A black market by definition is a place the you sell stuff that is illegal or restricted. Yet using the kingdom building rules they are one of the most optimal buildings you can make. So how does it go.
PC's: we need a black market let's build one here and set the kingdoms resources to building it.
Criminal: how is that a black market are the magic items produced illegal?
PC's: right lets make to new laws banning certain goods so they can be produced in the black market
[rant]
Black markets are never the most efficient way of doing business because of there under the counter nature the only reason they exist is because of laws banning the sale of certain goods.
A good example would be organs. There are real world example where a man has spends millions of dollars to buy a kidney of someone in africa however the person in africa only gets about 500 because of all the costs involved with the transaction being illegal.
[/rant]
does this bother anyone else?
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Take a step back from it and think of it as a metagame abstraction. The *PC*s aren't necessarily choosing to build any particular building, the *Players* are.
When the players choose to add a Tavern to a city, it's not likely that the King is saying, "I have a thirst. By Royal Decree, I command a Tavern be erected." It's more likely that the players simply want the bonuses for a Tavern, or perhaps have decided that a Tavern is the next logical stage for the city.
For a Black Market, I agree that the ruling council isn't going to say "Build a Black Market". However, it is not unreasonable that such a thing is created organically. In my mind, a Black Market is not so much a sudden gathering of criminal forces, but instead a way to tap into the underground economy *that already exists* in any large city.
Perhaps it represents some of the criminal element starting to 'go legit', and investing their profits into ventures that designed to make them part of local society, while still maintaining illegal and quasi-legal businesses.
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Everything can be reflavored, so if it doesn't make sense go ahead and change it.
You can always say that the black market is a market where only highly restricted good can be sold. Think of it as where only licensed professionals and rich merchants can go to buy restricted poisons, magical items, and possibly rare materials.
You can also look at Katapesh's Night Stalls to see what an open black market is like.
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In my campaign I've required the PCs make gather information roles or have appropriate contacts if they want to as characters buy something from the magic items the black market has, by definition it's hiding from the authorities!
As mentioned, I think you have to strongly keep in mind that the building is being done by the *players* not the characters, the characters might decide "we need to try and attract some mages to our new realm, that will help!" but the players decide "lets build a caster tower in that corner", it can be hard to keep them separated but it's vital imo.
On that note, something I have done reasonably often, has been give them 'free' houses (and sometimes tenements), telling them that due to their success and the influx of new settlers, more homes have sprung up! This can be useful to make their cities more than just 'shops' and also it can throw something of a wrench in their plans as they have to react to homes springing up all over (especially if its tenements, they don't like that ;) ).
I've told my players that certain buildings may exist, singularly, even if the players haven't built an associated district - for example, I had Grigori retreat to an inn after the party turned the crowd against him, even though the players hadn't yet built any inns according to the kingdom-building rules.
I do need to get them interested in building more housing developments though - the kingdom has been splitting its resources pretty thin between a caster tower for the Magister, an office for the Marshall, and helping get Tatzylford off the ground. If the party hadn't had Grigori escorted back where he came from (Drelev, at least first) by one of the Spymistress's minions I'd have him show back up and complain about luring all these colonists out here and not giving them the resources to make homes for themselves. Right now the populace is pretty wrapped up in worrying about the trolls, but once the impending threat is gone....
I've told my players that certain buildings may exist, singularly, even if the players haven't built an associated district - for example, I had Grigori retreat to an inn after the party turned the crowd against him, even though the players hadn't yet built any inns according to the kingdom-building rules.
I do need to get them interested in building more housing developments though - the kingdom has been splitting its resources pretty thin between a caster tower for the Magister, an office for the Marshall, and helping get Tatzylford off the ground. If the party hadn't had Grigori escorted back where he came from (Drelev, at least first) by one of the Spymistress's minions I'd have him show back up and complain about luring all these colonists out here and not giving them the resources to make homes for themselves. Right now the populace is pretty wrapped up in worrying about the trolls, but once the impending threat is gone....
Yeah, my players have practically no housing in their kingdom. I would suggest throwing some "random" events that raise unrest by 3+ at them. Housing becomes one of the easiest ways to deal with it.
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Remember that a city square hold 250 people and is a 750'*750' area.
That mean a area of 250 square yards/person at floor level. Even if half or that is streets, yards and garden, we still have an area of 125 square yards for each person.
125 square yards will house most medieval shop and laboratory combination(an alchemist, as an example) and leave space for the shop owner habitation on the second floor.
As there aren't 250 individual shops of the same kind in a city square you have even more housing space than that. Most of a city square is housing, even if it is a brought as a different kind of building.
The requirement for the shop to be adjacent to some form of housing is mostly a way to ensure that they have the needed number of costumers, not for the housing.
I also go with the certain buildings exist even if you aren't paying for/partners in them. In fact my districts are 12 squares instead of 9, 3 just happen.
Yeah, my players have practically no housing in their kingdom. I would suggest throwing some "random" events that raise unrest by 3+ at them. Housing becomes one of the easiest ways to deal with it.
Bolding mine.
You need some illegal tenements to spring up to solve your housing shortage:D
As much as YOU think they need:D
Oh, I love this idea. All communities have their own black markets without intervention. 'Buying' the black market for your kingdom just means you're getting the benefits of it!
With this interpretation, you actually have a game mechanic for being the corrupt government official.
In my game, one player "stole" some BP from the Kingdom (with an awesome plot behinde it. Short: Fake messanger: "Brevoy demanded tribute because the players claimed a few hexes near to the road"). He managed to hold this ruse for 2 game years (with a lot of obstacles thrown on him from my side (e.g. Grigori knows about it and try to use it) without any of the other players (and characters) know about it.
He then used this to a complete city including a black market - Bingo :D (he masked it as "town build by merchants" (including fake ambassodors, trade agreement etc.). And yes this player was the high diplomate and had big influence to the spymaster-npc. :D
@Tryn player sounds awesome!
@Troubleshooter with unregulated building you can have outside groups gather power and actually be a political threat to the PCs, I also offer allot of alternate rules for spymasters because that should be a more important position.
Yeah, my players have practically no housing in their kingdom. I would suggest throwing some "random" events that raise unrest by 3+ at them. Housing becomes one of the easiest ways to deal with it.Bolding mine.
You need some illegal tenements to spring up to solve your housing shortage:D
As much as YOU think they need:D
Shantytown - unofficial, poorly built, no sanitation or water supply, and all the tugs, heavies, drug dealers and thieves you can think of :) Give them +2(or more) unrest and a 5% (cumulative) chance of starting a disease/epidemic - per month until there is enough housing. If Shantytown is destroyed, it just adds another +2 unrest and springs up somewhere else in the city the next week.