How can the coins be Imperial Currency when the characters find them in use everywhere they go, whether travelling across the borders of many nations, investigating ancient ruins or even crossing dimensions and planes?
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Help Improving "fetch" quests
- Thread starter Omegaxicor
- Start date
How can the coins be Imperial Currency when the characters find them in use everywhere they go, whether travelling across the borders of many nations, investigating ancient ruins or even crossing dimensions and planes?
Omegaxicor
First Post
A very good point, 1) Imperial Currency was just a phrase, even if humans are separated by a oceans and nations and evil races they all use the same currency in the same way they all speak the same language Common and 2) I always have some sort of historical global empire a few hundred thousand years ago, sometimes Human, sometimes Illithid (Mind flayers), sometimes something else but it created a standard template for currency throughout the world, Drow and Underdark races may use different currency but Dwarves, Humans, Elves and any other race who frequently trades with Humans use the same currency.
as far as dimensions/planes go, if they trade there then they have to barter or find local currency, some traders might exchange currency because they trade in both worlds but it gives the party another reason to quest in other planes.
it is easier than keeping track of hundreds of different currencies.
No need to track hundreds of currencies if you aren't using an abstracted currency.
In ancient cultures, discs of a precious metal with the same approximate weight had the same value regardless of the image struck on the face. Picture the ancient merchant testing the gold by biting into it and weighing it with balance scales.
In ancient cultures, discs of a precious metal with the same approximate weight had the same value regardless of the image struck on the face. Picture the ancient merchant testing the gold by biting into it and weighing it with balance scales.
Empirate
First Post
...and in the Middle Ages, the perfectly fine silver denarii from two towns over were worth exactly nothing at the local market, because the local merchants were heavily fined if they accepted them. You first needed to exchange your coin for local specie - at one of the authorized moneychangers' stalls, of course, and at a significant discount, netting you maybe 75% of the 'foreign' coins' worth in silver. The local count or town council would share the proceeds with the moneychangers. Just sayin'!
Also, on the subject of Common: I like to assume that the 'Common' tongue is like a merchant pidgin, a lingua franca used mostly for trade, thus very limited in its vocabulary and nuance, and spoken with a heavy 'accent' by everybody. So, you know, language skills are actually useful, like they are in the real world: most everybody can converse in heavily broken English, but most people in the world cannot communicate on difficult or abstract topics in English, preferring their native language for that.
Oh, and concerning fetch quests: I'd rather make them general than specific!
Don't go "you need the ashes of a burned assassin vine from Greenwood Forest" or "you need the blood of a red half-dragon centaur". Instead say something like "the ritual calls for the ashes and blood of magical creatures, the more powerful and unusual, the better; it also needs something precious to each of you, something that was found by chance, something that is stolen, something that is black, and something that will not be missed". If the PCs want a powerful and efficacious ritual, they better put some thought into what kinds of items they want to use, and how they can strike a good balance between the power of the ingredients and the ease of getting them. That would play to pen&paper's strength!
Also, on the subject of Common: I like to assume that the 'Common' tongue is like a merchant pidgin, a lingua franca used mostly for trade, thus very limited in its vocabulary and nuance, and spoken with a heavy 'accent' by everybody. So, you know, language skills are actually useful, like they are in the real world: most everybody can converse in heavily broken English, but most people in the world cannot communicate on difficult or abstract topics in English, preferring their native language for that.
Oh, and concerning fetch quests: I'd rather make them general than specific!
Don't go "you need the ashes of a burned assassin vine from Greenwood Forest" or "you need the blood of a red half-dragon centaur". Instead say something like "the ritual calls for the ashes and blood of magical creatures, the more powerful and unusual, the better; it also needs something precious to each of you, something that was found by chance, something that is stolen, something that is black, and something that will not be missed". If the PCs want a powerful and efficacious ritual, they better put some thought into what kinds of items they want to use, and how they can strike a good balance between the power of the ingredients and the ease of getting them. That would play to pen&paper's strength!
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Omegaxicor
First Post
That's a fair point, I guess it explains why owners of Silver/Gold/Platinum mines are really rich.
Common might be "broken" english but I figure it as just English, everyone speaks English for trade so if you don't then you can't trade with all of the villages that do.
I think it depends on the state of the world the DM has designed, mine has Humanity rising to form an Empire before collapsing and now they exist as a single race but with lots of different nations and possibly languages but they are all descended from the same group, similar languages, same currency, etc.
Now the real world has had several large empires but none have ever covered the whole globe, we have no direct ancestors that shared a language and currency, you could throw belief in there but I prefer the idea of a multi-faith global empire
EDIT: I see that backfiring spectacularly but I love it, I will try that just to see what they come up with
Common might be "broken" english but I figure it as just English, everyone speaks English for trade so if you don't then you can't trade with all of the villages that do.
I think it depends on the state of the world the DM has designed, mine has Humanity rising to form an Empire before collapsing and now they exist as a single race but with lots of different nations and possibly languages but they are all descended from the same group, similar languages, same currency, etc.
Now the real world has had several large empires but none have ever covered the whole globe, we have no direct ancestors that shared a language and currency, you could throw belief in there but I prefer the idea of a multi-faith global empire
EDIT: I see that backfiring spectacularly but I love it, I will try that just to see what they come up with
Especially if several items need to be retrieved, it is quite motivating, if some of them are easily at hand. "We need a sword that slew a dragon? Well, I guess mine will do then."
Or maybe work with a bit of metaphor: "That's an axe, my friend. Not a sword." - "Ay, but do you think them gods will care about that the shape of the blade that relieved the world of such monsters?"
So, if you already settled on those things, inflate the list with some things, the heroes already have or can produce easily.
Or maybe work with a bit of metaphor: "That's an axe, my friend. Not a sword." - "Ay, but do you think them gods will care about that the shape of the blade that relieved the world of such monsters?"
So, if you already settled on those things, inflate the list with some things, the heroes already have or can produce easily.
Omegaxicor
First Post
The issue there is that they will have to give up said item, the players won't be happy to just 'lose' an item, more so if it killed a dragon.
still a good idea to have some ingredients be rare and some be common, maybe they can be found or bought, so the party can choose to "throw money at the problem" or "risk their necks"
still a good idea to have some ingredients be rare and some be common, maybe they can be found or bought, so the party can choose to "throw money at the problem" or "risk their necks"
Quentin3212
First Post
I don't know how your players are but I know that mine would rather throw money at a problem than actually gather it themselves. You may want to try and price the items strategically so that they won't be able to afford buying all of them, instead forcing them to choose which items to pursue in person.
As for a continental common human language, I think it's really just a conceit we allow ourselves for simplicity in the tabletop genre. In reality languages grow and evolve at a surprising rate, even if the countries had a common ancestor it wouldn't take very long for their native tongues to become completely distinct from each other.
Coins really would work on a similar basis, coins are small albeit valuable items, and as such they are pretty easily misplaced. It would only be so long before each country would be forced to begin minting their own currency, even if it was just a copy of what the old nation used to use. For example I believe electrum pieces are an example in forgotten realms of an ancient currency no longer being minted, but I could be wrong.
As for a continental common human language, I think it's really just a conceit we allow ourselves for simplicity in the tabletop genre. In reality languages grow and evolve at a surprising rate, even if the countries had a common ancestor it wouldn't take very long for their native tongues to become completely distinct from each other.
Coins really would work on a similar basis, coins are small albeit valuable items, and as such they are pretty easily misplaced. It would only be so long before each country would be forced to begin minting their own currency, even if it was just a copy of what the old nation used to use. For example I believe electrum pieces are an example in forgotten realms of an ancient currency no longer being minted, but I could be wrong.
Omegaxicor
First Post
I agree with both points, Language would evolve way too fast for there to be any commonality after thousands of years, I imagine currency would be fine until a war broke out and with shifting conflicts eventually everyone would have their own style, it is based on how the world and group works...
I like the idea of having several components buyable but with only a shortage of money to stop them the players may very well just say "where's the nearest ancient ruin" or "where's the nearest person in need of help" so I will be prepared for that
the merchant will be gone or the item sold out when they come back
EDIT: Any tips on creating a CR 1 Large Crustacean, maybe with 4 Skeletons, two Warriors (Scimitar/Rapier) and 2 Warriors (Shortbow), they are dead pirates so I dunno how to customise them weapon and feat wise but the Crustacean is completely unknown...
EDIT 2: Crustacean CR 1 (HD 3)
N Large Magical Beast/Animal;
Init: -1; Senses: Listen +4, Spot +0;
AC: 12, Touch: 8, Flat-Footed: 12 (10+4-1-1)
HP: 30;
Fort: +5, Ref: +2, Will: +1;
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares);
Melee: Slam +3 (1d6+4/20x2);
Space: 10 ft.; Reach: 10 ft.;
Base Attack: +0; Grapple: +3;
Attack Options: Constrict (1d6);
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 10;
Skills: Jump +7, Hide+3*, Swim +7*, Listen +4;
Special Abilities: Racial +4 to Swim, +8 to Hide in rocky underwater terrain
First draft, thoughts?
I like the idea of having several components buyable but with only a shortage of money to stop them the players may very well just say "where's the nearest ancient ruin" or "where's the nearest person in need of help" so I will be prepared for that
the merchant will be gone or the item sold out when they come back EDIT: Any tips on creating a CR 1 Large Crustacean, maybe with 4 Skeletons, two Warriors (Scimitar/Rapier) and 2 Warriors (Shortbow), they are dead pirates so I dunno how to customise them weapon and feat wise but the Crustacean is completely unknown...
EDIT 2: Crustacean CR 1 (HD 3)
N Large Magical Beast/Animal;
Init: -1; Senses: Listen +4, Spot +0;
AC: 12, Touch: 8, Flat-Footed: 12 (10+4-1-1)
HP: 30;
Fort: +5, Ref: +2, Will: +1;
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares);
Melee: Slam +3 (1d6+4/20x2);
Space: 10 ft.; Reach: 10 ft.;
Base Attack: +0; Grapple: +3;
Attack Options: Constrict (1d6);
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 10;
Skills: Jump +7, Hide+3*, Swim +7*, Listen +4;
Special Abilities: Racial +4 to Swim, +8 to Hide in rocky underwater terrain
First draft, thoughts?
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Quentin3212
First Post
Looks like a different edition from one I've played (4e, 5e) so instead I'll come at it from a different angle.
What kind of crustacean are we looking at? I assume it's probably a crab, crayfish, or lobster considering the constrict power. In which case I really like the ability to hide. However most crustaceans aren't exactly ultra mobile on land so you may want to adjust their ability to jump, in exchange you may want to give them some sort of extra sensory power such as tremor sense if in water.
If you haven't decided exactly what invertebrate you want it to be may I recommend a mantis shrimp? They are particularly cool animals.
Regarding currency it's hard to tell, you don't exactly see people owning gold coins anymore and gold currency was used fairly recently. That said it's your world so do whatever you want lol.
What kind of crustacean are we looking at? I assume it's probably a crab, crayfish, or lobster considering the constrict power. In which case I really like the ability to hide. However most crustaceans aren't exactly ultra mobile on land so you may want to adjust their ability to jump, in exchange you may want to give them some sort of extra sensory power such as tremor sense if in water.
If you haven't decided exactly what invertebrate you want it to be may I recommend a mantis shrimp? They are particularly cool animals.
Regarding currency it's hard to tell, you don't exactly see people owning gold coins anymore and gold currency was used fairly recently. That said it's your world
so do whatever you want lol.Similar Threads
