Author Topic: Side Money Makers For PC's? (Read 3574 times)

Akihikio · « **on:** December 27, 2003, 01:06:26 PM »

I was wondering if anyone uses side money makers for their PC's Durring Campagins.

Example:

This is just an example of what I'm trying to get accross. I can't quite explain it very well.

Thank You Much!

Strolen · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2003, 07:17:04 PM »

There are a lot of character specific types of odd jobs that can be accomplished.

Scribe - For anybody that can read/write but mostly for priests.

Healer - Priest again. Depends on their god but why not charge for healing in some out of the way places? Many will never see a healer or doctor so when you come through they want to take advantage of it. Doesn't have to be broken legs or sword injuries, could be a bunion, chronic back pain, bum leg, athritis, etc.

Blessings - Priest again, for offerings maybe. Depends on your god.

Trader (had one that wanted to figure out the cost fluctuations in items in the places the adventure was taking them and bought up all he could in one town and sold them in the other. Didn't make a lot because he couldn't sell direct to customers, but he had fun doing it.)

Furs - Rangers and such could do their trapping thing. Maybe even fish.

Herbs was a good one!!

Maps - if somebody took good directions of their travels there may be a market for that stuff.

Plunder - Many adventurers forget about carpets, wall coverings, candlesticks, tables and chairs etc. Make sure you have a wagon. We had one group and we were basically a caravan wherever we went. We got robbed by bandits, but hey.

Siren no Orakio · « **Reply #2 on:** December 28, 2003, 01:15:32 PM »

Party has a bard? Go talk to the barkeep in a tavern or two, someone will want some song and dance.

Perhaps a noble merchant has a caravan coming in, but tomorrow is a city holiday - He needs someone to guard a packaged caravan for a night. Or perhaps he's having a nobleman or even the king, and needs to be able to guard against suspected assassins for an evening.

A local cartographer will pay well for maps of the area just beyond what he's explored, assuming the players can convince him they're the real thing.

The theives guild has a once in a lifetime opportunity to strike at a caravan that came in on a holiday, and they want your party rogue's lockpicking skills! If he refuses, they'll break his knees!

Characters may have a myriad of simple crafts: While things such as smithing may not go well, perhaps the party runs across a mercenary troop that needs an armor repairsman. Or your party's wizard may be able to brew up a lightly carbonated pick-me up from the herbs you found in a field, while the fighter prepares a delicate pie from the griffon you just took out - and local legend has it that griffon meat enhances male potency. Party just took out a den of giant scorpions? Well, your dear friend the backstabber got to work, and has a gallon of distilled scorpion venom in a gel base: he keeps a pint of it for himself, and on the next visit to a large city, hawks his wares... and may well get busted by the city guard, requiring significant bail/bribe money.

nitouken · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2003, 10:02:30 AM »

Or you could open a brewery. Players (esp. fighter/barbarian/berserker types) are always complaining about not having strong enough drink. If you have a long storyline, you can have them distilling vodka, whiskey, even the infamous Everclear. Doesn't require a lot of supervision, but makes decent money.

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #4 on:** December 29, 2003, 01:05:17 PM »

Training the city gaurdsmen: A bunch of new recruits have just joined, and need to be trained. For one reason or another, the regular trainers are entirely too busy to do it, ill, dead, lazy, etc., so they might jump at the chance of hiring an adventuresome fighter or two to do it.

Couriers: Local merchants and people of influence would know that the adventurers are more than capable of handling themselves, so hire them to deliver special packages, letters, etc. Even if it's something that everybody wants, any group that has become famous adventurers will be able to handle run of the mill thugs without breaking a sweat. For less than honest PCs, this also presents an unrivaled opportunity for theft and/or blackmail material.

Blackmail: The PCs know something that could either embarass or endanger someone of influence, possibly by reading private corrospondence (See above.) This will of course get complicated, but that's half the fun.

Also, don't forget those characters of, um... negotiable virtue.

MoonHunter · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2003, 12:58:21 AM »

Duelist for a local noble.

Security for your local tavern or mayor.

Illusionist types can make entertainment.

Priests can do a vareity of side jobs depending on the faith. Marriages, Blessing, Baptisms, for all these things it would be customary to give the priest a small "gift".

Rogues... Can you say con artist? Their profession is a profession that you can make a reasonable living at, if their in a larger town/ city.

Assassins have a regular source of income, as long as there is enough wealth and population to support them.

Shadoweagle · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2003, 01:30:46 AM »

What about taking another Character into 'apprenticeship' of sorts? For example a necromancer slowly teaching a young mage his wares throughout the course of an RP scenario for a price. This could also give both the 'apprentice' and 'master' extra RP ways to work with, plus the master can gather up a hefty sum in the process... *wrings hands in anticipation*

Same can apply for warriors/fighters or whatever, teaching others the use of their weapons etc... or anyone with a 'specialty'.

manfred · « **Reply #7 on:** January 05, 2004, 05:11:08 AM »

An account of things heroes learn on their journeys, rumours they hear, and people they meet may be interesting not only to sages. Intelligence agencies for example.

Become an advisor for someone powerful.

If popular, some hero may even write a book about his deeds. (bleh, celebrities...

)

Maps of little known places are sought by smart commanders of war. (also a plot hook)

A recently failed plot about clearing a rat-infested mansion brings new uses for Alchemy and Poison-Brewing to mind. Rats, insects, all kind of vermin we kill for you.

For those with love for money through any way, Necromancers are often in need of "source material". After slaying those bandits/Orcs/Trolls/anything, sell their bodies to your black friend.

One illusionist payed in a tavern with his Art: the ugly barkeeper's wife became Pamela Anderson. Lasted for only one hour, but the barkeep didn't complain...

If you have lots of money (for a moment), lend it to others.

Rent your golem for heavy labours.

Casting locking spells on secure-to-be places. Needs much trust though.

Create traps or test the security.

Open up your own school for training in combat.

Foretell future.

MoonHunter · « **Reply #8 on:** January 05, 2004, 05:24:15 AM »

Most of the jobs we are listing are actually things "adventurers" in my fantasy campaign do to earn their keep. They never "adventure" for money, they are always doing it for some "noble cause" or "personal need".

Ylorea · « **Reply #9 on:** January 06, 2004, 03:30:04 AM »

To deepen the background of the characters, I nearly require them to have at least two ranks in a craft or a profession skill (or perform skill).

I mean after all, most people do not set out to become adventurerers. Great adventurers are typicaly the people out in the street that happen to do a great thing.

By the way, my rogue characters typicaly has a very strong craft, profession or perform skill, as it is sort of annoying to have to tell the city guard: ehhr well yes, I am a traveling thief. It is much easier to say: I am the blacksmith of Gindolar, but my smithy burned down and now I am trying to find a new master to start from scratch.

There are milions of ways to make a normal buck by the way.
PC's may be hired to run an estate.
PC's may have some land, or own a share in a local pub.

Sometimes PC's do not need to be stoped by a money shortage. I prefer to stop them by other means.
You need thieves tools. Well ehhr, those are illegal and therefore can not be bought in this city. Works just as well ;+))

Yours,

Ylorea

forgottengods · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2004, 04:32:45 PM »

hunters,scouts, a dwarf can work in a local mine.
they can make maps of the unknown world
guards or bodyguards of the clergy
assasins, guard trainer local elite guards etz etz