How do monsters spend gold pieces?

[Emirikol]

This is just a subject dear to my heart: why do we think that monsters place value on gold coins when they have absolutely no use for them? How are all these PC's finding gold in the hands of orcs when they wouldn't have accepted any payment from evil wizards in anything other than elvish slaves, rusty armor, swords and ale?

For example: Ogres. WHERE are they going to spend their bag of coins? Wouldn't it be more valuable to get a bag of live elves, or swords, or a new axe or club? Coins? We humanize monsters and think that they covet coins. For example: DRAGONS. There is no reason why they should be even remotely interested in coins. Oh, to lay on them? B.S. Why not lay on iron chips instead? I propose there's no reason why non-coin commodities wouldn't be exponentially more valuable to any given non-D&D-PC-race and gold would be laughed at (or eaten).

Are our fantasy games a farce by handing out coins?

jh

 

[Pielorinho]

Ooh, shiny!

I think that's why a lot of monsters like coins. They're real purty.

Alternately, they may like them because these amazingly well-equipped and well-fed humans always seem to carry them around; maybe they give luck to the bearer.

Or maybe they just realize that humans value them and trust that humans must have some reason for valuing them.

Or maybe, as with dragons, they know that some day they might want and need to spend them, and can polymorph into a human to do so.

Daniel

 

[Crothian]

Economies based on non-coin commodities while realistic are pretty much ignored in games. Gold coins is just easier.

But to address your two specific questions. Ogres would be able to do business with someone looking to make some money. Sure, they can't go into the market place, but there will be merchants and people willing to go to the ogres to do business. I see that as a great side plot for some NPCs or part of an investigation. Or maybe there are market places that allow Ogres and other monstrious humaniods to shop. That's a great place for the PCs to encounter.

Dragons in legends always hoarded money. I see them saving up for when they start making magical items. I know Dragons don't usually have Craft Feats, but they can and with their natural spellcasting abilities they can really be great crafters. The time and money to do so rarely should be an issue for them. So, we come to another cool adventure or encounter. The PCs need magical gear so they have to go negotiate with a dragon.

 

[Mark CMG]

Those that live on the fringes of society might be able to use coins in a standard manner. There are always disreputatable types that live among civilized folks willing to deal with creatures with whom they can communicate (despite the possibility that there are laws forbidding such actions) who will pay a high premium for some goods or a kidnapped person who won't be missed. Many have their own societies and monetary systems, akin to those of humans, elves, dwarves, etc. There may be those who do no more than collect it and dump it down some nearby hole in seeming sacrifice to a dark clandestine master who may or may not actually exist. Some who live elsewhere, further afield, who do not actually have the skills to work with precious metals, might still be covetous of those commodities for various and sundry reasons outside the knowledge of man.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it . . .

 

[CRGreathouse]

This is just a subject dear to my heart: why do we think that monsters place value on gold coins when they have absolutely no use for them?

I think there are plenty of reasons. Orcs and ogres trade coins amongst themselves for the same reasons humans and dwarves do: convenience. Monsters that are more nearly accepted in human lands, like centaurs and hobgoblins, may also trade with conventional races -- perhaps through intermediaries such as merchants and bandits.

Some will collect coins because they can attract their prey:

The Gibbelins eat, as is well known, nothing less good than man. Their evil tower is joined to Terra Cognita, to the lands we know, by a bridge. Their hoard is beyond reason; avarice has no use for it; they have a separate cellar for emeralds and a separate cellar for sapphires; they have filled a hole with gold and dig it up when they need it. And the only use that is known for their ridiculous wealth is to attract to their larder a continual supply of food. In times of famine they have even been known to scatter rubies abroad, a little trail of them to some city of Man, and sure enough their larders would soon be full again.

Some monsters collect coins instinctively, like ravens to buttons and mirrors. Others collect because of greed (the better to buy their desires) or plain avarice, of which dragons are often guilty. Spellcasting creatures collect gems and precious metals as components, while devils and demons collect riches that they might tempt mortals into depravity.

Surely there are motives beside these, but these are the first to come to mind.

There's no reason why non-coin commodities wouldn't be exponentially more valuable to any given non-D&D-PC-race.

Exponentially? Like monsters and humans value coins equally at one point, but every given interval monsters value coins half as much as the interval before?

 

[Ibram]

Why wouldn't an intelligent monster make use of currency? Ogres, orcs and other such creatures live together in communities... so it makes perfect sense that there would be orc blacksmiths and oger leatherworkers to make their weapons and armor.

As long as a creature can act reasonably well behaved there is little reason for a merchant to deal with them.

IMC ogre bodyguards are quite popular.... bug, tough, and willing to follow orders with little hesitation. While ogres may not understand the finer points of human diplomacy they fully understand that gold = weapons and armor = food.

 

[Gold Roger]

-They are shiny


-Killing things and taking their stuff is the way of the universe


-Black markets: Scrupeless and tolerant merchants trade with monsters. I bet some very rich people on this world make a hell lots of money by trading arms to rebels/terrorists who might not have much interaction with normal world market.


-Trophies: Human travelers have money. The more money they have, the more they are either capable or well protected. A monster with loads of money has slain many mighty adventurers and well protected traders. Displaying this money means displaying great power.


-Monstrous interaction:

The Gurr'ash orcs sometimes meet with the kon'marra druergar to trade.

The Warlock pays the ogre of the northwood cave for guard duty. Said ogre needs the money to voe the mighty ogress dwelling at the mouth of the swindlespit river.

Goldeye kobolds keep hidden stashes of treasure throughout the country. Every monstrous dweller in the area knows, killing a goldeye does one little good, but they will lead you to one of the hidden stashes when you capture them and let them run of.

Who says only the player races have economies?

 

[Cedric]

Depends on the monster. Those with a civilizations of their own will use them for currency and trade.

Those who prey on adventurers and are otherwise mindless, will just toss them aside into the bone pile, or keep them because they are shiny.

Either way, there are numerous reasons for monsters to have gold.

I didn't vote though, none of the voting options matched my thoughts on the matter.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

The poll is missing a very important option - that despite taking lots and lots of coin from "civilized" people, that sentient "monsters" and humanoids could then exchanges these within their own economy as well as interacting with the "civilized" econony on a shady, black-market kind of basis. Which is essentially how I view it as the other options all make less sense to me.

As to why UNintelligent monsters collect treasure there are two options. Either, "Ooh! Sparkly!" or the valuables are what's left lying about after the creatures that actually BROUGHT it there are killed/eaten.

 

[DMH]

Dragons use money for hoard magic (Spells and Magic).

Humanoids (normal, monsterous and things like illithids) use coins as cash.

Other because that was what dinner was carrying (they don't haul it around).