OK. Here it is.

Just note that this is a slight departure form standard 3E monetary
values, in that I assume that gold is worth 20 silver, not 10 as is
standard.

-----Original Message-----
From: Milos Rasic [mailto:mrasic@tehnicom.net]
Sent: 8. juni 2002 13:24
To: RuinsofEmpire@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [RuinsofEmpire] How much is a GB anyway?

This is a GREEEEAAT research. Congrats!!! Why don`t you post it on
Birthright list? I think a lot of people could improve your idea.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bjørn Eian Sørgjerd [mailto:bjorn.sorgjerd@c2i.net]
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 8:21 PM
To: RoE
Subject: [RuinsofEmpire] How much is a GB anyway?
The GB or Gold Bar is the standard monetary unit used in the RoE game.
It need not be actual money, but is usually part money, part natural
goods, part services, etc. Whether it is cold, hard cash or something
else does not matter in the RoE game. But how much is a GB, really? My
swordsmen cost 1GB each turn in upkeep, that’s too much in my opinion,
I’d like to cut costs! In the following: a description of the worth of a
GB and the life of the ordinary soldier.
1 Unit of gold = 20 units of silver = 200 units of copper/bronze
1 Bar = 20 pounds (about 9 kg)
1 Pound = 240 coins
This gives us the following:
1 GB = 20 SB (silver bars) = 20 pounds of gold = 400 pounds of silver =
4800 gp (gold pieces) = 96000 sp (silver pieces) = 960000 cp
(copper/bronze pieces)
Now, take a unit of swordsmen. Let’s say it’s made up of the following:
240 privates
8 corporals
2 sergeants
2 senior sergeants
1 chief sergeant
2 lieutenants
1 captain
256 fighting men
20-40 support personnel (cooks, clerks, quartermasters, grooms etc.)
ca 280-300 men
If you divide the value of 1GB with the number of men times the number
of days in a season, you get the following, which is the average amount
of silver that is spent on keeping one man in the field:
96000 sp/(300*32) = 10 sp
A unit on garrison duty gets half this or 5sp/man*day, which is divided
in the following manner (this is a simplification, the cook gets less,
but the captain far more, but it’s a good approximation):
Pay: 1 sp
Food, lodging, clothes: 2 sp
Arms and equipment: 1 sp
Administration and other costs: 1 sp
Grand total: 5sp
So, out of an impressive 4800 gold pieces, the fighting man gets a lousy
1sp per day of backbreaking labor and taking orders from incompetent
(but blooded) nobles. This is the same as a common laborer can hope to
make in a day. The main difference is that the soldier gets free food,
lodging, clothes, security, health care, and a host of other benefits
(perhaps even a dental plan). 1 sp is thus money that can be freely
spent – still not a lot, but more than the poor masses can ever hope
for. Money is usually paid out once or twice per month, with many units
encouraging the soldiers to withdraw only part of the money and save
them for later. Many do this, but many also spend their earnings freely.
By comparison, a skilled worker can earn 10+sp per day, but this is
quickly eaten up by living costs, so a soldier may have more money to
spend than a comparatively well-off worker with a large family.
The point is however, that there is really no place to cut costs –
except by a successful administration check which can shave 10% of the
upkeep of a unit.
Units on campaign will have 10 sp, divided as follows:
Pay: 2 sp
Food, lodging, clothes: 3 sp
Arms and equipment: 4 sp
Administration and other costs: 1 sp
Grand total: 10sp
The soldier gets twice the pay (increased risk), and there may be
additional bonuses as well. There is somewhat more expense incurred for
the provision of the troops, mainly from being away from one’s regular
supply points. Arms and equipment is the source of most expenses, with
weapons, armor, mounts etc constantly needing replacement.
So why do people risk their lives for 1 or 2 silvers a day?
If you never see action and save some money, you’ll get paid 16 silvers
a month. Not exactly a heap, but enough to spend on ale and other fun a
few nights and perhaps buy something nice once in a while. This is more
than half the population can ever hope for. Then there is the benefits
mentioned above. Even free, relatively nourishing food is a luxury for
some – health care is something they might never see elsewhere. Then
there is excitement, adventure, and camaraderie; powerful motivators in
their own right. Belonging to a unit also means belonging to a lord, and
that brings a sense of security and even legal rights not extended to
the commoners.
Then there is the hope of loot of course. When an army goes on a
campaign, pay doubles, but more importantly: there are bonuses and loot
shares even for the privates. It is an Anuirean tradition that the
soldiers either be paid part of the value of whatever is looted (or paid
in ransom) or are allowed a few hours to pillage on their own behalf
before the lord steps in and collects the rest. Many soldiers have
become rich in this manner.
Many soldiers die, or become maimed, but more go on to retire than you
would expect. Retirees come in two categories, the old and the quitters.
The old have been professional solders for their entire lives, perhaps
15 to 20 years. Many buy land or a shop in a city with their savings
(which should be quite large after so many years). The quitters stay in
for the first (compulsory) term after basic training. They take whatever
money they have saved, and try to find another line of work. Some end up
as guards, mercenaries or other martial professions, but more settle,
marry, learn a craft (or learned on in the army) and raise a family.
That is what you get for a GB :-)

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