Common People: Jobs and relative earnings. - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Common People: Jobs and relative earnings.

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
PortugueseDAce
Dec 27, 2009 7:17:11 I have a question. I'm running a low-medium campaign and my charaters are stocking up a certain amount of cash.

Then I though about common people earning. And I realized i don't know nothing about it.

So I ask you:

How much does common people earn in Faerun, let's say per month?

How much does a farmer get for a month of work? Or a tailor, a sailor, a spice merchant or whatever else?
Can you help me?

Thanks in advance

Ace
#2
The_Silversword
Dec 27, 2009 13:32:29 Good question. It seems like a remember a list of professions and how much each old charge in the old DMs guide or something, but i cant find it now. Really I guees in alot of cases it would vary greatly depending on how busines is. A farmer migght bring in 50 gold one month and maybe more or less than that the next month. What we need to figure out is what standard living expenses would be, I would assume that most commoners make at least as much to get by.
#3
PortugueseDAce
Dec 27, 2009 14:35:46 Silversword, thank you for your reply.

I have a though, whirling inside my head, whispering me that a commoner earns something like 5gp per month.
But I think I'm wrong, it seems to be a too low amount of money.

On the other hand I think 50 gp it's "a lot" of money... we should have some consistent references on life's cost...

But if we think about it, let's say a beer inside a tavern, costs something like 2 copper pieces... with 5 gp per month they can buy something like 250 beers...

A common worker here can earn at least 600/700 € per month... so assuming a beer in a pub costs like 2,5 €... they can buy 240 beers.

So it seems that the 5gp theory has it own basis, despite it seems a low amount of money.

On the other hand, reading an old "Volo's Guide to Cormyr" (I'm now running a Cormyr-based campaign) Volo says that a "7 days battle pass" for being able to carry weapon inside Cormyr costs as much as 2500 gp!
Or a sword-selling license, emitted by a noble, costs 4000 gp (renewing it costs 2000 gp). And it seems to be a lot of money, even for a "bare non-magical sword seller...

Does someone have mor references?

Ace
#4
Mr_Miscellany
Dec 27, 2009 18:41:57
Costs for charters have changed over the passage of time in Cormyr. In 1479 DR for example, charters can be had for as little as 25gp. More expensive gold-leaf foil charters cost 1,000gp. The yearly tax on a charter is 300gp.

I've always thought the more expensive charter prices were made to cost so much because the crown wanted to "use up" all the extra coin and riches that adventurers find. Adventurers with lots of ready coin cause trouble, after all. ;)

I'd say the rates in Volo's Guide to Cormyr are pretty good for extrapolating a commoner's earnings over time.
#5
sn0wm4n
Feb 28, 2010 7:27:19
A common worker here can earn at least 600/700 € per month... so assuming a beer in a pub costs like 2,5 €... they can buy 240 beers.

So it seems that the 5gp theory has it own basis, despite it seems a low amount of money.

Well, assuming that "here" is Portugal (which I am assuming purely from your nick), the minimum wage is actually 475€ 14x (but since the commoners in Faerun aren't likely to have extra income just because it's christmas and the like, then we could approximate 475€ per month).

From this, I'd say that 5 gp is an appropriate value, and for many commoners it'll likely be a little lower.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 PortugueseDAce Dec 27, 2009 7:17:11	I have a question. I'm running a low-medium campaign and my charaters are stocking up a certain amount of cash. Then I though about common people earning. And I realized i don't know nothing about it. So I ask you: How much does common people earn in Faerun, let's say per month? How much does a farmer get for a month of work? Or a tailor, a sailor, a spice merchant or whatever else? Can you help me? Thanks in advance Ace
#2 The_Silversword Dec 27, 2009 13:32:29	Good question. It seems like a remember a list of professions and how much each old charge in the old DMs guide or something, but i cant find it now. Really I guees in alot of cases it would vary greatly depending on how busines is. A farmer migght bring in 50 gold one month and maybe more or less than that the next month. What we need to figure out is what standard living expenses would be, I would assume that most commoners make at least as much to get by.
#3 PortugueseDAce Dec 27, 2009 14:35:46	Silversword, thank you for your reply. I have a though, whirling inside my head, whispering me that a commoner earns something like 5gp per month. But I think I'm wrong, it seems to be a too low amount of money. On the other hand I think 50 gp it's "a lot" of money... we should have some consistent references on life's cost... But if we think about it, let's say a beer inside a tavern, costs something like 2 copper pieces... with 5 gp per month they can buy something like 250 beers... A common worker here can earn at least 600/700 € per month... so assuming a beer in a pub costs like 2,5 €... they can buy 240 beers. So it seems that the 5gp theory has it own basis, despite it seems a low amount of money. On the other hand, reading an old "Volo's Guide to Cormyr" (I'm now running a Cormyr-based campaign) Volo says that a "7 days battle pass" for being able to carry weapon inside Cormyr costs as much as 2500 gp! Or a sword-selling license, emitted by a noble, costs 4000 gp (renewing it costs 2000 gp). And it seems to be a lot of money, even for a "bare non-magical sword seller... Does someone have mor references? Ace
#4 Mr_Miscellany Dec 27, 2009 18:41:57	Costs for charters have changed over the passage of time in Cormyr. In 1479 DR for example, charters can be had for as little as 25gp. More expensive gold-leaf foil charters cost 1,000gp. The yearly tax on a charter is 300gp. I've always thought the more expensive charter prices were made to cost so much because the crown wanted to "use up" all the extra coin and riches that adventurers find. Adventurers with lots of ready coin cause trouble, after all. ;) I'd say the rates in Volo's Guide to Cormyr are pretty good for extrapolating a commoner's earnings over time.
#5 sn0wm4n Feb 28, 2010 7:27:19	A common worker here can earn at least 600/700 € per month... so assuming a beer in a pub costs like 2,5 €... they can buy 240 beers. So it seems that the 5gp theory has it own basis, despite it seems a low amount of money. Well, assuming that "here" is Portugal (which I am assuming purely from your nick), the minimum wage is actually 475€ 14x (but since the commoners in Faerun aren't likely to have extra income just because it's christmas and the like, then we could approximate 475€ per month). From this, I'd say that 5 gp is an appropriate value, and for many commoners it'll likely be a little lower.