Dwarven trade bars

[Lynos]

Does anyone know what "dwarven trade bars" are? It's a type of treasure in a Paizo module but I found no reference for it whatsoever in the rulebooks.

The only thing I found is from a Forgotten Realms wiki page where they talk about it being mostly silver but also gold. But nothing official from Pathfinder.

My players use PC Gen and if I give them treasure they need to be able to find it in the database and add it to their character sheets.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Firebug]

Which module?

[Lynos]

It's from PFS scenario 4-25, Glories of the Past part 3: The Secrets Stones Keep, page 9.

[Firebug]

It looks like they should be roughly equivalent to the Orcs gear and they should only find the bars if resolved the Orc encounter in A1 without looting the Orcs (ie killing them all).

Subtier 5-6 ~4000 gp:

750: 1 3rd level potion
300/ea: 2 2nd level potions
1350: +1 Breastplate
350: MW Breastplate
375: MW Falchion
4000: Belt of Con +2
100/ea: 4 standard Orc gear (Studded Leather/Falchion)
=7825 gp
Sell for 'half' probably, so say 4000gp

Subtier 7-8 ~5500 gp:

750: 1 3rd level potion
300/ea: 2 2nd level potions
1350/ea: 2 +1 Breastplate
2375: +1 Falchion
2000: :Amulet of Natural Armor +1
4000: Belt of Con +2
100/ea: 8 standard Orc gear (Studded Leather/Falchion)
=10850 gp
Selling for 'half' again so approximately 5500 gp.

[Lynos]

Yeah, I know, but what are the actual dwarven bars? What is their value? What are they actually made of? If you write for example "dwarven silver bars" in something like PC Gen do you get a hit, or should I simply replace them with gold coins? (even though the dwarven bars are more thematic)

I mean, the author of the scenario put this treasure there and my players would want to know what it's worth when it comes time to sell.

Thanks.

[Belafon]

There is no such thing in Paizo sourcebooks (Player's Companions or Campaign Setting) as far as I know. Flavor it however you want.

If you are playing this with official PFS characters it doesn't matter. (Because they get the gold appropriate for their level. You don't sell the items directly in PFS.)

If you aren't reporting this as a PFS scenario, just make them worth whatever is appropriate for their character levels. The scenario suggests they should be worth 655 gp per player if the characters are level 5-6 or 994 gp per player if they are level 8-9. (Average the two if they are level 7.)

[Firebug]

I would probably just say they are trading chits that the dwarven clans use for larger transactions between clans. Something like 500-1000 gp per.

[Andostre]

Before I read the first post and gained context, the title led me to envision pubs where Dwarves would trade their goods while drinking.

That's not really helpful, I know.

[Java Man]

I picture gold or platinum ingots with a value stamped on them by whatever entity supports them (bank, merchant guild, noble clan, whatev)

[DungeonmasterCal]

Andostre wrote:

Before I read the first post and gained context, the title led me to envision pubs where Dwarves would trade their goods while drinking.

That's not really helpful, I know.

So did I.

[Lynos]

@ Belafon

No, this is not official PFS play, just adapting the scenario for a homebrew dwarven-focused campaign (it's a pretty cool scenario).

@ Andostre

That is funny! :-)

Thanks for the ideas guys, I think just having those bars be the value of the gold the scenario give the players is a good idea, it's a more interesting treasure than just finding another stash of gold coins. A bunch of silver/platinum bars stamped with the seal of the Koldukar treasury or something. A memento from a long-lost past.

I guess for PC Gen purposes I could tell the players to just convert it to gold and be done with it.

[Wheldrake]

A "trade bar" is like an ingot of some useful metal. Historically, the Vikings used trade bars of silver and iron, but potentially also of lead, brass or gold as well. Basically it's any refined metal that is left in a kind of standard weight lump, presumably so that merchants could trade a standard-weight number of metal bars and know what they were getting, rather than have to weigh out each and every bit and piece.

I agree that the more picturesque you make your treasure hauls, the better. I know players would often prefer to find a chest full of coins rather than rich tapestries, ornate jewelry or cutlery or crystal goblets, but it's those unique treasures that stick in my mind.

[Klorox]

Java Man wrote:

I picture gold or platinum ingots with a value stamped on them by whatever entity supports them (bank, merchant guild, noble clan, whatev)

Yeah, 'trade bars' does suggest the concept of fixed value ^metal bars, especially when they are described as "Dwarven"

[Daw]

You may need to more clearly differentiate whether you are talking about trade bars being currency, or whether they are they are somewhat to highly standardized trade goods. With the pathfinder "economy" the differences are blurred.