Re: Money.

[Wright Frazier <khelek@ns1.cioe.com>]

> I just took a look at this write up, and let me start by saying good job!
> 
thanks. =)


> I just have a few comments to offer. First, the Southam Daughter is referred
> to in its description as a 'thumb'. Is this confusion with the Kieron Watch
> thumb? Also, the description of the KW thumb doesn't specify the metal it
> is made of. I assume by context that it's copper.

Whoops, thanks for editing. =)  The Duaghter was originally the thumb, but
I couldn't come up with why Southham would name a coin with the Prelate's
daughter on it a "thumb", so it became the Daughter.  Whoops, fixed
up the desc of the KW thumb.

> 
> Is there any intention to include trade bars?

I thought about these, but frankly, I wasn't sure.  The value of such
a thing is really dependant on the metal its in, not who made it.  I'd
be happy to use'em, but how they'd fit in is a bit wierd.  I also toyed
with the idea of 'script', but paper money is a pain in the kiester.
Lastly I toyed with doing something like the Templars, De Medici's, and
the other big medieval bankers did, and have letters of Mark.  Essentially
instead of carrying around 40,000 sp(you don't carry that into the field
or on point to point trading missions), you carry 4 sheets of paper that
are redeamable for 10,000sp at whoever issued them's place.  Essentially
Bearer Bonds.  This however would require a fairly intensive and well
documented, and regulated system.  There are a couple of folks who
could actually run such a thing, the Barrits being the prime case.
Possibly the Prelate of Southham as well, but the Barrits seem a better
choice.

Anyways, if folks want trade bars and other big mondo currency carrying
things, thats cool with me.
> 
> My final comment, and please don't take this negatively, is that ounce coins
> are HEAVY! Adventurers tend to casually toss about bags of 100, 500, or even
> 1000 coins to pay people... A bag of 1000 1-ounce coins is not something to
> be tossed about, since it weighs 62.5 pounds!
> 
> I had always been under the assumption, probably because I had been told
> by a GM some time ago (don't remember which, but this was one of the old 
> guard of GMs, like Dan, Dana Hoggat, and Bob Blake) that a silver piece 
> was the size of a dime. If we're going to arbitrarily change it to an ounce,
> I would recommend that we start keeping an eye on how much people are 
> carrying with them. Those STR 8 mages ain't gonna be lugging around 
> thousands of silver pieces.
> 

*nod* carry gold. 1000sp = 6.2lbs of gold coins, or 31.25lbs if you
use Liston Leva, or significantly less if you are carrying KW Knights or
Liston Dragons.  There are big coins out there, and I don't see
why everyone should by default just carry silver around by the
truckload.  There needs to be some measure of coinage in weight so,
as Greg says(and I agree fully with) when you come across the
dragon sitting on his pile of coins, it isn't NEARLY as much to come
across if its in 1oz. coins, as opposed to tiny dime sized ones.

I'm also considering adding in a weight list to equipment.  What is
'reasonable' simply isn't cutting it.  I know of a couple of
characters who carry around MULTIPLE great swords(3-4), at least 1
cahracter carrying 5 long swords.  My marine routinely carries 3 rapiers,
9 daggers, a crossbow, a main-gauche, 2 kukris, and some other stuff.
Granted he's built like an ox, but still, thats just insane.  Esspecially
considering he has a thousand or so silver coins on him.

*shrug*

Wright