Mining in ER DÓR

The Basics

Mining Races

When we talk about mining, we generally hear about the dwarven people.Yes, they embody one of the basic sterotypes of a mining race, but they are not the only ones out there. Other races live and thrive underground thanks to their mining activities, and they transform their mines into their homes. Duergars and deep gnomes - or Svirfneblin - are just a few of them. Orcs, goblins, kobolds and other races also dwell in the depths below the surface, digging tunnels and extracting metals to forge their weapons and wage their wars. Other races are enslaved and forced to work in mines...that is just one of the prices to pay when you fall into the hands of an evil mining race. In short, you can use just about anyone to mine. The costs are the same on ER DÓR, unless the miners are forced to work. Your DM will determine any special bonuses/disadvantages you may inherit, based on your choice of miners.

Environments

Not all environments are equal or optimal to start some forms of mining operations. Each one of these environments poses its own challenges and each has their own specifics, thereby altering the odds of finding particular types of mining products in those environments.

Mine Products

You can mine almost anything, but not everything is worth attempting to mine. In ER DÓR, there are four basic categories of mine products:

• Exotic Materials: coal, petroleum, radioactive.

• Gemstones: ornamental, semi-precious, fancy, precious gemstones, gems, jewels.

• Metals: lead, zinc, iron, tin, copper, silver, gold, platinum, mithral, adamantine.

• Stones: granite, basalt, marble.

Mine Lifespan & Ore quality

Mines will vary in their potental output, as well as the rate of ore smelting. Ore deposits are not all the same, you have to take into account the quality of the ore that is extracted. The quality is variable and every deposit also has a limited lifespan. Very few last for generations.

The Process

You do not need to be a member of the mining guild in order to benefit from mining. The actual miners, however, are expected to be members if you do not intend to break the law. This ensures that the owners of the territory you are mining see some benefits from the work in the form of taxes and employment of their people.

1. Identify a location for prospecting - use the table in the Environments section above as a basic guide

1. Determine who is going to do the prospecting - Will you do it yourself? Hire a team? Some combination of the two? Hire anyone you need. Prospecters, and any guards you hire to protect them, charge 1 gold per day.

1. Prospect - It can take anywhere from a week to several months before you find something, during which you are paying the fees of the prospecting team

1. Identify the Mine Products - Your findings will determine the makeup of your workforce, and the equipment needed. For example, metal ore will require a smelter if you want to get full value fromthe ore. Gemstones will likewise require an artisan to bring the gem from its roughcut form to full value. You can always forgo these, but you will make less money.

1. Determine the expected lifespan of the mine - With this information, you now have enough to estimate your income based on your resourcing choices.

1. Begin operations - After hiring your staff and having them fortify the location, you can begin mining. At this point, you will have a weekly (tenday) income from the mine.

Prospecting

Using the table below, roll to determine whether your prospecting resulted in a potential mine. Use the mining skill modifier (homebrew) for the roll. On failure, you can choose to spend another prospecting period and reduce the DC by 1. Continue until you find something. The length of time essentially impacts the cost of the prospecting effort, but not its eventual success.

Identify Mine Products

Use the tables below to determine primary and, if applicable, secondary mine products.

Determine Mine Lifespan and Output

Use the table below to determine the mine's lifespan and the weekly output of its products.

Finalize Mine Operation

Work with your mine supervisor (DM) to finalize the mine resourcing mix and determine whether or not to proceed. Your results will be displayed as shown in the image below. The mine details for the example are as follows:

• Environment - Hills

• Length of prospecting effort - 3 weeks with the prospectors/guards

• Primary Product - Stones(Granite)

• Secondary Product - Semi-Precious Gemstone(Citrine)

• Mine Lifespan - 140 weeks

• Primary Product Output (11gp/week)

• Secondary Product Output(10gems/week at 50gp full valuation)

• Resource Decisions: Artisan gemologist hired, no smelter required

Note: This is a modified version the TTRPG Supplement on Mining (i.e. largely not my work)