Trade & Commerce

What is the overall structure of the economy in your world?

E.g., is it centralized, decentralized, etc.? How do political systems, geography, or social hierarchies influence it?

What are the primary industries or sources of wealth?

Write a short market report highlighting the key industries and how they are performing.

Who controls wealth and resources?

How does this control influence politics, social order, rebellion, etc.?

How are wealth and power distributed?

Think social classes, magical privilege, caste systems, etc.? How does it affect conflict and opportunity?

How do everyday people experience the economy?

Think wages, market access, cost of living, social mobility, etc.?

What major obstacles does the economy face right now?

What about in the past?

How is currency defined and standardized in your world?

Who decides its value? How stable is it?

What alternative forms of payment might exist?

E.g., bartering, favor exchanges, magical binding vows, etc.?

What forms of banking or financial institutions exist?

How do these institutions store wealth, provide loans, or facilitate trade?

How does banking or currency interact with politics and power?

In terms of taxes, corruption, etc.?

How do everyday people experience money and banking?

In terms of access, convenience, trust, etc.?

What types of businesses and trades exist in your world?

How do these businesses shape society, culture, and the economy?

What industries are considered lucrative or prestigious?

And which are looked down upon?

How is labor organized in your economy?

Think guilds, unions, serfdom, etc.? How does labor influence social mobility, status, wealth distribution, etc.?

What rights and protections do workers have?

Are rights universal, restricted, earned, etc.?

What are typical working conditions in this economy?

Write a "day in the life" of a worker here.

How do divisions amongst the people manifest in the labor force?

Are certain industries dominated by specific groups?

What kinds of illegal or underground goods and services exist?

E.g., smuggling, black-market magic, assassins-for-hire, etc.?

Who participates in underground economies?

E.g., is it organized into syndicates or guilds? Who has knowledge of it? Who controls it?

How is illegal trade conducted?

Think secret routes, coded messages, lawless zones, etc.? Describe a marketplace where illegal goods are secretly traded.

What risks and consequences exist for participants?

How do participants weigh risk vs. reward?

What informal or underground labor systems exist?

How do these systems interact with formal labor structures?

How do authorities respond to the unseen economy?

Consider law enforcement, magical policing, bounty hunters, corruption, etc.