D&D 5E What's the point of gold?

[Remathilis]

LOL! Having an internet connection or buying and using another book is really what you're going to go with? Just how much do you have to love something to make those sorts of excuses for glaring flaws?

ROFL! I'm wagering you didn't like how Gary Gygax put the XP totals for Monsters as well as the To-Hit charts for all PC classes only in the DMG also. Such a poor designer, am I right?

 

[Belisarius76]

This is a bit of a tangent, but gold works differently in-game than in the real world. In the real world, a diamond has no intrinsic value. It's valuable only because other people want to give you money for it, and gold is the same (except w/rt semiconductor construction). In (A)D&D, gems have intrinsic worth as spell components (takes 300 gp worth of gems to Revive someone from the dead).

In AD&D gems mimick our Real world in terms of desirability, along with gold/silver etc.

Diamonds do have intrinsic value in real life, because they are monopolized by De Beers, in "shorter supply" and are sold as a precious stone particularly to celebrate relationships/wedlock in particular as we all know. (there was a doco I watched years ago about De Beers and associated interests becoming very upset with the people creating diamonds from carbon, in special chambers at a better purity for scientific reasons, including potential semi-conductors, which would gut the price of diamonds. So this goes back to supply/demand and store of wealth issue).
As you point out, ingame gems are used for spellcraft etc as well, which again adds value to the items as they are in demand for another reason besides jewellery/store of wealth ingame. Which backs up my previous statements in effect, so I can't see how you are in conflict with my statements?

 

[Fanaelialae]

This is a bit of a tangent, but gold works differently in-game than in the real world. In the real world, a diamond has no intrinsic value. It's valuable only because other people want to give you money for it, and gold is the same (except w/rt semiconductor construction). In (A)D&D, gems have intrinsic worth as spell components (takes 300 gp worth of gems to Revive someone from the dead).

Technically, this does have a real-world corollary. Diamond-tipped drill bits, and gold used in electronics are two examples of precious substances having practical applications.

 

[MoonSong]

rarity = desirable = valuable mate. Gold for example in real life or silver, or diamonds, actual tangible items that can be used to make stuff. They are desirable and relatively rare, hence they're store of value. So what you just said contradicts almost in terms of how you came across.
However I think what you are trying to say is, unless an item in game has use to your character in particular (maybe even almost from a power gaming perspective perhaps?) you're not interested in it. Which is fair enough. Really gold should be rare in the fantasy setting, as it must be mined by archaic means, generally by dwarves who covet it as well, so a double whammy for all adventurer's, you would literally have to defeat a whole nation of dwarves/gnomes to acquire the wealth à la Smaug style

No, desirability is the basis for value, all rarity does is affect price. When you go by value=rarity you fall into many ugly fallacies, (If you have tons of friends, is their friendship less valuable?) and fall by the speculators game. I like silver and gold, but more silver, platinum is an ugly ore, iphones are overrated. When I see a +3 weapon my only reaction is meh, it doesn't bring anything new or interesting and no ultra epic quest will make me want it more. If anything even less, magic items are to be enjoyed, the more you delay them, the less you use them and the less desirable they get.

(And I'd be thankful if in the future you avoided calling me a powergamer, what did I ever did to you? I'm not one, I don't enjoy that kind of play, I don't get it, and I suck at it. Just because I was raised on a more modern gamestyle doesn't make me a powergamer)

 

[Belisarius76]

Technically, this does have a real-world corollary. Diamond-tipped drill bits, and gold used in electronics are two examples of precious substances having practical applications.

yeah you're right, and so is the OP of your reply, where he says gems are used in magic, which would be the ingame equivalent of diamond tipped drills etc imao

 

[MoonSong]

Diamonds do have intrinsic value in real life, because they are monopolized by De Beers, in "shorter supply" and are sold as a precious stone particularly to celebrate relationships/wedlock in particular as we all know. (there was a doco I watched years ago about De Beers and associated interests becoming very upset with the people creating diamonds from carbon, in special chambers at a better purity for scientific reasons, including potential semi-conductors, which would gut the price of diamonds. So this goes back to supply/demand and store of wealth issue).

This is the opposite of having intrinsic value. Something that is only valuable because it is scarce. Gold? gold is shiny, lasts forever and in turn is very useful and adds beauty. An engagement ring on the other hand, is bought for obligation and bears no resell value, at all.

 

[Belisarius76]

No, desirability is the basis for value, all rarity does is affect price. When you go by value=rarity you fall into many ugly fallacies, (If you have tons of friends, is their friendship less valuable?) and fall by the speculators game. I like silver and gold, but more silver, platinum is an ugly ore, iphones are overrated. When I see a +3 weapon my only reaction is meh, it doesn't bring anything new or interesting and no ultra epic quest will make me want it more. If anything even less, magic items are to be enjoyed, the more you delay them, the less you use them and the less desirable they get.

(And I'd be thankful if in the future you avoided calling me a powergamer, what did I ever did to you? I'm not one, I don't enjoy that kind of play, I don't get it, and I suck at it. Just because I was raised on a more modern gamestyle doesn't make me a powergamer)

Ok a dictionary extraction: "Value" :- the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

so sure, as I've previously written, and you have written, desirability as you put it, is part of the equation, but not all of the equation, that's what I'm trying to get across to you, and looking at this dictionary reference, they seem to back up what I am talking about. Value is not just desirability, it's rarity as well which, as you put, effects price, which is also intricately tied to something's "value" quite clearly. So ingame if you make something scarce, it's worth more in value overall, than if I spammed the same items over and over and made them easy to gain, just like in Real life.
If I want an old Tiamat miniature, which is more clearly in demand now and rare, I pay a far higher price for it, and it's "value" is higher overall.

In relation to the power gamer comment, it was just that mate, a statement, I couldn't understand where you were coming from and placed that out there in parenthesis as almost a question? So don't get upset about it, it's not an accusation, a dot point. You seem very touchy, which is not good for constructive conversation.

 

[Belisarius76]

This is the opposite of having intrinsic value. Something that is only valuable because it is scarce. Gold? gold is shiny, lasts forever and in turn is very useful and adds beauty. An engagement ring on the other hand, is bought for obligation and bears no resell value, at all.

Ok, worded incorrectly due to speed typing and thinking. Diamonds have intrinsic value for several reasons. 1. They are a "shiny" 2. They are used in jewellery 3. they are a store of wealth like other gems. These are the baseline items of intrinsic value to humans. On top of this, in terms of "Value" they are monopolized, increasing their cost and hence their value. Then there is the generally accepted exchange of diamonds for personal unions world wide, on top of drill bits etc further increasing demand and value and worth. It's simple mate, you're argument that rarity doesn't increase value is null and void lol.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Diamonds are also one of the better non-stick surfaces in the world.

Gold's ductility- it can be worked in to sheets mere molecules thick using bronze-age technology- has been valued for thousands of years.

And that engagement ring? Well, as someone who buys a lot of them second hand, I can say they DO retain a value in the aftermarket. Even the crappy ones are worth...well...their weight in gold.




FWIW...

 

[Saeviomagy]

ROFL! I'm wagering you didn't like how Gary Gygax put the XP totals for Monsters as well as the To-Hit charts for all PC classes only in the DMG also. Such a poor designer, am I right?

It's a bit of a poor sport to bait people into speaking ill of the dead.

And yes, there are a number of poor design decisions in early D&D editions.

The worth of gold and diamonds as jewelry in modern days is almost entirely down to intensive advertising campaigns designed to increase desire for something that is neither as rare nor intrinsically valuable as people think.