Economy
The economy in Arthos works universally on coins of gold, silver, copper and platinum. Coins weigh 0.02lbs.
Contents
Mints
Banks
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.
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. 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 merchants 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.
Conversions
Type | Value in Copper | Equivalent Value [USD] |
---|---|---|
Copper | 1 | $0.50 |
Silver | 10 | $5 |
Gold | 100 | $50 |
Platinum | 1000 | $500 |
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 Merchant | 1d4 gold | N/a |
Established Merchant | 4d6 silver | 5d10 gold |
Business Owner | 4d6 silver | 10d20 gold |
Young Noble | 4d8 gold | N/a |
Established Noble | 4d8 gold | 100d20 gold |