The Campaign Builder's Guild

How about giving the liquid a special [magical|alchemical] treatment that locks it into a solid form, similar to freezing but without the temperature issue.

You could have "drops" as the smallest currency unit that can "flow" together to form "pints" and "gallons" or something like that.

Quote from: PorkletIt's not that I don't want coins.  It's that I don't want coins made of precious metals, or coins made of something with an intristic value.

A representative system might be the way to go. In this system, it's not what the currency is made of, but what the currency represents. Most American money is made out of, well, colored paper*. Really, by itself, it's almost perfectly worthless. Bring an American twenty dollar bill to, say, 10th century Ireland, and if you're lucky, you might find somebody who thinks it's pretty enough to trade for half a loaf of bread. In modern America, though, the pretty colored paper represents a (now obsolete, IIRC) promise of a (theoretically) fixed amount of a precious metal.


*Okay, so it's technically a cloth. That's not the point.

Quote from: Halfling FritosBring an American twenty dollar bill to, say, 10th century Ireland, and if you're lucky, you might find somebody who thinks it's pretty enough to trade for half a loaf of bread.

Nah I'd buy $20 of aluminum and live the good life.

Quote from: GaranthHoped that was of some help, and wasn't too long and dry. I can clarify anything I wrote if anybody has trouble with all the econ-speak :P, unfortunately its a hazard that comes with my major.

It was a tremendous help.  It taught me that I definitely want to stick to a representative currency.  There can be spices and other valuables that can be traded, but they will not be the standard for the economy.

With the existence of an imperial currency that has been accepted for centuries it gives a relative value for minters of new and varied "coins" to work from.  There are very few locales that weren't touched by the former empire economically, and a few of those that weren't are either primitive or alien in nature.  The only thing I need to consider now is how these unorthodox forms of currency will be accepted in far off lands, if at all.

Quote from: PorkletIt's not that I don't want coins.  It's that I don't want coins made of precious metals, or coins made of something with an intristic value.

I like a lot of the ideas, and I appreciate the feedback.  The liquid-based currency is interesting.  I am a little concerned how it can be physically managed. Vials, barrels, and wineskins might do.  I don't think any group of adventurers is going to be particularly moved by the sight of a dragon lying on a huge bed of wineskins (although the dragon would be infinitely more comfortable).  However, I do have a nation that would prize water.

I am also intrigued by the idea of citizens being able to "wear" their wealth around their neck, i.e. a string of beads.  Those beads could be coral, shell, pearls, etc.

One of the major pitfalls I have considered is international trade and exchange rates.  Would this be better handled by an international merchant's guild?  There was an empire, dead for nearly 50 years, but their currency was imperial coin of gold and silver.  There is an alliance of a handful of nations, but they certainly don't speak for the rest of the world.  Or maybe I don't need a standard exchange rate.

Is it specifically the coins you dislike, or the whole notion of a commodity currency? Your wood chip idea sounds cool, and is an example of a "fiat currency," as I rambled about above. If this is the course you're going, just remember that the government has to be stable enough to warrant trust in its currency.
Also with fiat currencies, you run the problem of exchange rates. A commodity currency will be accepted in any country you go to so long as that commodity is in demand. With non-commodity currencies, you suddenly need to have the infrastructure for money-changers and currency traders, otherwise you run the risk of your PCs losing their accumulated wealth whenever they travel to a new nation.

On the other hand though, this just adds an extra element, and you can mix and match fiat/commodity currencies to get a nice effect. Perhaps a very powerful nation may have currency that is nearly universally accepted (a la US dollars), and could be those wood chips that you came up with. In other countries, like a smaller nation or one that relies heavily on foreign trade (thus making lots of currency exchanges a headache), a commodity currency could prevail.

For instance:
-Southland may be a vast empire that uses a fiat currency, which is accepted universally within the country and has some value even outside its borders
-Northland may be a nation made up of ship-bound viking barbarians. They largely barter, though a standard-sized ring of iron (used widely for ship building and weapon/armour crafting) is often used as a sort of currency.
-Westland is an an agrarian kingdom based off of a type of grain that must be heavily processed before consuming. Farmers turn in their crops to communal silos in exchange for credit vouchers that can be redeemed later for processed product (minus a tax), though they are also accepted by others in exchange for goods and services.
-Eastland is a merchant nation that trades heavily with southland (and thus southland currency is in wide use). They also use certain spices and a strong narcotic that much of the population is addicted to as a form of currency, knowing it can be traded onto the market for southland currency (or anything else) with minimal effort whenever one pleases.

Remember that, with a representative currency, you need a government to back it up, and you need it to be designed to prevent forgery. Intricate swirls of words so microscopic that they appear to be lines is good, having a five year old carve a smiley face into a wood token is bad. Preventing forgery is more important then cost effectiveness, since circulation allows the money to literally pay for itself; if it costs two monetary units to make one monetary unit, then make sure that each monetary unit circulates at least three times.

Quote from: Porklet

Quote from: GaranthHoped that was of some help, and wasn't too long and dry. I can clarify anything I wrote if anybody has trouble with all the econ-speak :P, unfortunately its a hazard that comes with my major.

It was a tremendous help.  It taught me that I definitely want to stick to a representative currency.  There can be spices and other valuables that can be traded, but they will not be the standard for the economy.

With the existence of an imperial currency that has been accepted for centuries it gives a relative value for minters of new and varied "coins" to work from.  There are very few locales that weren't touched by the former empire economically, and a few of those that weren't are either primitive or alien in nature.  The only thing I need to consider now is how these unorthodox forms of currency will be accepted in far off lands, if at all.

Remember that with representative currencies though, their issuance (and thus supply) is directly controlled by the monarch. A large spending spree financed by newly printed money will flood the market with currency and quickly devalue it (inflation). You also have to worry about how far it can spread, since new currency can only be introduced into the economy by direct spending from the crown. Newly conquered peoples are likely to resist using a foreign currency, as are remote areas where very little of that currency ever reaches. For instance, a subsistence farming community would rather barter for their goods than use the worthless currency of some far-off monarch.

Really though, it's all about the "rule of cool." A nifty magical or outlandish currency may spark the imagination and awe of your players, but make sure that its not SO outlandish that they won't recognize it as valuable if they see it in a dungeon, or stumble across it in the wilderness. Also, don't throw unnecessary roadblocks in their way, by making them remember to hit up a moneychanger every time they travel a few dozen leagues in any direction.

I do like your "ancient empire" coins, very reminiscent of roman coins being used by early medieval europeans. Just make sure that they're made of something that will last hundreds of years. Nifty foreign commodity currencies like narcotics, strange salts, sparkling gems, or swirling beautiful seashells would be great additions as well.

Ah, another idea- Magically preserved organs (kidneys, eyeballs, hearts). Very useful in a steampunk setting; or a high-magic setting where there a lot of golems and faux-undead running around.

How about currency based on gnomes, everyone loves gnomes.

On a more serious note what about a divine currency. A long lost god used magic runes to seal his temples. Someone uncovered one such temple and discovered that these seals not only bind to a person who touches them while they are on an inanimate object, but that that person can willingly transfer them to other objects or people. They show up as tattoo like marks on the person's body. The symbols are considered very beautiful and said to grant luck to the bearer. Ever since they have slowly become accepted as a currency. In terms of plot hooks, apparently this god sealed all his temples like this so there are plenty of enterprising adventurers looking to add a few of these marks to their person.

Quote from: NomadicHow about currency based on gnomes, everyone loves gnomes.

On a more serious note what about a divine currency. A long lost god used magic runes to seal his temples. Someone uncovered one such temple and discovered that these seals not only bind to a person who touches them while they are on an inanimate object, but that that person can willingly transfer them to other objects or people. They show up as tattoo like marks on the person's body. The symbols are considered very beautiful and said to grant luck to the bearer. Ever since they have slowly become accepted as a currency. In terms of plot hooks, apparently this god sealed all his temples like this so there are plenty of enterprising adventurers looking to add a few of these marks to their person.

Never underestimate the value of a dead gnome.

That's imaginative, but how would one use that as currency?

Quote from: Garanth

Quote from: Porklet

Quote from: GaranthHoped that was of some help, and wasn't too long and dry. I can clarify anything I wrote if anybody has trouble with all the econ-speak :P, unfortunately its a hazard that comes with my major.

It was a tremendous help.  It taught me that I definitely want to stick to a representative currency.  There can be spices and other valuables that can be traded, but they will not be the standard for the economy.

With the existence of an imperial currency that has been accepted for centuries it gives a relative value for minters of new and varied "coins" to work from.  There are very few locales that weren't touched by the former empire economically, and a few of those that weren't are either primitive or alien in nature.  The only thing I need to consider now is how these unorthodox forms of currency will be accepted in far off lands, if at all.

Remember that with representative currencies though, their issuance (and thus supply) is directly controlled by the monarch. A large spending spree financed by newly printed money will flood the market with currency and quickly devalue it (inflation). You also have to worry about how far it can spread, since new currency can only be introduced into the economy by direct spending from the crown. Newly conquered peoples are likely to resist using a foreign currency, as are remote areas where very little of that currency ever reaches. For instance, a subsistence farming community would rather barter for their goods than use the worthless currency of some far-off monarch.

Really though, it's all about the "rule of cool." A nifty magical or outlandish currency may spark the imagination and awe of your players, but make sure that its not SO outlandish that they won't recognize it as valuable if they see it in a dungeon, or stumble across it in the wilderness. Also, don't throw unnecessary roadblocks in their way, by making them remember to hit up a moneychanger every time they travel a few dozen leagues in any direction.

I do like your "ancient empire" coins, very reminiscent of roman coins being used by early medieval europeans. Just make sure that they're made of something that will last hundreds of years. Nifty foreign commodity currencies like narcotics, strange salts, sparkling gems, or swirling beautiful seashells would be great additions as well.

I don't mind making it difficult, at times, for players to spend their hard earned currency.  It can be a convenient way to control rampant wealth, but on the other hand I don't want to bog down the game with trivial activities.  I certainly don't want to keep track of inflation.

There are two factors that might help bridge the gaps between local coinage from distant and unkown nations.  The first is the aforementioned imperial coin.  Most nations honor and value this currency, and that gives a relative worth to their own currency.  Second, there is a merchant nation that has created a worldwide market and network that uses its own widely accepted Trade Bars made of gold along with a rudimentary language called Tradespeak.  If this nation were to honor a state's currency then there is already an international market for its use thru these merchants.

Quote from: Light DragonAh, another idea- Magically preserved organs (kidneys, eyeballs, hearts). Very useful in a steampunk setting; or a high-magic setting where there a lot of golems and faux-undead running around.

There is a market for these things for use in alchemy and ceremonial magic, but digging in my pack past my kidneys to find a liver for the tip just doesn't appeal to me.

Quote from: Ra-TielHow about giving the liquid a special [magical|alchemical] treatment that locks it into a solid form, similar to freezing but without the temperature issue.

You could have "drops" as the smallest currency unit that can "flow" together to form "pints" and "gallons" or something like that.

The "drops" creates a fantastic visual, but I am still concerned about the portability.  Carrying vials of valuable liquids, such as perfumes and elixirs, would really be no different.  There are certainly valuable liquids on the market, but the feasibility of such an economic system would be too difficult to explain.  Especially with viable alternatives.

Although, on a smaller, and more primitive, scale it could work.  Especially if the people had few options to this sort of system, i.e. no metallurgy, limited resources, etc.  As I sit here and watch The Emerald Forest, it occurs to me that primitive jungle tribes could use the sap of a rare tree as currency.  The sap could have medicinal value so that it is highly prized but rarely used.  This would make the accumulation of wealth wise in terms of preserving the health of your family; another form of financial security.  Water used as currency in remote desert tribes might also work, but the daily consumption might makes its use limited.

EDIT:  In reference to the sap used by jungle tribes.  There is a scene in The Emerald Forest where Tomme goes thru a "coming of age" ritual.  In the aforementioned tribe the "coming of age" could be the gathering of this sap from a distant source in order to start his life and attract a wife.  Interesting possibilties abound, but there is the matter of consumption of said currency.  Also, those who knew how to gather it would most certainly be in a position of power.  They could be seen as divine, even, if the sap also had a religious context.  However, currency on this scale is probably not necessary unless it spans several or many tribes.

Quote from: PorkletThat's imaginative, but how would one use that as currency?

Thought it would be pretty self explanatory. It has a value in its own right, enough so that people would desire it and be willing to trade for and with it. It is probably akin to the shell and bone necklaces of long past that were often considered charms that brought good luck, fertility, and so forth. Because of that intrinsic value they were an acceptable and oft used currency.

What about needles? Preferably stuck into something.
Teeth/fangs are also good. Maybe carven.
Sea-faring nations might make coins out of mother-of-pearl; it at least has an aesthetic value.
As mentioned, jewelry of all sorts would work well.
Tribes could perhaps trade with shrunk heads or some such for the hell of it...
Mirrors or colored glass coins perhaps?
Books or paper (as in blank paper) could be valuable, but probably wouldn't be considered coinage.
Hmm, all the ideas i could come up with for now... Some of them might have been said already.