The published campaign that makes use of electrum is Curse of Strahd. It shows up more often than in other campaigns, anyway.
I like the idea that the despair in the Domains of Dread has less to do with the obvious gothic trappings and the fact that most things cost $5, everyone has $2 bills and no one has $1s. The forlorn casting of futile commerce is actually its own currency for some varieties of vampire.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
The published campaign that makes use of electrum is Curse of Strahd. It shows up more often than in other campaigns, anyway.
I like the idea that the despair in the Domains of Dread has less to do with the obvious gothic trappings and the fact that most things cost $5, everyone has $2 bills and no one has $1s. The forlorn casting of futile commerce is actually its own currency for some varieties of vampire.
Ahahahahaha! I never thought of that, and it's wonderful. Wahahahaha! Muwahahaha!
Yeah I don't use electrum at all in my games, with the exception of in Ravenloft, due to the nature and narrative around Strahd creating his own currency.
In Basic D&D, pg. 34 (blue cover) 50cp=10sp=2ep=1gp=1/5pp.
In AD&D (1st ed), pg. 35 (blue cover), 200cp=20sp=2ep=1gp=1/5pp, so electrum and platinum both did not follow the 1:10 conversion.
In AD&D (2nd ed), pg. 66 (orange cover), 100cp=10sp=2ep=1gp=1/5pp, electrum and platinum still did not follow the 1:10 conversion.
In D&D (3rd ed), pg. 96 (brown cover), 100cp=10sp=1gp=1/10pp. The 1:10 conversion is followed, and electrum is not listed.
In D&D (3.5rd ed), pg. 112 (brown cover), the same as the 3rd edition.
In D&D (4th ed), pg. 212 (white? cover), 100cp=10sp=1gp=1/100pp=1/10000ad, so no electrum again, platinum value has skyrocketed and a new currency is introduced (astral diamonds).
In D&D (5th ed), pg. 143 (fire giant cover), 100cp=10sp=2ep=1gp=1/10pp, so the astral diamonds disappear, platinum reverts to it's 3rd ed. valuation and electrum makes a comeback.
Electrum was around for most versions of the game (except 3/3.5rd & 4th editions), and the value relative to gold never changed (if it was present at all).
Astral diamonds? I've heard some things about 4e, but ... that there makes me think 4e was less a good faith attempt to do D&D in a new way and more some exercise in illustrating the arbitrariness of signifiers in TTRPGs. I am now convinced of the integral materiality of Electrum.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Electrum should definitely be a regular part of the currency exchange in D&D when transactions take place.
Any business establishment would have to except it: taverns/pubs, pawnbrokers, blacksmiths, the nobility/aristocracy, and the Treasury department of government. The value of electrum has already been set. So, there's very little need to figure out calculations.
Electrum should be around and even fairly common. the problem is that adventurers seldom live on the same scale as the average citizen. If you think of adverntures as the "sports and entertainment stars" of the world vs us regular joes. we use pennies, nickels dimes, quarters etc all the time - they don't - they are busy burning through 50$s, 100$s etc. so el3ctrum is really the euivalent of say a 20$ bill or gold piece - about the lowest they will normally worry about and about the most a normal joe will ever be carrying.
A further thought - I haven't looked up the RAW on coin weights recently - I use 50 coins to the pound, so 50 SP is 2.5 GPV, 50 electrum pieces is 25 GPV - you don't even bother collecting the copper and silver typically as its too little value for the weight. you start by grabbing all the magic, gems & jewelry, then the PP, GP and EP, then you go for the small decorative objects. the big stuff unless its magical or super high value along with the silver and copper you leave behind after about level 4.
keep in mind that the bag of holding has a limit of 500 lbs - total not per item. so its 25,000 coins max if there is nothing else already in the bag. that is 250,000 GPV in PP, 25,000 GPV in GP<, 12,500 GPV in EP, 2500 GPV in SP, or 250 GPV in CPs. this is why using encumberance rules is raw. My point was really not about the weight carried but about the value carried and the EP is really the highest value coin that regular citizens regularly use. Adventurers are, by their nature richer than normal (or dead faster than normal) so they typically deal in different counage but we as dms need to keep that difference in mind as we run the games.
Wierd this thread got necro’d just now. Last night I was running my family through LMoP, and an enemy had ep in their pouch. I kind of did a double take as I was reading out, and we had to stop for a minute while I explained what it was.
The last I heard of Electrum it was Brennan Lee Mulligan speaking as a character who talked about Electrum the same way a a crypto bro talks about etherium.
Our gm uses it in his game. There it is its own mineral like gold ore mithril and a better conductor than copper, so it is used by a lot of artificers. We use it as a step between gold and platinum. For us 10 gold is 1 electrum and 10 electrum is 1 platinum.
In general We don't really use electrum, in one of our current campaigns I was talking to DM about how electrum should be removed.
He then as a good natured joke made most treasure hoards comprised of mostly elctrum, so now our party has vast amounts of electrum I am always as a running joke complaining about and trying to convert to gems.
I would not have thought a thread on electrum would be brought back from the dead in both 2022 and again in 2023. Quite a resilient currency it seems in spite of not being used in (my assumption here) most campaigns.
In my campaigns, The League of Mercenaries (continent-wide guild that maintains order among Mercenaries and keeps track of bounties and clients, somewhat John Wick style) pay in Electrum. So, even if you become very rich, you pay with a coin that carries a social stigma on it. Most Mercenaries take their first bounty and make an Electrum coin necklace from it, to symbolize that their lives and talents are for sale and that they have completed a mission. There's a ceremony and everything.
It is also a great source for the rumor mill, when a noble or organization is seen making a conversion of gold to Electrum.
I like the idea that the despair in the Domains of Dread has less to do with the obvious gothic trappings and the fact that most things cost $5, everyone has $2 bills and no one has $1s. The forlorn casting of futile commerce is actually its own currency for some varieties of vampire.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Ahahahahaha! I never thought of that, and it's wonderful. Wahahahaha! Muwahahaha!
Yeah I don't use electrum at all in my games, with the exception of in Ravenloft, due to the nature and narrative around Strahd creating his own currency.
In Basic D&D, pg. 34 (blue cover) 50cp=10sp=2ep=1gp=1/5pp.
In AD&D (1st ed), pg. 35 (blue cover), 200cp=20sp=2ep=1gp=1/5pp, so electrum and platinum both did not follow the 1:10 conversion.
In AD&D (2nd ed), pg. 66 (orange cover), 100cp=10sp=2ep=1gp=1/5pp, electrum and platinum still did not follow the 1:10 conversion.
In D&D (3rd ed), pg. 96 (brown cover), 100cp=10sp=1gp=1/10pp. The 1:10 conversion is followed, and electrum is not listed.
In D&D (3.5rd ed), pg. 112 (brown cover), the same as the 3rd edition.
In D&D (4th ed), pg. 212 (white? cover), 100cp=10sp=1gp=1/100pp=1/10000ad, so no electrum again, platinum value has skyrocketed and a new currency is introduced (astral diamonds).
In D&D (5th ed), pg. 143 (fire giant cover), 100cp=10sp=2ep=1gp=1/10pp, so the astral diamonds disappear, platinum reverts to it's 3rd ed. valuation and electrum makes a comeback.
Electrum was around for most versions of the game (except 3/3.5rd & 4th editions), and the value relative to gold never changed (if it was present at all).
Astral diamonds? I've heard some things about 4e, but ... that there makes me think 4e was less a good faith attempt to do D&D in a new way and more some exercise in illustrating the arbitrariness of signifiers in TTRPGs. I am now convinced of the integral materiality of Electrum.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Electrum should definitely be a regular part of the currency exchange in D&D when transactions take place.
Any business establishment would have to except it: taverns/pubs, pawnbrokers, blacksmiths, the nobility/aristocracy, and the Treasury department of government. The value of electrum has already been set. So, there's very little need to figure out calculations.
I love it.
Electrum should be around and even fairly common. the problem is that adventurers seldom live on the same scale as the average citizen. If you think of adverntures as the "sports and entertainment stars" of the world vs us regular joes. we use pennies, nickels dimes, quarters etc all the time - they don't - they are busy burning through 50$s, 100$s etc. so el3ctrum is really the euivalent of say a 20$ bill or gold piece - about the lowest they will normally worry about and about the most a normal joe will ever be carrying.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
A further thought - I haven't looked up the RAW on coin weights recently - I use 50 coins to the pound, so 50 SP is 2.5 GPV, 50 electrum pieces is 25 GPV - you don't even bother collecting the copper and silver typically as its too little value for the weight. you start by grabbing all the magic, gems & jewelry, then the PP, GP and EP, then you go for the small decorative objects. the big stuff unless its magical or super high value along with the silver and copper you leave behind after about level 4.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
The weight of coins generally ceases to be an issue once the party has found its first Bag of Holding.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
keep in mind that the bag of holding has a limit of 500 lbs - total not per item. so its 25,000 coins max if there is nothing else already in the bag. that is 250,000 GPV in PP, 25,000 GPV in GP<, 12,500 GPV in EP, 2500 GPV in SP, or 250 GPV in CPs. this is why using encumberance rules is raw. My point was really not about the weight carried but about the value carried and the EP is really the highest value coin that regular citizens regularly use. Adventurers are, by their nature richer than normal (or dead faster than normal) so they typically deal in different counage but we as dms need to keep that difference in mind as we run the games.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Wierd this thread got necro’d just now. Last night I was running my family through LMoP, and an enemy had ep in their pouch. I kind of did a double take as I was reading out, and we had to stop for a minute while I explained what it was.
Seeing electrum pieces is like seeing a phone booth. Or an open Blockbuster.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
The last I heard of Electrum it was Brennan Lee Mulligan speaking as a character who talked about Electrum the same way a a crypto bro talks about etherium.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Our gm uses it in his game. There it is its own mineral like gold ore mithril and a better conductor than copper, so it is used by a lot of artificers. We use it as a step between gold and platinum. For us 10 gold is 1 electrum and 10 electrum is 1 platinum.
I still use electrum in both my campaigns.
In general We don't really use electrum, in one of our current campaigns I was talking to DM about how electrum should be removed.
He then as a good natured joke made most treasure hoards comprised of mostly elctrum, so now our party has vast amounts of electrum I am always as a running joke complaining about and trying to convert to gems.
I pay for everything in electrum to use it up.
Game over man... Game over! -- Pvt. Hudson
I would not have thought a thread on electrum would be brought back from the dead in both 2022 and again in 2023. Quite a resilient currency it seems in spite of not being used in (my assumption here) most campaigns.
In my campaigns, The League of Mercenaries (continent-wide guild that maintains order among Mercenaries and keeps track of bounties and clients, somewhat John Wick style) pay in Electrum. So, even if you become very rich, you pay with a coin that carries a social stigma on it. Most Mercenaries take their first bounty and make an Electrum coin necklace from it, to symbolize that their lives and talents are for sale and that they have completed a mission. There's a ceremony and everything.
It is also a great source for the rumor mill, when a noble or organization is seen making a conversion of gold to Electrum.
“First bag of holding?!?” You get more than 1 per campaign? 💩! I’ve been in campaigns in which there weren’t any.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Spotsa,
My last DM allowed me to buy three for my character, and the other PCs likewise. A BoH is a given for many tables. But you knew that.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt