After winning a battle in a ruined city, we find a treasure hoard of "All the gold, platinum, non-magical gems, and non-magical jewelry you can carry" (no specific values given)
As the player keeping track of treasure, what do you think is a reasonable arbitrary average value in gems/jewelry to the pound?
Currently, portable holes do not function, but this DM has run a dungeon with a similar scenario before, so if you also want to come up with an arbitrary value for loot that would fill a portable hole, feel free.
<-- currently running a 1st Ed. Monk... the only reason I'm carrying so much treasure is the odd scarcity of good churches in Hell to donate to.
Sounds like a set up. Leave the treasure. You're in Hell after all. I'd not trust anything. Had DM do that, bad things taking money from Hell. LOL
I was DMing when a random event happened (I make a roll once in a great while and it turned up to be something even odder than usual).
What happened is a few Demons were summoned incorrectly and they appeared infront of the party. The lead demon took it that the party had summoned them and agreed to do one thing that the pc's would ask.
The dwarf (before anyone else could say anything) said, "Some beer would be nice."
The demon said very well and disappeared in a cloud of acrid black smoke, leaving behind many barrels of various beers and ales.
Now the PC's being the greedy bastards they are, decide to sell it in the nearest town. After the distribution in the town and a night later, people who drank the beer / ale all start to turn into various low level deons.
Basically never trust a Demon that offers to do anything for you..
Sounds like a set up. Leave the treasure. You're in Hell after all. I'd not trust anything. Had DM do that, bad things taking money from Hell. LOL
Like I said, the DM has run this sort of scenario before, it's just what it looks like, a trap for greedy characters. It's all non-magical, and far less likely to be cursed than anything else we pick up... it's just heavy. And there's really no where nearby to store or sell it.
We can grab loot until we can barely crawl, but we'll have to drop it when enemies come after us. We could drop gear to carry more... instead of that oil flask or ration pack, a pound of platinum. But right now we don't know when we will next get a chance to spend that platinum on needed flask of oil or when we'll next find edible food. (and we're having trouble regaining divine spells or casting summons... so no Create Food or Create Water)
the base conversion these days is about 50 coins = 1 pound. you can probably assume the same conversion for gems. jewelry is a bit more tricky, but this should give you a good starting point.
In this case, it's a 1st edition game, 10 coins = 1 pound. We're pretty sure that the high average valuble gem is worth more than an equal weight of coins. There just doesn't seem to be a sample guide of how much non-magical gems or art weighs (well, I did find one listing for a gold statue, 10 lbs).
The lack of DM descriptions doesn't help either... he gives us stuff like 50000 in gems, rather than say, 2*5000 gp diamonds and 4000*10 gp agates. Or in this case, all the platinum coins, gold coins, gems, or jewelry we can carry. And the NPC are filling their pockets and everything else with gems.
In this case, it's a 1st edition game, 10 coins = 1 pound. We're pretty sure that the high average valuble gem is worth more than an equal weight of coins. There just doesn't seem to be a sample guide of how much non-magical gems or art weighs (well, I did find one listing for a gold statue, 10 lbs).
The lack of DM descriptions doesn't help either... he gives us stuff like 50000 in gems, rather than say, 2*5000 gp diamonds and 4000*10 gp agates. Or in this case, all the platinum coins, gold coins, gems, or jewelry we can carry. And the NPC are filling their pockets and everything else with gems.
You're playing 1e? Where are your legions of henchmen with donkeys and ox carts? Seriously man, in the old days it was MANDATORY for anyone beyond about 3rd level to have 0th level commoners that drive the donkeys and ox carts.
That rule's in the White Box set, go look it up....:D
(and we're having trouble regaining divine spells or casting summons... so no Create Food or Create Water)
Create food and water isn't a summoning effect; it's a creation effect.
edit: duh. It is a divine spell, though. reading comprehension for the win...
You're playing 1e? Where are your legions of henchmen with donkeys and ox carts? Seriously man, in the old days it was MANDATORY for anyone beyond about 3rd level to have 0th level commoners that drive the donkeys and ox carts.
That rule's in the White Box set, go look it up....:D
White Box? The pamphlets didn't come in a box ;)
The adventure started as: You've just cleared the final room of the Temple of Elemental Evil. The Temple is suddenly sucked into (the 12th Plane of Arduin) Hell via one-way gate. The carts outside the Temple didn't come with you.
Lots of overkill... it's hard enough keeping the party alive when you can't regain cleric spells... you really want to use raise dead on 0 level commoners?
The lack of DM descriptions doesn't help either... he gives us stuff like 50000 in gems, rather than say, 2*5000 gp diamonds and 4000*10 gp agates. Or in this case, all the platinum coins, gold coins, gems, or jewelry we can carry. And the NPC are filling their pockets and everything else with gems.
Tsk, tsk. The DM is supposed to give more detail than that - it's in the DMG! I would say that you go for some of the more valuable gems and jewelry (suck up to any dwarfs or gnomes in the party so they can help you figure out what's likely to be worth the most), maybe some jewelry ....
As the player keeping track of treasure, what do you think is a reasonable arbitrary average value in gems/jewelry to the pound?
As for this ....
If they're not caring for actual value at all, I would say an average of 50-75 GP/lb. Unless the Arch-Dukes are stashing diamonds and rubies everywhere, a lot of those gems are going to be less valuable, ditto for the jewelry.
If they're looking for what looks nice, I'd say an average of around 500, especially if they're going for jewelry. Gems (IIRC) need to be really high-quality once you get past this point.
If they know what they're doing (jeweler/gemcutter, dwarf, gnome), I'd give them a 50% increase on the average value that's decided, whatever it is.
Lots of overkill... it's hard enough keeping the party alive when you can't regain cleric spells... you really want to use raise dead on 0 level commoners?
Silly Melbrinion, you don't Raise 0-level commoners ... everyone knows they reproduce by budding, so simply cover them in a bit of dirt to keep the sunlight off, give them some water (to keep them damp), and wait a day or so. You should have half-strength 0-level commoners within a day. As for the donkeys/oxen ... Animate Dead?
As the player keeping track of treasure, what do you think is a reasonable arbitrary average value in gems/jewelry to the pound?
I wouldn't worry about it. Just write down "All the biggest gems and most ornate jewelery we could carry from the such and such place." When you get back to town, let the DM worry about how much it's worth. It's his job after all.