D&D 4E Equating 4e coinage to real world dollars

[Kzach]

Based solely on lists for mundane items presented in the 4e rules, do you believe that a gold piece is roughly equal a US $1? Or is a dollar closer to a silver piece?

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

I've always felt that:
1CP = 1 US Penny
1SP = 1 US Dime
1GP = 1 US Dollar
1EP = 10 US Dollars (when they were used in D&D previously)
1PP = 100 US Dollars
1AD = 1,000 US Dollars

 

[pippenainteasy]

Based on D&D novels you would think 1 gp would worth a lot more than $1 of buying power.

(Of course back in the 1970s $1 is closer to $5 - 7 today...)

 

[Kzach]

I've always felt that:

Yes, but is this based on the 4e mundane item prices extrapolated into real world equivalents?

 

[Minigiant]

Based on the 1 gp items, I believe one gold piece is about $5-10. But the prices are all over the place.

 

[KarinsDad]

I've always felt that:
1CP = 1 US Penny
1SP = 1 US Dime
1GP = 1 US Dollar
1EP = 10 US Dollars (when they were used in D&D previously)
1PP = 100 US Dollars
1AD = 1,000 US Dollars

You are off by a factor of about 50.

1CP = 50 cents
1SP = 5 US Dollars
1GP = 50 US Dollars
1EP = 500 US Dollars
1PP = 5,000 US Dollars
1AD = 50,000 US Dollars


Food
Meal, common 2 sp = $10
Meal, feast 5 gp = $250
Drink
Ale, pitcher 2 sp = $10
Wine, bottle 5 gp = $250
Inn stay (per day)
Typical room 5 sp = $25
Luxury room 2 gp = $100


Backpack (empty) 2 gp = $100
Bedroll 1 sp = $5
Flint and steel 1 gp = $50
Pouch, belt (empty) 1 gp = $50
Rations, trail (10 days) 5 gp = $250 (dried food is $7 per meal or $210 for 10 days)
Rope, hempen (50 ft.) 1 gp = $50
Waterskin 1 gp = $50
Climber’s kit 2 gp = $100
Grappling hook 1 gp = $50
Hammer 5 sp = $25
Pitons (10) 5 sp = $25
Fine clothing 30 gp = $1,500
Tent 10 gp = $500

Riding horse* 75 gp = $3,750 (i.e. motorcycle)

Granted, some of these prices are way off kilter, but that's just because whomever wrote up the 4E prices didn't know jack about economics.

But the baseline that I use is the food and room prices.


The 3E prices were much closer to 1 GP = $100, but 4E prices are cheaper.

 

[CM]

You are off by a factor of about 50.

Granted, some of these prices are way off kilter, but that's just because whomever wrote up the 4E prices didn't know jack about economics.

But the baseline that I use is the food and room prices.


The 3E prices were much closer to 1 GP = $100, but 4E prices are cheaper.

I think that if you keep in mind that the tools and adventuring equipment would be high-quality, handcrafted goods rather than mass-produced, imported goods which are driving down prices in the US today, your list makes quite a bit of sense.

 

[blalien]

You're not going to be able to come up with an exact dollar-gold conversion. Food is going to be more expensive in D&D-land than real life because modern agricultural techniques dramatically lowered the price of produce. However, a riding horse is going to be cheaper in D&D-land because it's a necessity, while in real life a horse is a luxury item. That being said, I agree with KarinsDad that 50$ = 1gp is probably pretty close, but it's not going to work out for everything.

If you're asking about the price of a mundane item that's not explicitly listed, start with 50$ = 1gp. If the item is something that has become easier to produce thanks to technology, increase the price by up to 20%. If it's something that was common in medieval times but no longer used today, drop the price by up to 20%.

 

[S'mon]

At 50gp for platemail, I go with 1gp = $100, so that's $5,000 platemail. A decent rifle or shotgun is ca $1000, which would be a 10gp weapon.

 

[S'mon]

The 3E prices were much closer to 1 GP = $100, but 4E prices are cheaper.

Hm, I haven't gone over them in enough detail, but you might be right. Somewhere in the $50-$100 range, anyway.

Horses have been overpriced since they raised the cost from 1e's 25gp to 2e+'s 75gp.