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Post by Tesla Ranger on Jul 17, 2015 13:59:57 GMT
I've often thought that, assuming it were campaign appropriate, it could be interesting to use souls as currency. Aside from an ethical ramifications (of which there should be many), you'd finally get to settle the question of whether or not souls have weight (at least for your setting).
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Post by rorrik on Jul 17, 2015 15:10:03 GMT
4e uses a currency called Astral Diamonds, which are 10,000 GP each. 500 astral diamonds weigh 1 pound. They typically were only used for megatransactions in extraplanar realms. Good luck finding someone to break one! Geez! I guess if it only took under an hour to prototype it would be worth trying. My players don't have much money or any use for it right now. They just traded the grain they were hauling for trail rations and were very pleased with the exchange.
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Skedrix
Squire
Posts: 40
Favorite D&D Class: Runepriest
Favorite D&D Race: Warforged
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Post by Skedrix on Jul 21, 2015 3:22:38 GMT
For my next campaign, I'll be using a bunch of different coins from a Kickstarter project mentioned in the Master List of DM Resources thread here on the DMB forums (specifically, the Legendary Metal Coins for Gaming by Drawlab). There's no way I'd either be able to afford or be willing to buy the coins in the sort of quantity needed for using nothing but these coins for the game, even with the reduced need for currency in 5E as compared to any other edition I've seen. So, rather than going full coin, I'm using the page in the DMG (that I just happen to not have in front of me right now) that talks about gem values, and I'm going to use a bunch of cheap glass beads in a variety of colors, with each color corresponding to one particular gem on the list. With those in conjunction with the coins, there will be enough for the players to always have more than enough cash on hand. They're going to be spending the stuff, too, so they're not going to always have mass amounts of coins. Some of their wealth will end up being in things owned, not coins held. And as for why I'm using the coins, well, there's going to be a political aspect to the new world they'll be playing in, with different regions/countries/races not exactly having the best relations with each other. While one coin may be worth the same as another when melted down, some people will be suspicious or even outright hostile if you flash the wrong currency. Gems would spend the same anywhere, though.
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Post by Tesla Ranger on Jul 21, 2015 5:49:20 GMT
Sounds like a good scenario where the props will be useful. Are you going to do anything to mark which country a specific kind of coin comes from? I don't imagine that nationality really plays into the gems in any meaningful way, but it seems like spending the coin minted in Country X while you're in Country Y could have unintended consequences.
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andywmason
Squire
Posts: 27
Favorite D&D Class: Blackguard
Favorite D&D Race: Goliath
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Post by andywmason on Jul 21, 2015 10:58:19 GMT
it could be interesting to use souls as currency. The "Book of Vile Darkness" has some ideas on this. I believe that souls are mainly contained in devices or creatures, souls themselves wouldn't have weight but what was containing them would, of course you could argue that a single gem could hold many hundreds/thousands of souls. Working almost like a credit chit. It's a good idea, maybe best for an evil campaign.
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Post by Tesla Ranger on Jul 21, 2015 14:07:42 GMT
It's a good idea, maybe best for an evil campaign. I see how it fits better with an evil campaign, but I would love seeing how a party of good PCs might cope with having to use souls as currency. It seems like there's some narrative meat there.
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Post by rorrik on Jul 21, 2015 14:52:49 GMT
It's a good idea, maybe best for an evil campaign. I see how it fits better with an evil campaign, but I would love seeing how a party of good PCs might cope with having to use souls as currency. It seems like there's some narrative meat there. Haha, you could drop a gem with 200 souls in it in the loot they get after defeating a supremely evil being. Sure they didn't get any coins, but each of those souls is worth 2000 gp, now there's just the moral question of using them as currency, where the alternative is very little loot from the campaign.
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Post by Tesla Ranger on Jul 21, 2015 15:33:02 GMT
It could be interesting to see how PCs respond to being "forced" to objectify souls. It's possible they'd be using them as a currency for some while without realizing it and then they'd need to decide if they were going to continue. And there might be an added twist if they learn that the souls can be used as some form of energy source. Do they prioritize saving the literal souls of unknown persons (or perhaps they are known) or do they willingly "burn" the souls to gain greater temporary power? Mwahahahahahahahaha
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Samuel Wise
Demigod
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Post by Samuel Wise on Jul 21, 2015 15:35:35 GMT
It could be interesting to see how PCs respond to being "forced" to objectify souls. It would remind me of the main character being forced to drink the body liquid of an opponent in Dune (I believe that was what happened...).
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Post by joatmoniac on Jul 21, 2015 20:55:19 GMT
For my next campaign, I'll be using a bunch of different coins from a Kickstarter project mentioned in the Master List of DM Resources thread here on the DMB forums (specifically, the Legendary Metal Coins for Gaming by Drawlab). There's no way I'd either be able to afford or be willing to buy the coins in the sort of quantity needed for using nothing but these coins for the game, even with the reduced need for currency in 5E as compared to any other edition I've seen. So, rather than going full coin, I'm using the page in the DMG (that I just happen to not have in front of me right now) that talks about gem values, and I'm going to use a bunch of cheap glass beads in a variety of colors, with each color corresponding to one particular gem on the list. With those in conjunction with the coins, there will be enough for the players to always have more than enough cash on hand. They're going to be spending the stuff, too, so they're not going to always have mass amounts of coins. Some of their wealth will end up being in things owned, not coins held. And as for why I'm using the coins, well, there's going to be a political aspect to the new world they'll be playing in, with different regions/countries/races not exactly having the best relations with each other. While one coin may be worth the same as another when melted down, some people will be suspicious or even outright hostile if you flash the wrong currency. Gems would spend the same anywhere, though. I really really like this idea. You could even have a small bag or box that they find the treasure in, and those are the items in said container. You could also do something like Paizo's item cards in there as well, or even descriptions written on 3x5 cards so that they are "finding" the treasure rather than you as the DM just reading it. That, and, it lets the rogue have more fun with sneaking away some of the loot without the party even knowing what it is. As for souls as currency, that is exactly what happens in Darksiders (aka Rated M Zelda,) but the entire human race is wiped out because of the apocalypse, so why not? Making good characters do bad things is often great role play.
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Samuel Wise
Demigod
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Post by Samuel Wise on Jul 21, 2015 21:14:16 GMT
And as for why I'm using the coins, well, there's going to be a political aspect to the new world they'll be playing in, with different regions/countries/races not exactly having the best relations with each other. While one coin may be worth the same as another when melted down, some people will be suspicious or even outright hostile if you flash the wrong currency. Gems would spend the same anywhere, though. You could even have a small bag or box that they find the treasure in, and those are the items in said container. You could also do something like Paizo's item cards in there as well, or even descriptions written on 3x5 cards so that they are "finding" the treasure rather than you as the DM just reading it. That, and, it lets the rogue have more fun with sneaking away some of the loot without the party even knowing what it is. I am going to burgle this idea! But it raises the question of: how many handouts is too much? It would be great if, at the end of some campaign, the players had folders chock full of handouts for their characters. I would enjoy building that.
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Skedrix
Squire
Posts: 40
Favorite D&D Class: Runepriest
Favorite D&D Race: Warforged
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Post by Skedrix on Jul 22, 2015 18:44:28 GMT
Sounds like a good scenario where the props will be useful. Are you going to do anything to mark which country a specific kind of coin comes from? I don't imagine that nationality really plays into the gems in any meaningful way, but it seems like spending the coin minted in Country X while you're in Country Y could have unintended consequences. Actually, the coins that I chose from the Kickstarter all have different designs. And yeah, I was going to have the gems be acceptable anywhere, that way they still have usable currency regardless of location. Though, paying for a single modest meal (~1sp) with the smallest denomination of gem (10gp) might raise some eyebrows... You could even have a small bag or box that they find the treasure in, and those are the items in said container. You could also do something like Paizo's item cards in there as well, or even descriptions written on 3x5 cards so that they are "finding" the treasure rather than you as the DM just reading it. That, and, it lets the rogue have more fun with sneaking away some of the loot without the party even knowing what it is. I am going to burgle this idea! But it raises the question of: how many handouts is too much? It would be great if, at the end of some campaign, the players had folders chock full of handouts for their characters. I would enjoy building that. I think I'm going to burgle as well. I think images/descriptions on a 3x5 would be perfect to add in. I already have a Legendary 8-Bit Treasure Chest from Think Geek, so I was thinking I could toss the coins and gems in there for the times that the players find treasure, but that might be a bit small for the 3x5s. I might have to head down to a craft store or thrift store to see if I can find a slightly larger treasure chest. And how many handouts is too much? The simple answer is: when you and/or your players get tired of them. My players are still really interested in everything I hand out, including little world books, maps, notes, letters, even little sketches I do on Post-It notes. If I ever get an eyeroll or that awkward half-smile as I hand them something, I'll know it's time to ease off on the handouts. But so far they all still crowd around, saying, "What does it say?" and "Can I see?" Every so often they'll even pull out one of the old notes and such to reference them for one reason or another (referencing in-game prophecies and looking for clues to enemy plots are the most common reasons). I try to do elaborate handouts only for the most important and impactful events, though.
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Post by DM Kiado on Jul 22, 2015 22:45:28 GMT
I usually do the "Spreadsheet Bank of <CITY>" and track for players, and they are welcome to track their own as well. This helps me track the "No, I didn't spend 1000GP's last session buying the warhorse that just died." arguments.
I am of the "You can't physically carry 100,000 GP!" Even if they only weigh half an ounce you would need a wagon and oxen to carry it. I usually have a banking system or exchange system in my worlds, just for this reason. (Also leaves something for a heist, or tracking down a heist party adventure. Players get way more involved when it's their money stolen.)
I have also had players have to bury chests of gold, and go back in their "off-time" and collect them, with small percentage chance it has been found before they could return.
Good luck though, be interested to see what comes out of it.
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Samuel Wise
Demigod
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Favorite D&D Class: Warlock
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Post by Samuel Wise on Jul 23, 2015 0:38:40 GMT
I usually do the "Spreadsheet Bank of <CITY>" and track for players, and they are welcome to track their own as well. This helps me track the "No, I didn't spend 1000GP's last session buying the warhorse that just died." arguments. I am of the "You can't physically carry 100,000 GP!" Even if they only weigh half an ounce you would need a wagon and oxen to carry it. I usually have a banking system or exchange system in my worlds, just for this reason. (Also leaves something for a heist, or tracking down a heist party adventure. Players get way more involved when it's their money stolen.) I can see Excel or Numbers being a really good tool (and perhaps even prop) for money. There should be a mass and amount combination for how 'much' or many of that object a player can carry... Somebody'll need to do the math.
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