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<blockquote data-quote="Hawk Diesel" data-source="post: 7868617" data-attributes="member: 59848"><p>Alright. So I have no idea if my calculations are accurate or my assumptions reasonable. Even if they are off a bit though, I think it provides an interesting look at the economic buying power of each class. This can then be used as a jumping off point to determine reasonable prices for services and goods based on how prevalent or accessible they could be for a given economic class (ie cantrips and 1st level spells are probably pretty common and accessible, 2nd level spells are less common, and higher level spells are generally accessible only to the wealthiest or most connected).</p><p></p><p><em>Assumption 1</em></p><p>In the PHB, they provide the lifestyle cost per day on page 157. However, I thought it might be better to use the prices on page 158 detailing the price of food per day.</p><p></p><p><em>Assumption 2</em></p><p>I read somewhere that in 1900 the average percentage of income spent on food was about 40%. Eberron certainly doesn't look like Earth in 1900, but I thought it to be a reasonable price point for this exercise.</p><p></p><p><em>Assumption 3</em></p><p>As the buying power of a class increases, the percentage of the income spent on food drops. I have no idea if this is true, but it seemed like a reasonable idea to me. I kept it at 40% for Squalid, Poor, and Modest. Then I dropped it to 30% for Comfortable, 20% for Wealthy, and 15% for Aristocratic.</p><p></p><p><em>Assumption 4</em></p><p>I figured the average family size was 5 (two parents and three children). I assumed food prices would be stable for each member of the household, so the cost per day was multiplied by 5 to account for each person.</p><p></p><p>Once again, I have no idea if my assumptions are reasonable, but I figured they were as good a place to start as any.</p><p></p><p>Based on this, I got the following numbers.</p><p></p><p><strong>Food Cost for Family of 5</strong></p><table style='width: 100%'><tr><td>Lifestyle</td><td>Week</td><td>Month</td><td>Year</td></tr><tr><td>Squalid</td><td>1 gp, 5 cp</td><td>4 gp, 2 sp</td><td>50 gp, 4 sp</td></tr><tr><td>Poor</td><td>2 gp 1 sp</td><td>8 gp, 4 sp</td><td>10 gp, 8 sp</td></tr><tr><td>Modest</td><td>10 gp, 5 sp</td><td>42 gp</td><td>504 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Comfortable</td><td>17 gp, 5 sp</td><td>70 gp</td><td>840 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Wealthy</td><td>28 gp</td><td>112 gp</td><td>1,344 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Aristocratic</td><td>70 gp</td><td>280 gp</td><td>3,360 gp</td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>Total Income Estimate Family of 5 (Extrapolated from Food Cost)</strong></p><table style='width: 100%'><tr><td>Lifestyle</td><td>Week</td><td>Month</td><td>Year</td></tr><tr><td>Squalid</td><td>2 gp, 6 sp, 3 cp</td><td>10 gp, 5 sp</td><td>126 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Poor</td><td>5 gp, 2 sp, 5 cp</td><td>21 gp</td><td>252 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Modest</td><td>26 gp, 2 sp, 5 cp</td><td>105 gp</td><td>1,260 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Comfortable</td><td>58 gp, 3 sp, 3 cp</td><td>233 gp, 3 sp, 3 cp</td><td>2,800 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Wealthy</td><td>140 gp</td><td>560 gp</td><td>6,720 gp</td></tr><tr><td>Aristocratic</td><td>467+ gp</td><td>1,867+ gp</td><td>22,400+ gp</td></tr></table><p></p><p>I think this can provide a "good enough" baseline for economic purchasing power based on class. We can start making some reasonable guesses at price points for different services based on how likely they are to be available to a certain economic class (also considering lower classes may need to save for certain goods and services or seek second/third-hand items). Of course, game balance for PCs also needs to be considered, but only to a point. A DM is free to adjust the monetary rewards and treasure an adventuring party can obtain.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hawk Diesel, post: 7868617, member: 59848"] Alright. So I have no idea if my calculations are accurate or my assumptions reasonable. Even if they are off a bit though, I think it provides an interesting look at the economic buying power of each class. This can then be used as a jumping off point to determine reasonable prices for services and goods based on how prevalent or accessible they could be for a given economic class (ie cantrips and 1st level spells are probably pretty common and accessible, 2nd level spells are less common, and higher level spells are generally accessible only to the wealthiest or most connected). [I]Assumption 1[/I] In the PHB, they provide the lifestyle cost per day on page 157. However, I thought it might be better to use the prices on page 158 detailing the price of food per day. [I]Assumption 2[/I] I read somewhere that in 1900 the average percentage of income spent on food was about 40%. Eberron certainly doesn't look like Earth in 1900, but I thought it to be a reasonable price point for this exercise. [I]Assumption 3[/I] As the buying power of a class increases, the percentage of the income spent on food drops. I have no idea if this is true, but it seemed like a reasonable idea to me. I kept it at 40% for Squalid, Poor, and Modest. Then I dropped it to 30% for Comfortable, 20% for Wealthy, and 15% for Aristocratic. [I]Assumption 4[/I] I figured the average family size was 5 (two parents and three children). I assumed food prices would be stable for each member of the household, so the cost per day was multiplied by 5 to account for each person. Once again, I have no idea if my assumptions are reasonable, but I figured they were as good a place to start as any. Based on this, I got the following numbers. [B]Food Cost for Family of 5[/B] [TABLE] [TR] [TD]Lifestyle[/TD] [TD]Week[/TD] [TD]Month[/TD] [TD]Year[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Squalid[/TD] [TD]1 gp, 5 cp[/TD] [TD]4 gp, 2 sp[/TD] [TD]50 gp, 4 sp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Poor[/TD] [TD]2 gp 1 sp[/TD] [TD]8 gp, 4 sp[/TD] [TD]10 gp, 8 sp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Modest[/TD] [TD]10 gp, 5 sp[/TD] [TD]42 gp[/TD] [TD]504 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Comfortable[/TD] [TD]17 gp, 5 sp[/TD] [TD]70 gp[/TD] [TD]840 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Wealthy[/TD] [TD]28 gp[/TD] [TD]112 gp[/TD] [TD]1,344 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Aristocratic[/TD] [TD]70 gp[/TD] [TD]280 gp[/TD] [TD]3,360 gp[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]Total Income Estimate Family of 5 (Extrapolated from Food Cost)[/B] [TABLE] [TR] [TD]Lifestyle[/TD] [TD]Week[/TD] [TD]Month[/TD] [TD]Year[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Squalid[/TD] [TD]2 gp, 6 sp, 3 cp[/TD] [TD]10 gp, 5 sp[/TD] [TD]126 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Poor[/TD] [TD]5 gp, 2 sp, 5 cp[/TD] [TD]21 gp[/TD] [TD]252 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Modest[/TD] [TD]26 gp, 2 sp, 5 cp[/TD] [TD]105 gp[/TD] [TD]1,260 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Comfortable[/TD] [TD]58 gp, 3 sp, 3 cp[/TD] [TD]233 gp, 3 sp, 3 cp[/TD] [TD]2,800 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Wealthy[/TD] [TD]140 gp[/TD] [TD]560 gp[/TD] [TD]6,720 gp[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Aristocratic[/TD] [TD]467+ gp[/TD] [TD]1,867+ gp[/TD] [TD]22,400+ gp[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] I think this can provide a "good enough" baseline for economic purchasing power based on class. We can start making some reasonable guesses at price points for different services based on how likely they are to be available to a certain economic class (also considering lower classes may need to save for certain goods and services or seek second/third-hand items). Of course, game balance for PCs also needs to be considered, but only to a point. A DM is free to adjust the monetary rewards and treasure an adventuring party can obtain. [/QUOTE]
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