How Much for that Dragon in the Window?

[Olgar Shiverstone]

The point of my post was that I don't think you should try to place a GP value on the animal. A live dragon would be such a rare and unusual thing that it should be only traded for other rare and unusual things, and it would be less a question of absolute value as the perceived value the PCs would have.

So no one (in my opinion) should come up to the PCs offering gold, and as a DM you shouldn't even be worried about "fair" value -- fair is whatever the PCs decide to accept. Even the PCs shouldn't be able to figure out a fair value in GP terms. Instead have the prospective buyers offer interesting trade items that can be hooks to later adventures:

- Other live beasts, who turn out to be sentient, and hire the party to free their enslaved comrades
- An unusual section of a magic rod, which after great pains to explore turns out to be a section of the Rod of Seven Parts
- A map to a lost civilization
- An enormous, many-faceted gem, which turns out to be the egg of a dangerous interplanar creature, which then hatches in the PC's hands
- A magic suit of arms and armor, which prove to be looted from the royal treasury of the next kingdom over

... that sort of thing.

 

[roguerouge]

So you believe there should be a barter. That's fine. The PC was thinking of bartering for sheets of blue ice (refrigeration), which go for 40,000 gp for a 10' square room. But, again, a barter economy is based on equal worth, which, in DnD, we measure in gold pieces.

And, no, I don't want to derail my campaign with a plot hook. The PC's at 14th level and I have more plot hooks to resolve than I have levels to do it in.

I simply don't agree that a monster that ends up on wandering monster tables for arctic regions is a creature so rare that it's without price, an artifact-level creature of the monster manual. I didn't ask for the price of a Balor or a Ghaele Eladrin.

I just want a price so that the bartering can begin. Yes, the fact that she'll be looking for a moral buyer restricts her market. Yes, it is a dragon with significant costs to raising, which further restricts her market. But there should be a market for this if the player's willing to travel to find a buyer. She'll find one, what with her being a 14th level bard.

So, what's a ballpark GP figure?

 

[Wild Gazebo]

Tel ya whot. I'll take em off yur hands for 10000gp.

Now I don't really have a place for them all so I'm assuming one will be dominant and eat the others. So I won't go a sp over 10000gp.

That's assuming you throw in the the harnesses and cage.

 

[roguerouge]

I would not expect there to be much "open market" for such a thing. It isn't like just anyone has the resources to feed, train, and house such a creature. The list of folks who will be able to deal with it as it grows will be small.

So, it'd be better to ask yourself who in the campaign world would be interested, and what use they'd get from it. That would answer what they'd be willing to pay.

We're dealing with a highly skilled, very connected bard PC. This would be private negotiations.

The motivations for the likely parties would be:

• Marketing value (Ice Dwarf merchant)
• Clan prestige and military value (Vikings of the Dragon Claw Clan)
• Altruism/Good deed (Ice Elves looking to reform the beasties)
• Research (Clerics of Knowledge goddess)
• Military Asset (PC's War department)

So, how does that impact the GP price?

 

[Stormonu]

value of 1,000 gp/HD. I seem to recall this price point from one of the older books (Maybe Compendium of Dragons and Giants, 2E Draconomicon or possibly even the 2E Monstrous Manual).

 

[Ariosto]

In OD&D, subdued dragons by default fetch prices of 500 to 1,000 gold pieces per hit point.

That probably is in the ballpark for other TSR editions (if they don't stipulate other values).

For 3e or 4e, the game-economics may be quite different.

If white dragons are normally to be found in "cold" regions (as opposed to elsewhere), then I would use the base assessment. I would weight it higher in regions where they are imported.

On the other hand, if white dragons are pretty widespread in various climes but more common in this frigid area, then the price would tend lower.

There might even be greater demand for the dragon in some sultry domain, where the wealthy desire refrigeration for refreshing cold drinks, preserving food, and cooling palatial halls!

 

[LostSoul]

For 4E, set the price for a dragon to the total monetary value of treasure for its level. It's right there in the DMG so you don't have to add anything up. That would only be for a tame dragon; a wild one would cost less (probably 1/5th, or just roll randomly).

 

[MacMathan]

I would pay them pretty well. 1000gp/HD seems reasonable.

The real question is, are both the parents dead?

Also if they are sold to the highest bidder who nows what those entities may do with them down the road (insert evil DM laugh here)

 

[Camelot]

I would pay them pretty well. 1000gp/HD seems reasonable.

The real question is, are both the parents dead?

Also if they are sold to the highest bidder who nows what those entities may do with them down the road (insert evil DM laugh here)

Ooh, that's a good idea. Have them get sold for a good price, but then return later as minions to the BBEG, who they apparently got sold to. That shouldn't mess with the plot hooks you currently have. Unless you have no BBEG.

 

[roguerouge]

Using the treasure tables for its EL would make a very young white dragon worth 900 GP each. That doesn't seem right.

Using the old school 1,000 gp/HD would make it 6,000 GP.