Cost of slaves

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Check out Kingdoms of Kalamar - there are slave pricing tables inside.

Kalman

 

[Allegro]

Slave pricing

Using a little accounting you can determine the value of a service for a extended time.

For example: assuming 10% interest rate a kobold working for 6 years at 1 sp a day is worth 365 sp * (1 + .1)^6 power or 64.66 gold. Or hiring a human for 30 years is 365 sp * (1 + .1)^30 or 636.90 G. It would not be economically rational to buy a slave for more then you can employee a hired worker because you bare the risk (sickness, death) and cost of maintanence (food lodging) for your slaves.

 

[Bad Paper]

Lords of Madness

There are slave-pricing guidelines in the Lords of Madness book. I assume they appear in the chapter about Neogi; I foolishly did not bring LoM to work today. Something like 100gp per HD of the slave, severely adjusted for local supply/demand economics.

 

[Sigurd]

objectification

There would be a huge difference if the slave could be objectified in some manner. Different race, different species, colour, undead etc.....


The norse who had 'enthralled' prisoners and their own people to pay debts had a system where a slave would be given an alotment of land to earn his own freedom from. This avenue to liberation and the cooperation required to live in their culture gave the norse a much higher instance of liberated slaves than the Anglo Saxons according to the doomsday book in 1066.

You have to decide on the level of respect and autonomy a slave would have. If they are chained to a furnace and shovel coal all day that is far worse than one who prepares meals and might serve in the army.

If you care for history remember that torture kills people and dead slaves are bad investments. If the slavetrade really exists to illustrate how evil a faction of your world is, remember that even the cruelest races find it easier to enslave outside their own race. If nothing else that makes for easy slave recognition. Racism is probably a required element of sustained slavery because it makes the act more palatable to the dominant race.


Sigurd

 

[Shadowbane]

A well - built slave at the time of the American Civil War cost around $2000. Figure that into todays money, and then convert it into game money, (I like to think 1sp = $1) and there you have it. Of course, by that time the slave trade was over, and the market was small. An over abundance of POWs could yield a lower cost.

 

[Jack Simth]

Also note that slaves were treated very much differently in different times and societies - most people's image of slavery is that practiced in the deep south in the early 1800's, when there were many different methods and means - just for example:
The African slave trade developed because when tribes made war, they took slaves... who would serve for a time, and then be freed; their children were not slaves, and they were still people (even though owned). A bad thing, but could be recovered from. Pity the slave-traders who purchased them didn't follow the same rule-set....

There is biblical support for slavery.... which had a definate term (at least, for some groups....) a male hebrew slave was to be given the option of walking away after a set period of time (or was it at a set date, regardless of duration? I forget....); likewise, a slave in your service who was severly injured (lost an eye, hand, or foot) was to be released a free man, and a master who beat a slave with a rod, and the slave died of the wounds that day was to be punished (but I don't recall a listing as to what the punishment was specifically to be, who was to administer, and the like), and the like.

Not all slavery is equal.

 

[RonYon]

Lords of madness has a CR based formula for slaves, complimented with doublings for skills and other special abilities.I plan on using it to price Undead(Thus allowing a Necro to simply buy what he needs, at levels before he could make his own)

 

[Arnwyn]

Another recommendation for the slave price system in Lords of Madness.

I found it simple, yet very good - by using a price per CR, it takes into account the "power" of the slave, and any slave type (whether it's an NPC class, normal class, or monster). It's also very flexible - one needs only to include multipliers to take into account rarity, age, skills, and special abilities.

 

[Tracidme]

Thanks, those are good guidelines.

I agree that the training and backround of the slave raises the price, but I think 10gp for a common slave is appropriate.

Cheers

As an aside, I don't think comparing slaves to animals is appropriate, price-wise. Labor animals can haul a lot more than slaves, can endure more, can be trained to obey faithfully, don't talk back, don't cause trouble (usually, except for the spitting llamas and stubborn asses), and don't try to escape.
Granted, slaves can do more skilled labor, but typically they are not as "valuable" as animals.
Sure, a slave scholar or harem girl is more expensive, but they are more "unique" slaves.
Anyway, just my 2 cents.

I don't think most slaves talked back and slaves were used for building and farming not pulling carts

 

[Tracidme]

Thanks, those are good guidelines.

I agree that the training and backround of the slave raises the price, but I think 10gp for a common slave is appropriate.

Cheers

As an aside, I don't think comparing slaves to animals is appropriate, price-wise. Labor animals can haul a lot more than slaves, can endure more, can be trained to obey faithfully, don't talk back, don't cause trouble (usually, except for the spitting llamas and stubborn asses), and don't try to escape.
Granted, slaves can do more skilled labor, but typically they are not as "valuable" as animals.
Sure, a slave scholar or harem girl is more expensive, but they are more "unique" slaves.
Anyway, just my 2 c