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May 25, 2012 -- 9:56AM, Chimpy20 wrote:

I just wanted to make a few observations about the value of items and the amount of treasure from encounters in the test material.

I noticed most weapons and armour in the test material are valued in gold. I strongly feel that at the beginning of their careers, adventurers would be using copper and some silver. I think basic adventuring gear should be priced at a few copper pieces, basic weapons and armour at a few silver. Perhaps give a PC 50 silver to start off with. I would simply suggesting dividing the cost of weapons by 10. The price of general equipment seems ok to me.

When a PC starts with 100gp to spend, finding 10cp on some kobolds is pretty meaningless.

In the Cave of Chaos adventure, some monsters dropped copper, some silver, which I think is fine, but there was some electrum and some gold and even platinum in the adept's chambers. I would imagine gold would start to appear perhaps level 4 or 5, or from the hoard of a special monster. I think there is too big a disparity between the level of treasure from the monsters at the start of the adventure, to those at the end.

So for example, perhaps the kobolds at the start of the adventure have around 10sp, but the medusa at the end might have items worth 250sp.

So the bottom line: Adventurers should be using (and finding) copper and silver coins at low levels.

Inna nutshell. They need to re-evaluate their prices, too. Not difficult and would improve immersion and longterm motivation and prevent, well tone down, some more ridiculous aspects of d&d economy.

May 25, 2012 -- 10:10AM, Marandahir wrote:

Isn't it funny that Silvering weapons costs 100 GP instead of 100 SP? 

I think the only reason this is the case is because GP is the baseline currency rather than SP or CP (or EP or PP).  I mean, even the costs for the labor isn't going to take 1,000 SP worth of silver just to silver one weapon or 10 rounds of ammunition.  You could melt down that those 1,000 silver pieces and have more than enough silver for several weapons.  I'd rather it be 100sp to cover both the costs and the silver.  It also makes more sense:  you're dealing in silver to silver a weapon.


I strongly believe that Silver should be the baseline, with copper as smaller units in case you need change, and electrum and gold and platinum being larger currencies you start using at higher levels. 

It is. Or the poor fishermen with their 10 gp fishing lines. No wonder so many small villages are tormented by bandits. (Well, obviously a typo). Or the hand axes and morningstars which equal the effect of an improvised weapon. It would be a real deal if a "weaponsmith" sold broken tankards at half that value. Or you could just pick up a stick for free. And so on.
A divisor of 10 would be a start. Personally I would prefer over the board by 50 or even 100 and hand adjustment afterwards. Yes, the DM could houserule it himself, but why not do away with this silliness right from the start?

May 25, 2012 -- 10:10AM, Marandahir wrote:

Isn't it funny that Silvering weapons costs 100 GP instead of 100 SP? 

I think the only reason this is the case is because GP is the baseline currency rather than SP or CP (or EP or PP).  I mean, even the costs for the labor isn't going to take 1,000 SP worth of silver just to silver one weapon or 10 rounds of ammunition.  You could melt down that those 1,000 silver pieces and have more than enough silver for several weapons.  I'd rather it be 100sp to cover both the costs and the silver.  It also makes more sense:  you're dealing in silver to silver a weapon.


I strongly believe that Silver should be the baseline, with copper as smaller units in case you need change, and electrum and gold and platinum being larger currencies you start using at higher levels. 

   Cost of materials, cost of labor, time of labor, and the maker's desire for a profit, as well as demand.  How much silver it takes is probably the smallest part of the equation.

   Most things in this world cost considerably more/less than the simple sum of their parts. 

May 25, 2012 -- 9:56AM, Chimpy20 wrote:

I just wanted to make a few observations about the value of items and the amount of treasure from encounters in the test material.

I noticed most weapons and armour in the test material are valued in gold. I strongly feel that at the beginning of their careers, adventurers would be using copper and some silver. I think basic adventuring gear should be priced at a few copper pieces, basic weapons and armour at a few silver. Perhaps give a PC 50 silver to start off with. I would simply suggesting dividing the cost of weapons by 10. The price of general equipment seems ok to me.

When a PC starts with 100gp to spend, finding 10cp on some kobolds is pretty meaningless.

In the Cave of Chaos adventure, some monsters dropped copper, some silver, which I think is fine, but there was some electrum and some gold and even platinum in the adept's chambers. I would imagine gold would start to appear perhaps level 4 or 5, or from the hoard of a special monster. I think there is too big a disparity between the level of treasure from the monsters at the start of the adventure, to those at the end.

So for example, perhaps the kobolds at the start of the adventure have around 10sp, but the medusa at the end might have items worth 250sp.

So the bottom line: Adventurers should be using (and finding) copper and silver coins at low levels.

This! I thought I read somewhere that they were going to us more copper and silver coins for basic equipment. When I saw the pricing, I did a double take.