburning torches. They are useful and individually cheap so you can sell them in most places. You will have to travel and negotiate to get them all sold and expect to crash a few markets and get a lot less than the normal price for your big stack of torches.
BUT by raw you can get 33000 gold from this trick. Warning; That's con drain, not damage. You'll end up spending some of that cleaning up what you did to yourself.

[Malphegor]

Investment! So, you have X amount of money.
Invest in a business, tell them you want a small cut of their profits every month in exchange. Eventually your portfolio exceeds the original amount.

[Bohandas]

Warning; That's con drain, not damage. You'll end up spending some of that cleaning up what you did to yourself.

They have a cleric who can, presumably, cast lesser restoration

[Mr Adventurer]

They have a cleric who can, presumably, cast lesser restoration

Which is useless against ability score drain.

[denthor]

No adventuring?

You say no major town. How far away from a small building to Verna? Are there any secrets you know? Blackmail.

You say city guard? How big is this town? Dimensions people. If large enough hire the children to be guides for outsider. Give them specific questions to ask then jump the other party caravan on road. Preferably after getting hired. Two are hired two are hired. Get the jump on the defenders. No need to fight just request a night shift together let the others in just after your ship starts. Kill the next gaurd shift.

Who is in dire need of protection, recruit for your church you get the money they have.

[Darrin]

Were you level 7 I'd recommend Wall of Salt.


The 5th level version would be casting water to acid (Stormwrack p. 124). See this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=14925473&postcount=26) for more details.

[MisterKaws]

The 5th level version would be casting water to acid (Stormwrack p. 124). See this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=14925473&postcount=26) for more details.

Huh. Didn't know that one.

Adding that to the list of "stuff I'm houseruling as limited-duration if I DM".

[Bohandas]

You can use a bag of tricks to run a dogfighting ring

[Thurbane]

Has anyone mentioned Perform checks?


10 Routine performance. Trying to earn money by playing in public is essentially begging. You can earn 1d10 cp/day.
15 Enjoyable performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 1d10 sp/day.
20 Great performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3d10 sp/day. In time, you may be invited to join a professional troupe and may develop a regional reputation.
25 Memorable performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 1d6 gp/day. In time, you may come to the attention of noble patrons and develop a national reputation.
30 Extraordinary performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3d6 gp/day. In time, you may draw attention from distant potential patrons, or even from extraplanar beings.

[Mordaedil]

Warning: This is "potentially" - it assumes you successfully sell all your spell slots every day at minimum caster level. That's not necessarily a given. While yes, there's a lot of folks who'd benefit from an Invisiblity spell... finding enough folks who trust you to cast it on their behalf and will pay you for it is not necessarily a given. Honestly, as a DM, someone trying this at my table will be required to roll Profession(Spellcaster) checks (or similar), and end up getting the amount specified by the roll.

Indeed, but the OP here was asking for a way to make money and this is an option open to them.

If I were DMing it, I'd be pretty conscious of what kind of city they were in, at least.