So lets talk Slavery.. - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

So lets talk Slavery..

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zebuxoruk
Dec 16, 2008 3:34:34 So, the entry in the FR Campaign Guide for Amn states that slavery is common.
At least for Muranndin. Also, in the Amn character background choice it mentions that Amn is full of blank blank slavery blank. Ect.

Lets talk price.

Exactly how much would it cost to buy someone?
Or some thing even.

My group is what you could called morally challenged.
We're curious.

The thought of little Kobold lackeys makes our black hearts twitter with glee.
#2
Stigger
Dec 16, 2008 3:43:10 As much as the DM says it does... I don't recall prices on slaves being given since 2e actually, and I'm not even sure I'm remembering that correctly. Probably less than it would cost to buy a horse though I'd guess...
#3
sfdragon
Dec 16, 2008 4:54:58 a slave auction, it would per say, well.

lets see lets start the bidding at 100 gp x CHA.
#4
colman
Dec 16, 2008 5:35:46 For an average, healthy farmhand, I would say 75gp, same as a riding horse. Maybe 25gp for household help, and the sky's the limit for more desirable specimens - either beautiful or skilled. I'd say that a normal professional slave (say a blacksmith) might be priced the same as a warhorse?

On the other hand, as slaves got scarce in the US their price rose quickly, but Amn doesn't seem to have a serious supply problem.

How much would your players be willing to pay for kobold slaves?
#5
lord_karsus
Dec 16, 2008 11:15:44
How much would your players be willing to pay for kobold slaves?

-That's probably what would cause the greatest price variance- race.
#6
colman
Dec 16, 2008 12:14:16 Well, slaves are capital goods, so their price should mostly depend on how effective they are and their productive value. However, I'm not sure what kobold are good for ...
#7
lord_karsus
Dec 16, 2008 12:56:31 -EXP at low levels and being slightly more annoying than Goblins.
#8
whipmaster
Dec 16, 2008 14:03:14 If you are looking for some sort of formula, Id make it (Multiplier*STAT)+Skill. So if you want STR for a farm hand, it'd be 10 gold * 14 STR + 0 Skill = 140 gp

Something like that
#9
Kensan_Oni
Dec 16, 2008 15:31:42 It really depends, now, doesn't it?

Slaves typically would be sold either in lots or alone in auctions, I would imagine. So the price depends on Demand and the Audiance. You probably could get a lot of 10 poor health slaves probably for 10 or so gold, maybe a bit more. A enslaved harem or stud might be worth that much alone, or much more, depending. An enslaved wizard would be worth much more.

Really, the price should be set at how useful the person will be for the party, and how much trouble he'd get them in. A unbroken Conanesque slave might be worth a lot of money for arenas... or it might be worth very little because he will be rebellious.

Typically, though, I run campaigns about freeing slaves, not buying them, so that's about as much thought as I want to give the subject for now.
#10
squidyak
Dec 17, 2008 0:40:40 Found on the Internet

During the early English Colonial Period, 1640-1700, the price for a healthy male African slave about the equilivent of $100.00, with female slaves costing slightly less. From 1800-1860, healthy young male slaves brought up to $1500 and females brought up to $1000 dollars. Around $700 is probably the average cost.

Here is something from an article that may help:

December 11, 1755
The Homestead Newspaper
Hartford, Connecticut (English Colony)

Captain Thomas Wheeler Estate
Captain Thomas Wheeler was one of the largest land proprietors in the town of Stonington, Connecticut in 1755. Estate Value $42,231.55.

Produce:
Item Quantity $/Value
Indian corn 398 bu. .34 / bu.
Wheat 8 bu. .63/bu.
Rye 15 bu. .42/bu.
Beans 5 bu. .56/bu.
Salt 50 bu. .42/bu.
Malt 1.5 bu. 48/bu.
Tallow 27 lb. .06 / lb.
Cheese 2,574 lb. .05/lb.
Flax 180 lb. 09/lb.
Hay 125 ton 4.17 / ton

Live Stock:
Value/$
Description
Riding horse 55.55
Sorrel horse 26.38
Black horse 55.55
Sorrel horse (swift nose) 37.21
Sorrel horse (bald face) 40.00
Pied horse 33.34
Small horse (swift nose) 22.21
Sorrel horse (colt) 31.96
Sorrel mare (with colt)
Black mare (with colt) 27.78
Bay mare (Large) 47.22
Oxen (piebald pair) 27.17
Oxen (brown pair) 34.72
Cattle fat (23 head ) 9.74 / head
Cattle two year old (25 head) 5.51 / head
Calves (25 head) 2.08 / head
Store sheep (179 head) 48 / head
Fat swine (56 head) 3.86 / head
Store swine (65 head) .75 / head

Slaves and Servants:
Description Name Value /$
1 Negro man Quash 8.34
1 Negro woman Juno 2.76
1 Negro man Cab 139.06
1 Negro man Ceasar 128.34
1 Negro man Cepio 152.78
1 Negro woman Hagaar 125.00
1 Negro woman Flora 105.50
1 Negro woman Sarah 133.34
1 Negro woman Jane 125.00
1 Negro woman Cloe 125.00
1 Negro boy Pharaoh 28.00
1 Negro girL Phillis 50.00
1 Mulatto boy Harry 27.00
1 Mulatto girl Eliza 16.67
1 Indian woman Mary 5.55

#11
colman
Dec 17, 2008 3:29:03 That's great stuff: I was trying to find something like that yesterday.

I get the impression that, due to the huge returns from their work, slaves in North America were very expensive, especially as supply tightened in the later period.
#12
goblin_pride
Dec 17, 2008 4:48:52 The old Al-Qadim book had the prices for slaves laid out in the equipment chapter:

Bearer or laborer: 20gp

House servant or Eunuch: 40gp

Courtesan, entertainer or warrior/guard: 60gp

Specialist*: 600gp

*Individuals with specific, marketable skillsets such as sailors, weavers, tailors, et cetera. Adventurers are usually sold as being part of one of the cheaper types because they tend to escape more often or lead rebellions.

Hopefully that gives you an idea for the pricing. Although if your PCs find themselves crossing the block, make sure they're sold as eunuchs.
#13
Stigger
Dec 17, 2008 12:29:01 That was the source I was thinking of... could not remember where I read it though, was driving me nuts.
#14
quale1
Dec 17, 2008 12:34:58 there's a whole chapter on slavery in the Empires of the Shining Sea, but I don't think it has prices
#15
chapien
Dec 17, 2008 13:46:36 I'd say it would be an auction. The starting price may be around 50 or so gp. Just a rough estimate. From there your PCs would have to bid against NPCs. Slave goes to highest bidder.

Hope I halped,
Chapien:D
#16
mister_mxyztplk
Dec 23, 2008 0:35:06 With the diverse range of abilities a well balanced adventuring party typically has, capturing their own slaves may be the most profitable route to go. They can keep what slaves they want and sell the rest. Not to mention they are able to loot their slaves of their possessions much like an adventuring party normally loots the corpses of it's foes. Double the profit.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zebuxoruk Dec 16, 2008 3:34:34	So, the entry in the FR Campaign Guide for Amn states that slavery is common. At least for Muranndin. Also, in the Amn character background choice it mentions that Amn is full of blank blank slavery blank. Ect. Lets talk price. Exactly how much would it cost to buy someone? Or some thing even. My group is what you could called morally challenged. We're curious. The thought of little Kobold lackeys makes our black hearts twitter with glee.
#2 Stigger Dec 16, 2008 3:43:10	As much as the DM says it does... I don't recall prices on slaves being given since 2e actually, and I'm not even sure I'm remembering that correctly. Probably less than it would cost to buy a horse though I'd guess...
#3 sfdragon Dec 16, 2008 4:54:58	a slave auction, it would per say, well. lets see lets start the bidding at 100 gp x CHA.
#4 colman Dec 16, 2008 5:35:46	For an average, healthy farmhand, I would say 75gp, same as a riding horse. Maybe 25gp for household help, and the sky's the limit for more desirable specimens - either beautiful or skilled. I'd say that a normal professional slave (say a blacksmith) might be priced the same as a warhorse? On the other hand, as slaves got scarce in the US their price rose quickly, but Amn doesn't seem to have a serious supply problem. How much would your players be willing to pay for kobold slaves?
#5 lord_karsus Dec 16, 2008 11:15:44	How much would your players be willing to pay for kobold slaves? -That's probably what would cause the greatest price variance- race.
#6 colman Dec 16, 2008 12:14:16	Well, slaves are capital goods, so their price should mostly depend on how effective they are and their productive value. However, I'm not sure what kobold are good for ...
#7 lord_karsus Dec 16, 2008 12:56:31	-EXP at low levels and being slightly more annoying than Goblins.
#8 whipmaster Dec 16, 2008 14:03:14	If you are looking for some sort of formula, Id make it (MultiplierSTAT)+Skill. So if you want STR for a farm hand, it'd be 10 gold 14 STR + 0 Skill = 140 gp Something like that
#9 Kensan_Oni Dec 16, 2008 15:31:42	It really depends, now, doesn't it? Slaves typically would be sold either in lots or alone in auctions, I would imagine. So the price depends on Demand and the Audiance. You probably could get a lot of 10 poor health slaves probably for 10 or so gold, maybe a bit more. A enslaved harem or stud might be worth that much alone, or much more, depending. An enslaved wizard would be worth much more. Really, the price should be set at how useful the person will be for the party, and how much trouble he'd get them in. A unbroken Conanesque slave might be worth a lot of money for arenas... or it might be worth very little because he will be rebellious. Typically, though, I run campaigns about freeing slaves, not buying them, so that's about as much thought as I want to give the subject for now.
#10 squidyak Dec 17, 2008 0:40:40	Found on the Internet During the early English Colonial Period, 1640-1700, the price for a healthy male African slave about the equilivent of $100.00, with female slaves costing slightly less. From 1800-1860, healthy young male slaves brought up to $1500 and females brought up to $1000 dollars. Around $700 is probably the average cost. Here is something from an article that may help: December 11, 1755 The Homestead Newspaper Hartford, Connecticut (English Colony) Captain Thomas Wheeler Estate Captain Thomas Wheeler was one of the largest land proprietors in the town of Stonington, Connecticut in 1755. Estate Value $42,231.55. Produce: Item Quantity $/Value Indian corn 398 bu. .34 / bu. Wheat 8 bu. .63/bu. Rye 15 bu. .42/bu. Beans 5 bu. .56/bu. Salt 50 bu. .42/bu. Malt 1.5 bu. 48/bu. Tallow 27 lb. .06 / lb. Cheese 2,574 lb. .05/lb. Flax 180 lb. 09/lb. Hay 125 ton 4.17 / ton Live Stock: Value/$ Description Riding horse 55.55 Sorrel horse 26.38 Black horse 55.55 Sorrel horse (swift nose) 37.21 Sorrel horse (bald face) 40.00 Pied horse 33.34 Small horse (swift nose) 22.21 Sorrel horse (colt) 31.96 Sorrel mare (with colt) Black mare (with colt) 27.78 Bay mare (Large) 47.22 Oxen (piebald pair) 27.17 Oxen (brown pair) 34.72 Cattle fat (23 head ) 9.74 / head Cattle two year old (25 head) 5.51 / head Calves (25 head) 2.08 / head Store sheep (179 head) 48 / head Fat swine (56 head) 3.86 / head Store swine (65 head) .75 / head Slaves and Servants: Description Name Value /$ 1 Negro man Quash 8.34 1 Negro woman Juno 2.76 1 Negro man Cab 139.06 1 Negro man Ceasar 128.34 1 Negro man Cepio 152.78 1 Negro woman Hagaar 125.00 1 Negro woman Flora 105.50 1 Negro woman Sarah 133.34 1 Negro woman Jane 125.00 1 Negro woman Cloe 125.00 1 Negro boy Pharaoh 28.00 1 Negro girL Phillis 50.00 1 Mulatto boy Harry 27.00 1 Mulatto girl Eliza 16.67 1 Indian woman Mary 5.55
#11 colman Dec 17, 2008 3:29:03	That's great stuff: I was trying to find something like that yesterday. I get the impression that, due to the huge returns from their work, slaves in North America were very expensive, especially as supply tightened in the later period.
#12 goblin_pride Dec 17, 2008 4:48:52	The old Al-Qadim book had the prices for slaves laid out in the equipment chapter: Bearer or laborer: 20gp House servant or Eunuch: 40gp Courtesan, entertainer or warrior/guard: 60gp Specialist: 600gp Individuals with specific, marketable skillsets such as sailors, weavers, tailors, et cetera. Adventurers are usually sold as being part of one of the cheaper types because they tend to escape more often or lead rebellions. Hopefully that gives you an idea for the pricing. Although if your PCs find themselves crossing the block, make sure they're sold as eunuchs.
#13 Stigger Dec 17, 2008 12:29:01	That was the source I was thinking of... could not remember where I read it though, was driving me nuts.
#14 quale1 Dec 17, 2008 12:34:58	there's a whole chapter on slavery in the Empires of the Shining Sea, but I don't think it has prices
#15 chapien Dec 17, 2008 13:46:36	I'd say it would be an auction. The starting price may be around 50 or so gp. Just a rough estimate. From there your PCs would have to bid against NPCs. Slave goes to highest bidder. Hope I halped, Chapien:D
#16 mister_mxyztplk Dec 23, 2008 0:35:06	With the diverse range of abilities a well balanced adventuring party typically has, capturing their own slaves may be the most profitable route to go. They can keep what slaves they want and sell the rest. Not to mention they are able to loot their slaves of their possessions much like an adventuring party normally loots the corpses of it's foes. Double the profit.