Celebrim
Legend
Well, realisticly, I can have the players start with 18 point buy, illiterate and a starting wealth measured in copper peices. It wouldn't necessarily be fair, but it would be realistic.
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- Thread starter Cabral
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Well, realisticly, I can have the players start with 18 point buy, illiterate and a starting wealth measured in copper peices. It wouldn't necessarily be fair, but it would be realistic.
xigbar
Explorer
Excuse me?
Celebrim
Legend
That varies by setting, but it is very important for a DM to be able to answer that question definitively about his own setting.
In my game, a silver peice represents a fair day's wage for an unskilled laborer. Young men hanging out around the town will expect, when the master comes and says, "I need hands to help in my fields.", to earn 1 s.p. at the end of the day. To help players envision this, I tell my players that 1 s.p. is about equivalent to $50. Moreover, I tell them to imagine that they are living in a third world economy, and that the only goods available are either crude implements make yourself or hand made luxury goods. So, for example, if you don't make your own clothing, the only clothes you can buy are priced like hand tailored suits. Cloth is very labor intensive. Hense, a change of clothing can run from 10 s.p. to 25 s.p. ($500-$1500). It's clear why most peasants then are in patched up rags, wearing sacks as coverings, or only own one good change of clothing. Interestingly, this means that unlike most price lists you see which are balanced for the purposes of dungeoneering, a minimal fight quality sword or other weapon probably isn't worth much more than a suit of clothes. A simple iron pointed spear probably is worth less.
The average commonner makes between 300 and 400 s.p. a year, although in most cases he makes this only in a strict economic sense, as perhaps only 20-50% of his labor will be measured in coin or trade of any sort, with the rest of it measured in goods he has made and stored up for himself. Of the sort that can be measured in coin, most or all of it is likely paid in taxes or rents. Taxation takes up between 20 and 33% of the peasants wealth. Taxation at a level above that tended to cause medieval societies to collapse because there wasn't enough excess wealth for peasants to support themselves on. Storing up a wealth of coins is therefore rare, and the temptation to do so via tax evasion is fairly high as is the temptation for the corrupt tax collector to levy whatever he thinks he can get away with on the illiterate often numerically challenged peasant.
Skilled assistants make 2-3 s.p. per day. Generally speaking, this means having at least a +5 bonus in at least two economicly productive skills. For example, a bricklayer's assistant wanting to earn 2 s.p. per day would need probably to at least have a +5 bonus in Porter and a +5 bonus in Craft (masonry). That's also about the wage paid to an ordinary soldier. Skilled labor generally makes 4-5 s.p. per day. Generally this means having at least economicly productive skill with a +10 bonus, which usually, since most characters are low level, means having Skill Focus, 12 or better Int and/or Wis, and being 2nd-3rd level. These are exceptional individuals. Low ranking officers and elite soldiers will demand pay at at least this pay scale.
Players normally begin the game with savings of 30-180 s.p - an enormous amount of highly liquid wealth. Those average 110 s.p. respresent savings or inheritance or windfall of about $5500 dollars, far more cash that most families will ever have at one time.
A copper peice is worth about $5 in these terms. You can buy a simple meal with a copper peice, a whole basket of apples or a tankard of beer. A couple of copper peices will buy you a simple crudely made tool, like a leather cup, a coin purse, or a bronze or iron knife.
A gold peice is worth 20 s.p. This means that a gold peice is worth about $1000. Most commoners have never held a gold peice. Some may never have even seen one. A whole chest worth of gold is therefore a fantastic amount of wealth - millions of dollars. It's not surprising therefore that my party of 4th level characters have yet to see a horde of gold coins. The first time they found even a single gold coin it was a moment of excitement.
A wealthy character begins with about 55 gold peices - roughly equivalent to about $55,000 dollars - and has a monthly stipend or allowance of about 1-2 s.p. per day (enough to support yourself, if not comfortably) in addition to whatever productive employment that they can put themselves too. This represents coming from an upperclass or upper middle class family with a net worth exceeding $1,000,000 dollars, and having some claim or entitlement to a share of it (though generally, not the sole heir). If they additionally buy the Patron Trait, they can add another $1000 worth of gifts per month on top of that, in addition to other aid.
The most valuable magic item thus far to fall into the hands of my characters is worth 15,000 s.p - or roughly 750 g.p. or the equivalent of $750,000 dollars. In the modern world, a basic single shot man portable missile system usually costs about $40,000. So I tell my players that if they walk into town sporting magical weaponry, suits of battle armor, riding warhorses and the like, that they should expect to be treated roughly like we would treat a group of men walking into town in camo and body armor, and carrying grenades, assault rifles, and RPGs. Imagine asking for directions to McDonald's or an ATM under those conditions. On the one hand, heck yes do they look intimidating, but on the other hand alot of people will want to know their business and some will not be happy about their presence.
Celebrim
Legend
Yes, of course.
xigbar
Explorer
I was just speaking in general that a DM can make such changes. You don't need to be a schmuck.
In 2e, I think it was the Fighter's Handbook that talked about the pros and cons of being from an aristocratic family. On the one hand, you got positive reaction modifiers from lower and middle class NPCs. On the other hand, you were required to pay considerably more for everything, because your "image" required that you have the best. The best room in the Inn, the finest meal/wine in the house, etc. If I recall correctly, you basically multiplied the normal costs for things by your level -- so a Lvl 2 character had to pay twice as much, 3x at Lvl 3, etc.
