Money in the Old School campaign

For humans and demi-humans, money is just a medium of trade. Wealth is measured in money, but money is not the be-all and end-all. Real wealth is magic, armor, land, castle, livestock, servants & slaves. Money is just a means to acquire wealth.

For humanoids and many monsters (such as dragons), money is an end in itself. These monsters don't seek money in order to get something else. They seek money simply for itself. They acquire treasure and hoard it. The idea of trading for what they need does not occur to them. They kill and rob for what they need.

It is the capture of these monster hoards that creates what Gygax calls the "inflationary economy" of AD&D. When strange adventurers come into town, it is assumed they are rich with gold. All tradesmen instantly mark up their prices when they realize they are dealing with an adventurer.

As an old school gamer, the values stated in the DMG 1e form the foundation of the money system.

Basic Wages, monthly (pg. 28-9)
bearer/porter -- 1
carpenter -- 2
leather worker -- 0.3
limner/skilled painter -- 1
torch bearer -- 1
mason -- 3
pack handler -- 0.3
tailor -- 0.3
teamster/wagon driver -- 5
valet/servant -- 0.5

alchemist -- 300
armorer -- 100
blacksmith -- 30
architect -- 100
artillerist -- 150
sapper/miner -- 150
jeweler/gemcutter -- 100
weapon maker -- 100
Sage -- 20K to hire, 2k support per month (pg. 33)
Sage per question: 100 per day for research out of his field, 1K per day for research in one of his minor fields, 500 per day for research in one of his major fields, 200 per day in a special category

Cost of Mercenary Soldiers per month
longbowman -- 4
shortbowman -- 2
artillerist -- 5
crossbowman -- 2
footman, heavy -- 2
footman, light -- 1
footman, pikeman -- 3
horseman, archer -- 6
horseman, crossbowman -- 4
horseman, heavy -- 6
horseman, light -- 3
horseman, medium -- 4
sapper/miner -- 4
slinger -- 3
scribe -- 15
sailor -- 2
oarsmen -- 5
marines -- 3
ship mates -- 30
ship master/captain -- 100 per level
stonghold steward -- 200 per level

Cost of Spells (pg. 103)
astral spell -- 5K,
atonement -- 500,
augury -- 300,
bless -- 5 per person per level,
commune - 1000 + 500 per question,
continual light - 500,
control weather -- 10K,
cure blindness -- 1K,
cure disease -- 1K,
cure light wounds -- 100,
cure serious wounds -- 350,
cure critical wounds -- 600,
detect good/evil -- 100,
detect magic -- 150,
dispel good/evil -- 1K,
dispel magic -- 100 per level,
divination -- 1K,
earthquake -- 10K,
exorcise -- 1k per level,
find the path -- 500 per level,
gate -- 50K,
glyph of warding -- 10 per level,
heal -- 200 per point,
neutralize poison -- 1k,
part water -- 1k per level,
plane shift -- 4k,
prayer -- 50 per level,
protection from evil -- 50 per level,
purify food and drink -- 100,
raise dead -- 1k plus 500 per level,
regenerate -- 15k,
remove curse -- 500 per level,
resist cold -- 50 per level,
resist fire -- 100 per level,
restoration -- 10K,
silence -- 100 per level,
slow poison -- 200 per level,
speak with dead -- 100 per level,
tongues -- 500,
true seeing -- 400 per level.

Holy Water recepticles (pg. 115)
Copper: basin 130-18, font 200
Silver: basin 1900-2400, font 500
Gold: basin 19K - 22K, font 1500
Platinum: basin 110K- 200K, font 2K
Crystal vial: 2-5

Spell research (pg. 115)
with lab and library: 200 + 100-400 per level per week
to establish lab & library: 2K + 1K-4K per level per week

Hiring Henchmen (pg 35)
Posting notices in public -- 50
hiring a crier -- 10
hiring agents to seek prospects -- 300
[availability: 1 in 1000 of population will desire to be henchmen)
maintenance of henchmen -- 100 per level per month

Fortification/Construction costs (pg. 107)
barbican [large fortified gatehouse with 2 towers] -- 4k,
stone gatehouse -- 2k,
Round 30' tower -- 1600,
Square 30' tower -- 1200,
drawbridge -- 400,
earth rampart 100' long 10' high -- 100,
iron door -- 100,
wooden door -- 10,
portcullis -- 500,
stone building -- 500,
wood building -- 200,
moat 100' long -- 250,
drawbridge -- 400,
window with shutters and bars -- 10
maintenance of stronghold -- 1% of total construction cost per month


Seige Devices (pg. 108)
Ballista -- 75
Catapult, heavy - 200
Catapult, light -- 150
Cauldron, suspended -- 50
Gallery, covered -- 350
Hoist -- 150
Mantlet, movable [rolling wall] -- 15
Ram -- 500
Ram catcher -- 20
Siege tower -- 800
Sow [wall pick/screw] -- 500
Trebuchet -- 500

Value of Rare Commodities
beaver: pelt -- 2, trimming - 20, cape/jacket -- 200, coat -- 400
ermine: pelt -- 4, trimming - 120, cape/jacket -- 3600, coat -- 7200
fox: pelt -- 3, trimming - 30, cape/jacket -- 300, coat -- 600
marten: pelt -- 4, trimming - 40, cape/jacket -- 400, coat -- 800
mink: pelt -- 3, trimming - 90, cape/jacket -- 2700, coat -- 5400
muskrat: pelt -- 1, trimming - 10, cape/jacket -- 100, coat -- 200
sable: pelt -- 5, trimming - 150, cape/jacket -- 4500, coat -- 9000
carpet/rug/tapestry -- 1-20 per yard
incense, rare -- 5-30 per stick
ivory -- 3-6 per pound
pepper -- 1 per ounce
perfume, rare -- 1-6 per dram
silk -- 1-3 per yard
unguent, rare -- 10-60 per gill

Magic Potions (pg. 121)
animal control 400
clairaudience 400
clairvoyance 500
climbing 500
delusion 150
diminution 500
dragon control 5k-9k
ESP 850
extra-healing 800
fire resistance 400
flying 750
gaseous form 400
giant control 1k - 6k
giant strength 900-1400
growth 300
healing 300
heroism 500
human control 900
invisibility 500
invulnerability 500
levitation 400
longevity 1k
oil of etherealness 1500
oil of slipperiness 750
philter of love 300
philter of persuasiveness 850
plant control 300
polymorph self 350
speed 450
super heroism 750
sweet water 250
treasure finding 2k
undead control 2500
water breathing 900

General Scrolls: 300 per spell level
Protection Scrolls
from demons 12500
from devils 12500
from elementals 7500
from lycanthropes 5k
from magic 7500
from petrification 10k
from possession 10k
from undead 7500

Magic armor
Chain mail -- 3500/7500/12500
Leather armor -- 2k
Plate mail -- 5k/10.5k/15.5k/20.5k/27.5k
Plate mail of etherealness 30k
Ring mail 2500
Scale mail 3k/67500
Splint mail 4k/8.5k/14.5k/19k
studded leather 2.5k
Shield 2.5k/5k/8k/12k/17.5k

Magic weapons
Sword 2k/4k/7k/10k/15k
Sword, Giant Slayer or Dragon Slayer 4.5k
Sword, vs special creatures (undead, lycanthropes, reptiles, avians, etc) -- 3k, 3.5k/4k/4.5k
Dagger -- 750
Axe -- 1750/3750/7k
Battle Axe -- 2.5k
Bow 3.5k
Crossbow of Speed 7.5k
Flail 4k
Hammer 2.5k/6k/15k
Javelin 5k
Javelin of Lightning 3k
Mace 3k/4.5k/10k/15k
Sling 4k/7k
Spear 3k/6.5k/15k
Arrow of Slaying 2.5k

Rings
Magic ring fabrication, platinum: 5K
Feather falling 5k
Fire resistance 5k
free action 5k
human influence 10k
invisibility 7.5k
mammal control 5k
multiple wishes 25k
protection 10k-20k
regeneration 40k
shooting stars 15k
spell storing 22.5k
spell turning 17.5k
swimming 5k
telekinesis 10k
three wishes 15k
warmth 5k
water walking 5k
wizardry 50k
x-ray vision 35k



Rods/Staffs/Wands
Rod of Absorbtion 40k
Rod of Beguiling 30k
Rod of Cancellation 15k
Rod of Lordly Might 20k
Rod of Resurrection 35k
Rod of Rulership 35k
Rod of Smiting 15k
Staff of Command 25k
Staff of Curing 25k
Staff of the Magi 75k
Staff of Power 60k
Staff of the Serpent 35k
Staff of Striking 15k
Wand of Conjuration 35k
Wand of Enemy Detection 10k
Wand of Fear 15k
Wand of Fire 25k
Wand of Frost 50k
Wand of Illumination 10k
Wand of Illusion 20k
Wand of Lightning 30k
Wand of Magic Detection 25k
Wand of Metal & Mineral Detection 7.5k
Wand of Magic Missiles 35k
Wand of Negation 15k
Wand of Paralyzation 25k
Wand of Polymorphing 25k
Wand of Secret Door & Trap Location 40k
Wand of Wonder 10k

Miscellaneous Magic Items
Ammulet of Hiding (non-detection) 15k
Bag of Holding 25k
Boots of Dancing 5k
Boots of Elvenkind 5k
Boots of Levitation 5k
Boots of Speed 20k
Boots of Striding and Springing 20k
Bracers of Defense 3k/6k/9k/12k/15k
Brooch of Shielding 10k
Broom of Flying 10k
Carpet of Flying 25k
Cime of Opening 20k
Cloak of Displacement 17.5k
Cloak of Elvenkind 6k
Cloak of Manta Ray 12.5k
Cloak of Protection 10k
Crystal Ball 5k
Cube of Force 20k
Instant Fortress 27.5k
Decanter of Endless Water 3k
Drums of Panic 35k
Dust of Disappearance 8k
Eyes of the Eagle 18k
Gauntlets of Dexterity 10k
Gauntlets of Ogre Power 15k
Gauntlets of Swimming & Climbing 10k
Girdle of Giant Strength 2.5k
Helm of Telepathy 35k
Helm of Teleportation 30k
Horn of Blasting 55k
Horn of the Tritons 17.5k
Horseshoes of Speed 10k
Medallion of ESP10k/30k
Pipes of the Sewers 8.5k
Portable Hole 50k
Rope of Climbing 10k
Rope of Entanglement 12k
Trident of fish command 4k
Wings of flying 7.5k

Golem construction
Clay 65k
Flesh 50k
Iron 100K
Stone 80k

Poisons ***
Ingestive type A -- 5
Ingestive type B -- 30
Ingestive type C -- 200
Ingestive type D -- 500
Ingestive type E -- 1K
Insinuative type A -- 10
Insinuative type B -- 75
Insinuative type C -- 600
Insinuative type D -- 1500

***
Ingestive type A: 80% detection, 2-8 rounds, 10/20 damage, +4 save
Ingestive type B: 65% detection, 2-5 rounds, 15/30 damage, +3 save
Ingestive type C: 40% detection, 1-2 rounds, 20/40 damage, +2 save
Ingestive type D: 15% detection, 1 segment, 25/death damage, +1 save
Ingestive type E: 0% detection, 1-4 turns, 30/death damage, no save bones
Insinuative type A: 80% detection, 2-5 rounds, 2-5 rounds, 0/15 damage, +4 save
Insinuative type B: 65% detection, 1-3 round, 0/25 damage, +3 save
Insinuative type C: 40% detection, 1 round, 0/35 damage, +2 save
Insinuative type D: 15% detection, 1 segment, 0/death damage, +1 save


Cost of Animals
Cost of Armor
Cost of Weapons