Gold or Silver standard?

Kaldric · December 28, 2011, 10:15:11 PM

I find the monetary system in AD&D breaks down as soon as you move away from its suggested style of play - the prices are 'boomtown' prices. This is what you'd expect to pay for things in a tent city outside a newly-discovered dungeon complex.

So, if you're going to actually simulate such a thing, maybe just look at historical stuff? Assume each new dungeon that gets discovered is something like a mini-New World, severely distorting local economies, the power of local strongmen, and so on.

Justin Alexander · December 29, 2011, 02:22:25 AM

Quote from: VectorSigma;498222Awesome and stolen. I've just amended the 'reskin for setting flavor whenever possible' sticky-note above my desk to add 'THIS INCLUDES OBJECTS' beneath as a reminder.

Recently I included potions that were alchemically created from pulping the dead brains of sorcerers.

Several of the PCs in my campaign refuse to use them.

Pseudoephedrine · December 29, 2011, 02:44:01 AM

Quote from: Justin Alexander;498325Recently I included potions that were alchemically created from pulping the dead brains of sorcerers.

Several of the PCs in my campaign refuse to use them.

Nice.

After all the fun with hallucinogenic healing potions in this game, I am going to start experimenting with the idea that potions by default have two or more effects. Not necessarily one good effect and one bad effect, just two (probably rolled randomly). Sometimes you'll luck out and get the potion of fire resistance and fire breathing, and sometimes you'll get the potion of deadly poison and magic resistance.

I'll be drawing up some tables of fun and useful potion effects for the Emern game. Stay tuned.

StormBringer · December 29, 2011, 02:45:20 AM

Quote from: beeber;497991well, i for one appreciated Doom's post. very informative

if i'm going for a more. . . realistic? fantasy, then sp is the main currency. if i'm feeling all dungeoncrawler-y, then fuck it, stick with crazy d&d gp.

Agreed. Even when the US was on the gold standard, currency was still issued in paper bills. While it is possible to 'cash out' your gold investment and get the actual gold, it isn't easy, and in this day and age you will attract the attention of Homeland Security at the very least. Pointing out that no peasant and precious few freemen would have even seen a gold coin, let alone possessed one, is not wildly out of line; this is another aspect of the hobby that has little to do with 'realism' and more to do with verisimilitude.

Spinachcat · December 29, 2011, 02:55:03 AM

When Ron Paul GMs, it's always the gold standard.

I stick with gold in D&D because I want less numbers. I explain that a gold coin is $100 value and that adventurers are rock star criminals on the fringe of society so they can be overcharged with impunity by merchants. Also, worthwhile gossip costs real money, not a handful of coppers.

Quote from: Rincewind1;497986This way, the madness lies - especially if you actually count how much 1000 gold pieces weight.

I actually love the 10 coins = 1 pound in D&D. My PCs recently were hauling around 3000 gp (300 lbs of metal) and without a pack mule or hirelings, they were all sorts of unhappy dragging the stuff through dangerous territory.

Rincewind1 · December 29, 2011, 02:58:26 AM

Quote from: Spinachcat;498349When Ron Paul GMs, it's always the gold standard.

I stick with gold in D&D because I want less numbers. I explain that a gold coin is $100 value and that adventurers are rock star criminals on the fringe of society so they can be overcharged with impunity by merchants. Also, worthwhile gossip costs real money, not a handful of coppers.

I actually love the 10 coins = 1 pound in D&D. My PCs recently were hauling around 3000 gp (300 lbs of metal) and without a pack mule or hirelings, they were all sorts of unhappy dragging the stuff through dangerous territory.

First part made me laugh.

Second - yeah, exactly, not exactly "carry in a pouch" stuff

.

LordVreeg · December 29, 2011, 09:03:58 AM

Quote from: Spinachcat;498349When Ron Paul GMs, it's always the gold standard.

I stick with gold in D&D because I want less numbers. I explain that a gold coin is $100 value and that adventurers are rock star criminals on the fringe of society so they can be overcharged with impunity by merchants. Also, worthwhile gossip costs real money, not a handful of coppers.

I actually love the 10 coins = 1 pound in D&D. My PCs recently were hauling around 3000 gp (300 lbs of metal) and without a pack mule or hirelings, they were all sorts of unhappy dragging the stuff through dangerous territory.

Amazing how similar we get on this. I posted recently that I consider my 'electrum standard' to be the equiv of 50 bucks. I think I got way too deep into the analysis of the 'Gilded Age' enequities in money in my setting, but it still holds true.

And I am also one who enjoys keeping track of encumbrance in players, and the cost/benefit in carrying.

Pseudoephedrine · December 29, 2011, 01:34:02 PM

I put this over in my Emern thread because that's where I'm gonna use it, but in case you don't read that thread (perhaps you are an anti-semite, or child rapist or possess some other serious defect of character) I'll link to it here:

Ancientgamer1970 · December 29, 2011, 01:57:47 PM

Quote from: CRKrueger;498198Now that, right there, really is the question. It's almost a cliche that you can tell what hobbies people have by looking at what subjects they've added houseruled details for. If you don't know or particularly care about a subject, it takes a lot less detail to pass muster as far as realism goes. It's really a question for each table.

I recently thought about going to more of a Harn money system for WFRP1 which suffers from fantasyflation even though it uses Pence, Shillings and Crowns. I decided to just leave it because this current roster of players aren't really bothered by using Gold Crowns to buy a shirt.

Harnmaster is a great system. +1

RPGPundit · December 30, 2011, 10:00:18 AM

I had used the GP standard, I guess you could say, for almost my entire history of running D&D. I never had any problem.

Ironically, with Albion I've switched to the SP standard, because its run with LotFP and LotFP is set up that way.
Even more ironically, my Forgotten Realms "A-team" campaign players have recently suggested to me that I switch to the SP standard in that game, in exchange for them not having to pay for level advancement anymore. That's still under consideration.

RPGPundit

TheShadow · December 30, 2011, 10:13:09 AM

I'm more accustomed to games like Runequest, Rolemaster and Dragon Warriors than DnD, and they generally have silver as the most common currency, so that feels more natural to me.