Simple economic models for campaigns

[jmccann]

Over in the thread ruinsofmurkhill.proboards.com/thread/643/another-end-game-arbitrage I started to discuss a simple economic model for use on the OS board.  I am starting this thread to develop the model a little more.

One important concern is that the model be very simple to administer and play, but to also allow interested parties or referees to have a more elaborate model if that is something they or their characters are interested in.    So one result I want from this model is a set of tables which can be used without modification in any campaign to provide some kind of realistic pricing for items in the campaign.  There will also be guidance for more elaborate model for interested referees.

Features of the model

* agricultural production
* feudal economic features
* trade
* army costs

[jmccann]

Annual Agricultural Inputs and Outputs

For use in the game this would need a calendar and some kind of standard currency.  When I get around to making this playable it will probably be denominated in silver pennies or a standard currency of account. 




Here is how agricultural production will work.  This graph shows inputs and outputs for a single commodity.  There will be some monthly costs, represented by the black line.  This is effort in plowing, sowing, etc.  There will be manpower requirements as well as economic requirements.  There will be various mechanisms of property ownership. For an early feudal model we can set a population density and consider the population to be tied to the spot (unless a war or something renders the area uninhabitable) and working for free (in terms of silver).  For other periods a different arrangement would be required. 

The black line shows input costs.  To get the output (red line) productivity the input must have been paid for some period of time.  The course of the year will influence the cost curve heavily.  This assumes a northern temperate climate with a single harvest season, and the input shows a late-year winter holiday which brings economic activity to a halt for this commodity.

Other commodities might have different curves - winter wheat, raspberries have 2 harvests, etc.  With just a little effort I think an economic system with a high degree of verisimilitude can be put to use for a campaign.

[tetramorph]

jmccann, as always, awesome thinking.

I've been away on a writing retreat.

Next week I'll reply more to this thread and the one on dislikes of the implied setting. Thanks!

[tetramorph]

jmccann , you know I'm a big fan of "rules-lite." I am keeping things like, yield from agriculture, mines, etc., as a turn-year kind of thing in order to keep it abstract and simply factor in the differences between harvest and plowing, fasting and feasting, etc.

Here is what I've set up for my current Outdoor Survival campaign:

Surveying and Prospecting

Assume horticultural subsistence until agricultural investment. Character may hire surveyor (500gp per mo.) to survey agricultural possibilities, and a prospector (750gp per mo.) to discover mineral wealth. Searching takes one week per 5m hex. Surveyor and prospector demand, in addition to monthly wage, 10% of the first full profit yield of anything they find. Each type of resource has its own base value in terms of yield per year in gold pieces.

Survey table

D6	Clear	Water	Woods	Swamp
1	non-arable	stagnant	scrub	n/a
2	Arable	Fish	Wood	n/a
3	Arable	Fish	Wood	n/a
4	Arable	Fish	Wood	n/a
5	Husbandry	Clay	Game	Agriculture
6	Husbandry	Clay	Game	Clay

Arable land is suitable for vine-growing 1 in 6; base value 4. If not, it may be suitable for textile production 1 in 3; base value 3. Otherwise, arable land represents normal grain crops; base value 2. Husbandry is always good for meat, base value 2; but may also yield leather and wool, 1 in 3 chance, each; base value 3. Fishery base value 2. Clay quarries produce bricks, mortar and vessels, improving building quality; base value 3. Wood base value 2. Game base value 3. Swamp agriculture base value 2.

Prospecting only in mountains and deserts. 1 in 3 chance per mountain hex; 1 in 6 per desert hex.

Prospect table

D6	Prospect	Quarry	Base M
1	Quarry	Stone	Copper
2	Quarry	Stone	Copper
3	Quarry	Stone	Iron
4	Metal	Granite	Iron
5	Metal	Granite	Tin
6	Gem	Marble	Tin

Stone, granite and marble base values 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Metal and gems 1 in 3 precious. Base metal value 2. For precious metal 1 in 3 gold, base value 4, otherwise silver, base value 3. Semiprecious gems base 4, precious gems base 5. (For specific gem role on the gems and jewelry tables, above (remember my gems and jewelry description table). Reroll “pearl.”)

After a surveryor or prospector makes a find, determine quality of the find. Quality of the find may affect base value and duration of years of normal yield.

Quality table

D6	Base	Duration	Laborers	Example	Example
1	Subtract 1	Subtract 1/3	70	Vein	Pine
2-5	n/a	n/a	100	Load	Oak
6	Add 1	Add 1/3	130	Mother load	Ebony

Finds yield 10d10 years at normal rates of use without further investment.

Value table

Value	Yield X1Kgp	Example
6	10d6	Mother Load Gems
5	8d6	Load Precious Gems
4	6d6	Load Gold
3	4d6	Load Silver
2	2d6	Load Copper
1	1d6	Vein Copper

In order to develop the investment, character hires initial laborers (ditch-diggers for irrigation, miners, lumberjacks, trappers, etc.), and must provide roads between the area and the nearest settlement. In addition to the above, development requires an initial monetary investment. Determine initial investment as a percent of the find’s expected yearly yield. Roll 5d10 to determine the percent (5% to 50%, 27.5% ave.). Investment in time before turning profit determined by one month of development per 1Kgp invested. Decrease time by increasing monetary investment and vice versa. Consider any other infrastructural needs as factored into the abstraction. Investments become self-sustaining after meeting the required initial investment of time and money.

This is probably too abstract for you, jmccann , but please do let me know what you think.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Bumping this along with the other thread that is linked in the OP. See the other thread.

[dicebro]

I am tinkering around with this:  

a “talent” of gold is worth 1000 gp.

a nation gets a weekly income based on the number and type of hexes within its boundary lines. This amount is to be spent on the public and kept separate from the National leader’s personal wealth.

woods generate 2 talents per week per hex 
a large city generates 5
deserts generate 0
mountains generate 1
swamps produce 1
a river hex or sea coast generates 3.
a clear hex generates 3 

these talents, aka “credits” are spent on fortifications, roads, army units, etc.  I made a list of possible expenditures

Talents (Credits worth 1000 go) can be transported in wagons and ships on campaign. They can be stored in the Nation’s Citadel or vault. 

Im also working on a very simple weekly record sheet (one that can be coordinated with my campaign calender)

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

May 13, 2023 9:15:42 GMT -5 dicebro said:

I am tinkering around with this:  

a “talent” of gold is worth 1000 gp.

a nation gets a weekly income based on the number and type of hexes within its boundary lines. This amount is to be spent on the public and kept separate from the National leader’s personal wealth.

woods generate 2 talents per week per hex 
a large city generates 5
deserts generate 0
mountains generate 1
swamps produce 1
a river hex or sea coast generates 3.
a clear hex generates 3 

these talents, aka “credits” are spent on fortifications, roads, army units, etc.  I made a list of possible expenditures

Talents (Credits worth 1000 go) can be transported in wagons and ships on campaign. They can be stored in the Nation’s Citadel or vault. 

Im also working on a very simple weekly record sheet (one that can be coordinated with my campaign calender)

Cool stuff, dicebro!  I'm definitely interested in seeing what you develop with these ideas.