tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3719982689257640248.post4945864053766410810..comments2023-12-28T10:03:45.273-08:00Comments on The Dragon's Flagon: The economics of dungeon-delvingwaywardwayfarerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338700537762637962noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3719982689257640248.post-81440944182737546662012-06-13T07:23:11.414-07:002012-06-13T07:23:11.414-07:00Why not? Evading the tax collectors sounds like a ...Why not? Evading the tax collectors sounds like a great adventure to me. Also, maybe motivation to move on from the starting town, which is another adventure...Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3719982689257640248.post-68385339460845214752012-06-12T20:31:41.265-07:002012-06-12T20:31:41.265-07:00Brendan sort of alludes to it, but there's als...Brendan sort of alludes to it, but there's also the local lord, or even the king, to worry about. Historically, any treasure hoards found by peasants (or nobles) usually belonged to the crown. So why wouldn't the local lord show up with some men-at-arms to collect taxes...say 90%? Wouldn't be much fun for the PCs, though.<br /><br />-Ed GreenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3719982689257640248.post-73940060392511309182012-06-12T19:39:00.012-07:002012-06-12T19:39:00.012-07:00I hadn't seen that before, since I've neve...I hadn't seen that before, since I've never read the original AD&D DMG. All that inflation would eventually crash the economy, though it's probably easier just to hand-wave it than to model it in-game. Well, I would, but it's a field of interest for me.<br /><br />Anyway, point being that it's already dodgy even at first level, and gets really absurd when the doubling XP charts require tens and hundreds of thousands of XPs to level up, and PCs are bringing back tens of thousands of gp worth of loot from each adventure. It seriously strains my credibility and feels wildly unbalanced. Again, though, that may very well just be my own inner economist pulling his hair out, while the average gamer sees nothing amiss at all.<br /><br />Definitely a fan of making it nearly impossible to sell really valuable things outside of a major trade or population center, and of making a hefty proportion of the treasure art, jewelry, and exotic goods rather than coins. Salvage is a far nobler enterprise than currency inflation!waywardwayfarerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00338700537762637962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3719982689257640248.post-27823542907010550432012-06-12T19:20:42.174-07:002012-06-12T19:20:42.174-07:00Have you read the bit in the original DMG about in...Have you read the bit in the original DMG about inflationary economics?<br /><br /><i>There is no question that the prices and costs of the game are based on inflationary economy, one where a sudden influx of silver and gold has driven everything well beyond its normal value. The reasoning behind this is simple. An active campaign will most certainly bring a steady flow of wealth into the base area, as adventurers come from successful trips into dungeon and wilderness. If the economy of the area is one which more accurately reflects that of medieval England, let us say, where coppers and silver coins are usual and a gold piece remarkable, such an influx of new money, even in copper and silver, would cause an inflationory spiral. This would necessitate you adjusting costs accordingly and then upping dungeon treasures somewhat to keep pace. If a near-maximum is assumed, then the economics of the area can remain relatively constant, and the DM will have to adiust costs only for things in demand or short supply--weapons, oil, holy water, men-at-arms, whatever.</i><br /><br />Page 90.<br /><br />I rarely award all that much treasure in coins, which means adventurers will need to sell their loot (art objects, jewels, etc), and few members of a small economy will have the resources necessary to purchase such objects (though barter for things like horses is possible). Thus, anyone they sell to must be a richer merchant or moneychanger that is part of a larger scale economy (and will probably pay in merchant house notes rather than hard coin for mid to high transactions). Such transactions will also draw the attention of authorities after not too long, unless you are dealing with shady merchants or fences.<br /><br />At least, that is how I explain it.Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3719982689257640248.post-7208426557889938492012-06-12T18:09:35.378-07:002012-06-12T18:09:35.378-07:00In my experience, adventurers just don't care ...In my experience, adventurers just don't care about the peons in the local village/town. They'll be moving on soon anyway!<br /><br />On the other hand, if they ever come back, it would be interesting to see if they received the blame.David The Archmagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11649391406526258069noreply@blogger.com