"g.p. weight"

[BOZ]

this i beleive is a specific AD&D 1E question. what exactly did "g.p. weight" translate into? was that essentially how much something weighed in gold pieces? just asking because i'm converting something that, in 1E could use telekinesis to lift 5000 g.p. weight, and i'm curious to see what that really entails. don't suppose it really matters, but like i say i'm curious.

 

[Legildur]

From the SRD:

The standard coin weighs about a third of an ounce (fifty to the pound).

Edit: Can't remember what 1Ed was now.

 

[Treebore]

Yes, I do believe that is how it worked. So that was 100 pounds, I believe. Assuming my old memory is correct about 1E being 50 GP to a pound.

I've been using 100 GP to a pound ever since a certain article in Dragon Magazine about 19 years ago, so it is something from the rule books that I never really bothered to remember.

But yes, GP weight was meant to be converted to pounds in 1E.

 

[Beckett]

1ed was 10GP to a pound. So, 5000gpw is 500 pounds. Those are some pretty massive coins we're talking about.

And to make things more fun, some weights are given in gpw, and others in pounds.

I think 2ed introduced the more sensible 50 coins to a pound (and only concerned itself with pounds).

 

[BOZ]

yes, 2E was a bit more practical in that regard. anyone got a 1E page number for how that worked?

 

[Hedgemage]

My 1E books are all boxed up in storage, but I believe it was in the DMG in the section that dealt with encumbrance (near the back, if memory serves). Its all part of the wonderful 1E stream-of-conciousness organizational system.

 

[robberbaron]

Didn't play 2e much but I remember how heavy coins were in 1e.

We decided to weigh some £1 (1 GBP) coins and came to the conclusion that 50 to a pound (lb) was about right and have used it ever since.

 

[nittanytbone]

I play 1E regularly, and it is 10 GP = 1 pound (and pounds are abbreviated with a "#" sign, too!).

For specific 1E questions you might have better luck at www.dragonsfoot.org. There are forums there that specialize in OOP questions.

 

[Delta]

1E PHB p. 102 ("Encumbrance"):

Strength penalties or bonuses will modify these guidelines. Weight is
usually stated in gold pieces, 10 gold pieces equalling 1# (pound). Volume
can only be calculated from known comparisons, as the size and shape of
objects varies from individual to individual, i.e. how big is a tapestry?

1E DMG p. 228 ("Glossary"):

g.p. (Also gp) -Gold piece(s), the standard monetary unit; 10 g.p. = 1 pound, each g.p, weighing 1.6 avoir. oz. Sometimes used as a unit of weight/encumbrance.

 

[Herzog]

Don't know about 1E, but in RCD&D the 'weight' of objects (encumberment) was not always a literal weight. sometimes it also represented difficulty in portability (as was the case with bolas)

Herzog