How do monsters spend gold pieces?
- Thread starter Emirikol
- Start date
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
All the cool ogres have a collection of gold-plated tiddley-winks these days!
Nyeshet
First Post
The creatures only have a vague idea as to their value and barter the items (coins) just as they might a slab of meat or hide from the last deer, beaver, wolf, elf, etc they killed. They don't have or recognize 'prices' such as '15 gp for this item, 10 sp for that one'. Instead they will haggle (poorly) and trade pretty shiny coins for more useful items - such as a iron spike they can put through a club to make it a better club for harming or perhaps enough fruit, grain, or even meat (if hunting has been poor) to see them through the next few days or weeks.
They have no idea how much the coins are actually worth, however, and so their 'bargains' tend to be rather one-sided: either the wily shop keeper overcharging or the intimidating creature forcing a frightened shopkeeper to accept what it thinks the items are worth - irregardless of how much they actually cost (often at a notable loss for the shopkeeper).
Most towns do not allow such creatures inside their walls, however, so it is usually the rural village shops that deal with such creatures - and then often only duress or to make a quick profit. Such dealings are viewed as bad luck by most, however, as the creature might wise up one day and come seeking revenge for prior poor bargains. To prevent such creatures from entering settlements, in fact, is one of the primary reasons for raising walls (well, wooden palisades, really) around them - especially in areas that are not often beset by battles. Keeping dangerous creatures in general out of the settlement might be the stated reason, but monsters that can reason enough to want to trade are often considered more dangerous in some areas.
This is not even taking into account the fact that coins from such creatures are viewed as blood money, as they most certainly have been taken from travelers or those recently slain (by wild animals, by the creature itself, by hazardous weather, etc). Superstitions abound about the dangers and possible curses that might be tied to blood money - another reason doing business with such creatures is considered bad luck.
They have no idea how much the coins are actually worth, however, and so their 'bargains' tend to be rather one-sided: either the wily shop keeper overcharging or the intimidating creature forcing a frightened shopkeeper to accept what it thinks the items are worth - irregardless of how much they actually cost (often at a notable loss for the shopkeeper).
Most towns do not allow such creatures inside their walls, however, so it is usually the rural village shops that deal with such creatures - and then often only duress or to make a quick profit. Such dealings are viewed as bad luck by most, however, as the creature might wise up one day and come seeking revenge for prior poor bargains. To prevent such creatures from entering settlements, in fact, is one of the primary reasons for raising walls (well, wooden palisades, really) around them - especially in areas that are not often beset by battles. Keeping dangerous creatures in general out of the settlement might be the stated reason, but monsters that can reason enough to want to trade are often considered more dangerous in some areas.
This is not even taking into account the fact that coins from such creatures are viewed as blood money, as they most certainly have been taken from travelers or those recently slain (by wild animals, by the creature itself, by hazardous weather, etc). Superstitions abound about the dangers and possible curses that might be tied to blood money - another reason doing business with such creatures is considered bad luck.
Woas
First Post
Take the Huns and Romans for example.
A Hun would be the equivelent of the 'ogre' or other monster in D&D.
Like an ogre, a hun would never be allowed into "civilized" Roman cities where sizeable markets would be to trade. So in theory a Hun would have no use for Roman coins (gold or otherwise).
Yet the Huns forced the Romans to pay huge amounts of tributes in gold coins. Why? The Huns don't have any use for Roman gold. Its worthless to them. They can't enter Roman markets freely and spend it.
They would melt that Roman gold down and make their own jewelry. Jewelry that had meaning to them.
So perhaps the ogre 'spends' the gold by eventually converting it into items on the 'art work and jewelry' treasure list.
A Hun would be the equivelent of the 'ogre' or other monster in D&D.
Like an ogre, a hun would never be allowed into "civilized" Roman cities where sizeable markets would be to trade. So in theory a Hun would have no use for Roman coins (gold or otherwise).
Yet the Huns forced the Romans to pay huge amounts of tributes in gold coins. Why? The Huns don't have any use for Roman gold. Its worthless to them. They can't enter Roman markets freely and spend it.
They would melt that Roman gold down and make their own jewelry. Jewelry that had meaning to them.
So perhaps the ogre 'spends' the gold by eventually converting it into items on the 'art work and jewelry' treasure list.
pawsplay
Hero
I'd like to point out that an ogre with a few class levels is going to have at least one magical item. Ogres can and do accumulate wealth and use it for many of the things humans do, but with less sophistication.
EDIT: Also, what's the point of putting up a poll consisting of nothing but snarky answers that ignore several obvious possilities? Why not just start a thread?
EDIT: Also, what's the point of putting up a poll consisting of nothing but snarky answers that ignore several obvious possilities? Why not just start a thread?
kigmatzomat
Legend
I declined to vote in favor of other scenarios. Drow, for instance, have a complex culture and will use coinage, as do duegar, illithid, and many giants.
Ogres trade with hobgoblins, who trade with orcs, who trade to half orcs, who trade to others. Mix in those questionable races (like duergar, svirfnebli, tieflings, vampires, arenea, and anything else that shapeshifts) and you have a thriving trade in money laundering.
This ignores the possibility that barbarian humans trade with barbarian orcs as more-or-less equals or that the lawful monstrous humanoids might have a sufficiently organized society that it can defend borders and force its neighbors to deal with it as a valid foreign power with the capacity to produce goods for export and have the resources to import luxuries or exotic goods.
Ogres trade with hobgoblins, who trade with orcs, who trade to half orcs, who trade to others. Mix in those questionable races (like duergar, svirfnebli, tieflings, vampires, arenea, and anything else that shapeshifts) and you have a thriving trade in money laundering.
This ignores the possibility that barbarian humans trade with barbarian orcs as more-or-less equals or that the lawful monstrous humanoids might have a sufficiently organized society that it can defend borders and force its neighbors to deal with it as a valid foreign power with the capacity to produce goods for export and have the resources to import luxuries or exotic goods.
Emirikol
Adventurer
Woas said:
No. Bad example. Humans are humans and are COMPLETELY different from monsters. They have societies that are large and sophisticated. Marginal, cave-dwelling monsters like ogres, who happen to dwell in the middle of human lands do not have that privelige.
..now a monster who lives in the lands of Iuz, World of Greyhawk, for example may have an excuse..but an orc living in Nyrond or Furyondy would not.
All of the examples you guys are showing me are fine examples of excuses and band-aids. You're all just in denial.
jh
P.s. teh only reason I can see where monsters would have large amounts of money is because their illiterate and stupid-kind couldn't count and if they did go to WalMart-on-the-borderland, they'd get ripped off so badly by even the lowest peasant that they'd need large amounts of money!
..
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Emirikol said:All of the examples you guys are showing me are fine examples of excuses and band-aids. You're all just in denial.
Someone's in denial.
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