[FR] Slave prices in Thay

[BobROE]

Hey All

Does anyone have a rough guide as to how slaves cost in Thay? I know it says 50gp in either the FRCS or UE but that's for a field slave, any other numbers people have come up with or a method for determining the value of a slave? I have a player who wants to buy a slave, set him free, and then hire him as a touch/treasure carrier. Any help would be nice.

 

[Pseudonym]

The Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide has a section on slaves that you may find useful (pages 119-120).

An unskilled adult human slave has a base cost of 10GP. Craftsmen are 75Gp per NPC level to give two examples. Other factors like race and age give multipiers to the base cost. So a generic middle-aged human slave would cost 7.5GP, while a generic adult elf slave would cost 30GP.

 

[Arnwyn]

This is something that will be entirely dependent on your personal campaign economics. Use the 50 gp as a beginning value, and go from there.

For example, I'd have some slaves (certain harem slaves, for example) that would go for 1000 gp+ per slave.

 

[Benben]

Simple. Charge the PC the standard 50gp, even if the slave is a little more skilled than normal. The PC will get the slave for cheap because it was a "Clarence Sale."

 

[Cloudgatherer]

The PC will get the slave for cheap because it was a "Clarence Sale."

Guess they had too many slaves named Clarence...

 

[nHammer]

I think an average slave should be as much as a light riding horse. Of course as I sit here typing this I can't remember off hand how much that is....

 

[Agback]

G'day

In the Classical Mediterranean, when there was a relatively plentiful supply of slaves (prisoners from the many wars and imports from lawless neighbouring parts such as Thrace, Africa, and Mesopotamia), the price of a slave ranged from about one to about two years' wages (for a worker with similar skills). In Roman Imperial times it was customary to buy teenaged house-slaves and to manumit them when they turned thirty (freed slaves retained some obligations to their patrons).

But in the US South 1823-1862 (after the British closed down the Atlantic slave trade but before Federal progress in the Civil War made it clear that there was not much prospect in owning slaves), when slaves could not be imported and had to be bred, the price was five to six years' wages for a similarly-skilled worker. In this period, and partly for racist reasons, even household slaves were rarely manumitted, and there was no very substantial population of freedmen.

So if you know where Thay gets its slaves from you ought to be able to guess a reasonable multiple, and then apply that to PHB wages.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Iron_Chef]

I thought the Kalamar prices were too low and they didn't give prices for "pleasure slaves" whioch is what most PCs buying slaves are probably after, hehe, and these would certainly be worth a lot if highly trained. As an example of where the Kalamar slave pricing system breaks down, you could buy an 8th level paladin for around 1,000gp if he had a lot of good stats.

Unapproachable East or BoVD should have had slave prices!!!

 

[Angcuru]

As an example of where the Kalamar slave pricing system breaks down, you could buy an 8th level paladin for around 1,000gp if he had a lot of good stats.

*counts gold* *Pictures Cleric of Bane walking up to auction platform.* "I've been meaning to get a Blackguard or two for the temple."

 

[Tom Cashel]

Last time I bought a slave they weren't nearly as much as you people are quoting.

And my next slave--the one I've got my eye on--is dirt cheap.

I hear in 3.5 they've got all the rules for sending proxy slaves on adventures in your stead...but you get the experience!