Merchants in Maratha honor both Istrian and Kalmarian coinage, although the latter must be weighed to determine their value. Similarly, raw metals are accepted by many, since it's the weight of metal more than the stamp on the coin that determines its worth.
Istrian coins feature a blazing sun on the back and a monarch's head in profile on the front; generally, any three or so monarchs' images are in circulation at a time, with the oldest being least common. Kalmar's smaller coins are marked on both sides with the symbol of the tribe which minted them.
The exchange of the three coin types is simple enough: 100 copper coins to the silver moon, 100 silver to a gold sun piece.
The incomes and costs laid out below are intended as a guide rather than a strict ruleset; to offer an indication of what's within any given character's economic reach, and what's harder to come by.
Income
On average, this is the daily income a given type of character might expect:
beggar or petty thief: 1 to 50 copper
street prostitute: 40 copper to 1 silver
courtesan: 5 to 15 silver
farmer: 30 to 90 copper
apprentice: 30 to 50 copper
crafter or smith: 1 to 10 silver, depending on wares and level of skill
merchant or shopkeeper: 50 copper to 10 silver, depending on several factors
innkeeper or tavern owner: 1 to 10 silver
private guard or mercenary: 50 copper to 10 silver, depending on skill and employer
soldier: 2 to 25 silver, depending on rank and experience
mage student: 5 copper (shelter and meals being provided)
average mage: 75 copper to 5 silver, depending on skill and demand for services
mage teacher: 50 copper to 2 silver, depending on skill and need for money (shelter and meals being provided)
noble: 20 to 50 silver
Expenses
On average, these are the costs that might be encountered; all are one-time costs unless otherwise noted:
simple meal: 5 to 10 copper
average meal: 30 copper
expensive meal: 50 copper to 5 silver
banquet: 15 silver to 2 gold, depending on number of guests and level of extravagance
simple clothes: 40 to 60 copper per piece, new
average clothes: 1 to 5 silver per piece
expensive clothes: 10 to 30 silver per piece
cheap alcohol: 4 to 10 copper per flagon
wine, spirits: 40 copper to 10 silver per bottle
high quality liquor: 20 to 50 silver per bottle
dagger: 50 copper to 2 silver
cheap weapon/armor: 3 to 50 silver per article
good weapon/armor: 40 to 75 silver per article
expensive weapon/armor: 1 gold and up per article
cheap jewelry, perfume: 50 copper to 1 silver
good jewelry, perfume: 5 to 30 silver
expensive jewelry, perfume: 50 silver to 1 gold
pony, workhorse, ox: 1 to 20 silver
average riding horse: 30 silver to 5 gold
warhorse or racehorse: 5 to 50 gold
carriage ride: 30 copper
carriage: 5 to 30 silver to purchase, not counting horses
carter service: 20 to 50 copper
cart or wagon: 1 to 30 silver to purchase, not counting horses
inn room: 5 to 50 copper per night, depending on size/location and popularity
rented space/apartment: 1 to 50 silver per rental period (week/month), depending on size/location
small house: 30 silver to 1 gold, depending on degree of 'smallness'; only applies to 'in town' houses
large house/manor: 90 silver to 10 gold, depending on degree of 'largeness'
estate: 10 to 30 gold
Glyphic Spells
Having a mage cast the spell immediately is generally at least five times cheaper than purchasing a crystal, as there are more mages who can cast basic spells than there are who can inscribe a glyph in a crystal. Crystal price also depends on how suitable it is for the glyph and how much the crystal cost the mage. Quartz, for example, is quite cheap. Rubies are not.
Simple, one-use spells: 1 to 5 silver ( crystals run 5 to 25 silver )
- examples: fire, light, luck, concealment, unlocking, simple wards/alarms
Complex, one-use spells: 3 to 10 silver ( crystals run 15 to 50 silver )
- examples: simple healing, complex wards/alarms, spells with a large area of effect
Difficult, one-use spells: 7 to 20 silver ( crystals run 35 to 100 silver )
- examples: complex or difficult healing, spells with a large area of effect
Prices go up from there, and quickly. The more skilled the mage, the higher their price; the more complex, difficult, or unusual the spell, the higher its cost. Crystals with glyphs that can be used more than once are exponentially more expensive than those which have a single use.
All due credit to Kushiel MUX for the income/expense list idea.
