Re: SJ Reviews: The 'SJR' References

On Fri, 24 Feb 2006 22:19:00 -0700, Rian A. McMurtry <Whalejudge@???.com>  
wrote:

> In a message dated 2/24/2006 9:01:30 PM, putermajor@????.ca writes:
>
> << iven
>
> that there is already some competition very little room would remain for
>
> spelljamming cargo from place to place on the main worlds. >>
>
> Not really.  Enterprising PCs can take a spelljamming galleon from  
> Waterdeep,
> land in Shou Lung in a day, load up with silks and porcelain, and sell  
> those
> same silks and porcelain in Waterdeep the next day.  Using that profit,  
> they
> can land in Malatra for spices and gemstones, the next day, return and  
> sell.
> In Zakhara on the fifth day to load dyes and coffee, and sell on the  
> sixth.
> Drop in to Maztica to load gold dust and cacao, bypass Waterdeep to land  
> in
> Suzail, and sell.  In eight days, they will have made substantial  
> profits, on
> trips that would take ordinary merchants MONTHS.  If they don't undercut  
> anyone
> the first few trips, their profits will be ENORMOUS.  Consider that the  
> one ship
> that sailed with Magellan came home loaded with spices, and paid for the
> entire voyage--and he started with five ships!
>
> ********************************************************************

That is all given a real world economy.  The enormous profits would be  
eliminated largely by competition, as well as high end ports (capable of  
buying large cargos) limiting who may sell there.  The assumption that  
Commodity X in land 1 is with 1 gp in land 1 and 10 gp in land 2 is  
mistaken.  The very nature of spelljammer competition could easily drop  
that price to maybe 2 or 3 gp.  With all the spelljammer expenses such  
trips could prove of very little profit.