Destroying the D&D economy if you aren't a wizard or cleric.

[PhoneLobster]

There have got to be ways to do this.

For a start I'm thinking things like skill abuse.

The (mundane skill based) item creation system is really wierd and wonky. Its usually hopelessly complex and ineffiicient, especially for adventurers. But there are bound to be edge cases where characters can churn out a vast value worth of some high cost/low cost good such that they break the market.

Handle Animal is pretty powerful and vague and if I recall can be sped up to be a pretty low time investment (something in the vicinity of rounds I think). The steed and war steed market should break almost overnight and all heavy labour can probably be done by trained elephants and apes. Shepherds will probably be out of a job as its quicker and cheaper to just train all the sheep in the herd several tricks each to let themselves out in the mornings and lock themselves up at night, etc...

It may well be possible to readily abuse forgery sufficiently to dilute any currency with counterfiets to the point of collapsing within a short period of time.

I'm fairly certain there were rules SOMEWHERE in some splat book (maybe the stronghold builders guide) for hiding buildings and stuff. It might well be possible to use the hide skill to actually physically hide important components of the economy. Like mines or banks or ports. The actual effectiveness of this might be a bit questionable but if the rules are poorly worded enough for it to work (and I would be unsurprised if they are) it would be hillarious.

Traps are shamelessly expensive investments. But how quickly would a really out there (or even mildly cheap) self resetting trap pay for itself killing peasants and low level traders on a major trade route?

How much money can you earn with some sort of abuse of the proffession skill? And even if there isn't room for abuse here if all proffession skills (like proffession "peasant basket weaver" and proffession "grand imperial treasurer") all earn the same income for skill point investment then how the hell does that effect the economy.

Etc...

[Neeek]

It seems to me that the easiest way to destroy an D&D economy without magic is to literally destroy the economy. Like, burn all the fields and kill all the workers.

Alternatively, you could do that thing where you "go adventuring" and bring back treasure that makes you worth more than the town you are staying in. Then spending it as quickly as possible. Hyperinflation is rarely a good thing.

[User3]

There are several ways for non-casters to destroy the DnD economy of "money=magic=power", but few ways to destroy the setting's actual economy.

Ways to get insane money to buy kingdoms and epic magic items:

1. Frank and I worked out a way to abuse the DMG II "business" rules. If you don't mind the unrealistic rules nature of this, you can win your local DnD game.

2. Selling magical creatures. Creatures like griffins have a GP cost in the thousands. They also breed. You do the math.

3. Selling the effects of a reusable magical trap. For example, an altar trapped to use Cure Light Wounds on anyway that touches it is cheap and could make you a fortune.

[Neeek]

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3. Selling the effects of a reusable magical trap. For example, an altar trapped to use Cure Light Wounds on anyway that touches it is cheap and could make you a fortune.

That's brilliant!

DM: How is that a trap? It just heals people!

Player: Well, it's a trap that targets undead. The healing is just an unfortunate side effect that we'll have to live with.

[Essence]

It's also magical.