Currency: multiple denominations

Would it be possible to allow users to configure several denominations of currency rather than just one? This would make assigning values to loot much more manageable.

The classic example would be the D&D Platinum, Gold, Electrum, Silver and Copper pieces.

In the case of something like WFRP, I'd really love to see a feature that allows a user to set the relationship between the denominations as well:

1 gold crown (gc) = 20 silver shillings (s)
1 silver shilling (s) = 12 brass pennies (p)
1 brass penny (p) = 12 tin bits (b)

This has come up before. It's something I'd like to support someday. It's a bit complicated and low in priority, so I'm not sure I can promise it anytime soon. I'll give it some thought this week and see what I can come up with.

Wow - that's what I call a fast response. :-)

Sometimes, I'm on the ball. Although, my responses will be spotty for the rest of this week.

How about the option to add a separate currency type or two? In my campaign we're using gold, silver, and copper right now with a 10:1 conversion rate, so the current system works fine for that. Whole numbers are gold, tenths are silver, and hundredths are copper.

Now lets say they start adventuring in some aquatic kingdom that uses seashells. I'd like to be able to add seashells as a separate currency that doesn't have any relation to the gold, silver, copper system at all. I know it's not quite the same thing as setting your own conversion rate, but it is at least outwardly similar.

I realize I'm probably talking out of my ass here, but maybe the different amounts of currency could be stored as a string in the database and tokenized on a comma or something when displayed. Maybe something like "100,gp,140,sp,210,cp." They wouldn't have any actual relationship to one another, but is that really even necessary? My hopes are that maybe I might provide a little inspiration, I don't actually expect you to take this seriously.

makes me think of dark sun and their ceramic pieces!

regards

Erik

Maybe something like "100,gp,140,sp,210,cp."

This isn't a bad approach, but I may need something a bit more elaborate. Another thing to consider is that campaigns will want to inherit currencies from settings and rules systems as well (with the option to override them).

Hello -- wow, been out for like.... 6 months, ugh.

An option is the fast and easy "Dragon Age" money system (credit to bioware....). The base unit was 'copper' and then it parsed silver and gold accordingly. The games counts 159825cp (Copper) for your character, but this reads has 15gp 98sp 25cp

I.e. your money is insta-exchanged up to the next currency value. By letting the gm put in his 3 money values (gp, cp, sp. drakmae, caps, etc) it becomes customizable.

Auto-conversion definitely makes sense for displaying the overall wealth of the party or individual characters, and the values of loot. However, I know that some campaigns will want to keep different currencies separate. A character lugging around 100000 copper pieces has different roleplaying options from a character carrying 10 gold pieces, even if 10gp = 100000cp. Trying to pay for a magic sword with copper might get you thrown out since the merchant only trades in gold (or silver on a bad day). Trying to buy a loaf of bread in a poor village with a gold piece could ruin the local economy as the entire village together wouldn't have enough coin to make change.

For the OP, as a workaround, you could simply use "tin bits" as your base monetary unit and make a loot item called "brass penny" worth 12 bits, "silver shilling" worth 144 bits, etc.

Likewise for seashells, or chickens, or any other bartering staple in your economy. That allows you to set any custom value compared to the base monetary unit.

I like the idea of storing coins as items. Once Mr. Admin adds weight to items, this will also appease the nit-picky DMs that want to know how exactly you carry around that 2000 lbs of copper coins.

But coins as items does mean more clicks per transaction, compared to the cash field.