Making Change?

[BusterBluth]

In several adventures I"ve come across, one NPC merchant that doesn't get much use in my games is the Moneychanger. Typically, in the heat of gameplay, we just handwave that type of transaction, but over the long term, the moneychanger would help to sponge away some of that pesky excess PC wealth, because in most writeups I've seen, they charge 5 or 10% to turn coinage from one type to another.

So, here's my question to the group: when PCs are buying supplies, should they be expected to bring monies in the required coinages or, like modern retailers, do your merchants simply "make change"? Cause this is where the Moneychanger would otherwise come into play.

Example: a magic-user PC buys a quill, ink and a sheet of paper. The total cost is 9 gp and 1 sp. If the PC has those coins, no problem. If he's only got 10 gp, then maybe he's got to visit the Moneychanger to break a gp, which costs him another sp (assuming a 10% fee), leaving him with 9 gp and 9 sp to pay his bill.

So, in your game, do you prefer that the general store makes change or that the PCs pay in correct coin types?

[toddlyons]

For purchases, I assume that the merchant can handle the change. However, I can see the purpose of a moneychanger for reducing encumbrance.

[BusterBluth]

Oh yeah, encumbrance. Another excellent reason for a money changer!

[Boggo]

Gems, my party just went to the next bigger town to the one they are based in to buy gems to make their wealth more transportable (though due to a few unkind reaction rolls they didn't get any bargains (I generally buy from players at 90% value and sell to them at 110% with reaction rolls adjusting by 10% per reaction)

[Metroknight]

I have my merchants do a 15 to 20% markup on prices for non-kingdom coinage. If the players complain then the merchant points out that there is a moneychanger a few streets over who would happy convert their found coins into current currency of the realm. The money exchanger charges a base 10% but on a good reaction roll, the charge could be reduced. On the flip side, if the reaction roll was bad then the charge could be increased.

The thing is is that as long as all the merchants follow this law, it does not matter how much gold the characters have as it is worthless till exchanged.

[BusterBluth]

I love it, but Metroknight, I have to nitpick on one thing you said. Metal based currency isn't going to be worthless just because you're in a different political jurisdiction. That's a very modern idea (eg, you can't pay for lunch in the USA with Euros).

I think what you really meant was that coins from a different realm aren't usable until they're changed into common currency. But weren't ancient coins weighed (trimming was a big problem) and used, no matter whose image got stamped on them?

[JugglinDan]

Fantasy worlds don't always follow the same rules as our own. Personally though, I'm a bit hand-wavy with encumbrance and money. I only make a point of it when the players are trying to do something ridiculous. I like the idea of payment for expensive items being made and expected in gems due to the weight of gold coins. I might have to deal with that soon as my players look likely to get the dwarven automata back from the mine in Gold in the Hills and they'll be looking to sell.

[Boggo]

I love it, but Metroknight, I have to nitpick on one thing you said. Metal based currency isn't going to be worthless just because you're in a different political jurisdiction. That's a very modern idea (eg, you can't pay for lunch in the USA with Euros).

I think what you really meant was that coins from a different realm aren't usable until they're changed into common currency. But weren't ancient coins weighed (trimming was a big problem) and used, no matter whose image got stamped on them?

this, medieval coins were used interchangeably throughout Europe, the main reason scales were carried by pretty much every merchant, this was the case well into 18th century

[ThorinSchmidt]

Another thing the moneychangers did was operate a network of sorts between themselves. If you were going on a long journey, you could deposit your money with a moneychanger, and they would give you a letter stating hw much you deposited, and the name of a moneychanger he knew in the locale you were going to. Once you arrived, *that* moneychanger would give you the money stated in the letter (minus a fee).

Every so often, the moneychangers would all meet somewhere and "settle up" accounts with each other. Of course, if you lost the letter, you were screwed, since the people that stole it could turn it in for the money.

[MinkyBoodle]

Another thing the moneychangers did was operate a network of sorts between themselves. If you were going on a long journey, you could deposit your money with a moneychanger, and they would give you a letter stating hw much you deposited, and the name of a moneychanger he knew in the locale you were going to. Once you arrived, *that* moneychanger would give you the money stated in the letter (minus a fee).

Every so often, the moneychangers would all meet somewhere and "settle up" accounts with each other. Of course, if you lost the letter, you were screwed, since the people that stole it could turn it in for the money.

Basically a bearer bond. I like this.