Nightlords and Unlimited Financial Resources

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Fenrir_Lokison
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Nightlords and Unlimited Financial Resources

Unread post by Fenrir_Lokison »

While I am not talking money here (I would think most Nightlords would find it impossible not to counterfeit paper and modern coin currency), however, what is preventing Nightlords from say, turning a few rocks into valuable gems or other precious stones and then trading them in to fund a Cult of Night? Or turning bricks into gold bars?

And as a side question...Should Nightlords even be played as having natural instincts on say, the molecules and atoms and their configuration to know how to create a real ruby or silver bars? And what prevents them from making indestructible items by tightly compressing molecules or altering their structures on a sub-atomic level that would allow them to make a bullet that ignores A.R. or a sword with a edge so keen, it could sever a head from its body on a natural 18-20? Or should there be some proper skill requirements to give a Nightlord the ability to convert a gun to straight up platinum and a bullet who's tip is a radioactive element?
knightmare6
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Re: Nightlords and Unlimited Financial Resources

Unread post by knightmare6 »

They're thousands of years old, they've got nothing to do but study, since they're relatively safe in the Nightlands, being at the top of the food chain. Them understanding common elements and compound objects that can be naturally found shouldn't be too hard, at least if it existed at their time on Earth prior to being sealed in the Nightlands.

However as civilization advanced, they could also gleam the information from their servants that have breached the Mirrorwall, as well as awakened dopplegangers, otherwise their campaign to take over Earth could be easily screwed if the Namtar and Dopplegangers weren't aware of some things in modern-day Earth.

Still, focusing their powers on condensing metal to such a degree would seem pointless, as there's no need for them to do so, which I'd say is more an issue of their arrogance at being the top of the food chain. They shouldn't feel the pressure to advance their technology, when the Darkblades suffice for most their minions, just like you don't see Hounds wielding firearms, even primitive ones, loaded with Darkblade bullets, or heck even missile weapons (bows, crossbows).

As for them converting items into valuables, they could easily have done that, and not for nothing probably have, but should also understand how it can crash the bartering system.

In my world the stock market crash happened due to the Nightlords interfering with the market, allowing their minions to takeover the automobile, telephone, utilities, and other rising tech industries during the panic to help control the advancement of society.

"Modern" day world, but with the slowed tech of the early-90's. Cellphone cameras were developed, and quietly killed, never making it to the market. There's no wi-fi, as they (the Nightlords) want to keep the spread of information at a snail's pace, in fact,
MOM GET OFF THE PHONE! I'M ON THE INTERNET!
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Grazzik
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Re: Nightlords and Unlimited Financial Resources

Unread post by Grazzik »

As someone who plays megaversally and has tried to hammer out an economic model to reduce the tedious bookkeeping that comes with it that can slow down gameplay, I have always dreaded the fact that transdimensional beings, like dragons or demons, can flit in and out of the Nightlands. If they do so in the interest of trade, there must be some constraint on the commodity traded - otherwise, some loudmouthed player is going to claim that they can trade a nifty TW energy weapon for a mountain of gold since the Nightlords don't care about the gold. Wrong, my dear player, for a few reasons -
1) I'm the GM and that would mess up my story I'm trying to tell,
2) trade in physical commodities is hard since you have to transport those commodities, and
3) there is a constraint to the dimensional transport of goods... the PPE required to dimensionally teleport or rift.

Unfortunately, I haven't yet modelled out a reasonable PPE to $$$ ratio yet.

Sure, PPE is abundant and renewable, but it still takes time to renew and, as knightmare6 points out, Nightlords have probably moved well past such childish and mundane considerations than to waste time and PPE on matter transformation in large quantities. Even with abundant slaves and minions to serve as walking PPE batteries, they are likely to covet PPE to engage in the pursuit of their own magical innovation and depravations, rather than for tedious commercial gain. In fact, they most likely withhold transforming matter to valuable commodities simply so they can tease the weak-minded with a promise of incredible wealth that will never come true.
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