You can only pay what you have, but if the amount struck in a bargain is more than you have in your possession you can try to get credit under the normal rules, but bear in mind that creditors can very quickly become enemies.
Alternatively, you can try to barter, but you must have something worthwhile to offer, meaning it has a similar value to the sum required. Again, value is dependent on circumstances.
A PC always has the right to refuse to bargain for their last two weapons, their last riding beast and their last two items of apparel.
Guidelines to values –
Edge Weapons
1 Silver for a basic dagger – 50 Gold for a fine greatsword.
Missile Weapons
5 silver for a basic crossbow - 1,000 Gold for a smuggled Aprinian rifle.†
Heavy Weapons
10 Gold for a Makean cannonette – 50,000 Gold for an artillery piece.†
Boats
1 Gold for a river skiff – 20,000 Gold for a well found galley.
Nymphs
10 Gold for wild – 200 Gold for a tame exotic.
Beasts of burden
2 Gold for an Ox – 50 Gold for a trained elephant.
Riding beasts
5 Gold for a farm horse – 200 Gold for a war elephant.
Slaves
3 Gold for a labourer – 3,000 Gold for a beautiful Aeg virgin sold in Vendjome.
Cloth
1 Gold for a bolt of Aeg homespun – 100 Gold for a bolt of fine Aprinian silk.
Drink
1 Copper for a mug of ale – 10 Gold for a bottle of fine Hai wine.
Spices etc
1 Gold for a casket of sugar – 100 Gold for a casket of curious Makean spice.
Furs
10 Gold for a wolf pelt – 100 Gold for the pelt of a rare Cyprean jungle cat.
† This sort of thing is not going to be available in the typical market, although PCs are perfectly welcome to attempt to set themselves up as gun runners.
Trade
PCs wishing to act as merchants might benefit from the following table of relative values, in which 1 represents a cheap product made locally and 8 a rare, expensive import. This is only approximate and does not include curiosities -
Furs
Gems
Wine
Glass
Dye
Silk
Ivory
Slaves
Aeg
1
3
5
6
7
8
6
n/a
Mund
2
3
4
5
6
7
6
n/a
Hai
3
4
2
1
4
5
5
6
Ythan
4
2
3
2
1
5
4
3
Makea
3
4
7
3
2
2
2
2
Oretes
5
6
4
3
3
4
3
4
Vendjome
6
3
6
4
3
3
3
1
Aprina
2
5
5
2
2
3
2
n/a
Kit
Each PC starts out with the clothes on their back, in a style typical of their region and status. Anything else must be exchanged for Golds from the amount they carry. This does not reduce their Game Points in Wealth, only what they have on them at the beginning of the game. At the start of the game you have a choice of three levels of kit, which must be appropriate to your people. A Stranger may carry one piece of armament appropriate to their culture per weight of gold spent, but it is incumbent on the GM to ensure that any PC bringing a magically rechargeable energy weapon gets buggered by trolls within a few turns. Otherwise -
1 Gold buys a set of basic travelling kit –
Aeg
Leathers, dagger, club.
Mund
Leathers, dagger, axe.
Hai
Leathers, sword.
Ythan
Leathers, crossbow.
Makea
Leathers, sword.
Oretes
Musket.
Vendjome
Musket.
Aprinia
Rifle.
2 Gold buys a superior set of travelling kit -
Aeg
Leathers, shield, dagger, axe.
Mund
Leathers, shield, dagger, sword.
Hai
Chain, shield, sword.
Ythan
Chain, dagger, musket.
Makea
Light plate, musket.
Oretes
Chain, musket.
Vendjome
Light plate musket.
Aprinia
Dagger, rifle.
3 Gold buys an excellent set of travelling kit -
Aeg
Light plate, dagger, axe, shield, longbow.
Mund
Full plate, shield, greatsword, longbow.
Hai
Full plate, shield, sword, crossbow.
Ythan
Chain, sword, musket.
Makea
Full plate, dagger, musket.
Oretes
Full plate, sword, musket.
Vendjome
Light plate, dagger, crossbow, musket.
Aprina
Sword, rifle.
Don’t forget that wandering around the streets of an Aprinian city with a rifle and half a dozen bandoleers of ammo is going to get you arrested, fast. On the other hand, a highborn lady of Mund keeps a dagger with her at all times, even in the bath. This sort of thing may lead to cultural incompatibility.
Retainers
Over the course of a game you might pick up any companion from a Vendjomois slave to a tame troll, but at the start you can only have retainers from your own people. The only exception is if you’re playing the Stranger, in which case you can take your pick but need to beware of the consequences of your choice.
You may purchase retainers as follows –
1 Gold gets you a basic retainer of 40 Game Points distributed according to their national characters -
Power
Pride
Allure
Craft
Greed
Guile
Wealth
Wisdom
Aeg
8
6
7
4
5
3
1
2
Mund
7
8
6
2
1
4
5
3
Hai
6
4
8
5
3
7
2
1
Ythan
5
3
2
8
7
1
4
6
Makea
4
2
1
3
8
6
7
5
Oretes
3
5
4
1
2
8
6
7
Vendjome
2
1
3
7
6
5
8
4
Aprina
1
7
5
6
4
2
3
8
plus 1 point in each of the four Basic Attributes, for example -
Mundic Peasant
Oretean Slave
Aprinian Citizen
Experience
1
1
1
Dexterity
1
1
1
Intelligence
1
1
1
Constitution
1
1
1
Power
7
3
1
Pride
8
5
7
Allure
6
4
5
Craft
2
1
6
Greed
1
2
4
Guile
4
8
2
Wealth
5
6
3
Wisdom
3
7
8
Total
40
40
40
2 Golds gets you a superior retainer of 70 Game Points, with 40 points distributed as above plus 30 points to use as you please, for example -
Aeg Woodcutter
Ythan Guard
Vendjomois Eunuch
Experience
2
5
4
Dexterity
6
4
4
Intelligence
2
4
6
Constitution
6
5
2
Power
15
10
5
Pride
8
5
2
Allure
7
4
3
Craft
8
10
12
Greed
7
8
6
Guile
4
4
10
Wealth
1
4
8
Wisdom
4
7
8
Total
70
70
70
3 Golds gets you an excellent retainer of 100 Game Points, with 40 points distributed as above plus 60 points to use as you please, for example -
Hai Clown
The Maiden Saga: Role Playing Game Page 8