Value of Slaves

[thickets]

Here's a question not covered in the core books - how much do you think would be a reasonable price for a slave in a typical D&D setting? I'm thinking 25-100gp depending on the quality of the slave (i.e. small boy vs comely elven female). Thanks.

 

[Wandering Star]

Considering the value of a light horse is around 75gp, I'm sure that even the lowliest slave is going to be worth a lot more than 25gp. At least 10 times this amount, though often a whole lot more. Forget the slave merchant's stories of having to feed his starving children, slaving would have to be highly lucrative for people to go to such risk to aquire them. If the trade is black market fare, they are, again, likely to be even more expensive still.

 

[roguerouge]

Comely elf female?! Dude, that's so not a good example to use to start off a thread. Why twirk off people?

 

[demiurge1138]

Lords of Madness has a price system established in their chapter on neogi, the slave-takers. Unfortunately, I don't have it on hand...

Demiurge out.

 

[mmadsen]

In ancient Rome, a slave might go for 500 denarii -- 500 sp. A comely young female slave might go for 2,000 to 6,000 denarii.

 

[thalmin]

Found this through Ask.com

Slaves were expensive. As the years of slavery passed, they became more expensive. Regardless, white farmers, plantation owners, and others bought slaves as an investment. Slaves made even more money for their owners than they cost to buy.

A healthy 18-year-old slave could be bought for $650 in 1845. (About $14,500 in today's dollars.)

That same slave could be sold five years later for $1,000. (About $21,000 in today's dollars.)

That same slave, if he or she were still healthy, could be sold again. In the years right before the Civil War, such a slave might bring nearly $2,000. (About $40,000 in today's dollars.)

 

[Tewligan]

Comely elf female?! Dude, that's so not a good example to use to start off a thread. Why twirk off people?

How's that going to "twirk" people off? It's a reasonable example, given the question.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

I think he means distract them. You know, get a whole thread de-rail about hot elven girls.

 

[Nifft]

How's that going to "twirk" people off? It's a reasonable example, given the question.

Dragging sex (and thus sexual slavery & rape) into almost any roleplaying discussion is an invitation to a lengthy and unproductive argument.

Other topics which invite similarly useless argumentation are politics and religion.

"The More You Know!", -- N

 

[Wandering Star]

So the assumption is that the only use a comely young elven female might have is one of 'dubious' nature? If the OP had mentioned that the setting was in ancient greece, would there be similar assumptions about people's 'twirky' attitudes toward the young boy?

I'm sorry. I am wrong. You automatically win any attempt at berating me.