Wealth
Wealth appears in many forms. Coins, gemstones, trade goods, art objects, animals and property can reflect your character’s financial well-being.
Members of the peasantry trade in goods, bartering for what they need and paying taxes in grain and cheese.
Members of the nobility trade either in legal rights, such as the rights to a mine, a port, or farmland, or in gold bars, measuring gold by the pound rather than by the coin.
Only merchants, adventurers, and those offering professional services for hire commonly deal in coins.
Coinage
Common coins come in several different denominations based on the relative worth of the metal from which they are made. The three most common coins are the gold piece (gp), the silver piece (sp) and the copper piece (cp).
With one gold piece, a character can buy a belt pouch, 50 feet of good rope, or a goat. A skilled (but not exceptional) artisan can earn one gold piece per day. The gold piece is the standard unit of measure for wealth, even if the coin itself isn’t commonly used. When merchants discuss deals that involve goods or services worth hundreds or thousands of gold pieces, the transactions don’t usually involve the exchange of individual coins. Rather, the gold piece is a standard measure of value and the actual exchange is in gold bars, letters of credit, or valuable goods.
One gold piece is worth ten silver pieces, the most prevalent coin among commoners. A silver piece buys a labourer’s work for a day, a flask of lamp oil, or a night’s rest in a poor inn.
One silver piece is worth ten copper pieces, which are common amongst labourers and beggars. A single copper piece buys a candle, a torch, or a piece of chalk.
In addition, unusual coins made of other precious metals sometimes appear in treasure hoards. The electrum piece (ep) and the platinum piece (pp) originate from fallen empires and lost kingdoms and they sometimes arouse suspicion and skepticism when used in transactions. An electrum piece is worth five silver pieces and a platinum piece is worth ten gold pieces.
A standard coin weighs about a third of an ounce. So, fifty coins weigh a pound.
Selling Treasure
Opportunities abound to find treasure, equipment, weapons, armour and more in your adventures. Normally, you can sell your treasures and trinkets when you return to a town or other settlement, provided that you can find buyers and merchants interested in your loot.
Arms, Armour and Other Equipment. As a general rule, undamaged weapons, armour and other equipment fetch half their cost when sold in a market. Weapons and armour used by monsters are rarely in good enough condition to sell.
Magic Items. Selling magic items is problematic. Finding someone to buy a potion or a scroll isn’t too hard, but other items are out of the realm of all but the wealthiest nobles. Likewise, aside from a few common magic items, you won’t normally come across magic items or spells to purchase. The value of magic is far beyond simple gold and should always be treated as such.
Gems, Jewelry and Art Objects. These items retain their full value in the marketplace and you can either trade them in for coin or use them as currency for other transactions. For exceptionally valuable treasures, the GM might require you to find a buyer in a large town or larger community first.
Trade Goods. On the borderlands, many people conduct transactions through barter. Like gems and art objects, trade goods (bars of iron, bags of salt, livestock, and so on) retain their full value in the market and can be used as currency.
Standard Exchange Rates
| Coin | cp | sp | ep | gp | pp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper (cp) | 1 | 1/10 | 1/50 | 1/100 | 1/1,000 |
| Silver (sp) | 10 | 1 | 1/5 | 1/10 | 1/100 |
| Electrum (ep) | 50 | 5 | 1 | 1/2 | 1/20 |
| Gold (gp) | 100 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1/10 |
| Platinum (pp) | 1,000 | 100 | 20 | 10 | 1 |