In a normal day, a plethora of goods flows through Tamriel’s markets. Tamriel’s many thriving economies have resulted in a continent linked through trade and commerce. There are a vast number of goods and services produced by these systems that characters might need to survive, or might encounter, during their adventures. This chapter is concerned with the economics of the Elder Scrolls setting, as well as detailing the various items players use or buy.
Currency
The main currency of Tamriel in the time during and after the Septim Empire is the Septim, a golden coin around the size of a quarter. Named after the dynasty that ruled the Septim Empire, it features a bust of Tiber Septim and a depiction of Akatosh. The inscription on the front reads, “The Empire is Law. The Law is Sacred.” And the reverse reads:, “Praise be, Akatosh and all the Divines.” Although many provinces issue their own provincial currencies these can all be converted to Septims. If you are running a campaign in an era before the Septim Empire, simply use an alternative name (such as “Remans”). And while we have no information on the way that the Empire handles its monetary policy, the authors are making the assumption that there are different types or denominations of currency in existence within the empire. In game terms, this means a few things:
- This Chapter will use the more Era-neutral word “Drakes” for currency. “Gold” is an acceptable substitute, though the authors would prefer not to assume that every coin actually contains gold.
- Coins have no in-game weight unless the GM decides a character is simply carrying too much money to ignore. This is done for simplicity.
- Rather than making players keep track of the different kinds of coins they have, it should be assumed that characters can carry as much money as they want, simply making use of more and more valuable denominations.
- Likewise, it should be assumed that there are enough coins of the various denominations floating around that individuals can always complete transactions accurately and receive change. In short, don’t worry about how many of which types of coins you’re carrying. Just keep track of how many Drakes you have. This is to save time and accounting for both the players and the GM. For groups that enjoy this sort of thing, it is easy to convert the system into one based around different types of coins. Simply use the value of a single Drake as the base for the lowest value coin and scale things up by multiples of ten for more valuable coins as you see fit.
Pricing & Acquisition
Pricing & Acquisition
Not all prices for one item are going to be the same: regional price variations are to be expected. Some things are simply harder to get a hold of in some places and easier in others. Additionally, item price will vary drastically with the quality of the item itself. We have intentionally left item rarity up to the Game Master for the majority of items in this section. These guidelines should help the GM produce prices that are acceptable for game-play purposes.
A Note on Rounding If an item ever ends up with a fractional price for any reason, simply round up to the nearest whole number.
Availability & Cost Modifiers
In order to locate an item for sale, a character must make a Commerce or Investigate test. The difficulty of the test should be determined by the specific item the character is looking for. The GM should use their judgment and lore knowledge in equal measure when making their decision. The following table can provide some guidelines:
Item Availability Modifier Extremely Rare -40 Rare -30 Scarce -20 Uncommon -10 Average - Ordinary +10 Common +20 Plentiful +30 Ubiquitous +40 Item Quality Level
Items can also vary drastically in quality based on how well they were made, or some feature inherent to the item. This will modify their price and their availability. There are three quality levels for most items: inferior, common, and superior. Exactly what measurable impact this has on the item (if any) will be explained in the appropriate section.
Quality Availability Price Inferior 2 steps more common -50% Common No change - Superior 2 steps rarer +100% Location Modifiers
While Tamriel has a flourishing international market, due to the many merchant guilds dotting the continent, certain objects must be imported or accessed through more illegitimate means. The following table can provides some guidelines for any such availability and pricing modifiers:
Circumstance Availability Mod Price Illegal ware Increased 1 step +25% Stolen goods Increased 2 steps -20% Local wares Decreased 1 step - Imported from nearby region Increased 1 step +25% Rare/limited import Increased 2 steps +50% Haggling for a Bargain
Bargaining is a part of everyday life and almost expected amongst professional merchants. Should a character wish to bargain with a merchant for the price of their wares, roll an opposed Commerce Test against the merchant. For every Degree of Success the character scores above the merchant, a 5% discount is gained. If the merchant wins the Commerce test, increase the price by 5% per Degree of Success instead.
Unscrupulous Traders
Certain merchants can be particularly unscrupulous in their bargaining, either due to holding a monopoly on a certain ware or being a position that allows them to press their hapless victim for an extra fee like a fence giving less for stolen goods, well knowing that the prospective seller has nowhere else to go. When bargaining with such unscrupulous types, the GM can choose to apply a penalty ranging from -10 to -40 to the characters Commerce Test when bargaining for a better price on their goods.
Appraising an Item
Not knowing the current market value of certain goods has been the bane of many a haggler. If a character wishes to assert the price of an object of inter- est before going for the bargain, roll a Commerce Test with a modifier equal to the items rarity (see ) to see if they can learn the current rates. On a success, the character gains a +10 bonus to their attempt at haggling.
On a failure however, add a -5 penalty per Degrees of Failure to their attempt at haggling, as they have misinterpreted the current trend of the market.
Link to original
Weapons
Transclude of weapons
Armor
Transclude of armor
Goods & Services
Goods & Services
This section contains prices for all the common, everyday things that characters need to survive, the luxuries that separate the rich from the poor, and the various properties and services that adventurers might need on their journey.
Lifestyle Expenses
Lifestyle expenses are a simple, average number players can use to track their spending during downtime and reflect the average amount a character spends on a daily basis to maintain a lifestyle of a certain comfort level. More comfortable lifestyles are typically more expensive but bring potential advantages in one’s status and perception.
These expenses include housing, food, entertainment, and all the other costs a character might accrue during normal daily life.
Type Total per Day Squalid 2 Poor 5 Modest 10 Comfortable 25 Wealthy 50 Aristocratic 100 Food & Drink
The various cultures of Tamriel eat many different foods. For convenience, simply assume that food purchased reflects the food of the local culture unless the character goes out of their way to find something else. Superior quality food tastes better, but otherwise there are no game effects.
When consuming alcohol, every drink a character consumes in excess of their Endurance bonus causes them to lose 1 SP.
Type ENC Price Ale (mug) 0 1 Ale (gallon) 1 3 Meat (serving) 0 4 Wine (common, pitcher) 1 2 Wine (fine, bottle) 1 100 Bread (loaf) 0 1 Cheese (hunk) 0 2 Lodging
Often on the road an adventurer won’t have the option of choosing where to spend the night. But when they do, they’ll quickly discover that luxury is expensive. This section contains prices for a single night of lodging in an inn or other temporary accommodations, with more comfortable lodgings costing more while offering their own advantages.
Type Price Per Day Squalid Free Poor 3 Modest 6 Comfortable 10 Wealthy 25 Aristocratic 50 Common Services
This section contains rules for basic services a character may need, including transportation and message delivery.
Type Price Errand Runner (per task) 1 Courier (per 5 kilometers) 2 Post (letter/province crossed) 1 Post (box/province crossed) 5 Uncomfortable Transport (land or sea, w/food) 10/day Comfortable Transport (land or sea, w/food) 40/day Hirelings
This section contains prices for hiring NPCs to perform particular tasks. This can range from legions of hired mercenaries and servants to the services of a single skilled enchanter or smith.
Type Price per Day Slave (food/upkeep) 3 Laborers 5 Servants 7 Thugs (enforcers, thieves) 8 Guard (sentries, town militia) 10 Ranger (scout, guide) 20 Craftsmen (smith, tailor, jeweler) 25 Apprentice (spellcaster, alchemist, enchanter) 30 Mercenary (professional soldier) 50 Scribe/Clerk (lawyer, bureaucrat) 75 Mage (spellcaster, alchemist, enchanter) 100 Adventuring Gear
Between tools and supplies there are plenty of things that an adventurer might find themselves needing on the road. A superior quality item provides a +10 bonus to any tests associated with it, while an inferior quality one imposes a -10 penalty.
Containers like the sack, backpack, or chest hold the listed amount of ENC, but halve the total effective value of the ENC contained within them as long as the objects could reasonably fit.
Type ENC Price Abacus 1 10 Backpack (small, holds 10 ENC) 1 20 Backpack (large, holds 20 ENC) 2 30 Bedroll 1 20 Blanket 1 10 Bottle (glass) 0 20 Caltrops (bag of 20) 0 10 Candle 0 1 Case (map/scroll) 1 10 Chain (3 meters) 1 50 Chalk (piece) 0 1 Chest (holds 20 ENC) 6 75 Climber’s Kit 2 150 Crowbar 1 35 Flask 1 5 Grappling Hook 0 25 Hammer/Saw/Mallet/Chisel 1 15 Healer’s Kit 1 75 Holy Symbol 0 40 Hourglass 0 250 Hunting Trap (small cage) 4 40 Hunting Trap (large jaws) 6 80 Ink (bottle) 0 50 Ink Pen 0 1 Iron Spike 0 1 Jug 1 1 Ladder (rope, 3 meters) 3 20 Lantern (bullseye) 1 120 Lantern (hooded) 1 60 Lock (per success threshold) 0 25 Magnifying Glass 0 800 Manacles 1 30 Mirror (small) 0 45 Oil (flask) 1 1 Paper (10 sheets) 0 3 Parchment (10 sheets) 0 2 Pick (miner) 1 20 Pole (3 meter) 1 1 Pot 2 30 Pouch (holds 5 ENC) 0 10 Quiver (holds 30 arrows/bolts) 1 15 Rations (2 days) 1 40 Rope (hempen, 20 meters) 2 10 Rope (silk, 20 meters) 2 100 Sack (holds 30 ENC, must be carried in at least one hand) 1 1 Scale (merchant’s) 1 65 Shovel 1 20 Spyglass 1 1000 Survival Kit (tinderbox, knife, etc) 1 50 Tent (per person) 1 35 Torch (includes oil) 1 2 Vial (1 potion) 0 2 Water-skin (2 liters) 1 3 Whistle 0 1 Tools
Some characters need specialized tools for their profession. Some of these can be easily carried, while others cannot. A superior quality tool set provides a +10 bonus to any tests associated with it, while an inferior quality one imposes a -10 penalty.
Type ENC Price Alchemist (Field) (max depth 4 ingredients) 1 500 Alchemist (Lab) * 500 Smithy * 200 Delicate Craft Tools (jeweler, cartographer, etc) 1 300 Simple Craft Tools (potter, carpenter, etc) 5 100 Thief (lockpicks, probes, etc) 0 25 Cooking (travel) 3 30 *This tool set is too large for one person to carry and instead requires a small space of its own.
Entertainment & Recreation
The prices here are for books, games, and other assorted recreational or entertainment items. Most of these have no game effect, though the GM might rule that characters can learn certain things by reading books or by giving them bonuses on tests for referencing them. Superior quality might reflect nicer looking materials, or in the case of books, that the book itself is a rare edition.
Type ENC Price Dice 0 1 Game Set 1 10 Deck of Cards 0 5 Tickets to Local Event 0 15 Book 1 100 Lute/Harp 1 80 Drum 2 30 Flute 1 50 Horn 2 100 Clothing & Jewelry
As with food, clothing varies drastically across Tamriel. As such the items in this section are meant to be generic and apply regardless of culture. Superior quality clothing or jewelry looks better or is more durable, depending on the item. Clothing items have an ENC of 1 (0 when worn) and jewelry an ENC of 0.
Type Price Common Clothes (EL 100) 20 Fine Clothes (EL 400) 100 Traveler’s Clothes (EL 100) 80 Robes (EL 400) 40 Gemstone 50 Gemstone (Flawless) 200 Ring (simple, EL 250) 100 Ring (fine, EL 500) 300 Ring (jeweled, EL 1000) 1000 Ring (extravagant, EL 1500) 5000 Necklace/Amulet (simple, EL 250) 200 Necklace/Amulet (fine, EL 500) 600 Necklace/Amulet (jeweled, EL 1000) 1500 Necklace/Amulet (extravagant, EL 1500) 7500 Livestock & Pets
Livestock is critical to the survival of many communities. The cost to maintain livestock (grazing is usually free, but it is important to have food stockpiled) for a week is roughly a twentieth of the animal’s price.
Type Price Cow 500 Horse (draft) 600 Horse (riding) 500 Horse (war) 1000 Guar 450 Guar (war) 900 Chicken 10 Pig 300 Sheep 150 Slave 400 Property & Transportation
Some adventurers are not wanderers and own property of their own. For some this takes the form of a small home, while others own and operate entire ships! Maintaining a property or means of transportation costs 1% of its total price every month.
Link to original
Type Price Hovel/Shack 100 Cabin/Cottage 1000 Apartment 1000 Small House 2500 Large House 5000 Villa/Mansion 10000 Estate 50000 Cart (small) 60 Cart (large) 120 Wagon 250 Rowboat 100 Sailboat 500 Silt Strider 10000 Ship (small) 30000 Ship (large) 60000 Warship (small) 50000 Warship (large) 100000
Arcane Items
Transclude of arcane-items
Crafting
Crafting
The variety of items found in this Chapter do not simply make themselves: someone has to gather the materials and create the item. This section contains rules for characters wishing to create items of all types.
Step 1: Determine Item
First, the character must choose the item they wish to create. Some items cannot be created, such as those that only occur naturally, so the GM should use discretion when determining if a character can craft an item. The character must also choose the quality of the item, if applicable, which when combined with the item’s base price will allow them to determine the approximate market value of the item.
Step 2: Gather Raw Materials
Next the character must gather the raw materials necessary to create the item. Exactly what this entails will vary from item to item, but as a general rule of thumb if the character wishes to purchase all the raw materials it will cost roughly one third of the item’s standard price.
Step 3: Determine Test Difficulty
Third the character determines the difficulty of the crafting test. The difficulty of the crafting test for most items is based solely on the quality of the item, and modified further as the GM sees fit. When creating weapons or armor the material also provides a modifier. See the tables below for test difficulties.
Crafting Difficulty
Quality Difficulty Inferior +30 Common +0 Superior -30 Material Difficulty (Smithing)
Material Difficulty Material Difficulty Adamantium -20 Leather +10 Bonemold -5 Malachite -20 Bone +0 Mithril -10 Chitin +0 Moonstone -10 Dragonbone/Dragonscale -40 Orichalcum -10 Dreugh Hide -10 Padded +30 Dwemer -10 Silver -5 Ebony -30 Stahlrim -10 Fur +10 Steel +0 Iron +20 Wood +20 Step 4: Make Crafting Test
Next the character makes the actual crafting test using the difficulty determined in the previous step. The skill that the character tests is based on the item they wish to craft. Creating weapons or armor uses the Profession [Smithing] skill, while other items will usually use some other variation of the Profession [Field] skill as appropriate. Failure produces no item, while critical success halves the time required.
Creating any item requires the appropriate craft tools. In the case of smithing, the character will also need access to a forge (along with the related facilities and tools) in order to complete the product. The actual act of crafting can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days (and sometimes even longer). During this time the character must be focused on creating the item. The duration required is left to the GM and should be based on the complexity of the item in question.
Runed Weapons & Armor
Characters with knowledge of Enchanting can imbue weapons and armor with magic runes that make them effective against certain types of enemies. The character must pass an Enchant (Skill) test when creating the item. On success, add the Magic quality to the armor or weapon and, if creating armor, add 1 Magic AR. On failure, the item is created without the Magic quality and the test cannot be repeated for this item.
Repairing Weapons & Armor
Much like people, gear does not always survive combat. In the event that a weapon or piece of armor is damaged, a character can attempt to repair it with a Profession [Smithing] skill test. This takes about an hour and requires raw materials worth five percent of the price of the item. Given a successful skill test, the character can reduce the X value of the Damaged (X) weapon/armor quality on the damaged item by their degrees of success.
Daedric Weapons & Armor
The Daedra are undisputed masters of craftsmanship, and it is possible for mortals to utilize many of their secret ritual techniques to create Daedric armor and weaponry, which draw power from a Daedric soul consumed during the creation of the item itself. However, detailed knowledge of the specifics of this process can be hard to come across. Daedric equipment is made by binding Daedric essence to ebony. As such, the process for creating Daedric armor or weaponry is mostly the same as it would be for the ebony equivalent but with a -40 penalty to the crafting test rather than the usual -30. Additionally, the character may only work at night and must have a Soul Gem containing the captured soul of a Daedra. Halfway through the process the character must make a -10 Enchant skill test. On failure they are unable to bind the soul properly and the only thing that they can salvage from their efforts is the ebony version of the item. On success, the soul is bound to the item and its power begins to twist the item into its Daedric form. The Willpower of the captured Daedra caps the item’s quality as specified below. Either way, the soul gem is destroyed and the energy within is lost.
Daedra Willpower Requirements
Link to original
Quality Daedra’s Willpower Inferior <40 Common 40-64 Superior 65+