Running a Business

The city of Springreach has many opportunities for those with an entrepreneurial spirit. Perhaps you craft goods or provide a service. Maybe you put your green thumb to use with a garden or raise livestock on a farm just outside city walls in Springville. You could even open your own restaurant, establish a temple dedicated to your god, or some other organization that brings like-minded individuals together. Running a business is a simple endeavor, as long as one is willing to put in the time and the effort. With some work, you may even maximize your profits to make yourself successful in Springreach and beyond.

Business Basics

Purchase and Name Your Business

The first thing you need to do is rent or purchase a building for your business. Property prices can be found HERE. Down payments or purchases can be posted in the #bank-of-farryn channel on Discord. Once your business has been purchased, talk to a DM about making an RP channel for your business and where you would like it on the Springreach map.

Manage Your Business

If another PC want to do business with you, you can RP with each other in the channels and the PC can pay whatever price you decide on. Your weekly business dealings, though, are operated as your Downtime Activity (DTA). If you have a hireling on staff, you can operate your business in addition to your DTA.

Your first DTA after purchasing your business must be to begin operations.

Making a Business Roll

Business Rolls dictates how successful your business was during the week. In the #dice-rolls channel roll:

d100 + Proficiency Bonus + Business Size Modifier (BSM)

Don't forget to label your roll with the name of your business.

Business Modifier

Your Business Modifier (BSM) is determined by the size of your business.

Hiring Help

In order to operate your business without using your DTA to do so, you need to hire someone to help. You have the choice of hiring a Skilled Laborer (14gp/week), a Master Craftsman (28gp/week), or an Expert Craftsman (70gp/week), and depending on the size of your business, you may hire more workers to help increase your profits.

Earning an Income

Your income is determined by your Business Roll and your Business Earnings Modifier (BEM).

Business Earnings Modifier

Your BEM is determined by the size of your business, as well as any other increases you have (see "Maximizing Your Profits"):

Earnings Roll

Where your Business Roll determines the success of your business, the Earnings Roll determines your income. These rolls are made by the Downtimes DM and then added to you BEM.

*Maintenance Costs include: Hirelings, Rent/Tax, and Overhead Costs

Maximizing Your Profits

There are a few ways you could increase your profit. If you hire additional hirelings, gain renown, and/or expand your business beyond Springreach, the DM will add modifiers to your Earnings Roll.

Expanding Your Business

To grow your business in Springreach, you can pay the difference in cost of the new sized business from the one currently owned plus 150gp for expansion fees. This requires a DTA to oversee.

To expand beyond Springreach, you must have at least 2 Renown with the settlement you’re expanding into, and pay 500GP in foreign expansion costs, which requires a DTA to oversee.

Cost of Doing Business

It costs money to maintain your inventory, tools, utilities and any other needs your business might have every week. Your Overhead Costs depend on the size of your business.

Including Your Business in Your Downtime Post

In addition to your chosen DTA and Lifestyle cost, you also need to include your business roll information and maintence costs. It is also very helpful to the Downtime DM if you include the BEM roll information in your post.

Example DTA Post:

1 DTA: Training

Training in an Herbalism Kit with Presfina (1/10 Proficient) (-25gp for training)

Lifestyle: Modest / Rusty Bucket (-7gp)

Business Roll: 57+2+5=64; Minimal Profit 3d20+20 (hireling)+15 (small rental)+10 (2 renown)

Maintence Cost: -10gp small business rental, -14gp one hireling, -10gp overhead cost = -34gp

Don't forget to subtract your Maintence Cost from your inventory or bank account. You can do this either before or after the Downtime DM responds. The difference between your Earnings and your Maintence Cost is your profit.