Treasure into Holding Rating

[Seosaidh]

So I had an idea. What if you allowed a player to decrease their holding rating by paying a certain amount of treasure points? Of course, you couldn't lower the rating further than your standing or valour allowed. This could represent the hero investing in something that could have a long-term payoff, such as a new plow or more land for a farm, or more pack animals or better contacts for a trade route.

My original idea was that each decrease in rating would cost an equivalent amount of treasure as achieving the required standing. EX: To reduce a Holding from rating 8 to rating 7 (requires standing/valour of 2 and 3 respectively), would cost 36 treasure (the cost of raising standing to level 3). Additionally, it might take up a Fellowship Phase Undertaking. In this way, a hero could save up treasure that they find or earn from their holding to make their holding even better. Of course, this just makes it worse when an orc-band comes by and burns their farm to the ground.

Thoughts?

[doctheweasel]

Based on that cost, it rarely be worth the investment, since all you gain is 1 treasure more in some years. In your example, it would take a minimum of 36 years just to make back the 36 treasure investment, and that assumes a successful roll every year, which is highly unlikely (Double or triple that is more likely the reality).

You want to aim for a break even for at most 5 years. Considering the low payoff for even the better ratings (rating 4 will only give you treasure half the time) the most you could charge to accomplish this is one or two treasure for the increase.

[Seosaidh]

Hmm. Good point. I hadn't thought of it from that perspective. I think that you're correct about the targeted time frame for the return on investment. What if it was:
Treasure Rating
1 9->8
1 8->7
2 7->6
2 6->5
3 5->4