Wealth and Equipment

This chapter presents rules for determining how much money an adventurer has access to, and some lists of equipement for them to buy, sell, or carry.

Wealth

There are three types of wealth:

• Land: ancient societies derived most of the wealth from farm land. Such property provides characters with passive income, and is often the most desirable type of wealth. Actual work is done either by tenant farmers who answer to the character (directly or indirectly), or by the character’s family or entourage.

• Subordinate: this type of wealth comes from the extraction of someone else’s wealth. A common example is a character with vassals who take care of part of the character’s domain, and pay taxes for it. Another example is wealth derived from unfree labor.

• Cash: the simplest type of wealth is simply cash on hand. While this might be actual coins, it is more often letters of credit and easily bartered goods. For the purpose of the game, cash wealth is treated as simple and fast to use.

Land Wealth

Land wealth is measured in aruras, with one arura being roughly equal to two-thirds of an acre. It generally matches the area that one person can plow in a day with a team of two oxen using normal Bronze Age technology. The exact measure varies a lot based on the quality of the land, access to more advanced technology and magic, or the local agricultural practices related to harvest and fallow fields.

A typical farm with a family of half a dozen can, on average, tend to about 200 aruras, with a large part of the land left fallow at any given time, and other parts left wild or otherwise meant for other uses. In practice, many households have smaller lands than this, especially in times of overpopulation or other socio-economic problems. Families with various sources of income may have only a dozen aruras, such as when the main breadwinners get separate wages as soldiers, politicians, scribes, and so on.

Characters may own land from character creation if they got a few lucky rolls during the Adventurer Background phase. After that, characters must earn land through play. The most common ways to get land are as a reward for serving a political ruler or religious organization, as spoils from taking part in a military camapign, or passed down from a family member.

Harvest Roll

Wealth derived from land is determined on a yearly basis in the game, around the time of harvest in late Earth season.

Every year, at harvest time, the character must make a roll under their Occupation (Farm) skill. They may hire a GMC to handle the farm’s business, in which case they roll under that character’s skill. Modifiers to the roll include:

• Good / bad harvest year: +20% / –20%
• Raids and other disturbances: –20%
• Blessings from an appropriate deity: +20%
• Bonuses from Earth Rune magic: (depends on the spell)

The result of the harvest roll gives the following income modifiers:

• Critical Success: +20% L
• Success: base income
• Failure: –20% L
• Fumble: –60% L

Base land income per year is as follows, in Lunars:

Yearly income (L) = Land size (aruras) / 10

This amount takes into account the money spent supporting the character and their family, who are assumed to be working the farm. Modifiers include:

• Farmers are mainly hired / unfree labor: –20% C / +40% C

Subordinate Wealth

Subordinate wealth is wealth extracted from the character’s vassals, staff, or even slaves (if slavery is included in the game). It is measured with two numbers:

1. How much wealth is produced or obtained by the subordinates.
2. how much is paid in wages, upkeep, or fees.

The difference between the first and second numbers represents the benefits or deficits in the character’s accounting.

Subordinates must be obtained through play.

• Unskilled workers are paid 0.25 L per week but have skills of 20%.
• Skilled workers are paid 0.5 / 1 / 2 L per week for skill ratings of 40% / 60% / 80%.
• Unfree servants are captured or bought. If bought or sold, they are worth 100 / 200 / 300 L for skill ratings of 40% / 60% / 80%.

Each season, make a roll under the subordinates’ main professional skill.

Gifts and Passions

Exchange of gifts is a time-honored tradition in ancient socities to show respect and strengthen bonds. Some Passion rolls may be granted a bonus if the adventurer has time to bring gifts to the table. This only applies to Passions directed at individuals and groups of people, such as Loyalty (ruler) or Love (family). Gathering and presenting gifts requires time: it takes an hour for an individual, and a day for a community.

For individual Passions, consider the number of followers this person has. For community Passions, consider the community’s population count. Divide this number by 1000, rounding up. This is the value of gifts, in Coins, to get a +5% modifier. For smaller groups of 500 or less, each 1 C gift is worth +10%, and for groups of 250 or less it is +20%. The gamemaster may further modify this amount based on the request motivated by the roll. Gifts and bonuses may be kept in reserve as a favor for up to one season, after which it is lost.

Equipment

Melee Weapons

The melee weapons listed below are described with the following characteristics:

• Weapon: The name of the weapon. It may exist in various forms, whether cosmetic, cultural, or practical, but these forms all share the same statistics.

• Skill Specialization: The name of the Melee Weapon skill specialization to use when wielding this weapon, appraising its quality, etc.

• Damage: The normal damage dealt by this weapon.

• HP: The total Hit Points that represent the amount of damage the weapon can take before breaking. Melee weapons offer half their HP (rounded down) as AP when parrying.

• ENC: The encumbrance of this weapon when equipped.

• Initiative: The Initiative Modifier of this weapon when determining Turn Order.

• Notes: Any extra notes for this weapon.

Weapon	Skill Specialization	Damage	HP	ENC	Initiative	Notes
Small Axe	Axe	1D6+1	6	1	–5
Battle Axe	Axe	1D8+2	8	2	0	+1 damage if two-handed
Great Axe	Axe	2D6+2	10	2	0	Two-handed
Dagger Axe	Axe	2D6+2	10	2	0	Two-handed
Dagger	Dagger	1D4+1	6	1/4	–5
Sickle	Dagger	1D6+1	6	1	–5
Broadsword	Sword	1D8+1	12	1	0
Longsword	Sword	2D6+2	10	2	+5	Two-handed
Club	Mace	1D6	4	1/2	–5	+1 damage if two-handed
War Hammer	Mace	1D6+2	10	1	0
Maul	Mace	2D8	12	5	+5
Short Spear	Spear	1D6+1	8	1	+5	+1 damage if two-handed
Long Spear	Spear	1D10+1	10	3	+5	Two-handed
Pike	Spear	2D6+1	12	3	+10	Two-handed