Warehouse 23 - GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Treasures 1: Glittering Prizes

Did Somebody Say "Money"?

Any delver who has ever met a dishonest merchant can attest that it pays -- literally! -- to know exactly what you've dragged home from the dungeon. Sometimes it's good ol' gold and silver, but the world is older and stranger than even scholars and wizards admit. Canny treasure-hunters consult books before brokers, poring over tomes like GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Treasures 1: Glittering Prizes to decide what to keep and what to sell -- and for how much.

The Dungeon Fantasy Treasures series expands on the popular GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 8: Treasure Tables supplement. This first volume, Glittering Prizes, is your guide to identifying all the world's cash and separating what merely looks valuable from what will actually fetch a pretty penny in town. Learn all about:

Coins. Not everything that glitters is gold -- there's also billon, tumbaga, electrum, and stranger stuff. Weight and purity are issues, too, as are clipping and fakery.
Funny money. Don't throw away those colorful pieces of paper or that big old rock with a hole in it until you're sure it isn't cash in the eyes of somebody, somewhere.
Magical cash. Some coins are valuable more for what they can do than for what they're made from. Others are cursed. And then there's Hell money.
Fancy fabrics. Know your taffeta from your organdy. An enemy's colorful garb and shiny buckles might be worth far more than the contents of his purse, and the savvy slayer will take measures not to get it bloody.
Unusual materials. When an item is made of rare ebony, solidified moonbeams, or pure magical flame, it doesn't really matter what the thing is -- it'll net a tidy sum!
Motifs and cultural details. Become an expert on patterns and embellishments. Identifying an artifact as being from the Translucent City means getting five times the usual price from a collector, but if the coins bear the sign of the squid, it's best to melt them down.
And more! Currency systems, the practical matter of counting coin, and even rules for using money as a weapon . . . chances are that if you have a question about cash, it's answered right here.

Whether you're a GM looking to spice up a treasure chest or the player of a greedy adventurer, Glittering Prizes is the essential reference on the stuff worth keeping.

Written by Matt Riggsby