Classic Fantasy Economics

[rleduc]

True confession, I stopped playing D&D somewhere around 1982 – and long before that the groups I played with were using their own monetary system. For this years Adventure contest I am putting together a fantasy adventure using CF, but I am stumped on what to offer as appropriate treasure.

Case in point, a group of starting adventurers are hired to run a potentially dangerous mission that will last one night, maybe two – how many GP should be offered? Likewise, later the Barron offers a reward for a bandit that is robbing outlying farms – what should be the price on the bandits’ head?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rich

[threedeesix]

Case in point, a group of starting adventurers are hired to run a potentially dangerous mission that will last one night, maybe two – how many GP should be offered?

I always base it on who is doing the hiring. For example, if a small farming community has hired the adventurers to perform the one or two day adventure. They can cry poverty trying to appeal to the groups honorable and heroic nature. "Please, you have to help us, were were only able to pull together 100 gold, but it's yours if you will..."

Likewise, later the Barron offers a reward for a bandit that is robbing outlying farms – what should be the price on the bandits’ head?

For a beginning group of adventurers I would say a bounty of 500 to 1000 gold to be divided between the party, plus the opportunity to keep any items or treasure possessed by the bandit and any allies.

Then contact me for the treasure chapter from Volume II of Classic Fantasy and information on determining an adversaries Treasure Factor to determine what the bandit and any accomplices would be carrying.

Rod

Edited April 2, 2010 by threedeesix

[threedeesix]

*Post Deleted*

Am I the only one that's getting double posts every time I post something?

[frogspawner]

What were typical rewards for outlaws in the Old West? That might help, if you can estimate the GP-to-Dollars exchange rate...

[frogspawner]

Am I the only one that's getting double posts every time I post something?

'Twould seem so!

[threedeesix]

What were typical rewards for outlaws in the Old West? That might help, if you can estimate the GP-to-Dollars exchange rate...

Another good thing is to look at the Status table on page 60 of the revised version, I think I sent it to you (if not e-mail me), the average middle class character will spend 2D6 gold a week for upkeep. Less for lower Status and more for higher. Also look at the prices in the equipment section. Don't forget the price of scrolls and potions from their respective sections. This will give you a better idea how far those hard earned gold pieces will go.

When you get closer to completion, send me the adventure. I may have better ideas seeing who is doing the hiring and the difficulty of the adventure. Plus I wanna run it!

Rod

[sdavies2720]

I'd also add not to worry too much about this. I find every campaign has different reward levels, and adjusting tresure is one of the easiest parts of localizing a published adventure.

Steve

[Trifletraxor]

Items! Players allways prefer items to coin. Maybe of use, maybe to sell. The farmers could give a cow and the Baron could equip them with armor/weapons/horses whatever.

SGL.

[TheShadow]

Don't sweat it. Just ask, how much would motivate the PCs and how much (perhaps) would be plausible for the NPC to offer? And remember - there is no "correct" or "intrinsic" price for anything in games as in real life. Just what the market will bear.

Edited April 5, 2010 by TheShadow

[seneschal]

Items! Players allways prefer items to coin. Maybe of use, maybe to sell. The farmers could give a cow and the Baron could equip them with armor/weapons/horses whatever.

SGL.

What about a "useless" heirloom sword from the Baron's vaults ... except it is magic and has a mind and quest of its own.

[alexraccoon]

There is a very good supplement from board enterprises Grain into gold about fantasy economics that you might consider

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=13113&it=1