Starting up a new game of D&D, we all ended up rolling a bunch of greediest and most self-centered murderhobos that ever went around - by tossing away the "murder" part. Why would you kill all those dungeon dwellers when you could get some additional profit by capturing them and selling them off as pets and slaves?
Now we want to know how to capture everything. Sure, shit like rats and goblins are simple enough, but what about slimes or molds, or ghosts and zombies, or gargoyles or gorgons, or all the even weirder shit that our DM (who finds the concept hilarious btw) is going to throw at us sooner or later? How do we capture all of those? How do we get out of a dungeon hauling up ghosts and succubi and gelatinous cubes and their ilk? Any good thoughts on how to best beat up the inevitable boss monster to near-death without actually killing them? Where's the market for all these suckers? And how can we expect the economy and the world around us to change to accommodate all this bullshit?
Each question someone at the table throws at the rest of us complicates matters, yet intrigues us and makes us all the more invested in doing this. We decided it couldn't hurt to hear whether /tg/'s got some good ideas to throw at our direction, too. Would be much appreciated.
>>46305940
sounds like a fun concept OP.
as for how the economy adapts I think it would be best to play this in a setting were ''monster slavers'' are already a thing, this way all the infrastructure of selling creatures and getting jobs is already in place.
for all the speciality monster captures aybe look with your DM for some specialised abjuration magic(items) such as a spell or chain that makes a ghost corporeal for some time or freezes a slime solid ready to be sold
The gelatinous cubes can probably be frozen. If you cut off a horse's dick, put it on a stick and you can lure the succubi out of the dungeon.
Undead should be trivial. If you don't have an evil cleric to mind-control them, you should have a wizard to cast Control Undead.
Who to sell the stuff to? Most of the harmless critters can be handed to random guys who're rich enough to pay for them. The military might also be interested in a variety of monsters to train the troops with, and finally there's always your evil overlords who're always happy to take the beasts off of you.
But you see, you don't actually have to sell them. After you've defeated the residents of a dungeon you can sell the owner a protection racket. She'll need her minions to collect the money to pay you with, and if she's short on cash you can bully her and poke her inappropriately until she cries and begs for mercy.
>>46306233
If monster slavers aren't a thing already, they will soon be as you start to make gold.
>>46305940
You should get started on learning alchemy and herbology quickly to get them sweet sedatives. Have wizards and other spellcasters prepare debuff spells for easy capture and transportation.
Don't be afraid to consult an expert on monsters or do some research beforehand so that you don't get caught with your pants down. As for the boss monster(or any monster really), you could ask your DM if he allows the PCs to deal nonlethal damage. Investing in grapplers, nets, and other forms of binding are fairly important as well.
>>46305940
Possible applications of monsters in a society that use them :
-Goblins and zombies can serve as slave workers. The first ones would be favored by lords, lesser nobles and rich families, the second would be liked by mages and bigger cities that can afford them.
Of course they can also be used as a part of any army.
-Slimes could have interesting properties with the right treatment, making it a useful material for craftsman.
-Most beast-like monsters could also interest tanners who would be able to make luxury goods and top-tier protective gear out of their skin.
-Succubus have an obvious use.
-Gargoyles might be tamed and used as sentries or dissecated for magical shit. -Gorgons might be able to provide useful magic materials that could be used for medicine.
And like >>46306240 said, if you don't kill them and can't bring them with you, just ransom them to the dungeon boss.
I dunno why, but I get as mental image a group of adventurers that upon seeing a minotaur guarding the treasure, they just steal his weapon off his hands, in two they lift and carry him away while another one finishes to take away also the treasure, all in a cartoonish way.
>>46311596
Better if they're halflings or something.
>>46308412
>-Succubus have an obvious use.
Everything can be used for what succubus is used, and it's always obvious.
>>46314556
>eating gargoyles
I hope you have good teeth.
>>46314935
No no, it's the gargoyle that will eat you!
>>46315626
I want to get my money back please.
