Currency

Dan and I spent some time working on the currency system this evening and feel we have something pretty solid worked out, its probably ready to be somewhat play-tested. As of posting this I haven't have time to start on a list of costs for items so that may hold us back for the moment, I'm hoping to have time before the next session to get a basic list down. As previously stated so far we've just created a system for silver currency (used throughout most of the threshold), but if we test the system and we like it it should be easy to convert to Jade or other currency.

To give you a brief run down on what we've tried to do basically we've taken what White-wolf started with a basic, no hassle system and tried to make it a bit more involved. We hope not to effect the epicness of a character with little money, and therefore little desire to spend it, but to give a rich character more depth and epicness because money now has value. Its not nearly as cool to play a character with resources 5 if that doesn't mean anything, at the same time its fun to think of a poor thief creating a stockpile of silver and growing rich. This simply isn't very cool if infinite resources 1 loot doesn't ever add up to resources 2.

Silver

Silver is the type of currency most used throughout the threshold, it is a recent invention that is heavily supported by the guild. Its recent widespread use has made it a valid currency throughout most of creation and most Imperial's will accept silver though they may charge a small fee for the trouble of needing it converted back into Jade.

1 Talent = 64 Pounds = 4 Dirhams = 1,600 Dinar

Resources

Income

X: You have no sustained lifestyle or steady income, you live off what you can make and do for yourself. You earn less than 5 Dinar/month.

1: You are without a doubt part of the lower class of society, you eat cheap meals of bread and watered down stew with water to drink on most days. You may also own a small pet and probably live in a small hut if you own property, you may own a shoddy suit of armor and a notched long knife. You earn at least 5 Dinar/month.

2: You have started to elevate yourself from the lower class, you eat a mixture of cheap and good meals including meat and alcohol several times a week. You have a wardrobe of peasant clothes and a single fine or fancy outfit for special occasions. You likely live in a small home or part of an apartment complex and stable and keep a poor quality riding animal, he may also own a light suit of armor and a weapon. You earn at least 25 Dinar/month.

3: You can no longer be mistaken as part of the lower class, almost certainly a property owner, you likely own a townhouse or a prosperous farm. You probably keep a small stable with a fine mount as well as a poorer quality back-up, you likely own a suit of armor and several weapons of choice. If you choose you may also have a single paid servant, such as a bodyguard, scribe, other personal assistant. Any resources 1 lifestyle purchase is considered a free part of your lifestyle, which would certainly include fine food for almost every meal. You have a wardrobe of fine and fancy clothes with a single suit of courtly clothes for more formal occasions. You earn at least 125 Dinar/month.

4: You are obviously wealthy and likely own both a townhouse and a country estate. You likely bear the finest arms money can buy as well as maintain a small stable of riding animals. You also likely own a small yacht and staff a dozen paid servants while dressing in a wardrobe of courtly clothing and royal clothing for special ceremonies. On top of this all resources 1 and 2 lifestyle purchases are considered free, which guarantees that you and any family always eat the finest meals. You earn at least 750 Dinar/month.

5: You are fabulously wealthy and claim ownership to a vast supply of riches. You likely own multiple estates including a mansion or castle, as well as at least one excellent ship; and you're every need is attended to by an army of 50 paid servants. You dress yourself in the finest clothes, owning a wardrobe of royal clothing as well as a single piece of royal jewelry (such as a gold crown or scepter). All resources 1-3 lifestyle purchases are considered free, which certainly means you and your extended family eat the finest meals on a daily basis. You earn at least 4,500 Dinar/month.

Money Sums

Large sums of money that a character obtains will certainly be handled differently than the resources system listed above. Dots of resources should only be awarded or allowed to be purchased if the character has a steady source of income, not simply finding a large sum of money one time. If a character comes across a single resources 5 amount of loot (about 3 talents of silver) he should keep track of how much money he spends for any purchases that are not 4 dots lower than the amount of loot he has. In the case of our example resources 1 purchases wouldn't warrant keeping track, but once that loot has been spent and diminished to a resources 4 amount of silver he must keep track of those resources 1 purchases.
In the case that a character comes across a large sum of money and he seeks to invest that sum of money so that it turns into a steady income the player should work out a system with the storyteller to accomplish this. Depending on the feel of the game the storyteller may want to allow a sum of money to only create a permanent income 2 dots lower than its rating. (For example a resources 5 amount of loot could be turned into a resources 3 income through the proper investments.) However, I suggest the storyteller make the character develop a plan and than make a bureaucracy roll to see how well his economic plans come into fruition. Perhaps a solar economic genius, through use of charms would be capable of turning that resources 5 sum of money into a resources 4 or 5 income. However, a character with little or no bureaucratic knowledge may only be able to turn that same resources 5 sum into an income of resources 1 or 2.

Costs

We've assembled a set of guidelines for the general price in silver of items given their resource dot cost.

1) 4 - 20 Dinar
2) 21 - 100 Dinar
3) 101 - 625 Dinar
4) 626 - 3,750 Dinar
5) > 3,750 Dinar

For example: If a character desires to purchase a single dose of opium the price in dinar would be somewhere between 4 and 20 dinar because it is a resources 1 expanse.