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Message: <blockquote data-quote="painandgreed" data-source="post: 3630468" data-attributes="member: 24969">Taken in reverse order.I don't think you really appreciate the income or worth of land. I've worked on how much and landed noble might make, but I'll instead refer to Expeditious Retreat Press' A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe. In the example they give in that book, an adventuring party is essentially given a hamlet of 360 adults to rule over. The total in come of said hamlet is 10,000 gp annually, with a yearly profit after expenses of 5,000 gp. Given that character wealth by level gives a 3rd level adventurer a worth of 2,700 GP, they have a far ways before they could be richer than any landed noble, let alone most. According to the DMG, a 3rd level can't even afford a grand house. Given that worth of such land could be in a range of 8-20 times the annual income, such a hamlet is worth the range of 80k-200k GP. A rich novle or king would probably have an annual income in the millions of GP.Then you have the status and legal powers due to owning land. The people who make the laws are the people who own the land. Not only is that where the wealth is, but the political body is often defined by geography. Also, those in power who own land are likely to let those who don't share power. If a person's wealth is tied up in the land, they can't pack it up and leave if things get rough, they have to stick it out like the other landowners. Once in control of the government, it's a matter of taxes and the like to make sure they get the money and stay in control. Sure, powerful adventurers could go against society, but then they'd end up living a Robin Hood existance in the woods unless prepared to overthrow the government.Does the above reflect the state of fantasy novels? Like campaigns, it all depends on which one you are dealing with. Some books do reflect that and get into the gritty details of economy and the like, while other gloss over it. The same goes for D&D games. Some DMs and players enjoy that sort of thing, while others don't. I don't think there is really an "average D&D game" that would match the majority of games out there in too many points. Some DMs and players don't care and for others there are products like those from Expeditous Retreat which are brought up time an time again receive much praise on this board.Where does an economy based on specie break down and revert back to other commodities? When specie becomes rare for the amounts needed. Most D&D games are fairly gold and silver rich, not even considering platinium. Most transactions can be done in coin. I've seen a fair amount of PCs converting such money into even easier to carry valuables such as gems. I've also seen campaigns where the system was further expanded to mithril and adamantine. Thus one pound of adamantine is worth 1000 pounds of gold (5000GP). For myself, IMC, such a thing is hard to say because at those amounts of wealth, there is not only money involved but also status.  Land, magic items, objects d'art that are worth so much that is is easier to deal in them than metal money, would probably be more due to the demands of the person owed than actual value. Common items (which for such a discussion would include things such low level magic weapons) might not tempt a person where an equal worth of land with attached status and possible power, or rare items such as art or rare magic items, might. You could say that such items, in high demand, are valued much more than their mundane price, but with such items, they're worth what somebody is willing to pay. You can probably get a majority to agree on a price for such things, but some will be willing to pay more while others will not as opposed to metal money where everybody will generally agree on a value and accept it as such.Personally, I'd like to see more use of land, status, and art objects in addition to money and magic items in campaigns.  Things like the above mentioned "gift economy" would come into play, but it is hard to use in game. From RL experience, we know that, people will pay more for things like vanity items that might convey status, but it's hard to convert into game mechanics. Some players will go along with it and buy such items for their characters. Others are content to have their rich high level PCs make survival skill checks to catch dinner every night.</blockquote>

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