Running a Campaign without Currency

[EternalNewbie]

Okay, maybe this has been covered before, but the campaign I'm currently running is set in an era with no established economic system. I'll give a brief summary of the world (it was originally my submission to the WotC contest, but the actual write-up was lost in the great hard drive crash of '02). Basically, the entire planet was ruled by a race of uber-magi, and kept as a zoo/paradise for them. About 10 years ago, they vanished, and all the slave races awoke from a semi-conscious daze. Needless to say, without magic regulating the planet things went from bad to worse. There were years of famine, and all sorts of maurading creatures (trophies of the uber-magi) running around, and the only safe havens were these tiny farming communities. Up until a few years ago, it was too dangerous to leave the confines of the city and explore, but that's what people are starting to do now. Since conditions were so harsh, there was no need for currency, as it was an all for one kind of idea. Now the world has stabilized enough that people can start moving around.

What I'm concerned about is the aspects of 3e that require money, like writing spells into spellbooks and making magic items. What I'd originally planned was that they wizards in the party would find the necessary ink by exploring ruins and trading with other 'runners'. Magic items are going to be difficult to make, usually involving questing for components. All other equipment and stuff is basically on a barter system. I'm just wondering if there's anything else I didn't consider when I set this up, that might pose a problem in the feature. Any suggestions?


Eternal Newbie
-Some things are forever...

 

[Crothian]

Let's see:

1) Replace cost of magical ink with componetn
2) Replace cost of making magical items with components
3) Barter system

Sounds good to me. Livestock will be very important, in such a society a large herd of cattle will only be owned by the powerful nobles or their equvilents. Slaine has something very similiar to this.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

in addition, you could also come up with some 'formulas' concerning the making of magic items and (especially) magic ink.

(there has to be a reason the ink is so expensive, so it may be a matter of aquiring the correct ingredients to create it, powdered gems, eye of newt, and so on)

as far as magic items, it should be a factor of power components appropriate to the item, such as harvesting parts from a strong creature (magical beast, etc.) to create gloves or a belt of strength, and so on. it will make the process of item creation more difficult, but that's the way the world is set up anyway

(and its a great way to add plot hooks to a game, if magical artisans are always questing for the right ingredients)

potions could be run a little differently, requiring some rarer natural ingredients (plants, fungi, etc.), instead of killing bad guys for parts

and if noone's said so yet, welcome to the boards EternalNewbie

 

[Greybar]

That reminds me of something I always wanted to try...

If anyone has read much Jack Vance (yes, he's the reason that many refer to D&D's magic system as being "Vancian") then you may have run into the short story "The Moon Moth"

In the world described therein, there is little or no use of money. Everything is on a system that crudely could be called an "honor system". Those who have accomplished great deeds or hold high position have considerable honor. It is an honor for one to craft an item or provide a service to someone with high honor. Thus if you are a great artist, you are know by the fact that the twenty great nobles own works of yours. As an artist of high honor you don't just let anyone own one of your paintings. As a carpenter, it increases your honor to be known as the man who made the furniture for the home of the great artist. As so it goes on down the line to the servant folk.

Now, consider combining the idea of honor (in Jack Vance's story the local word is strakh I believe) and the idea of "wealth points" from d20 modern.

As a hero, you gain strakh as you advance. This means people are willing to provide you things. It could work into a very simple economic system from the GMs point of view. Things that are of a power level appropriate to your class level can be aquired with moderate difficulty. Things that would be unbalancing (like that +5 Holy Avenger) are inappropriate for you to have. You don't have enough strakh!

Anyway, hope this helps you. Just thinking about it makes me want to return to the world I had created as an analogy of the world of the "Moon Moth". Oh, and check out Jack Vance!

John

 

[Tonguez]

Now, consider combining the idea of honor (in Jack Vance's story the local word is strakh I believe) and the idea of "wealth points" from d20 modern.

As a hero, you gain strakh as you advance. This means people are willing to provide you things. It could work into a very simple economic system from the GMs point of view. Things that are of a power level appropriate to your class level can be aquired with moderate difficulty. Things that would be unbalancing (like that +5 Holy Avenger) are inappropriate for you to have. You don't have enough strakh!John

hey you've been reading my stuff! This is exactly the rules I use (though I based it on GURPS wealth rules and modified)

My campaign is set in Mythic Polynesia and does not have a currency instead characters have 'Influence' which is described as the number of people in their community they can call upon for assistance/favours. Determined as Cha mod+Levelx10+Status*

So for instance Tiki needs a new +1 Spear, he uses his Influence and it just so happens that Uncle Pakati L9 Expert (influence cost 45) is the village Weaponmaker and is willing to gift his nephew the +1 spear (cost 140) he has made in return for Tiki delivering a new batch of long clubs to the neighbouring village.

so the Influence Tiki used is 185pts
Tiki however is only L2 and has a cha of 14 thus an Influence of 40+status 100 (his last adventure was a success). The 45 pt deficit is covered by the delivery task given to him

*Status is the change in Influence due to a prsons deeds eg some one who has done great deeds will have gr3eater status than someone who is a snivelling coward

 

[Mark]

Welcome to the boards, EternalNewbie!

Interesting idea though it could be argued that even in a barter system, the goods become the form of currency (and some idea of how many of X is worth so many of Y is established). I'm keen to hear more, though.

 

[hammymchamham]

thats going to be a lot of chickens for that first +1 weapon

 

[mmadsen]

Doesn't d20 Modern present a new wealth system where you don't track dollars and cents or gold and silver pieces? I'm sure you could use the same abstract system to represent bartered wealth, status, etc.

 

[Greybar]

mmadsen, see my earlier post on the thread re: d20 Modern.

Mark, this could be similar to the feudal japanese system. I believe that a koku is defined as the amount of rice required to feed a peasant family for a year. Bottom line is that you effectively have a currency at that point, since abstracting this piece of metal to be worth that bag of rice is the short next step.

John

 

[MerakSpielman]

A barter system does not quite become the equivent of currency because different things are worth different amounts to different people.
If all you have is 10 chickens, and everybody else in town already has 40 chickens (hey, it's good chicken country. That's just what the locals do), good luck bartering with your chickens for anything worthwhile.
If you have some better goods, like cloth or hunting knives, expect that they would all be willing to trade lots of chickens for the stuff.
But if you don't want chickens, and that's all they have in abundence, what do you do? You can't just haul a few dozen chickens 70 miles to the next town to trade for something you really want. You need cages and feed (and think of the mess they make). That's a lot of overhead when all you want is a masterwork dagger.
You'd rather have something small and portable and acceptable anywhere. That's where money came from, in its myriad early forms.

Or say you're in a larger town. You want your masterwork dagger. You go to the smith and try to barter with him. You have lots of skins, which you hoped he wanted to make armor out of, but he only makes metal armor. He says he doesn't have time to deal with having skins on hand, but you might be able to trade them to the tanner on the other side of town. The tanner says those skins are common fur, and not worth much, but he has some whiskey that he makes in a shed out back he'll give you for them. But the smith doesn't want whiskey, either.
etc.....