Let’s Make Better Rpg Currencies
https://youtu.be/VADntQSNMB4?si=VUw999G0yZ0x52IW
I’m curious what currency systems my fellow #ttrpg GMs have dreamt up when #worldbuilding.
It’s always annoyed me how #dnd’s gp/sp/cp currency resembles the USD system so much in the way it is used, despite the fact that IRL a single gold coin would be worth more than my car. Does #WotC think my backpack is worth $8k? That makes no sense to me.
It’s definitely not what you’re thinking of, but the World of Darkness games have a similar system in that each character has a stat called “resources”, representing their general level of wealth, and can trivially acquire any item rated less than that.
I think d20 Modern also had something similar, though it’s been years ago and I’m not 100% certain that wasn’t a homebrew rule based on WoD.
I can confirm that it’s not, I haven’t tried WoD yet.
I do recall there being a similar mechanic in at least one version of Call of Cthulhu. Among all your character stats you also had a Credit Rating. I think it was left a little bit vague about how to implement it, but a successful check basically meant that you convinced the target you were good for your debt.
I got the impression that it was supposed to be more about your social credit and your ability to convince people of your honourable reputation, but I definitely used it to buy a car once.
…marvel super heroes also featured a resources ability score and feats to represent financial maneuvers akin to lines of credit; it felt frustratingly abstracted as a teenager living in a discretionary cash economy, but after several decades as a real-world adult i realise that it’s an elegant abstraction for how people actually live and conduct commerce…