Have any of you guys ever had to make costs of goods, services,

Pick any other roleplaying system.

Use that.

>>49929797

What's the setting?

>>49929797
You could reference the tables of other systems or use a system where wealth is abstracted more extensively.

>>49929835
Fallout in Canada. I'm mostly having trouble with scaling prices down so that carrying money isn't a problem, but I really don't want to just tenth everything, and the economy of Fallout is really weird and different everywhere. Finding a balance is hard. On top of that, I've got new weapons and what-have-you to add to the already shaky list of prices. I'' probably just stressing over it all unnecessarily, but I've never been good with scaling in general.

>>49929797
I'm not sure how valid this rule is, but something I've seen before is: "Figure out how much a basic meal costs, then you can scale everything else based on that."

>>49929887
It's not really modern day economy now, is it?

Bartering is easy. Think of what the seller wants, and price accordingly. Maybe the players have something that the seller wants, so he asks that instead of "money" if there even is anything like that in Canada after the bombs fall.

Using bottle caps like real currency was a bodge idea in the first place, even in game. Until bethesda came along and missed the memo.

First, find a reference if you can; something from another game or something equivalent from the real world, preferably a price that accounts for the time period. This is optional and should only be used as a guideline but it will help you ground yourself if you have something to work from.

Second and more importantly, make sure the PCs are paying a price appropriate for the benefit they gain. If they're gaining 1,000 gold an adventure, a night at the inn shouldn't cost 500. Similarly, hiring a small army shouldn't cost 500 either. Make necessities such as food, a place to rest and basic equipment cost a small fraction of what the PCs make (less than 10% total) while luxuries cut a noticeable chunk out of it (15-20%). Property of their own and exceptional equipment should cost a large chunk of their resources (30-70%) and drive them to go on further adventures to gain more resources.

These ratios change as they gain experience. A starting party should barely have enough for the necessities. Luxuries will eventually become a meaningless expense as they grow in power and resources. Land and equipment (including spells) that improve their performance should be priced based on the level you want it to become available to the party.

benis

>>49929887
>the economy of Fallout is really weird and different everywhere

That's a fact you can use to your advantage. Fallout is a setting where goods are scarce, a lot of them just plain aren't getting made anymore, barter is common, and transportation is dangerous. Prices will very widely based on what your current trading partner needs right now. If you have one NPC demand 50 caps for a stimpak, you don't need to worry that you've just set a precedent you can't take back. His neighbors might ask for a much higher price, and maybe he will too in a week.

And if you don't want the PCs to worry about carrying thousands of bottle caps, just establish another item that almost everyone will accept as a medium of exchange, either something everyone needs (RadAway, water purification tablets,) letters of credit from local governments or other power groups, or something tied to local culture that people will get on board with (pre-war baseball cards of great Canadian heroes)

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>>49933083
>>49929887
How did I not think of this? Use wampum, beaver pelts, and made beavers (coins backed up with beaver pelts by a local government.) Wampum is not a stable currency for long when metal tools are available, but maybe the shellfish they're made from are scarce or extinct, so it balances out.

>>49929797
I'm involved in making an online game right now, and basing a lot of the costs and expenses on an earlier system that had everything laid out. I just recently figured out the economics made up about 80% of the game, with the other 20% being evenly split between crime and politics.

Most interactions in the game are economic interactions. Combat exists but is less important. If we compare it to an organism the economic system is what enables normal day to day operation, and combat is like a response to a spore or a tumor.

>>49936619
Seconded, thirded and beavered.

>>49930097
not OP but thank you, this is helping out in my friends homebrew.

I've heard of a book called And a Ten Foot Pole that was supposed to have a ridiculous amount of priced items in it.