Traveling Banker, PLEASE HELP

[DeepShadow of FoS]

In my campaign, the secret Falkovnian refugee camps have become public knowledge in the wake of Drakov's assassination, and one has become a full-fledged town, now bursting at the seams as the Dementlieuese argue about if/how to let the refugees in. Some of the PC's are part of a peacekeeping force of mercenaries that has been hired to assist with keeping law and order in this town.

The peacekeepers need to be paid, and I've used Borcan banknotes in the past to demonstrate some of these modern-ish concepts of banking, such as written notes instead of gems or gold. I want to make a payroll officer in the form of a visiting banker who comes every so often to dispense funds. This individual can also do other transactions with anyone who works with his bank.

Of course, making this character realistic in the setting is going to take some work. There are no armored trucks of cash, this is one guy, perhaps with a small escort, who travels the area greasing the wheels of capitalism. Obviously carrying enough cash even for just for this one stop (two weeks worth of pay for 20 skilled mercenaries) is going to make him a prime target for thieves. The bank needs to make sure this guy can get around fast and give away money with a minimum of fuss.

I'm also looking at this as an opportunity to showcase "how we do things here," a little taste of Borcan business in the middle of Dementlieu. This guy is going to be opening accounts for other people, taking deposits, maybe some loans. We should see some of that Blood Banking we've heard so much about, and there should also be an air of "don't try it, we've thought of everything" when it comes to people trying to steal stuff.

I'm leaning heavily toward saying he has a ring gate that extends into an extremely secure bank where a small team of experts monitors his situation. If he needs more gold or gems, they pass it through the gate easy peasy; they keep him stocked with all the basics, and if there's a need for a lot (over the 100lb daily allotment of ring gates) they are prepared with additional magic to make that happen. If necessary, they can fill up a portable hole and pass it through the gate, as it's technically weightless when folded up. PfE wards off most attempts to charm or control him, and they are alert for exceptions. If someone gets violent with him, they can cast spells through their ring to assist, or even summon monsters, without it counting against the allotment for the day. Even if he's killed, the vast majority of the money is on their end; they close the ring and the killers get very little to show for the huge heap of trouble they're going to be in.

Naturally this isn't obvious, as he's probably got his ring in the bottom of a chest mostly hidden behind a curtain, so that it appears he's pulling money out of the chest. He might even need some more obvious security just to discourage idiots.

My questions are:
1) can you see any flaws in this system?
2) can you see any way to get the general effect (he goes around safely, doing all the banking business) without resorting to such a high-magic solution?
3) can you recommend anything else to create the general vibe I'm going for--showcasing the extraordinary resources and resourcefulness of the Borcan banking system in a low-key, business-as-usual sort of way?

As a bonus, I'd like this banking company to be Borcan based, but NOT the Boritsi Trading Company. Any suggestions?

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

There might be an argument for a similar trick based on the altered summoning rules of Ravenloft. Since summon monster must take creatures from the domain in which the spell is cast, in theory you could call a specific creature every time if you guaranteed it was the only one of its kind in the domain. In order to pull this off, the bank would set up a satellite office in the domain the banker is working in and keep this special creature there. When the banker calls in his request, they pack the creature down with the money and the banker summons it to him, allowing him to make exchanges before the thing goes back. This method is not as cut and dry as the ring gate, but it is potentially significantly cheaper.

The main trick is to use a creature which is rare in the domain, but still on the summon monster lists. Presumably, all of the sea creatures are out, since it would be awfully strange for the banker to travel with a giant water tank. Exotic animals imported from the Verdurous Lands would be rather good. If you still use a portable hole, a little monkey could be summoned with just a first level spell, or a more substantial ape could answer the call of a third level spell.

There are two sources of trouble here. If a rich person in the domain keeps such a creature as a novelty, then there could be nasty mix-ups when the summoning happens. Presumably, the bank would cast a few summoning spells before sending a creature in, just to make sure it fails. Otherwise, a stock of the creatures could be kept to make summoning the bank-owned ones more likely. A stock would be a good idea in general, in case harm comes to one of them. A spell barring planar travel could be used to keep ones not on active duty from being summoned by mistake.

The other problem comes along if anyone figures out how the banker gets his funds. A wizard who knew what creature was summoned could try and cast the spell after a request is placed but before the banker starts summoning, then rob the summoned creature. Of course, they probably have a backup plan in case secrecy fails or accidents happen.

[Five]

As I typically default to and start with the mundane in my version of Ravenloft, why not simply use letters of credit? Then think of less mundane security measures to act as your dash of spice. Being a Borcan banker maybe a non-signatory handling the certified letter of credit gets poisoned by the ink (nod to The Name of the Rose)...for a percentage of course. Each credit house uses randomized "homebrew" poisons for high-end transactions, and issues the payee antidote as a form of insurance. A trapped pay chest or moneybags/money is another security device, as is disappearances, swift and very lethal retribution by Wall Street/American Psycho-like assassins (a dire message sent to thieves guilds more than anybody else)...

Use standard letters of credit for the most part. The letters are useless in a couple of ways: depending on your Ravenloft, literacy or lack theteof is or can be first line of defence. Forgery is an issue of course but given that each credit house only cashes their own letters then unique security/verification systems can come into play. I'll be honest with you: I git nothing right now. Haha maybe later

Throw in some greasy operating procedures if you're not trying to legitimise the entire concept: some "tellers", taking advantage of the obvious illiterate, pay out less than the worth on the letter. A few coins per transaction. If they're found out, they're fired. With pay. That is, either sent to another satellite house or "traded" to another credit house (nepotism rules amongst these bastards). The victim is then apologised to profusely and offered twice the value of the letter (paid out from the skim pool). All within earshot of any of the other clients of course...

A form of coin golem as personal bodyguard? I'd play more off the Golem of Prague were I to go with this...give it that grit

[Five]

Alternate thought(s), if you want to showcase Borcan banker ruthlessness or the depths of their operations:

A Borcan Foreign Investment Agent (a spy) reads both the political and socio-economical landscape accurately (it's what they get paid to do) and sends off their report to head office. They are paid their finder's fee, a fee based on speed of actionable intelligence in relation to the bank's judgement on potential return of future investment. This fee is always "downplayed" but enough of a reward to carrot other agents. The agent then mucks off to their next assignment.

The bank activates its Asset Protection Agents, local merchants on the payroll or naturalised Borcans, to head out and begin laying infrastructure. This includes providing goods and services of both large and small means, depending as always on the current situation. Inns, shops, etc. Their task is to corner the market by any means neccessary. Buyouts, sabotage, etc.

Once the market, or a good-sized corner of the market is thus controlled by the bank through these "independants", a banker is sent out to manage the overall community assets, or, the bank's investment. These individuals lay down the bank's longterm goals. They essentially turn the place into a medieval corporate town, minus marketing with blatant affiliation, for as much as they can sustainably handle.

So in your case you could turn this refugee camp-turned town into the ideal Borcan bank machination (of a particular banker). They ultimately control just about everything in the town and have further instituted a radical idea thought up by some high-ranking official back in Borca: a town without money.

Letters of credit are issued to town residents in lieu of pay. These letters get traded as a form of barter, but the trades have to be monitored and signed-off by bank officials (or a bank-placed merchant). The bank makes actual money off the town's goods and services as it monopolises production and trade. Provincial taxes (and subsequent greased palms) aside.

These letters of credit are legit though, in the sense that they will be honored by any bank of that particular credit house anywhere they may be found in the Core. Travel (payouts) is, of course, "discouraged".

So, when a local mentions that they have gotten or will get something "on the tick", or, "on the scratch", they are referring to a (credit house-approved) merchant's deduction mark on their letter of credit/paystub.

Further, once several such towns are established by the credit house(s), more than likely in different domains, they can become embroiled in other...gainful investments, should the senior share holder(s) wish. These towns, or any portion thereof, can be remotely rented (or sold) to any number of players or factions in the "Great Game", and not all with Borcan interests at heart, though to turn on Mom is a ballsy move indeed. Warfare on a different scale, and very much behind closed (and heavily-guarded) doors!

Something to that effect. Potentially. Maybe.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

The Ring Gate idea sounds great for Faerun or another high magic setting, but doesn't feel particularly Ravenloft. Though, hiding it in a chest is exactly the sort of flavor concession I'd suggest if you do wish to use it. However, to put on my Ravenloft Rules Stickler hat for a moment, were a PC in my campaign to try this, I would probably rule that the Ring Gates don't work across domain boundaries, since the description says, "The rings must be on the same plane of existence", and domains are treated as separate planes for teleportation magic purposes.

I would probably look to history to see how real banks got started. (I don't honestly know the details there, but I bet wikipedia does.) In the real world, somehow people did pay mercenaries and such, without the help of magic, and without getting robbed blind most of the time.

[The Lesser Evil]

I second (or third?) the use of mundane letters of credit, chequing, etc. You can display casual demonstration of gross power through showing how much such tiny letters can influence the local populace (producing locally produced resources, exchanges of land, services, favors, etc.)

Of course, you will need some sort of infrastructure to maintain any sort of such exchange. One idea might come from the history of the Knights Templar. Proposed as a system of protection for Christian pilgrims, the Knights quickly developed a system of early/proto-banking methods to make pilgrims able to travel back and forth without as easy victimization by thieves. Although the insulated domains Ravenloft have no crusades to the Holy Land as such, the Church of Ezra might have created or at least facilitated such networks. (Yakov Dilisnya had originally proposed the Church to Camille as a tool of social control, and the Church could have played a key role in the furthering of Borcan banking/monetary culture.) Moreover, we know that the Dementlieuse church makes a lot of its money from a) manufacture of decorated holy books; and b) from visitors who seek healing from the Icon of Ezra at the Ste. Mere des Larmes, providing incentives to create a network of Ezrite linked financial infrastructures between Borca and Dementlieu (and beyond).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... ts_Templar

[DustBunny]

For a take on D&D economics (and problems) see these old articles from Critical Hits 'Dungeonomics'.

Not specific to Ravenloft (RL has very few murder hobos) but the problems with debts, treasure and working with money.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Wow, thanks for all the assistance on this one! I have to remember to put in "please help" more often!

I like a lot of the ideas here; it's just the issue of how to arrange them to my liking. I completely agree about letters of credit and things like that, but it doesn't actually solve this problem, as this banker must be able to handle someone cashing in. For example, one of the current PC's has been carrying around a promissory note from the Red Wolf of Nidala, and the expectation is that she will now be able to exchange it for a thousand gold if she wished. I want the system to function in such a way that this is a reasonable expectation.

And not just for her, but if the entire party she was traveling with at the time all cashed their 1K notes with this guy all at once, I want him to be able to handle it without batting an eyelash, and I want people to expect it of him. This needs to be normal.

Of course, there are incentives to NOT cash it in all at once. I'm thinking that they used "scrip" here in this camp/town: brass tokens that could be spent at any *legal* local business, but are useless elsewhere. The pay for the week was 1gp, but peacekeepers who choose to be paid in scrip got an extra 25% for helping to keep coins out of the local black market. On the other hand, they could choose to have their pay deposited in their bank accounts, which had the same 25% incentive plus an extra 5% from the bank. With these incentives, the party may never see how deep his pockets actually are.

The bank is also providing low-interest loans for small businesses to help the local economy. These are the infamous "blood banking" loans where they get a vial of blood and hit you with a geas or some such if you try to default. Charging a low interest rate counts as "charity" for these folks.

For the promissory notes, I don't think it's too practical in these scenarios to use poisoned ink that will affect anyone but the person who the money is intended for, as a check normally passes through many hands, half of which are bankers. However, I can totally see a reverse of this--poison ink that will only affect one target--as a preferred method of the Cerulean Chamber. I'll save that for later use, along with the interesting summoning trick.

And yes, I'm keeping the ring gate, at least as a general concept. I know my Ravenloft is a little more fantasy than others out there, and I prefer to let NPC's have the same solutions as a clever PC. These things exist in the world, and it makes no sense for a wealthy institution like this not to avail itself of the perfect solution. So far, the only flaw is the appearance of weakness; a guy with no obvious guards handing out huge amounts of cash makes himself a target more than an armored truck, even if he's better defended than one. I think I'm just going to make it clear that there are horror stories of people who crossed these guys, and leave it at that.

But I agree, the other ring ought to be in the same domain, and that makes a lot of sense combined with the Templars idea of tying it to the church. A network of church mercantile from Borca to Dementlieu, over into Mordent. They could even use Mist Travel to avoid all those bandics, and even go to Nevuchar Springs that way. The ring gate could even be fashioned by Anchorites--who better to create a device that travels over large distances?

I'll have to think about it more, but the bank in question is definitely in Dementlieu, so that particular rule is not a problem.

[The Lesser Evil]

The ring gate could even be fashioned by Anchorites--who better to create a device that travels over large distances?

Admittedly, there is some precedence for Ezrites to create teleportation devices (see the Rods of Teleportation from the Ravenloft DMG, p. 202 though several of them have been stolen.)

[Five]

The Republic of Darokin gazetteer might be a good overlay (or underlay) for Borcan banking/economics, and for Borca in general, to fill in some blanks a DM might have:

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/16982/ ... _45345_0_0

It's BECMI, but that shouldn't matter much if you're after concepts or bits and pieces of flavour.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

I'm waiting to introduce most of the stuff, but I thought you all might like to read the first scene with the banker:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The payroll "department" was a tiny alcove in the municipal offices where a pudgy grey haired man stood at a small busking table with a silk drapery skirting the table. The man's uniform is emblazoned with the insignia of Olszanik Mercantile. The table skirt added the Templum Tabulam of the Church of Ezra and the keys of the Boritsi Trading Company. It was fortunate that he had the insignias to identify him as a banker; based on his personality alone, he could be mistaken for the potted plant that normally occupied the alcove.

"Coin, scrip or deposit?" he mumbled to Athene when she arrived in the front of the line.

Just like the food tokens for work, they used "scrip" here in Fortuna: brass tokens that could be spent at any legal business. The pay for the week was 1gp, but peacekeepers who chose to be paid in scrip got an extra 25% for helping to keep coins out of circulation where they could end up in the local black market. On the other hand, they could choose to have their pay deposited in their bank accounts, which had the same 25% incentive plus an extra 5% from the bank.

Most peacekeepers chose to minimize coins, and Athene was no different. She passed him an account number when he asked her name, and opted to sign a scroll rather than prick her finger to verify her identity.
"Next?" the banker sighed. "Coin, scrip or deposit?"

He looked at Conny's promissory note from the Red Wolf.

“I see. To deposit, we'll just need an account number, but if you want any of it in coin, we'll need to confirm your identity."

He indicated the scroll Athene had signed; her name had vanished.

"If you prefer, a blood sample is faster, and could assist with a business loan if you are interested in that as well. We're charging just 3% for expatriates who qualify."

Athene huffed. “You say ‘expatriate’ as if they came here for a vacation, and stayed for The Season. They're refugees.”

The banker’s head tipped slightly in an attempt at a bow, but combined with closing his eyes it just looked like narcolepsy. “I meant no offense,” he said with his eyes still shut. “The mercantile hasn't the authority to grant refugee status. As far as Borca is concerned, Falkovnia remains a functioning state.”

Athene stared at him, and people in line started to murmur. "Vlad Drakov died three years ago. His firstborn died the year before."

"There are rumors that Vlad II returned."

"As an undead flesh-eating ghoul!" Athene hissed to avoid raising her voice.

"Well...rumors tend towards exaggeration…." he waved her off and motioned for Conny to make a transaction.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

On this topic, just found a very interesting article on how ancient Romans would lock bags of money with padlocks that only the intended recipient could open. Of course, it's not going to protect against cutting the bag, but such tampering would be obvious, and if I was entrusted with one of these on the expectation that I'd be a wanted man if it wasn't delivered, I'd hustle it along and be glad to be rid of it.

[Five]

On this topic, just found a very interesting article on how ancient Romans would lock bags of money with padlocks that only the intended recipient could open. Of course, it's not going to protect against cutting the bag, but such tampering would be obvious, and if I was entrusted with one of these on the expectation that I'd be a wanted man if it wasn't delivered, I'd hustle it along and be glad to be rid of it.

That is pretty cool. Thanks for the snack.

And if the bag wasn't delivered and/or the puzzle lock was tampered with or missing altogether, then watch the 04:00 to 06:00 minute marks of Turn: Washington's Spies' "Thoughts of a Free Man" (season 2, episode 1) and see what's likely to happen to the poor sod responsible...heh

Oh, those Borcan bankers!

[brilliantlight]

In my campaign, the secret Falkovnian refugee camps have become public knowledge in the wake of Drakov's assassination, and one has become a full-fledged town, now bursting at the seams as the Dementlieuese argue about if/how to let the refugees in. Some of the PC's are part of a peacekeeping force of mercenaries that has been hired to assist with keeping law and order in this town.

The peacekeepers need to be paid, and I've used Borcan banknotes in the past to demonstrate some of these modern-ish concepts of banking, such as written notes instead of gems or gold. I want to make a payroll officer in the form of a visiting banker who comes every so often to dispense funds. This individual can also do other transactions with anyone who works with his bank.

Of course, making this character realistic in the setting is going to take some work. There are no armored trucks of cash, this is one guy, perhaps with a small escort, who travels the area greasing the wheels of capitalism. Obviously carrying enough cash even for just for this one stop (two weeks worth of pay for 20 skilled mercenaries) is going to make him a prime target for thieves. The bank needs to make sure this guy can get around fast and give away money with a minimum of fuss.

I'm also looking at this as an opportunity to showcase "how we do things here," a little taste of Borcan business in the middle of Dementlieu. This guy is going to be opening accounts for other people, taking deposits, maybe some loans. We should see some of that Blood Banking we've heard so much about, and there should also be an air of "don't try it, we've thought of everything" when it comes to people trying to steal stuff.

I'm leaning heavily toward saying he has a ring gate that extends into an extremely secure bank where a small team of experts monitors his situation. If he needs more gold or gems, they pass it through the gate easy peasy; they keep him stocked with all the basics, and if there's a need for a lot (over the 100lb daily allotment of ring gates) they are prepared with additional magic to make that happen. If necessary, they can fill up a portable hole and pass it through the gate, as it's technically weightless when folded up. PfE wards off most attempts to charm or control him, and they are alert for exceptions. If someone gets violent with him, they can cast spells through their ring to assist, or even summon monsters, without it counting against the allotment for the day. Even if he's killed, the vast majority of the money is on their end; they close the ring and the killers get very little to show for the huge heap of trouble they're going to be in.

Naturally this isn't obvious, as he's probably got his ring in the bottom of a chest mostly hidden behind a curtain, so that it appears he's pulling money out of the chest. He might even need some more obvious security just to discourage idiots.

My questions are:
1) can you see any flaws in this system?
2) can you see any way to get the general effect (he goes around safely, doing all the banking business) without resorting to such a high-magic solution?
3) can you recommend anything else to create the general vibe I'm going for--showcasing the extraordinary resources and resourcefulness of the Borcan banking system in a low-key, business-as-usual sort of way?

As a bonus, I'd like this banking company to be Borcan based, but NOT the Boritsi Trading Company. Any suggestions?

Who is the new Dark Lord and what is he like? That might help in giving me ideas. It may be a Borcan company but it still has to deal with the laws the new Dark Lord has passed , if any.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Well, the area they are in is politically and literally in Dementlieu; it's a former refugee camp on the Dementlieu side of the river.

Politically, the former Falkovnian region split into a number of petty fiefdoms, with minor warlords and such. Domainwise, much was split between several nearby domains: Addar got a large chunk of the Forest of Shadows, and both Dementlieu and Borca expanded their borders. The rest went to a new DL called the Cruel Panoply, supposedly the same creature from ancient Falkovnian history.