Economy

The economy in Arthos works universally on coins of gold, silver, copper and platinum. Coins weigh 0.02lbs.

Currency

Conversion Rates

Type	Value in Copper	Equivalent Value [USD]
Copper	1	$0.50
Silver	10	$5
Gold	100	$50
Platinum	1000	$500

Banks

The more money a business makes, the more risky the cost of doing business becomes. Storing profits into a locked chest works to an extent, but thieves are as cunning as they are brazen.

A Dimelivean trading guild had the ingenious idea to store all the profits of all the businesses in their city into one place, making security much easier to organize and giving birth to a new industry. Many banks around Arthos started cropping up, mostly run by governmental entities, given the massive amount of capital at their disposal.

Bank Functions

• Open Account

For a moderate to exorbitant fee, you may open an account with a bank. Most banks have little interest in dealing with those without the means to afford this charge. Some banks will even charge a yearly upkeep fee depending on your balance.

• Deposit / Withdraw

Self explanatory. The basic function of a bank is to protect assets.

• Issue Note

Because Arthos runs on a coin economy, dealing with large quantities of money can be burdensome and dangerous. A bank may issue you a certified bank note that you may trade with. You can also use bank notes to move capital between cities with the same bank.

• Lend Money

If you're wealthy enough and your name carries weight, you may negotiate loans with banks. Keep in mind these loans tend to be quite large and anything below 100 gold is considered laughable. For small loans, find a pawnbroker.

Marketplaces

The main arteries of a functioning economy. Marketplaces are designated zones within municipalities meant to facilitate trade between businesses, peddlers, and consumers. Markets are too numerous to list given that almost every town in Arthos will have at least one. Major cities will oftentimes have multiple markets catering to different products and socioeconomic classes.

Merchants

Merchants are the permanent residents of a town or city whose business is to sell products to consumers. They tend to specialize in a specific type (and even quality) of merchandise depending on the location of the settlement and income level of the district. In the center of a marketplace, merchants sell their wares under expansive grids of tents. The more wealthy of merchants will own their own store, usually located on the outskirts of a market. No self-respecting merchant will buy your junk.

Peddlers

The name given to traders who travel from place to place buying and selling goods. They make their profit solely through arbitrage. Peddlers only trade in wholesale, meaning they are unlikely to waste their time selling to individual consumers. Outside of towns, peddlers are easy to spot traveling by horse-driven cart. In city markets however, where carts are left in storage, peddlers are harder to pick out of a crowd. They can be found either busily walking at a brisk pace or chatting with merchants.

Money Changers

In any given marketplace, you will find people called money changers. They provide the service of exchanging coins for coins of equivalent value. Their business relies on the fact that most merchants do not give change for transactions. Depending on proximity to the nearest bank, they will charge a fee ranging from 5-20%. For an even steeper rate, they may accept foreign coins for local ones.

Pawnbrokers

The main purpose of a pawnbroker is to lend small quantities of money to average citizens, making a profit from the interest. Due to the volatility of such a practice, pawnbrokers will almost always ask for valuable items as collateral. The collateral for defaulted loans are sold off.
Pawnbrokers are the only businesses in Arthos who will buy the junk found (and often looted) by adventurers. Expect to be offered prices in the range of 5-10% of an item's true value.

Player Character Starting Wealth

The inventories for new characters, including their coinage, is ultimately up to the GM. However, the player and GM may agree to use the following method to semi-randomly determining their beginning wealth.
You may choose to break your cash down into small units only during character creation. Once the game begins, you must use in-universe methods to make change.

Character Archetype	Wealth on Hand	Wealth in Bank
Peasant	1d20 copper	N/a
Loner	2d6 silver	N/a
Commoner	4d6 silver	N/a
Fledgling Peddler	1d4 gold	N/a
Established Peddler	4d6 silver	5d10 gold
Business Owner	4d6 silver	10d20 gold
Young Noble	4d8 gold	N/a
Established Noble	4d8 gold	100d20 gold