Trade Routes???

[trustno1@atcon.co]

>The matter is this: we, together, have established that a merchant
>who creates a trade route needs only one guild holding (in the
>province where the routes originates) to start up making money. Are
>there any official rules or guidelines (I am the designers of our
>world directly now) concerning the profit for the regent (of the
>destination province) who agrees on the trade route. In other words,
>would he get a piece of the pie also?

IMO, a ruler who doesn't get a 'peice of the action' is a fool, and will
lose his realm to the guilder eventually. The ruler (through a decree) can
cut any trade route instantly, hence he/she has veto over its existant, and
the power to destroy something is power over it....

>PS: DM isn't actually a good name anymore for this setting, is it?
>Dungeons are the least most regents think of when they rule their
>countries, so I thought something more appropriate would be called
>for. Any suggestions?

Game Master (GM) ? Its commonly used in a lot of non-D&D games...


-

[Finnsson]

> PS: DM isn't actually a good name anymore for this setting, is it?
> Dungeons are the least most regents think of when they rule their
> countries, so I thought something more appropriate would be called
> for. Any suggestions?

What 'bout GM (GameMaster) :::-] (he's a mutant)

[Robin Cantin]

From Sebastian:
(snip)
>The matter is this: we, together, have established that a merchant
>who creates a trade route needs only one guild holding (in the
>province where the routes originates) to start up making money. Are
>there any official rules or guidelines (I am the designers of our
>world directly now) concerning the profit for the regent (of the
>destination province) who agrees on the trade route. In other words,
>would he get a piece of the pie also?

Three persons could be entitled to a share of the money: the domain ruler
of the origin province, the ruler of the destination province and the
regent of the guild holding at the terminus (unless you establish that you
don't even need that!).

Domain rulers can suppress the trade route by decree (RB, p. 60), so a
prudent guilder will make sure they approve of the operation, perhaps by
proposing to hand them 1 GB per turn for "protecting" the trade route.

As for the guilder at the receiving end (and I don't see how a trade route
can exist without one, except the "parts unknown" route), I suppose he
would be entitled to a share of the profits proportionnal to the size of
the linked provinces.

Let's say you want to build a trade route linking your holding in beautiful
Ilien (7) and a holding in Aerele (4) in Diemed, for a total profit of 5 GB
per turn. A natural share would give 1 GB each to the rulers of Ilien and
Diemed for allowing the trade route. Since Ilien is twice the size of
Aerele, your partner gets 1 GB and you get two, plus all the RPs, since you
created the route in the first place.

It's not that clear in the rulebook, but that's what I make of it.

>PS: DM isn't actually a good name anymore for this setting, is it?
>Dungeons are the least most regents think of when they rule their
>countries, so I thought something more appropriate would be called
>for. Any suggestions?

Uhmm... Someone who has control over the rulers. How about the World Banker? ;)
BloodMaster? Naw, those rumors about AD&D being a satanic cult will flare
up again :(

Robin


Webmaster of the Direct Democracy Pages
http://www.oricom.ca/~rcantin/AIntro.html
Les Pages Democratie Directe
http://www.oricom.ca/~rcantin/Introduction.html

[araqyl@spin.net.au (Jes]

>>The matter is this: we, together, have established that a merchant
>>who creates a trade route needs only one guild holding (in the
>>province where the routes originates) to start up making money. Are
>>there any official rules or guidelines (I am the designers of our
>>world directly now) concerning the profit for the regent (of the
>>destination province) who agrees on the trade route. In other words,
>>would he get a piece of the pie also?
>
> IMO, a ruler who doesn't get a 'peice of the action' is a fool, and will
>lose his realm to the guilder eventually. The ruler (through a decree) can
>cut any trade route instantly, hence he/she has veto over its existant, and
>the power to destroy something is power over it....
>
I'm not sure on this (IDHTBIFOM), but can't anyone who has a law holding
claim on income generated by trade routes? (as well as income from temple
and guild holdings). I just remember the "claim revenue" bit for law
holdings, but can't recall if it extends to trade routes too...

>>PS: DM isn't actually a good name anymore for this setting, is it?
>>Dungeons are the least most regents think of when they rule their
>>countries, so I thought something more appropriate would be called
>>for. Any suggestions?
>
> Game Master (GM) ? Its commonly used in a lot of non-D&D games...
>
Hmm - I still think BR characters will be thinking dungeons - just the kind
of dungeons that are inhabited by criminals, unwise orators, political
opponents, and mime artists...

See ya,
Jeremy Scrimes
araqyl@spin.net.au
aka: Jes, Bolt, Araqyl, Jeremiah, Jeremy Hinoski.

[Robert Harper]

At 05:26 PM 6/29/97 +1000, you wrote:
>>>The matter is this: we, together, have established that a merchant
>>>who creates a trade route needs only one guild holding (in the
>>>province where the routes originates) to start up making money. Are
>>>there any official rules or guidelines (I am the designers of our
>>>world directly now) concerning the profit for the regent (of the
>>>destination province) who agrees on the trade route. In other words,
>>>would he get a piece of the pie also?
>>
>> IMO, a ruler who doesn't get a 'peice of the action' is a fool, and will
>>lose his realm to the guilder eventually. The ruler (through a decree) can
>>cut any trade route instantly, hence he/she has veto over its existant, and
>>the power to destroy something is power over it....

Both the Ruler and the controller of Guild in destination (and any
intervening provinces) can cause major problems to creator of Trade Route.
Diplomacy to arrange an agreement to prevent this may be required (upping
the upfront costs of creating route). In my campaign, the player with a
small guild putting a trade route to the major city (controlled by a large
merchant concern) ended up forking over half his profits from the route.

Players may grumble, but the question is as above - why would any
profit-oriented NPC not demand a share?

__________________________________________________ _________________
| |
| We ask ourselves if there is a God, how can this happen? |
| Better to ask, if there is a God, must it be sane? |
| |
| Lucien LaCroix |
|_________________________________________________ __________________|

[Matthew M. Colville]

>>PS: DM isn't actually a good name anymore for this setting, is it?
>>Dungeons are the least most regents think of when they rule their
>>countries, so I thought something more appropriate would be called
>>for. Any suggestions?
>
> Game Master (GM) ? Its commonly used in a lot of non-D&D games...

Bah! How about Realm Master? As in, one step up from Domains.

- ---------------------- ---------------------------
Matthew M. Colville. Armed only with wisdom
mcolville@earthlink.net The Shintao Monks fight against the darkness...
Role-Playing and Fiction
http://home.earthlink.net/~mcolville

[trustno1@atcon.co]

>> Game Master (GM) ? Its commonly used in a lot of non-D&D games...
>
> Bah! How about Realm Master? As in, one step up from Domains.

Humbug, ye sayeth ? T'would not a Realm Master be an alternate to a title
such as King or Queen ? :)

-

[heinrich]

Jes wrote:

> > IMO, a ruler who doesn't get a 'peice of the action' is a fool, and will
> >lose his realm to the guilder eventually. The ruler (through a decree) can
> >cut any trade route instantly, hence he/she has veto over its existant, and
> >the power to destroy something is power over it....

> I'm not sure on this (IDHTBIFOM), but can't anyone who has a law holding
> claim on income generated by trade routes? (as well as income from temple
> and guild holdings). I just remember the "claim revenue" bit for law
> holdings, but can't recall if it extends to trade routes too...

In my campaign, a regent who have a law holding (in the first or last
province of the route) better than the guild of the owner of the Trade
Route, can cut this trade route by a decree. But it's better for him to
force the guilder to give him a part of the money generated by the route
: "Give me 1GB per turn or you will not earn any more GB with this trade
route..."
The guilder can refuse however...

- --
_
/ \ Olivier < Heinrich > Dias
| | e-mail : olivier.dias@hol.fr
\_/ And now, something completely different...

[Matthew M. Colville]

>>> Game Master (GM) ? Its commonly used in a lot of non-D&D games...
>>
>> Bah! How about Realm Master? As in, one step up from Domains.
>
> Humbug, ye sayeth ? T'would not a Realm Master be an alternate to
>a title
>such as King or Queen ? :)

Ok, how about Governor? I.e. the person who Governs the game? It
lends a political inflection to the idea.

- ---------------------- ---------------------------
Matthew M. Colville. Armed only with wisdom
mcolville@earthlink.net The Shintao Monks fight against the darkness...
Role-Playing and Fiction
http://home.earthlink.net/~mcolville

[Felix]

> >>> Game Master (GM) ? Its commonly used in a lot of non-D&D games...
> >>
> >> Bah! How about Realm Master? As in, one step up from Domains.
> >
> > Humbug, ye sayeth ? T'would not a Realm Master be an alternate to
> >a title
> >such as King or Queen ? :)
>
> Ok, how about Governor? I.e. the person who Governs the game? It
> lends a political inflection to the idea.

Honestly, I think Dungeon Master is a simbolic name that should never be
changed. Changing the name of Dungeon Master to Prairie Master, Forest
Master, Desert Master (in Dark Sun, specially) or Merchant Quarter Master
would be like changing the name of the game (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons)
to "Advanced Realms and Awnshegh" just because there are few dungeon
delving monarchs and there are only a few dragons in all Cerilia. Please,
Dungeon Master is a classic. Let's not change it.

Felix and friends (including our DM)
jonasfel@mail.telepac.pt