Prices In A Fantasy Setting

Different rules editions and campaign settings will have varying values on the following items, but this version is meant to work for most “traditional fantasy” settings.

THINKING ABOUT GOLD PIECES IN MODERN TERMS

While gold appears to be common in the D&D world, actual gold pieces are not – and the purchasing power of gold depends on the manufacture of the item sought. One fitted suit of plate mail armor is the equivalent of two solid years’ worth of earnings for most skilled tradesmen – and 10 times that for an unskilled peasant.

Consider D&D coins this way by currency standards (circa 2010)…
* 1 g.p. = $100 (upper class currency: nobles, aristocrats)
* 1 sp = $10 (middle class currency: tradesmen, merchants)
* 1 cp = $1 (lower class currency: peasants, conscript soldiers)

So by modern comparison…
* mug of ale (4 cp) = $4 … can of beer during happy hour
* bedroll (5 sp) = $50 … North Face single-person sleeping bag
* holy symbol (5 gp) = $500 … crafted under clergy supervision
* thieves tools (25 gp) = $2,500 … kinda illegal, hence the price
* 1 pound of gold (50 gp) = $5,000 … worth lots more in real world
* warhorse (400 gp) = $40,000 … bred and trained not to fear battle
* full plate armor (1,500 gp) = $150,000 … custom contractor work
* warship (25,000 gp) = $2,500,000 … “I should buy a boat” cat

Services and magical healing…
* skilled hireling (2 gp/day) = $200/day … educated, experienced
* unskilled hireling (2 sp/day) = $20/day … minimal schooling
* cure light wounds spell (10 gp) = $1,000 … emergency room visit
* raise dead spell (1,250 gp) = $125,000 … overnight stay at hospital

STANDARDS OF VALUE

10 copper pieces = 1 silver piece
10 silver pieces = 1 gold piece
100 gold pieces = 1 platinum piece

COMMON MERCHANDISE AND GEAR

0.01 gp (1 cp) … one piece of trivial adventuring gear (candle, piece of chalk, day’s worth of firewood, a torch, a clay pitcher, clay, a flask)
0.05 gp (5 cp) … one arrow or bolt for use with a ranged weapon
0.1 gp (1 sp) … one piece of minor adventuring gear (a day’s worth of trail rations, a bedroll, a blanket, a lamp, a square yard (or meter) of canvas, a pint of oil, a sack, a sheet of paper, a hammer, a pound of soap, an iron pot, a 10-foot pole)
1 gp … one piece of moderate adventuring gear (a scroll case, flint and steel, a grappling hook, a bell, a belt pouch, 50-feet of rope, sealing wax, a vial of ink, a waterskin, a backpack, an empty barrel, a glass bottle of wine, a chest, a crowbar, a shovel, a whetstone, block and tackle, a signet ring, a hooded lantern)
4 gp … 1 square yard (or meter) of linen
3 gp … one small melee weapon (dagger, handaxe)
5 gp … one set of fitted light armor (leather, hide, partial chainmail)
10 gp … one piece of major adventuring gear (a small steel mirror, 50-feet of silk rope, a vial of acid, a tent for 5 people, a bullseye lantern, iron manacles, one pace [3 feet, 1 meter] worth of iron chain, a simple lock)
10 gp … 1 square yard (or meter) of silk
12 gp … one large melee weapon (battleaxe, longsword, flail)
12 gp … one shield
25 gp … one set of fitted heavy armor (chainmail and platemail)
30 gp … one ranged weapon (longbow, crossbow)
40 gp … one great melee weapon (greatsword, greataxe)
50 gp … standard complexity lock
70 gp … standard complexity trap (does 1d6 damage when triggered)
100 gp … expert complexity lock
120 gp … expert complexity trap (does 2d6 damage when triggered)
500 gp … master complexity lock
700 gp … master complexity trap (does 4d6 damage when triggered)
1,000 gp … legendary complexity lock
1,200 gp … legendary complexity trap (does 8d6 damage when triggered)

SPECIAL TOOLS

2 gp … merchant’s scale for weighing items
5 gp … one set of common quality craftsman tools
5 gp … one common quality musical intrument
15 gp … grimoire/spellbook for recording arcane rituals
25 gp … one high quality item of sacament (a silver holy symbol, a flask of holy water)
30 gp … one set of thieves’ tools for lockpicking and disabling traps
50 gp … one set of false hairpieces, makeup and other tricks to fashion a disguise
50 gp … one set of balms, salves and bandages to treat an injured person
80 gp … one set of climbing gear (+50% speed to standard climbing rate)
1,000 gp … one high quality musical intrument
5,000 gp … one set of chemicals and gear to equip an alchemist’s workshop

LARGE GEMS (for small gems, divide value by half)

10 gp … agate, azurite, blue quartz, lapis lazuli, obsidian, turquoise, irregular pearl
50 gp … chalcedony, jasper, onyx, clear or rose quartz, sardonyx
100 gp … amber, amethyst, coral, garnet, jade, white pearl
500 gp … aquamarine, black pearl, topaz
1,000 gp … inferior emerald, opal, sapphire, ruby
5,000 gp … superior emerald, diamond
10,000 gp … astral diamond

METALS

0.1 gp (1 sp) … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of iron
0.2 gp (2 sp) … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of cold iron (mined deep underground)
0.5 gp (5 sp) … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of copper
5 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of silver
50 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of gold
500 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of platinum
5,000 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of mithral
10,000 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of adamantine

LIVESTOCK

0.02 gp (2 cp) … one chicken
1 gp … one goat
2 gp … one sheep
3 gp … one pig
10 gp … one cow
15 gp … one ox
25 gp … one trained guard dog
75 gp … one light horse
150 gp … one trained light warhorse
200 gp … one heavy horse
400 gp … one trained heavy warhorse

FOOD AND SPICES

0.01 gp (1 cp) … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of wheat
0.01 gp (1 cp) … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of flour
0.02 gp (2 cp) … a loaf of baked bread
0.1 gp (1 sp) … a hunk of cheese
0.2 gp (2 sp) … a gallon of ale or common wine
0.3 gp (3 sp) … a chunk of freshly cooked or dried meat
0.5 gp (5 sp) … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of tobacco
1 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of cinnamon
2 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of ginger
2 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of pepper
5 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of salt
10 gp … a bottle of fine wine
15 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of saffron
15 gp … 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of cloves

LODGING & TRAVEL

0.01 gp (1 cp) … typical road or gate toll
0.02 gp (2 cp) per mile … send a messenger by foot
0.03 gp (3 cp) per mile … travel by hired coach
0.01 gp (1 cp) per mile … travel by ship’s passage
0.1 gp (1 sp) … a day’s worth of poor meals for one person
0.2 gp (2 sp) … a day’s stay at a poor quality inn
0.3 gp (3 sp) … a day’s worth of service by an trained hireling
0.3 gp (3 sp) … a day’s worth of common meals for one person
0.5 gp (5 sp) … a day’s stabbling of a horse
0.5 gp (5 sp) … a day’s worth of good meals for one person
0.5 gp (5 sp) … a day’s stay at a common quality inn
1 gp … a day’s worth of religious services (wedding, funeral)
2 gp … a day’s worth of nobleman’s meals for one person
2 gp … a day’s stay at a good quality inn
3 gp … a day’s worth of service by an expert hireling
5 gp … a day’s worth of research by a sage
10 gp … a day’s worth of royal banquet feast for one person
10 gp … a day’s worth of service by a master hireling

CLOTHING

0.1 gp (1 sp) … typical outfit of peasant’s clothing
1 gp … typical outfit of craftsman’s clothing
3 gp … typical outfit of entertainer’s costume or clothing
5 gp … typicsl outfit of cleric’s vestments or monk’s robes and sandals
8 gp … typical layered outfit insulated against winter environments
10 gp … typical outfit of explorer’s or traveler’s clothing
30 gp … typical outfit of courtier’s clothing
75 gp … typical outfit of low-ranking noble’s clothing
200 gp … typical outfit of high-ranking noble’s clothing