TL4 Without Iron

whswhs · 04-30-2014, 06:33 PM

In the campaign I'm starting up in July, set in a bronze age world, I've done some work on this. Historically, tin is the third most expensive metal, after gold and silver. In GURPS, gold is $20,000 a pound, and silver is $1,000 a pound; some fiddling with numbers made it look like $750 a pound was about right for tin.

I'm having copper priced like low-end steel (good quality), but mechanically weak (cheap quality); since silver weapons have a x20 cost multiplier, I made copper $50 a pound. Bronze is on the order of 90% copper and 10% tin; its raw materials come to $45 + $75 = $120. I'm having bronze priced like fine material, but mechanically equal to good material; that's a 4x multiplier for blades, or $200 a pound. I'm figuring that the extra $80 comes from the furnace construction, the fuel, and the skill to cast the bronze; a 2:1 factor is close enough so I'm willing to handwave it.

I don't argue that this is the uniquely right way to do it in GURPS. But it looks close enough to suit my needs. It might work for yours.

Bill Stoddard

04-30-2014, 06:33 PM	#37
whswhs Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS	Re: TL4 Without Iron In the campaign I'm starting up in July, set in a bronze age world, I've done some work on this. Historically, tin is the third most expensive metal, after gold and silver. In GURPS, gold is $20,000 a pound, and silver is $1,000 a pound; some fiddling with numbers made it look like $750 a pound was about right for tin. I'm having copper priced like low-end steel (good quality), but mechanically weak (cheap quality); since silver weapons have a x20 cost multiplier, I made copper $50 a pound. Bronze is on the order of 90% copper and 10% tin; its raw materials come to $45 + $75 = $120. I'm having bronze priced like fine material, but mechanically equal to good material; that's a 4x multiplier for blades, or $200 a pound. I'm figuring that the extra $80 comes from the furnace construction, the fuel, and the skill to cast the bronze; a 2:1 factor is close enough so I'm willing to handwave it. I don't argue that this is the uniquely right way to do it in GURPS. But it looks close enough to suit my needs. It might work for yours. Bill Stoddard