Tales and Chronicles
Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
Sounds good.
Level Up (A5E) Sins of the Scorpion Age, Sword and Sorcery Campaign Setting
Currency system options I'm gonna narrow things down to.
Option 1: Silver Standard coinage.
The Silver Coin is the basis of value making it 1.
The Brass Coin is worth 1/10th of a Silver Coin.
The Tin Coin is worth 1/100th of a Silver Coin.
Orichalcum Coins are worth 10 Silver Coins
Gold coins are worth 50 Silver Coins.
Option 2: Gemstones.
The Bloodstone is a small and cloudy red semiprecious gemstone, often shot with black, and is the basis of economics and is found in four measures of weight and size. Abbreviated as B. For example 100B would be 100 Bloodstones of value.
The Bead: A small and round bloodstone in the shape of a bead. Worth 1B
The Nail: A round bloodstone roughly the size of a fingernail. Worth 10B
The Finger: An oblong bloodstone roughly the size of a ring finger. Worth 100B
Beads weigh .45 grams, and are 1,000 to the pound.
Nails weigh 4.5 grams, and are 100 to the pound.
Fingers weigh 45 grams and are 10 to the pound.
Option 3: Weight Tokens Gold Standard (Could also use Silver, Salt, or other Commodities as a basis)
The Tally is worth 360v. It is a token valued at 30 pounds of Gold.
The Mina is worth 60v. It is a token valued at 5 pound of Gold.
The Deben is worth 12v. It is a token valued at 1 pound of Gold.
The Bead is worth 1v. It is a token valued at 1 ounce of Gold.
Option 1 is the most familiar to D&D players. It uses metric increases and decreases, so it's super easy to handle. We also know Silver Coins as 1/50th of a pound, so that makes weight management super easy. It's a little drab, but it's nothing terrible. It also has -plenty- of room for manipulating both the coins (Shaving, cutting them with other metals, modifying scales) to manipulate it's value.
Option 2 keeps the scale and essentially gives you a heavier Gold Piece standard using Gemstones in a metric fashion. However it has a certain "Humanistic Element" in both the scale of the individual gemstones (A hand would be 5 fingers, for example) but also in measures (10 fingers to the pound).
Option 3 steps aside from our standard understanding of currency by breaking into a Base 12 system, which the ancient world largely used. Easily divided into a wider variety of whole divisors than 10, it also had a humanistic counting method based on knuckles rather than fingers using the thumb of the same hand. Like so:
My current thought is to have the Tally, Mina, Deben, and Bead each carved from different burnished woods rather than metal. Though stone would be an option as well. This would have the side-benefit of allowing money to wear away or even rot over time.
And, of course, these systems could be combined to different degrees. A given society could issue metal Deben, or Gemstone Deben, for example.
Option 1: Silver Standard coinage.
The Silver Coin is the basis of value making it 1.
The Brass Coin is worth 1/10th of a Silver Coin.
The Tin Coin is worth 1/100th of a Silver Coin.
Orichalcum Coins are worth 10 Silver Coins
Gold coins are worth 50 Silver Coins.
Option 2: Gemstones.
The Bloodstone is a small and cloudy red semiprecious gemstone, often shot with black, and is the basis of economics and is found in four measures of weight and size. Abbreviated as B. For example 100B would be 100 Bloodstones of value.
The Bead: A small and round bloodstone in the shape of a bead. Worth 1B
The Nail: A round bloodstone roughly the size of a fingernail. Worth 10B
The Finger: An oblong bloodstone roughly the size of a ring finger. Worth 100B
Beads weigh .45 grams, and are 1,000 to the pound.
Nails weigh 4.5 grams, and are 100 to the pound.
Fingers weigh 45 grams and are 10 to the pound.
Option 3: Weight Tokens Gold Standard (Could also use Silver, Salt, or other Commodities as a basis)
The Tally is worth 360v. It is a token valued at 30 pounds of Gold.
The Mina is worth 60v. It is a token valued at 5 pound of Gold.
The Deben is worth 12v. It is a token valued at 1 pound of Gold.
The Bead is worth 1v. It is a token valued at 1 ounce of Gold.
Option 1 is the most familiar to D&D players. It uses metric increases and decreases, so it's super easy to handle. We also know Silver Coins as 1/50th of a pound, so that makes weight management super easy. It's a little drab, but it's nothing terrible. It also has -plenty- of room for manipulating both the coins (Shaving, cutting them with other metals, modifying scales) to manipulate it's value.
Option 2 keeps the scale and essentially gives you a heavier Gold Piece standard using Gemstones in a metric fashion. However it has a certain "Humanistic Element" in both the scale of the individual gemstones (A hand would be 5 fingers, for example) but also in measures (10 fingers to the pound).
Option 3 steps aside from our standard understanding of currency by breaking into a Base 12 system, which the ancient world largely used. Easily divided into a wider variety of whole divisors than 10, it also had a humanistic counting method based on knuckles rather than fingers using the thumb of the same hand. Like so:
My current thought is to have the Tally, Mina, Deben, and Bead each carved from different burnished woods rather than metal. Though stone would be an option as well. This would have the side-benefit of allowing money to wear away or even rot over time.
And, of course, these systems could be combined to different degrees. A given society could issue metal Deben, or Gemstone Deben, for example.
Faolyn
(she/her)
This might be a good setting to have mundane items that acquire magical ability as they're used for heroic (or evil) purposes. It could be a type of corruption that affects objects instead of people.
Fun related note! Base 12 finger-counting is why:
12 ounces in the pound
360 degrees in a circle
60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day
Donuts and Eggs are sold in batches of 12
12 inches in a foot
The Chromatic Scale is 12 pitches
12 ounces in the pound
360 degrees in a circle
60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day
Donuts and Eggs are sold in batches of 12
12 inches in a foot
The Chromatic Scale is 12 pitches
Very much adore. Yes. Normal items that become magical through the legends that they are a part of is always a solid basis of magical power.
Tales and Chronicles
Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
I'd vote for the 3rd option.
You know my position on wooden tokens
I dont know if it would be to complicated for ease-of-use at the table, but is feels more ancient fantasy.
As for having a weapon/armor becoming magical by being linked to your legend, this is a feature I have for my fighters:
Destiny in Steel
At level 3, your favored piece of equipment becomes infused with a spark of your spectacular fate. Choose one non-magical weapon or armor you own. This item is now your destined item. Roll once on the magic item minor properties table and once one the quirk table (DMG p.143). At fighter level 7, you roll once on the artifact minor properties table (DMG p.289). At fighter level 14 and 20, you can roll on the major properties table (DMG p.290). You can spend a week of downtime to transfer your item's properties to a magic weapon or armor in your possession. The item lose all properties in the hands of another bearer while you are alive.
You know my position on wooden tokens
I dont know if it would be to complicated for ease-of-use at the table, but is feels more ancient fantasy.
As for having a weapon/armor becoming magical by being linked to your legend, this is a feature I have for my fighters:
Destiny in Steel
At level 3, your favored piece of equipment becomes infused with a spark of your spectacular fate. Choose one non-magical weapon or armor you own. This item is now your destined item. Roll once on the magic item minor properties table and once one the quirk table (DMG p.143). At fighter level 7, you roll once on the artifact minor properties table (DMG p.289). At fighter level 14 and 20, you can roll on the major properties table (DMG p.290). You can spend a week of downtime to transfer your item's properties to a magic weapon or armor in your possession. The item lose all properties in the hands of another bearer while you are alive.
Faolyn
(she/her)
With wooden tokens, you could have them done Pernese-style. They're burned or inscribed with the insignia of the whomever (city-state? church? guild?) that issued them, and the insignia is too complex to be easily counterfeited. They'd be a fiat currency, highly dependent on the well-being of the issuer.
Tales and Chronicles
Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
I think complex sigils + rare woods can make for nice currency that would be hard to counterfeit, but not impossible for motivated rogues and charlatans.
Gotta have a specific NPC in the setting for the meme.
Couple concepts I want to write down at least. Having a day mostly away from the computer.
Zodiac signs/Star-Scribing. The weavers work written across the heavens.
Magic languages that anyone can read, even the illiterate. Most likely used for evil.
Druids as specialty priests of the beast, the serpent, and the Weaver.
Weaver druids as fortune reading star mapping fate scribes who use their wild shape charges for other function.
Serpent druids as sources of wisdom in the wastelands.
6-day weeks, 5-week months, the equinoxes and the solstices occurring outside of months as special holy days.
Zodiac signs/Star-Scribing. The weavers work written across the heavens.
Magic languages that anyone can read, even the illiterate. Most likely used for evil.
Druids as specialty priests of the beast, the serpent, and the Weaver.
Weaver druids as fortune reading star mapping fate scribes who use their wild shape charges for other function.
Serpent druids as sources of wisdom in the wastelands.
6-day weeks, 5-week months, the equinoxes and the solstices occurring outside of months as special holy days.
Tales and Chronicles
Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
Oh my god. Last week I was in a deep dive on the Angelarium from Peter Mohrbacher trying to find a spot the the Zodiac gardians in a setting. I nearly made the proposition to add such things in your setting, but thought you'd find cheesy!
The Zodiac Angels — Angelarium: The Encyclopedia of Angels
Twelve zodiac Angels stand as paragons of the twelve personas that people carry in their lives. Capricorn, Aries, Taurus, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Pisces, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Leo, Cancer, Gemini. Angelarium, the Encyclopedia of Angels by Peter Mohrbacher. Astrology angel. Zodiac angel. Star signs.
www.angelarium.net
PS: I add an idea of making the ''underworld'' being more aquatic and less underdark:
Legend says that the souls of the departed are left adrift in an endless sea of spirits, crashed and turned by the waves and tides of Time and Fate.
''
The sound of the water pulsed
Pressure pushed them on beat by beat
Marching forwards, dying upon the beach
And with each stroke they pulled the sand
Dragging it upon the stones
Polishing their faces smooth''
Light and unburdened souls stays on the surface, drifting until they reach the shores of time where stands the Driftwood Cathedral, the final resting place of mortals. Guided by their Starbound guide (Zodiac) the soul can follow the stars to reach the Cathedral.
The Seraphim — Angelarium: The Encyclopedia of Angels
Click to read about the Seraphim, denizens of Angelarium. Their bodies are the domain itself and the beings that dwell within it. The physical manifestation of concepts and ideas as they exist on Earth. They hold no will of their own and carry no ambition. They are servants to nothing and everything
www.angelarium.net
''As salty waves march along the mortal shores, the remnants of our lives touch the realm of angels. The Weaver takes us back into their house, scooping up the silt of our lives and carrying them to safety. No matter how long we leave him, they'll patiently wait for our return.
Look out to the horizon far enough and you'll see. You are on your way home.''
Those with souls darkened and cursed sink to the bottom of the sea to the domain of the ''God of the Underworld (cant remember its title, sorry).
''pleas never completed
through mouthfuls of brine
sails snapping free
and departing like wraiths
jars of grain opening
on their way to the dark
(offerings)
Fallen from grace, now he is little more than a banished soul chained to the depths of the ocean. He is a tortured soul indeed. Unfavored, unloved, unwanted but still the faithful. Lost to the light of day and the house of Men, he is still the master of the abyss and must be respected. ''
Those apathetic to the might of the Gods, disrespectful in their sacrifice, lazy in their devotion and fear stay between in the waves, unclaimed, lost to creation on the Grave of Hope.
The Seraphim — Angelarium: The Encyclopedia of Angels
Click to read about the Seraphim, denizens of Angelarium. Their bodies are the domain itself and the beings that dwell within it. The physical manifestation of concepts and ideas as they exist on Earth. They hold no will of their own and carry no ambition. They are servants to nothing and everything
www.angelarium.net
''Standing on that high tomb,
the water will lick close.
No safety above, nor below.
We can wait for calmer seas, but know,
When we bury the future,
we live upon the grave of hope.''
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