My quest to become the ultimate dwarf has hit yet another snag. I'm ready to start selling loads of crafted arms to a nearby city, but I've learned that a certain human lord holds a charter of monopoly in those goods. I therefore plan to approach this lord and buy his charter of monopoly from him, assuming the laws of his land allow it - but before I can offer a fair price, I need to know exactly how much benefit a charter of monopoly grants.
Specifically, I need to know exactly where its benefits apply. Obviously the modifiers it grants apply in the domain of the lord who issued it, but do they also apply to other markets in his realm? And what about beyond? I imagine that posessing such a charter could potentially put you in a rather good bargaining position even outside of the realm where it holds weight - though never having engaged in this line of business before, I can't be certain.
Also - and this is probably a silly question - how literal a monopoly does a charter of monopoly grant? If I were to obtain a monopoly on grain, would settlements I fail to sell to starve?
I would say it normally applies to their personal domain, as otherwise they're stepping on their vassals' ability to give out monopolies, and I think that having your lord come in and say "HEY! Only buy fish from Steve!" would count as a favor, and too many would proc loyalty rolls. That's just my ruling as a judge though.
I would assume that TECHNICALLY settlements you do not sell to are expected to purchase no grain, but this would be allieviated by a combination of
A. If you don't actually provide the good you promised, the lord that granted the charter will start letting other merchants in while you're gone. He was the one that gave you the right, after all
B. Other foods exist
C. Smuggling
A monopoly granted by your lord applies to your domain and any domains of your vassals, e.g. your realm. So for instance if Duke Alex has two vassals, Count Bob and Count Charles, each of whom has 2 vassals, Barons Dave and Ed, and Barons Frank, and Gary, then here's how it would play out:
- Duke Alex grants monopoly in grain to Count Bob. This does not affect Count Charles. Count Bob has legal monopoly over grain sales in his domain, and in Dave and Ed's domain.
- Count Bob grants monopoly in pottery to Baron Ed. This does not affect Baron Dave, Baron Frank, Baron Gary, Counts Charles, or Duke Alex.
The charter grants a legal monopoly, not a market monopoly. If you were to obtain a monopoly on grain, would settlements you fail to sell to starve? No, they'd have a flourishing black market in grain. The game mechanical effect of the monopoly is what's noted in the rules, and reflects the idea that the stated value of a legal monopoly and the state of affairs in the marketplace are not going to be anywhere near a perfect match.
[quote="Alex"]
A monopoly granted by your lord applies to your domain and any domains of your vassals, e.g. your realm.
[/quote]
Ah, so a ruler doesn't grant monopolies that apply to his own domain? Interesting... I guess that'd mean you can't grant yourself monopolies unless you have vassals. I'll have to think about the implications of that.
Thanks for clearing that up - I was very confused!
[quote="Alex"]
Oh - to be clear, you can grant yourself monopolies. I was just clarifying that when it came from above it would typically include your whole realm.
[/quote]
Ah, so you can only grant monopolies if you're at the top of the pyrimid, then? Otherwise there'd be no difference between granting yourself a monopoly and being granted one by your lord. Or do you mean that you can't grant youself a monopoly in your own vassals' domains, but you can grant one in your vassal's vassals' domains?
Wouldn't that in part be determined by the relationship between the lord and vassal? In a strong state in an see the vassal being more like an administrative officer who likely won't have the leeway to grant monopolies within his realm, while a vassal in a decentralized/weak state might be able to do so without consulting his lord.
[quote="Alex"]
Oh - to be clear, you can grant yourself monopolies. I was just clarifying that when it came from above it would typically include your whole realm.
[/quote]
Ah! I think I've worked it out. You can grant yourself a monopoly in your own domain only if you know no master; Otherwise, such a monopoly can only be granted by your lord. However, you can grant your vassals monopolies in their domains, so long as it doesn't conflict with any other monopolies already in place.