A simple few questions

[Theone0581]

One, How much do you think it should cost to a bank to convert currency. Copper -> Silver -> Gold -> Platinum?

Two, i'm thinking about introducing a graph map with figurines, however, I'm not sure if it's such a good idea. I'm afraid that it will take up too much time to draw each room as the PCs progress through a dungeon. I generally find that a game runs much smoother without less loading time on the DM's part.

 

[Animal]

1. I'd say commission might range from 1% (in large and rich civilization centres with dozens rivaling banks) to 15% (frontier towns with a single small bank)

2. Not sure what the question was... But yeah, if you're not very enthusiastic about maps yourself, better do without them.

 

[garrowolf]

I don't think that there should be any conversion costs within the same nation and if it is based on weight of metals it should be easy to use a different nation's coin. The only time you need to do a currency exchange is when most people would not be able to take you money. In a gold based economy there is no reason that anyone couldn't use any coin.

 

[Treebore]

One, How much do you think it should cost to a bank to convert currency. Copper -> Silver -> Gold -> Platinum?

Two, i'm thinking about introducing a graph map with figurines, however, I'm not sure if it's such a good idea. I'm afraid that it will take up too much time to draw each room as the PCs progress through a dungeon. I generally find that a game runs much smoother without less loading time on the DM's part.

1. Money changers averaged a fee of 20%. Some charged as high as 50%, but that was when they were the only one around, or they had an "agreement" with their competitors. So that is a real world base line for you.

2. Drawing maps as you go definitely slows down the pace of your game, but I also have my players do the drawing to simulate their PC's doing it, adding a "layer" of role play to the game. So I would say, give it a try, see how your players like it, and go from there.

 

[Treebore]

I don't think that there should be any conversion costs within the same nation and if it is based on weight of metals it should be easy to use a different nation's coin. The only time you need to do a currency exchange is when most people would not be able to take you money. In a gold based economy there is no reason that anyone couldn't use any coin.

He is not talking nation to nation, he is talking changing copper to silver, silver to gold, etc... Money changers charged an average of 20% for their "fee". What I read did not go into detail about everything they did for the 20%, but I definitely got the impression it was pretty much for just walking in the door and making them just look at you.

As for your last sentence, completely wrong. Nations only acknowledge their own money as "legal tender", even gold coins, so you had to go to money changers and pay their fee's to get the current nations coin to be able to buy anything. The fact that we use printed money today has nothing to do with it. It has always been that way.

I could also go into all the taxes you were assessed for simply entering a city, let alone a nation, and you would quickly see why people rarely moved around from city to city unless they had large amounts of cargo where profit could be made despite all of the ridiculous levels of taxation.

 

[Gilladian]

If you're converting from one kingdom's coinage to another, I would probably go 5% or so. Raise that if the kingdoms are hostile; triple or quadruple if they're at war, or more likely just have NPCs refuse the money.

If converting antique coinage or gems or other forms of non-coin to coin, anywhere from 5-50% is appropriate. The cost should be higher for rarer items, and in smaller communities, lower in larger cities and for less significant pieces. I think of it more as a way to help control the party's wealth level than anything, myself.

Mapping is fun, but can be annoying. I draw the battlemaps, usually, but we really only use them for complex or large or long battles.

Two guards in a chamber, no. Two guards who have the ability to summon 5 more, a pit trap in the floor nearby, and a cultist/cleric down the hall ready to summon undead? Yeah, map time, with minis. It takes a minute or two to draw out, but I use that time to be describing the room, anyway...

for example: sketch walls in. Describe door qualities, any obvious mechanisms. Mention flooring, ask for spot checks (for the pit trap or secret doors, or whatever); ceiling height, stability, etc... Describe the guards as I place their minis, and the alarm gong, and the torches, and anything else important.

By the time I'm done drawing, the scene is pretty well set, and the PCs can ask questions.

 

[haakon1]

One, How much do you think it should cost to a bank to convert currency. Copper -> Silver -> Gold -> Platinum?

Two, i'm thinking about introducing a graph map with figurines, however, I'm not sure if it's such a good idea. I'm afraid that it will take up too much time to draw each room as the PCs progress through a dungeon. I generally find that a game runs much smoother without less loading time on the DM's part.

1) My players don't do money changing. They store their money with religious institutions, spend it, or keep it a Portable Hole. If they wanted to change coins, I might include it as a free service in a major deal (1000 gp+)like buying magic items, armor, etc.

2) I've discovered a solution to wanting maps but not wasting time drawing them live/getting dirty erasing and redrawing.

I use Gaming Paper:
Gaming Paper

-- I draw the maps before hand
-- I put a clear hard piece of plastic one of my players bought over the top
-- I put regular plain paper on top of the plastic with masking tape, with shapes and sizes to fit the rooms.
-- When they enter a new room, I reveal it, tada!

 

[haakon1]

Nations only acknowledge their own money as "legal tender", even gold coins, so you had to go to money changers and pay their fee's to get the current nations coin to be able to buy anything. The fact that we use printed money today has nothing to do with it. It has always been that way.

Not necessarily. A good, reliable coin would be widely traded. The Spanish pieces-of-eight are the basis for the US Dollar and were legal tender here until 1857. They were so widely used that they are the basis for not just the US dollar, but also most Latin American currencies, the Philippine Peso, the Singapore Dollar, the Hong Kong Dollar, the Japanese Yen, and the Chinese Yuan.

For a setting like Greyhawk, I think a Great Kingdom silver piece would be similar -- the Nyrond and Furyondy versions should have been interchangeable originally, and if all the mints were equally reliable, there'd be no more reason to distinguish between them than between a Euro printed in Spain versus one printed in Germany, or a US Dollar stamped "A" (made in Boston) versus "K" (made in San Francisco).

I keep my campaign simple by keeping this "pieces of eight" approach.

Where medieval currency gets complicated is if someone starts devaluing by making smaller coins or shaving them. For a debased version of an sp, a 20% fee would be reasonable, I think.

Spanish dollar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Debasement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Derfmancher]

Not to derail the thread.. but
[MENTION=10177]Treebore[/MENTION] I would enjoy hearing about how you have your PC's draw the map and have it not take *more* time than doing it yourself. Draw it like that.. no that long.. I would love to do this but I am yet to find a way to have the do it effectively.

/On Topic/
I personally do not force a conversion fee on gold/platinum etc unless it is a hefty sum, or it something being translated to a per lb cost. (Platinum bars rather than coins.) It might not be accurate in terms of history, but I find it works quite well for our group so I keep it.

 

[Treebore]

Not necessarily. A good, reliable coin would be widely traded. The Spanish pieces-of-eight are the basis for the US Dollar and were legal tender here until 1857. They were so widely used that they are the basis for not just the US dollar, but also most Latin American currencies, the Philippine Peso, the Singapore Dollar, the Hong Kong Dollar, the Japanese Yen, and the Chinese Yuan.

For a setting like Greyhawk, I think a Great Kingdom silver piece would be similar -- the Nyrond and Furyondy versions should have been interchangeable originally, and if all the mints were equally reliable, there'd be no more reason to distinguish between them than between a Euro printed in Spain versus one printed in Germany, or a US Dollar stamped "A" (made in Boston) versus "K" (made in San Francisco).

I keep my campaign simple by keeping this "pieces of eight" approach.

Where medieval currency gets complicated is if someone starts devaluing by making smaller coins or shaving them. For a debased version of an sp, a 20% fee would be reasonable, I think.

Spanish dollar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Debasement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are always exceptions to pretty much every rule, and Colonies were often exceptions, as would be new nations, until they do set up their own official "coin". Generally, through history, what I wrote applies.

What was the deal with labeling the dollar San Francisco or Boston? I just assumed that was for identification purposes for determining forgeries and other illegal activities. There was no difference in value, correct?