Sex Toy Shop in Sigil - Business Considerations?

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

I'm playing in a 3.5 campaign where the party consists of fallen Gods. We've been made mortal (somehow) and now are figuring out how to cope with it and possibly regain our Godhood. It's high-powered (36 pt buy, Gestalt), but the mechanics don't have much to do with my questions.

System: 3.5
Setting: Planescape / all 3.5 settings

We're operating out of Sigil, which, being closed off to Gods, is a totally new place for us. The two relevant characters in this case are Tallidan, my Gnome Artificer, who's all about improvisation and adaptability ("The right tool for the right job"), and Chaav, a God of Pleasure and Joy, among other things.

Given we tend to be strapped for cash, the idea of starting a business came up. Last session, we ran into the Sensates, a faction that's all about experiencing life via sensation.

The two ideas collided head-on today while I was musing over the campaign. Why not a sex toy shop? Sex sells. Chaav would be all for it, the Sensates might well subsidize it, since it has the potential to significantly increase their influence and numbers.

Initial thoughts:

• This needs to be affordable. Tallidan already gets significant cost reductions when making Wondrous Items, due to having two -25% cost feats (Magical Artisan and Extraordinary Artisan). Even so, our target market isn't going to have the same gp available as a bunch of adventurers. Sure, nobles might pay good money for custom work, but Jack and Jill on the street can't pony up a few hundred gold for a fun toy.
• This could get quite politically charged. The Sensates seem likely to support us, and it seems worth looking into whether they'd subsidize the venture. That said, I wouldn't be surprised to see gangs and other factions trying to get a cut of our business.
• I am absolutely sure the bureaucratic hurdles will be a nightmare
• There are ethical boundaries. Charm, for instance, seems like a no-go area (as do Enchantments in general). Both Chaav and Tallidan are Chaotic Good.
• Both Chaav and Tallidan are Chaotic Good...which means we may need some Lawful input on how to handle things.

Right now I'm just looking through useful spells and letting everything else sit on a mental back burner. Animate Rope, Prestidigitation, Resonance, Cure Disease all seem to have uses, though I'm generally trying to keep levels low and costs down.

Any thoughts on things to consider when starting up a sex shop? In Sigil? I'm expecting a lot of red tape, but I just wanted to throw this out there to see if people had creative ideas.

Have you ever run or participated in a game with a player-owned business? Does it distract too much from the main plot? I apologize if this post is a bit disorganized, I'm just trying to get a few thoughts down.

[Prime32]

• Items of disguise self
• Cha boosting items
• Glamerweave lingerie for all your "Diplomacy" needs (could possible be combined with a masterwork tool).
• Is there any way to turn someone into a succubus?
• Items of fission?

Potions (or oils, if you prefer ) are the most affordable option for many of these. Note that the brewer of a potion of disguise self sets the appearance, so you might want to have a number of ranges based on either various celebrities or "characters" created by the shop.

1st-level potions are 25gp to craft, before reductions.
2nd-level potions are 50gp, since artificers can craft them at CL1.


See if you can hire a Fiend of Corruption to boost clients' Cha. There's a number of other "services" you could offer - casting spells in person is more cost-efficient than crafting.

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

Hm. I think Fiend of Corruption is out due to alignment (even with this being Sigil), but the potions route definitely bears looking into.

And dammit, I'm going to find a way to make some basic Wondrous Items that are affordable 

[veekie]

Partial polymorph/alter self potions?

[archangel.arcanis]

potion of enlarge! (come one you know you were thinking it)

[Agita]

For the wealthy clients with embarassing kinks, Rod of Ropes and Nipple Clamps of Exquisite Pain. The latter is from BoVD, but not an Evil item. Also Salve of Slipperiness or Wands of Grease.

[PhaedrusXY]

I think Animate Object might be something that could come in handy. I'll let you come up with your own uses.  

If you don't mind cheese, one way to make a lot of this stuff cheaper would be to sell services instead of items, and then bind outsiders that have SLAs that can duplicate the effects your after. I'm sure some people would be into kytons for the "whips and chains" thing, for example. And who doesn't want to make out with a succubus all night, without the normal risks? That's only 1 lesser planar binding and a death ward away!

[bhu]

I did once have a Plastic Surgeon Wizard PrC i abandoned working on that had some ...disturbingly applicable spells if you'd like

[Solo]

Pricing guidelines are only guidelines. See if the DM will adjust the price to something lower for sex toys.

[RobbyPants]

For the wealthy clients with embarassing kinks, Rod of Ropes and Nipple Clamps of Exquisite Pain. The latter is from BoVD, but not an Evil item. Also Salve of Slipperiness or Wands of Grease.

The clamps were my first thought when I read this threat.

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

For the wealthy clients with embarassing kinks, Rod of Ropes and Nipple Clamps of Exquisite Pain. The latter is from BoVD, but not an Evil item. Also Salve of Slipperiness or Wands of Grease.

The clamps were my first thought when I read this threat.

Now that people mention them, I remember those. Definitely worth adding to the inventory.

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll talk to my prospective business partner next session and see what he thinks. I doubt we can work out the demon bit though, due to alignment. The services angle isn't really what we're going for, so it'll have to be goods.

[Shadowhunter]

Book of Erotic Fantasy.
It should be all you need I'd wager.

[dither]

Don't forget that with the proper marketing campaign, you could very well create a "sexual revolution" in Sigil, and if you create a respectable brand name for yourself (safe, hygienic, self-cleaning toys?) that sells extraordinarily well, it's worth remembering that Crack is Cheaper.