Money

In OSRIC, coins are heavy. Ten coins weigh one lb. They are also of primary importance when keeping track of character experience, since gold the party recovers is converted to experience at the rate of 1gp = 1xp. (The GM may well wish to reduce the experience point award for gold if large amounts are gained for relatively small risk.) OSRIC prices normally far exceed prices as they were in the real mediæval world. Gold is plentiful and hence of relatively little value. The purpose of this is to allow GMs to place the kinds of treasure mentioned in works of fantasy literature—huge piles of gold, enormous gems and pieces of beautiful jewellery—without destroying the fantasy economy of his or her game.

A fundamental, driving assumption of OSRIC-compatible games is that the player characters are, at least partially, motivated by a desire (or need) for wealth. This need not necessarily be for reasons of greed; a cleric or paladin character, for example, could be driven to acquire money to donate to the poor, or to enable his or her superiors to construct a new church. However this is managed, the mechanics of the game specifi cally reward the acquisition of money, and so successful players will tend to find an awful lot of it!

Shrewd GMs will usually use all the tools at their disposal to ensure that while a lot of money flows through the players’ hands, other pressures will keep their expenses high. In particular, training costs will absorb the majority of the characters’ income during the early levels. If any players are skilled and fortunate enough that their characters survive to higher levels, they will find that the construction and maintenance of a stronghold also creates a great strain on the purse; while creating magic items is more expensive still.

This constant drive for money should serve to motivate the player characters to explore dark dungeons, seek dragons’ hoards and otherwise constantly quest for wealth! OSRIC games normally use the following conversion rate for currency. Of course, a GM’s specific campaign may change this, but in this case the GM should consider revising the price lists provided in the equipment section.

1 platinum piece = 5 gold pieces 1 gold piece = 2 electrum pieces 1 gold piece = 10 silver pieces 1 gold piece = 100 copper pieces

Each character begins the game with a certain amount of money to buy initial equipment—how much depends on the character’s class.

• Clerics and druids receive 30-180gp (3d6 x 10);
• Fighters, rangers and paladins receive 50-200gp ((3d6+2) x 10);
• Magic users and illusionists receive 20-80gp (2d4 x 10)
• Thieves and Assassins receive 20-120gp (2d6 x 10).

Multiclass individuals receive the award for the wealthiest of their classes (thus, a fighter/thief would receive the starting money of a fighter, while a cleric/magic user would receive the starting money of a cleric).