GURPS Dungeon Fantasy - Precious Metals Prices

pnewman · 02-14-2008, 05:21 AM

According to GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2 (pg 14) copper is worth $62.50/lb, silver $1,000 lb, and gold $20,000 lb. These values match those of the 'historical' values listed in 'Gold in Silver' on GURPS Basic p 515.

I don't think that historical values matter in a Dungeon Fantasy campaign. In a Dungeon Fantasy campaign coins should be so big and low value that a dragon can sleep on a great heaping pile of them and moderately successful adventurers won't even bother to pick up the copper pieces because they are not worth enough to bother to carry them back to town. I think that Dungeon Fantasy should use the suggestion in the next paragraph that "the $ is a one-ounce silver coin, like a silver dollar. A one-ounce gold peice would then be worth $20. At that rate... a pound of gold would be worth $240. In such a world... caravans loaded with gold might actually exist."

Which sounds more like Dungeon Fantasy "The dragons fortune of $100,000 fits in the palm of your hand and weighs 5 pounds" or "The dragons fortune of $100,000 spreads out in a gleaming layer across the floor and weighs more than 400 pounds"?

02-14-2008, 05:21 AM	#1
pnewman Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Anchorage, Alaska	GURPS Dungeon Fantasy - Precious Metals Prices According to GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2 (pg 14) copper is worth $62.50/lb, silver $1,000 lb, and gold $20,000 lb. These values match those of the 'historical' values listed in 'Gold in Silver' on GURPS Basic p 515. I don't think that historical values matter in a Dungeon Fantasy campaign. In a Dungeon Fantasy campaign coins should be so big and low value that a dragon can sleep on a great heaping pile of them and moderately successful adventurers won't even bother to pick up the copper pieces because they are not worth enough to bother to carry them back to town. I think that Dungeon Fantasy should use the suggestion in the next paragraph that "the $ is a one-ounce silver coin, like a silver dollar. A one-ounce gold peice would then be worth $20. At that rate... a pound of gold would be worth $240. In such a world... caravans loaded with gold might actually exist." Which sounds more like Dungeon Fantasy "The dragons fortune of $100,000 fits in the palm of your hand and weighs 5 pounds" or "The dragons fortune of $100,000 spreads out in a gleaming layer across the floor and weighs more than 400 pounds"?