Wow, Coins are Heavy!

Apparently, there has recently been a discovery made of a treasure trove of silver coins in a field in Jersey. There's a somewhat-awesome legal argument going on about the ownership of the hoard, but that's not hugely relevant here.

What is relevant to gaming is that the estimated contents of the trove is about 50,000 silver coins (dating from the Iron Age), and the estimated weight is three-quarters of a ton.

Now, naturally, the source article from which I got all this just had to go and use a measure of weight that doesn't have a single universal definition. (Ironically, Imperial measures are extremely useful for fantasy gaming, in a way that Metric just isn't - and the more those measures drop out of common use, the more useful they become in context.) However, if we accept that the US definition that a ton is 2,000 pounds as being "close enough", we can do some calculations.

The bottom line is that there are appoximately 33.333 silver coins to the pound. Further, if we assume that coins of different metals are of approximately the same purity (and so can scale by the atomic weight of the dominant metal), we get some interesting numbers:

• Platinum (atomic weight 195): Approx 18.4 coins per pound
• Gold (atomic weight 197): Approx 18.2 coins per pound
• Silver (atomic weight 108): Approx 33.3 coins per pound
• Electrum (assume a 50/50 gold/silver split, so "atomic weight" 153): Approx 23.6 coins per pound
• Copper (atomic weight 64): Approx 56.2 coins per pound

The average, then, across the standard "D&D coins" would be about 29.98 coins per pound.

(Just out of interest, I looked at some other common metals. It looks like brass would be 63 coins per pound, tin would be 69, and nickel would be 57. I also think it might be interesting to weigh our modern currency - though purely for interest, as our modern coinage has essentially no inherent value.)

D&D uses an approximation of 50 coins to the pound, which is not unreasonable for copper coins, but probably pushing it for gold or platinum. Still, it makes the maths that much simpler, so maybe it's worth sticking with...

But amongst the consequences of this is that I really do need to rethink some of my abstracted "treasure items", especially as it relates to coinage - I had suggested "a pile of X coins" (where X is one of 'poor', 'average', 'good', etc). My thinking was that a pile of coins would be about 3,000 coins, and would be a single Major item. Which sounded pretty good.

3,000 coins would weight about 100 pounds (or 60 pounds using the D&D approximation). That is, a single such pile would be the entirety of what an average-strength character could carry. Oops.

Fortunately, there's a nice, easy fix: simply divide the pile of coins by 10. And so, a Pile of Poor Coins is a pile of about 300 coins, mostly copper but also some silver, it is a Major item, and it has a value of 3gp.

This also allows me to lock down the 'containers' part of Nutshell Fantasy (and material I will also conveniently nick for any future 3.5e games...):

Cost: The cost of the item in gold pieces. If no cost is given, the item is effectively free. A masterwork equivalent costs 10 times as much, or a minimum of 1 gold piece.

Access: The type of action required to access an item stored in this container, or to place an item within the container. An entry of "Short Rest" means that the contents can be accessed only during a short rest, and not during combat. The Quick Draw talent improves the access time by one step, to a minimum of a free action, while a concealed item always takes a standard action to access.

Worn: The approximate location where the item is worn. Typically, characters cannot wear more than a single belt, bandoleer, or similar. Characters have four 'slots' for weapons unless they wear a weapons harness.

Encumbrance: The encumbrance of the item. Conditional items count as Minor items when worn. An entry of "2 people" means that the item is simply too large for a single person to carry it, regardless of strength. Such an item counts as a Major item for each of the 2 people. (Note also that this is the encumbrance of the item itself; any contents must be counted separately.)

Contents: The number and type of items that can be stored in the item.

Container Cost Access Worn Encumbrance Contents
Backpack, medium 2 gp Short Rest Back Conditional 5 Major, 5 Minor
Backpack, small 2 gp Short Rest Back Conditional 3 Major, 3 Minor
Bandoleer - Free Action Torso Conditional 1 bunch throwing knives
Bandoleer, wand - Minor Action Torso Conditional 6 wands
Basket, large - Short Rest Held Major 2 Major
Basket, medium - Short Rest Held Major 1 Major
Belt, simple - N/A Waist Minor 2 belt pouches
Belt pouch - Minor Action Belt Minor 1 item (Major or Minor)
Bracers, knife - Free Action Wrists Major 1 bunch throwing knives
Bracers, wand - Minor Action Wrists Major 4 wands
Chest, large 4 gp Short Rest Held 2 people 10 Major
Chest, Medium 2 gp Short Rest Held Major 4 Major
Chest, Small 2 gp Short Rest Held Major 2 Major
Potion Belt - Minor Action Waist Major 6 potions
Quiver/Bolt Case - Free Action Weapon Major 6 bunches of arrows/bolts
Sack, Medium - Short Rest Held Minor 3 Major
Sack, Small - Short Rest Held Minor 1 Major
Saddlebags, Large 4 gp Short Rest Mount Major 3 Major
Saddlebags, Medium 4 gp Short Rest Mount Major 2 Major
Saddlebags, Small 4 gp Short Rest Mount Major 1 Major
Scabbard - Minor Action Weapon Minor 1 weapon
Spell Component Pouch 5 gp Free Action Belt Minor Spell components
Weapon Harness 10 gp Minor Action Back Conditional 6 weapons

Item Descriptions

Backpack: A well-made pack suitable for carrying many items. This is lined, padded, and waterproofed, protecting the contents against many dangers. The pack also has numerous pockets, straps and attachments, allowing items to be fastened to the outside of the pack where appropriate. However, in order to maximise usage, items must be carefully packed and properly strapped down, and so cannot be accessed quickly. A masterwork backpack (any size) can carry 2 additional Major and 2 additional Minor items.

Bandoleer: A sash or similar item designed to hold throwing knives (or shuriken) or wands for easy access. A masterwork item can hold either a second bunch of knives or 4 additional wands; a masterwork item also allows for the throwing knives (only) to be concealed and yet remain accessible as a free action. Finally, a masterwork bandoleer can be constructed to hold a combination of one bunch of throwing knives and 4 wands, if desired; this must be determined when the item is constructed and cannot be changed thereafter.

Basket: A large and study basket, this requires both hands to carry effectively. Masterwork baskets are extremely rare, but can carry double the listed amounts.

Belt, simple: A simple leather belt. The wearer can attach up to two pouches to this belt. Note that magical belts generally take the same form. A masterwork belt can hold a third pouch.

Belt Pouch: A large pouch, this can contain a single item, either Major or Minor. Masterwork pouches can contain both 1 Major and 1 Minor item; such a pouch contains a separator, allowing both to be accessed easily. A belt pouch used to store sling stones or bullets can be accessed as a free action.

Bracers: A pair of bracers designed to hold throwing knives (or shuriken) or wands for easy access. A masterwork item allows for the throwing knives (only) to be concealed and yet remain accessible as a free action.

Chest: A large, sturdy chest, lock sold separately. Masterwork chests can contain 50% more than the listed amounts. Additionally, a masterwork chest can feature a false bottom or other hidden compartment, concealing the extra items.

Potion Belt: A study belt containing separated spaces for up to 6 potions, allowing the correct potion to be accessed easily. Note that a potion belt does not allow for the attachment of any further pouches, and is worn in place of a simple or magical belt. A masterwork potion belt can hold up to 10 potions.

Quiver/Bolt case: A case designed to hold ammunition, this contains several separated sections, allowing the wearer to correctly draw the right item as part of his attack action. A masterwork quiver or bolt case can hold up to 8 bunches of ammunition.

Sack: A large, sturdy, and flexible sack. Items can be placed within the sack as a free action, but can only be removed during a short rest. Masterwork sacks can contain 1 additional Major and 1 additional Minor item.

Saddlebags: Designed to fit under a saddle of the appropriate sort, these allow a mount to carry items as well as a rider. Masterwork saddlebags can contain 1 additional Major and 1 additional Minor item.

Scabbard: A holder for an appropriate weapon. In general, you are not expected to keep track of mundane scabbards; they are listed simply for completeness. However, the possibility of a magical scabbard does exist. A masterwork scabbard can hold a second weapon, and may even allow that second weapon to be concealed.

Spell Component Pouch: A pouch containing all the standard spell components, this is cunningly constructed to allow the caster to quickly and easily access the items required for his spells. Note that the purchase price of a spell component pouch does not include any material components or focuses with a purchase price of 1gp or more.

Weapon Harness: A harness designed to hold several weapons, distributing the weight and making them available for easy access. This cannot be worn in addition to a backpack, and so it of limited utility to most adventurers. A masterwork weapon harness can hold up to 10 weapons.