A cheap alternative to Campaign Coins

[Mark Morrison]

Hi everyone!

My name is Mark, and I'm now helping Andre with Campaign Coins. We're over here in Australia. We've been playing D&D since 1980 or so, and right now I'm running two 4E campaigns (one Eberron, one Gardmore Abbey) and playing Pathfinder (Eberron).

Morrus has posted so many great ideas for coins here; and that treasure chest looks rad. I've got to get me one of those! And we congratulate Mused Fable, they have a great new line of coins which look really satisfying to clink together.

Our goal in creating Campaign Coins was to do them at the highest quality possible; we wanted to really make you feel like you were handling the same coin as your character. Given our D&D playing heritage, it was important to us to cover all the classic coins in a range of denominations, so that you could make accurate change for any situation.

We appreciate that our coins are a luxury item; we wish we could make them less expensive. In fact, we have just announced a price rise effective 1 April, when we get our reprint (we'll be restocking Paizo after that time). However, we think that the look and feel of the coins is superb, and can honestly say that we are not reaping huge profits over here; we are doing this because we thought it would be cool in our games, and figured someone else might too.

We'll have a think about the recommended mix for a standard group. It really depends what level you are running, and how you give out treasure. Before I stepped in to help out Andre I picked up two starter sets, and with the addition of a few 10-packs of 100 Gold they served me really well. When I added a second campaign I had to get some more gold; the key is to make the players cash in every now and then, either by spending or by changing for some higher denomination coins; cos players sure do like to sit on their loot if you don't stop 'em.

We'll be at GenCon this year if any of you are going; it would be great to be able to talk DnD, and show you the coins in action. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can message me here, or via our website, Facebook or Twitter.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[nedjer]

Hi everyone!

My name is Mark, and I'm now helping Andre with Campaign Coins. We're over here in Australia. We've been playing D&D since 1980 or so, and right now I'm running two 4E campaigns (one Eberron, one Gardmore Abbey) and playing Pathfinder (Eberron).

Morrus has posted so many great ideas for coins here; and that treasure chest looks rad. I've got to get me one of those! And we congratulate Mused Fable, they have a great new line of coins which look really satisfying to clink together.

Our goal in creating Campaign Coins was to do them at the highest quality possible; we wanted to really make you feel like you were handling the same coin as your character. Given our D&D playing heritage, it was important to us to cover all the classic coins in a range of denominations, so that you could make accurate change for any situation.

We appreciate that our coins are a luxury item; we wish we could make them less expensive. In fact, we have just announced a price rise effective 1 April, when we get our reprint (we'll be restocking Paizo after that time). However, we think that the look and feel of the coins is superb, and can honestly say that we are not reaping huge profits over here; we are doing this because we thought it would be cool in our games, and figured someone else might too.

We'll have a think about the recommended mix for a standard group. It really depends what level you are running, and how you give out treasure. Before I stepped in to help out Andre I picked up two starter sets, and with the addition of a few 10-packs of 100 Gold they served me really well. When I added a second campaign I had to get some more gold; the key is to make the players cash in every now and then, either by spending or by changing for some higher denomination coins; cos players sure do like to sit on their loot if you don't stop 'em.

We'll be at GenCon this year if any of you are going; it would be great to be able to talk DnD, and show you the coins in action. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can message me here, or via our website, Facebook or Twitter.

Cheers,

Mark

Hi

Morrus seems to have come-up with an ideal way to place some quality coinage like yours in the players' hands - while scaling currency across a full campaign using inexpensive bullion and jewellery for larger sums.

Reminds me of the gems included in the old Buccaneer boardgame and of Dread Pirate, which doesn't have jewel-shaped gems, but does bring together a whole bunch of cool props.

 

[Morrus]

This is what arrived this morning. This is only a fraction of what I ordered though - much more to come!

That box of "gems" was just a couple of quid. I'm gonna have all those of that size be worth 50gp each regardless of colour/type (there's such a variety there). Then I have some larger ones of various colours which are gonna specifically be pearls, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds, each type being worth more.

The little plastic rings and brooches came as a surprise. An eBay seller threw them in as an extra. Score! I did find lots of 20 plain rings and 20 with various "stones" on eBay for next to nothing, so I'll have 40 rings in total plus those in the picture.

The little bags will be useful, too. "Here's the orc captain's pouch - see how full it is!".

 

[Thunderfoot]

All the coins you've mentioned are available at party supply stores here in the mid-west, I would imagine the same is true regardless of where you live.

People and kids especially love cheap trinkets at birthday parties and the like. Party supply stores have always been my first "go to" place for props and such for my games. Usually they are cheap and plentiful. Hope that helps.

 

[Morrus]

All the coins you've mentioned are available at party supply stores here in the mid-west, I would imagine the same is true regardless of where you live.

People and kids especially love cheap trinkets at birthday parties and the like. Party supply stores have always been my first "go to" place for props and such for my games. Usually they are cheap and plentiful. Hope that helps.

Oh, for sure! It was just that by buying bulk loads on eBay worked out cheaper. Good tip, though!

 

[Thunderfoot]

Oh, for sure! It was just that by buying bulk loads on eBay worked out cheaper. Good tip, though!

No problem, next time you do get the urge to buy though, ask if the stores have rates for bulk buying, often times they will cut you a deal if they know you are going to take something (and a lot of it at that) off of their shelves.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Also check the candy isles. There are candies out there that use colored rock candy (crystallized sugar- occasionally with additional favors) in pendants & rings. Another one I know of is a bubblegum called Gold Nugget- its packaged in canvas drawstring bags that resemble what the old prospectors might carry, and the gum itself is in irregular chunks that are candy coated so it looks like little nuggets.

 

[Morrus]

My treasure haul grew again today with the discovery of a large bowl of green and white crystallish stones in the kitchen cupboard. Goodness knows what they were doing there, but they are now officially uncut emeralds and diamonds!

Hoping my treasure chest arrives tomorrow. There are craploads of coins still to arrive. Some silver and gold coloured bracelets. I found six very small metal goblets in a junk draw. And there are loads of rings and fake gems on their way - including a set of four 4-inch massive fake gems (diamond, emerald, sapphire, and something else I don't recall) which will be items of very high value.

 

[nedjer]

Gold nuggets and cut or uncut gems - this keeps getting better

 

[VheeShane]

What? No one mentioned Chocolate Coins?