Rules of Gain

lit. The Rules of Gain are the capitalist philosophical teachings attributed to Shiyan, the Great Traveler, wife of Ishizukuri Ryu, The Great Divine. They have been transcribed by Roshi Dcrazydude and are most often associated with the Stone Path.

= Rules of Gain = Rule #1: Once you have their money, you never give it back.

Rule #2: The best deal is the one that brings the most profit.

Rule #3: Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.

Rule #4: Time and Money are precious.

Rule #5: Always exaggerate your estimate.

Rule #6: Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.

Rule #7: Keep your ears open.

Rule #8: Small print leads to large risks.

Rule #9: Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.

Rule #10: Greed is eternal.

Rule #11: Even if it's free, you can always buy it cheaper.

Rule #12: Anything worth selling is worth selling twice.

Rule #13: Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.

Rule #14: Keep your family close; keep your gold  closer.

Rule #15: Dead men close no deals.

Rule #16: A deal is a deal, until a better one comes along.

Rule #17: A contract is a contract is a contract: but only between Zamotzian.

Rule #18: A Zamotzian without profit is no Zamotzian at all.

Rule #19: Satisfaction is not guaranteed.

Rule #20: He who dives under the table today, lives to profit tomorrow.

Rule #21: Never place friendship before profit.

Rule #22: A wise man can hear profit in the wind.

Rule #23: Nothing is more important than health, except money.

Rule #24: Money can't buy happiness, but you can sure have a blast renting it.

Rule #25: You pay for it, it's your idea.

Rule #26: As the customers go, so goes the wise profiteer.

Rule #27: There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman

Rule #28: Whisper your way to success.

Rule #29: Always ask, "What's in it for me?"

Rule #30: Talk is cheap, Brews isn't.

Rule #31: Never make fun of a Zamotzian's mother.

Rule #32: Be careful what you sell, it may do exactly what the customer expects.

Rule #33: It never hurts to suck up to the boss.

Rule #34: War is good for business.

Rule #35: Peace is good for business.

Rule #36: Neutrality is good for business.

Rule #37: If it's free, take it and worry about hidden costs later.

Rule #38: Everyone needs something.

Rule #39: Friendship is temporary; profit is forever.

Rule #40: They can hold your hand, but never your gold.

Rule #41: Profit is its own reward.

Rule #42: What's mine is mine.

Rule #43: What's yours can be mine.

Rule #44: Never confuse wisdom with luck.

Rule #45: Expand or Die.

Rule #46: Make your shop easy to find.

Rule #47: Don't trust someone wearing better armor than your own.

Rule #48: The bigger the smile, the sharper the sword.

Rule #49: Everything is worth something to somebody.

Rule #50: Gratitude can bring on generosity.

Rule #51: Reward anyone who adds to your profits so they will continue to do so.

Rule #52: Never ask when you can take it.

Rule #53: Never trust anybody taller than you.

Rule #54: Never trust someone with better skin.

Rule #55: Advertise.

Rule #56: Be discreet.

Rule #57: Good customers are as rare as Netherite; treasure them.

Rule #58: There is no substitute for success.

Rule #59: Free advice is seldom cheap.

Rule #60: Keep your lies consistent.

Rule #61: Never underestimate the power of bribery.

Rule #62: The riskier the road, the greater the profit.

Rule #63: Share only what isn't yours.

Rule #64: You don't need a storefront to set up shop.

Rule #65: Win or lose, there's always Cobblestone.

Rule #66: Double the price, then sell it half off.

Rule #67: Always inspect the merchandise.

Rule #68: A little ego stroking goes a long way.

Rule #69: Zamotzians are not responsible for the stupidity of other nations.

Rule #70: Zamotzians are not responsible for the stupidity of other Zamotzians.

Rule #71: Close the deal, and then answer questions.

Rule #72: Never trust your customers.

Rule #73: If it gets you profit, sell your own mother.

Rule #74: Knowledge equals profit.

Rule #75: Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of diamonds.

Rule #76: Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.

Rule #77: It's better to swallow your pride than to lose your profit.

Rule #78: When the going gets tough, the tough change the Rules.

Rule #79: Beware of the Rin Est greed for lore.

Rule #80: Greed is known by many names.

Rule #81: There's a difference between being a coward and running away.

Rule #82: The flimsier the product, the higher the price.

Rule #83: Even the wealth of the Roshi started with one bar of gold.

Rule #84: A friend is not a friend if he asks for a discount.

Rule #85: Never let the competition know what you're thinking.

Rule #86: When the odds are against you, never give up; just quit.

Rule #87: A friend in need means three times the profit.

Rule #88: It ain't over 'till it's over.

Rule #89: Ask not what your profits can do for you, ask what you can do for your profits.

Rule #90: The stones will not be removed.

Rule #91: Hear all, trust nothing.

Rule #92: There are many paths to profit.

Rule #93: Act without delay! The sharp axe cuts quickly.

Rule #94: Romance and finances don't mix.

Rule #95: Prejudice only eliminates customers.

Rule #96: For every Rule, there is an equal and opposite Rule (except when there's not.)

Rule #97: Enough... is never enough.

Rule #98: Every person has his price.

Rule #99: Trust is the biggest liability of all.

Rule #100: If they take your first offer, you either asked too little, or offered too much.

Rule #101: The only value of a collectible is what you can get somebody else to pay for it.

Rule #102: Nature decays, but gold and iron lasts forever.

Rule #103: Sleep can interfere with negotiations.

Rule #104: Faith moves mountains of inventory.

Rule #105: Don't trust anyone who trusts you.

Rule #106: There is no honor in poverty.

Rule #107: A warranty is valid only if they can find you.

Rule #108: Don't buy what you can't sell.

Rule #109: Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.

Rule #110: Playing dumb is often smart.

Rule #111: Treat people in your debt like family, exploit them [ruthlessly].

Rule #112: Never have sex with the boss' sibling.

Rule #113: Always have sex with the boss.

Rule #114: The one in power defines morality.

Rule #115: The best contract always has a lot of fine print.

Rule #116: There's always a catch.

Rule #117: Profit is the better part of valor.

Rule #118: There is no profit in revenge.

Rule #119: Never judge a customer by the size of his wallet, sometimes, good things come in small packages.

Rule #120: Borrow on a handshake, lend in writing.

Rule #121: Everything is for sale, including friendship.

Rule #122: Do not forsake your profits and they will watch over you.

Rule #123: Even a blind man can recognize the glow of Gold.

Rule #124: Diligent hands bring wealth.

Rule #125: You can't make a deal if you're dead.

Rule #126: Count it.

Rule #127: Stay neutral in conflict so that you can sell supplies to both sides.

Rule #128: Secrets are commodities, sell them.

Rule #129: The fear of poverty is the beginning of knowledge.

Rule #130: Never pay for sentiment, always charge for it.

Rule #131: Information is profit.

Rule #132: Never take no from someone who wasn't authorized to give you yes.

Rule #133: Only those ideas that lead to profit are good.

Rule #134: One good turn requires another.

Rule #135: Never trust a beneficiary.

Rule #136: Seek profit first and everything else will follow.

Rule #137: Everything is negotiable.

Rule #138: Wealth brings satisfaction.

Rule #139: Siblings serve, spouses inherit.

Rule #140: Better great treasure with trouble than peace with poverty.

Rule #141: Only fools pay retail.

Rule #142: There's no such thing as an unfair advantage.

Rule #143: Risk is part of the game... play it for all it's worth.

Rule #144: There's nothing wrong with charity...as long as it winds up in your pocket.

Rule #145: A little and often fills your pockets.

Rule #146: Necessity is the mother of invention. Profit is the father.

Rule #147: In all worthwhile labor there is profit.

Rule #148: Wealth enables experience.

Rule #149: Profit is encouragement to industry and enterprise.

Rule #150: The way to become rich is to put all your gold in one sack, then watch the sack.

Rule #151: The richest's pleasures are the cheapest.

Rule #152: A lie is a way to tell the truth to someone who doesn't know.

Rule #153: Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

Rule #152: Work hard so you don't have to.

Rule #153: When you have only 2 pieces of gold left, buy bread with one, and bet the other.

Rule #154: Pain passes, but profits remain.

Rule #155: Power is 50% what you have and 50% what people think you have.

Rule #156: Rainy days are good for business.

Rule #157: Common sense is the collection of the customer's prejudices.

Rule #158: The first principle of a rigid businessman is to always be flexible.

Rule #159: There are no creeds in mathematics.

Rule #160: Happiness is not mere possession of profit, but joy of acquisition.

Rule #161: Beyond the mountains there are more mountains.

Rule #162: Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.

Rule #163: When a friend makes a profit, you don't.

Rule #164: Life does not guarantee equality of conditions, only of opportunity.

Rule #165: Never let your sense of morals get in the way of opportunity.

Rule #166: The success of any great transaction does not depend on odds.

Rule #167: Earning is not only a duty, it's a privilege.

Rule #168: Whisper your way to success.

Rule #169: Competition and fair play are mutually exclusive.

Rule #170: The hand that feeds could be bitten.

Rule #171: Blood is thicker than water, and ores are thicker than both.

Rule #172: Chances aren't what they used to be.

Rule #173: Dream, plan, believe, act.

Rule #174: If you can't buy it, find someone who can.

Rule #175: Gratitude is expensive.

Rule #176: The wind always favors the best navigator.

Rule #177: Know your enemies... but do business with them always.

Rule #178: Power, leisure, and liberty are all words for profit.

Rule #179: Opportunity may bring profit, friendship rarely does.

Rule #180: Never discuss an opportunity with someone wealthier than you.

Rule #181: Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit.

Rule #182: The cost for profit is never too high.

Rule #183: When it's a question of profit, everyone is of one belief.

Rule #184: In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Rule #185: Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.

Rule #186: There is no security, only opportunity.

Rule #187: The philosophy of one is the common sense of another.

Rule #188: A fool and his money are the best customer.

Rule #189: Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money.

Rule #190: Hear all, trust nothing.

Rule #191: A Zamotzian waits to bid until his opponents have exhausted themselves.

Rule #192: Never cheat a Shirokaneza... unless you're sure you can get away with it.

Rule #193: Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of desire.

Rule #194: It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door.

Rule #195: You can't jump an 8 block ravine in two 4 block jumps.

Rule #196: Listen to advice; then do what you want anyway.

Rule #197: Pick battles big enough to matter, but small enough to win.

Rule #198: You can't shake hands with a sword.

Rule #199: The universe is not as difficult to comprehend as time in the queue.

Rule #200: A Zamotzian chooses no side but his own.

Rule #201: Wisdom consists of the anticipation of costs and consequences.

Rule #202: The justification of profit is profit.

Rule #203: New customers are like berry bushes... They can be succulent but sometimes they can damage you!

Rule #204: It takes a Zamotzian to cheat a Zamotzian.

Rule #205: Trust can be expensive.

Rule #206: Distrust can be expensive.

Rule #207: Sense without education is better than education without sense.

Rule #208: Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer.

Rule #209: Too many brewers spoil the mead.

Rule #210: Always be smarter than the people you hire.

Rule #211: Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success... don't hesitate to step on them.

Rule #212: You and your Money are all you've got.

Rule #213: Those who concede to sell for less understand the value of business.

Rule #214: Never begin a business negotiation on an empty stomach.

Rule #215: Profit may not bring happiness, but there is no happiness without profit.

Rule #216: Never gamble with an evoker.

Rule #217: You can't free a fish from water.

Rule #218: Always know what you're buying.

Rule #219: Possession is 11/10 of the law.

Rule #220: Listen to what they say while watching what they do.

Rule #221:  Books are useless. They can only give you answers.

Rule #222: The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be believed.

Rule #223: Beware the man who doesn't make time for mining.

Rule #224: Listen to your gut.

Rule #225: Always follow one step ahead.

Rule #226: Learn the language; google translate can be wrong.

Rule #227: Emulation with profit is better than innovation with none.

Rule #228: Bid high and bid often.

Rule #229: Money lasts longer than lust.

Rule #230: If they're smarter than you, make them a lesser partner.

Rule #231: There's a customer born every minute; be sure you're the first to find each one.

Rule #232: Deal only with select clientele. (Those who are rich and not so bright.)

Rule #233: Gold doesn't grow on trees.

Rule #234: There's nothing wrong with a good delusion.

Rule #235: Duck; death is tall.

Rule #236: You can't buy fate.

Rule #237: It's good to want things, especially things you can't have.

Rule #238: How I handle my business is none of yours.

Rule #239: Never be afraid to mislabel a product.

Rule #240: Do it yourself and keep it yourself.

Rule #241: Never trust a hardworking employee.

Rule #242: More is good... all is better.

Rule #243: The more good will you can generate, the longer your customers stay.

Rule #244: Because something's priceless doesn't mean it's not worthless.

Rule #245: Benevolence is 50/50.

Rule #246: Innocence is expensive.

Rule #247: Don't negotiate with the underlings.

Rule #248: Profit is in the details.

Rule #249: Once it's sold, stop selling.

Rule #250: Precious things are for those that can prize them.

Rule #251: Don't miss the opportunity by grabbing at the shadow.

Rule #252: Little steps may prove great profit.

Rule #253: Fine beer is the lubricant of choice for a customer's stuck purse.

Rule #254: Better a fat slave than to starve free.

Rule #255: A spouse is a luxury... a smart accountant, a necessity.

Rule #256: Accountants do not play the game; they only keep the score.

Rule #257: Despise the things you cannot have.

Rule #258: An iron in the hand is better than a gold in sight.

Rule #259: Wealth not yours might as well not exist.

Rule #260: Life's not fair. How else would you turn a profit?

Rule #261: A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.

Rule #262: A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Rule #263: Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for money.

Rule #264: Distrust interested advice.

Rule #265: The customer is always right... until you get their money.

Rule #266: When in doubt, lie.

Rule #267: If you believe it, they believe it.

Rule #268: Hold on to what you have, but plan for future luck.

Rule #269: Trying to please an enemy makes you the loser everytime.

Rule #270: In business deals, a bow can be almost as important as a calculator.

Rule #271: What we want is not always the most profitable.

Rule #272: Think twice before leaping once.

Rule #273: Don't waste your breath arguing with a Shirokaneza; save it for the running you may have to do.

Rule #274: Consider your next transaction while counting your gold.

Rule #275: Foolish investment based on foolish advice is still foolish investment.

Rule #276: Overbooking is standard practice.

Rule #277: Anything worth fighting for is worth hiding from.

Rule #278: Appearances are deceptive. Dress above yourself.

Rule #279: Necessity knows no price.

Rule #280: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Rule #281: Greed cannot overreach itself.

Rule #282: The value of something is not in its use, but in its price.

Rule #283: An individual is smart, a group is not.

Rule #284: Deep down, everyone's a Zamotzian.

Rule #285: No good deed ever goes unpunished.