A character died in my campaign and I am going to encourage my players to pay for his burial. They are only 2nd level and can't afford Raise Dead or anything like that.
So how much does it cost for a burial plot, funeral, and that kind of thing? How much would it typically cost for a commoner, middle class person, and for an aristocrat? I gather that if you were rich there's probably no upper limit to how much you could spend, but how much is commonplace?
BTW, this will be taking place in Sandpoint, if that helps.
Peet
Common shovel: 2 gold
Unowned plot of land: free
A strong character to dig a hole: free (or you might just leave that person something in your will)
A stone: free
Having the wizard use arcane mark to inscribe your headstone: free (or leave the wizard a little something too)
Total cost: 2 gp (unless you want them to hire professional mourners for your funeral. Those will cost you 1 gp each.)
Did the PC do anything noteworthy, like help save the town from the goblin attack? Then be a beneficent DM and say the town would like to show their gratitude by giving the character a free plot in the new churchyard. The town is taking up a collection to get the PC a fine headstone. Seeing folks pitch in their coppers and silvers, but still be some bit shy for the full cost, should get them to pitch in the remainder unless they're completely cold-hearted. Best to allow them to be generous rather than making it look like you're sucking money from them.
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Well, having a grave dug and filled can't be more than a day's work for an unskilled laborer or two, so that's 1-2 gp. That's technically all you need, since you dig a hole on some land no one claims, throw the body in, fill the hole, and you're done. (EDIT: Or buy the shovel and do it yourself as noted above.) That doesn't get you a plot in the graveyard or a coffin, though.
Now, if you want to go fancier...there aren't any real guidelines, but a cart is 15 gp, so I can't imagine a baseline coffin being any more expensive than that, and a 'Pit' room (which can explicitly be used as a mass grave...ie for more than one person) is only 40 gp. So...call it 56-57 GP at most to buy a plot, dig a grave on it, buy a coffin, and put the coffin in the grave. Maybe less if you think the plot or coffin should cost less (and I certainly do). Maybe a bit more for proper embalming (if you care...if you do, Profession-Embalmer is official, so you probably owe them another 2 gp or so), or for a priest to officiate (if they'd charge for that...I doubt Father Zantus would). That's a solid mid-range funeral there for around 60 gp maximum. I'd probably round it down to an even 50 gp for simplicity's sake and just go with that.
A full on crypt costs 490 gp...but that's a mausoleum, not a grave, and can hold multiple people to boot. Still, that plus an expensive coffin of some sort, embalming, and so on is probably about right for a rich nobleman's funeral.
Time and a modicum of compassion and respect.
Since the character helped defend Sandpoint from goblin attack (we are running RotRL BTW) I can see Father Zantus donating the plot. However the PCs are also quite flush with cash having just cleared the Catacombs of Wrath, and people will know it.
Our party sorcerer doesn't have arcane mark but since it would only let him inscribe his own rune or mark, and not someone else's, I don't see how that would work.
Even if it did work, it seems kind of cheap in light of the fact that the party will also be able to sell off the dead character's belongings and keep his share of the loot.
I don't expect them to spend tons of money but I would like to see something. Their fallen companion certainly doesn't deserve the pauper's burial.
Noticed that common masonry stone costs 5 cp/lb. while marble costs 5 gp/lb. I'm going to add granite to the list at 5 sp/lb. A headstone will probably be at least 50 lbs, more likely closer to 100.
Peet
Well, having a grave dug and filled can't be more than a day's work for an unskilled laborer or two, so that's 1-2 gp. That's technically all you need, since you dig a hole on some land no one claims, throw the body in, fill the hole, and you're done. (EDIT: Or buy the shovel and do it yourself as noted above.) That doesn't get you a plot in the graveyard or a coffin, though.
Now, if you want to go fancier...there aren't any real guidelines, but a cart is 15 gp, so I can't imagine a baseline coffin being any more expensive than that, and a 'Pit' room (which can explicitly be used as a mass grave...ie for more than one person) is only 40 gp. So...call it 56-57 GP at most to buy a plot, dig a grave on it, buy a coffin, and put the coffin in the grave. Maybe less if you think the plot or coffin should cost less (and I certainly do). Maybe a bit more for proper embalming (if you care...if you do, Profession-Embalmer is official, so you probably owe them another 2 gp or so), or for a priest to officiate (if they'd charge for that...I doubt Father Zantus would). That's a solid mid-range funeral there for around 60 gp maximum. I'd probably round it down to an even 50 gp for simplicity's sake and just go with that.
A full on crypt costs 490 gp...but that's a mausoleum, not a grave, and can hold multiple people to boot. Still, that plus an expensive coffin of some sort, embalming, and so on is probably about right for a rich nobleman's funeral.
I doubt that the "expensive coffin" is that common, not like it is nowadays. A pine box is probably considered normal.
Not sure if an embalmer is necessary since you have clerics that can preserve the corpse until the funeral... but it would probably be cheaper than hiring spellcasters. I think it would be more than 2gp though since embalmers need materials (which in Pathfinder would probably be mildly alchemical in nature). Likewise a "donation" would likely be traditional to the church of the officiating priest.
I am also going to say that the character's NPC friends down at the Hagfish may want to have a wake for him.
Lots of good ideas here.
Peet
I think the estimates of between 50-100 gp for a dignified funeral -- as cheap as 5 gp for a pauper's grave, and as extravagant as 500 gp for a nobleman's entombment -- are pretty much correct. It's a pittance if they reclaim and sell their fallen friend's masterwork/magical gear, relatively speaking, but a proper burial is generally a social imperative for those who can afford it.
Does Sandpoint have a temple to Pharasma? If the friends of the deceased talk to the Pharasmin clergy (or better yet, if one of their number is a cleric of Pharasma), they might perform the undertaker's duties at cost or at no charge.
However you decide to handle the situation, I think it's awesome that you're encouraging your players to do this! A small thing, perhaps, but it's the little things that make roleplaying memorable. :D
Why in a world with necromancy they would bury and not burn i cannot understand....
Burying isn't so bad. It's actually having an embalming process that gets me. Let the damn things rot. Skeletons are easier to kill than zombies.