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<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 5766841" data-attributes="member: 6669384">I'll start by stating the obvious:&nbsp; The D&amp;D economy is broken and always has been.That being said, standard D&amp;D money is in copper, silver, gold and platinum.&nbsp; Actual precious metals.Before &quot;modern economics&quot;, coins were valued based on their actual precious metal weight, period.&nbsp; The stamping of blobs of metal into coins was to certify that said blob really was of a specific weight.&nbsp; When people began to file the backs of such stamped blobs, governments began to stamp both sides, and &quot;standardized coins&quot; as we know them came into being.When merchants began to file the edges, governments began to mark the edges with the kind of gnurling we see on quarters today.So what happens to the value of all the PC's gold?&nbsp; No matter whose face is on it, it's still gold.Now, how much of their actual wealth is in &quot;liquid&quot; form?&nbsp; That is, how much is in coin and how much is in paper?&nbsp; Not paper money, as such, since D&amp;D doesn't normally use such things, but invested in trading companies, held by banks, or in the form of bonds, title deeds or similar holdings?Everything that isn't actual coin will become worthless as the conquerors come in and claim everything in sight.By the way, their title to that land you mentioned?&nbsp; That would go away as well.Alternately, consider the idea that some group of intrepid adventurers, out to save their country from the machinations of a group of well connected but traitorous scalliwags, might come in and topple their little scheme on its backside.&nbsp; And, of course, loot the castle(s) as they go, working their way up until they can face the &quot;big bad&quot; guys (i.e the PCs).That would leave the PCs dispossessed, their machinations exposed, and themselves hunted in their own homeland.&nbsp; And, of course, not exactly trusted by the would-be conquerors who had placed their trust in them, only to have their dreams dashed.Isn't this the very stuff of legends, the fabric from which epic fantasy tales are wrought?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 5766841, member: 6669384"] I'll start by stating the obvious: The D&D economy is broken and always has been. That being said, standard D&D money is in copper, silver, gold and platinum. Actual precious metals. Before "modern economics", coins were valued based on their actual precious metal weight, period. The stamping of blobs of metal into coins was to certify that said blob really was of a specific weight. When people began to file the backs of such stamped blobs, governments began to stamp both sides, and "standardized coins" as we know them came into being. When merchants began to file the edges, governments began to mark the edges with the kind of gnurling we see on quarters today. So what happens to the value of all the PC's gold? No matter whose face is on it, it's still gold. Now, how much of their actual wealth is in "liquid" form? That is, how much is in coin and how much is in paper? Not paper money, as such, since D&D doesn't normally use such things, but invested in trading companies, held by banks, or in the form of bonds, title deeds or similar holdings? Everything that isn't actual coin will become worthless as the conquerors come in and claim everything in sight. By the way, their title to that land you mentioned? That would go away as well. Alternately, consider the idea that some group of intrepid adventurers, out to save their country from the machinations of a group of well connected but traitorous scalliwags, might come in and topple their little scheme on its backside. And, of course, loot the castle(s) as they go, working their way up until they can face the "big bad" guys (i.e the PCs). That would leave the PCs dispossessed, their machinations exposed, and themselves hunted in their own homeland. And, of course, not exactly trusted by the would-be conquerors who had placed their trust in them, only to have their dreams dashed. Isn't this the very stuff of legends, the fabric from which epic fantasy tales are wrought? [/QUOTE]

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