Draw Power and Lightning/Electricity

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

We could do that, and drop the value of 1 gp down to $10 as suggested up-thread. Of course, that means that gold and silver coins must be extremely low purity (~5%, assuming $10k per pound) or these precious metals are severely debased in value. Probably a mix of both. It also means that a skilled craftsman is earning a pittance at $10 a day, on the low end of the Struggling Wealth level.

Honestly I'd be less interested in testing the internal logic of the setting's economics as much as finding a workable conversion formula that will give good results for GURPS for items that don't have easy equivalents.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

We could do that, and drop the value of 1 gp down to $10 as suggested up-thread. Of course, that means that gold and silver coins must be extremely low purity (~5%, assuming $10k per pound) or these precious metals are severely debased in value. Probably a mix of both. It also means that a skilled craftsman is earning a pittance at $10 a day, on the low end of the Struggling Wealth level.

You don't need to assume low purity. You can just assume that currency metals are available in much greater quantities, which seemed to be the case in D&D back when I was paying attention to it.

Bill Stoddard

[Anthony]

The closest we have to useful canon on economy is the rules for the Profession skill and the Craft skill.

Taking 10, a check bonus +5 professional can earn 7.5 gp/week (30 gp/month). A check +5 crafter can craft high quality items at a rate of 22.5 gp/week, but must pay 1/3 for raw materials, and probably has to sell to a middleman, so the same average of 7.5 gp/week works. Either one probably represents Average wealth, so for TL 3-ish 1 gp is $20-25.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The closest we have to useful canon on economy is the rules for the Profession skill and the Craft skill.

Taking 10, a check bonus +5 professional can earn 7.5 gp/week (30 gp/month). A check +5 crafter can craft high quality items at a rate of 22.5 gp/week, but must pay 1/3 for raw materials, and probably has to sell to a middleman, so the same average of 7.5 gp/week works. Either one probably represents Average wealth, so for TL 3-ish 1 gp is $20-25.

I would figure that a professional, and possibly a skilled craftsman such as an armourer, would be Comfortable, which would argue for double the conversion rate. But the basic approach seems as plausible as any.

Bill Stoddard

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I would figure that a professional, and possibly a skilled craftsman such as an armourer, would be Comfortable, which would argue for double the conversion rate. But the basic approach seems as plausible as any.

Bill Stoddard

I'm inclined to be more generous on the "All NPCs are level 1 except some exceptions" front than most - D&D 3.5 had NPC classes like "Expert", and I'm inclined to use them.

For a skilled craftsman I'm willing to assume anywhere from level 4 to level 10, depending on what they're doing and how good they are at it. I may just be unexpectedly nice to my NPCs though.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Bruno

For a skilled craftsman I'm willing to assume anywhere from level 4 to level 10, depending on what they're doing and how good they are at it. I may just be unexpectedly nice to my NPCs though.

You can get a +10 craft bonus at level 1 using the non-elite array -- 4 ranks skill, +3 for skill focus, +1 for Int 12, +2 for masterwork tools.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Either one probably represents Average wealth, so for TL 3-ish 1 gp is $20-25.

So for Eberron, at TL4+1 or maybe TL4+2 and a large middle class (according to Eberron page 120 or thereabouts I think) that would be about $75 (TL4+1) or $105 (TL 4+2)? Making my estimated rail cost $98M/$138M which is way more than Fred's upper limit. Is this a problem? Is there a reasonable solution?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

So for Eberron, at TL4+1 or maybe TL4+2 and a large middle class (according to Eberron page 120 or thereabouts I think) that would be about $75 (TL4+1) or $105 (TL 4+2)?

Nah, it probably means that in Eberron someone can make more money, probably by use of items that boost their crafting ability.

In any case, the price for lightning rail doesn't work; no-one will pay a day's wages to travel three miles. If it's actually supposed to be equivalent to railroads, the fee should be more like 1 cp/mile instead of 5 sp/mile.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Anthony

If it's actually supposed to be equivalent to railroads, the fee should be more like 1 cp/mile instead of 5 sp/mile.

The lightning rail is supposed to be like the long-range railroads of Earth at the very end of TL5.

In a few more sessions I'll be having the PCs on a lightning rail train while bandits ride up on horses to board it. The halflings on ptrerosaurs are extra.

There's no commuter service or at least not with this tech. Sharn has all sorts of other exotic magical short-range travel tech.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Anthony

In any case, the price for lightning rail doesn't work; no-one will pay a day's wages to travel three miles.

47% of a day's wage, surely? If a month's wage is 30 gp, the Eberron month is 28 days, and 10 sp=1gp. Or am I missing something? Still I see your point.

If it's actually supposed to be equivalent to railroads, the fee should be more like 1 cp/mile instead of 5 sp/mile.

Yeah, although there's really nothing in Eberron to explain how the economics actual effects wages other than "most people are middle class". Regardless the 5 sp/mile price probably is based on treasure sapping for PCs than anything else.