Mining/Prospecting

This page deals with the chance of finding valuable mundane metals and the like, which could be mined by industrial means.

Metal ore can be smelted at the Ashton plant near Cinon, except for mithril, adamant and meteorite, which would need to be taken to the dwarven smelters near Andeil.

Gem mining does not require prospecting, but does require careful extraction of the raw gems, which is why so few are found, as it is very time consuming.

The first thing that must be checked is if anything at all is found. This consists of a careful visual search, assuming cleared ground down to the stone layer, which takes a week for a square mile per prospector. Unless otherwise predetermined, there is a 21 to 40% chance that there is something worth mining in the area. For each level of the Prospecting non-weapon proficiency that the character has, there is a 20% chance during that week that evidence of the ore will be found.

Creatures able to travel through stone can search, and will have a chance of finding any existing ore that varies with their intelligence as the base chance:

Intelligence below Low - 10%

Intelligence of Low - 20%

Intelligence greater than Low - 30%

Any noted affinity or interest in gems - +20%

If there is ore, and if it is found, roll dice to determine what sort of ore is found:

0001-4000 - tin

4001-6400 - iron

6401-7800 - copper

7801-8600 - silver

8701-9200 - electrum

9201-9700 - gold

9701-9880 - gems

9881-9950 - mithril

9951-9980 - adamant

9981-0000 - meteorite

In general, mining will extract 1-2% of the available ore per day until half has been mined, then the percentage will fall to .5-1% per day until 80% has been mined, then the percentage will fall to .0-.5% per day until none is left. Completely exhausting a vein will take about 300-350 days, in general, assuming the most efficient methods are used.

ores will be found in quantity sufficient to smelt the amounts below.

Copper - 3-30 * 10,000 pounds

Silver - 3-30 * 8000 pounds

Electrum - 3-30 * 2000 pounds

Gold - 3-30 * 1500 pounds

Platinum - 3-30 * 600 pounds

Gems - see table below

Mithril - 3-30 * 100 pounds

Adamant - 3-30 * 50 pounds

Meteorite - 3-30 * 20 pounds

Gems - type of ore found based on die roll.