Here is a alternate system of coins I worked up for my Mutant Future games to give them a little more sci-fi flavor.
Plastoons (pl)- plastic coins minted by a variety of city-states, not worth much far from originating mints and they can even get you in trouble in areas hostile to the minters.
Lead pieces (lp)- lead coins minted in a number of places. The purity can vary but lead has a low melting point and doesn't draw much radiation so it's possible to tell when too much of the coin mix isn't lead.
Uranium Pices (up)- Uranium coins are the most difficult to forge thanks to the tiny bit of radiation these coins usually carry. Not entirely uranium but if the don't give off enough ticks to someone with a detector the bearer will be in a lot of trouble. Large quantities of the coin are dangerous so the cash keeps flowing and large quatities are often held in lead coffers.
100 pl = 10 lp = 1 up
For Quick pricing of goods simply convert prices listed as cp to pl, sp to lp and gp to up .
If one has coins from fantasy realms turning up in places where folks use plastic, lead and uranium I recommend cp being worth 2 plastoons, sp being worth 1/2 lp, gp being worth 2-5 lp with a charge of 20% or more for money changing the fantasy realms coins.
Wow...how about DEPLETED Uranium pieces (valuable for their use in ammunition and armor).
ReplyDeleteKeep in lead coffers indeed!
Um, Uranium is pretty much harmless in its natural state. I've held a raw chunk in my hand. Refined Uranium is too 'hot' to handle. Also: Why did say, the Romans use Gold, Silver and whatnot as currency? Because its rare and easily purified. I can't see wastlanders wasting good & useful materials on coins: You need to use it to survive! I think gold makes a lot more sense the uranium or lead: Every old house will have a good bit of lead in it, and its a very common mineral if someone wants to mine it. Uranium is very very rare and almost certainly too hard to find to make coins out of. Plastoons I can see being valuable however.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to be overly critical, I just see some flaws here.
Canageek, how'd I miss this comment so long.
ReplyDeleteEvery old house near me has a goodly amount of copper in it as do the wires in the street but cp appear as a standard coin type in the game book. I'm not going for science reality here but science fantasy. Relax, have some fun, it's all about mood.
True, also copper is too useful to use as money I would think. Lead however is pretty easy to find, and I've held uranium a couple of times, but unless your in Canada, France or Russia good luck doing so.
ReplyDeleteWhat about credit cards? They seem plentiful enough to make currency, and durable enough. Plastic ID cards would make ideal currency: Light, durable, and a balance between really common and rare.
ReplyDelete@canageek, credit cards would likely be one means by which one could find the materials to produce plastoons. A tool to trim and stamp and viola, a fresh new plastoon.
ReplyDelete