Page 15 - D&D - Player's Handbook

much of Featherdale for nearly seventy years when the COIN OF THE REALMS
war came to an end. Nearly every major power of FaerOn has its own currency:
Before Netheril claimed Sembia as a vassal state, mer- coins minted within its borders that represent both its in-
cenary work and adventuring were popular livelihoods fluence.and material wealth. Most coins of pure composi-
among Sembians who didn't have local families to feed. tion and standard weight are accepted at face value across
Those endeavors are even more popular now among the continent, though not every city-state or nation bothers
to mint every sort of coin.
veterans of the war, who are better trained than their
Some of the most commonly found, and widely accept-
predecessors were. A few of Sembia's less scrupulous
ed, currency in the Realms is summarized below. Each
former soldiers have taken to banditry, which offers other
grouping is arranged in order of value: copper, silver,
Sembians more opportunities for guard work.
electrum, gold, and (when present) platinum. Most people
Thay. For centuries one of the greatest concentrations across FaerOn refer to coins by whatever name the issuing
of magical might in Faerfin, Thay is ruled by the ancient government uses, regardless of origin, except for Zhentil
lich, Szass Tam, and the nation's Council of Zulkirs in Keep-for some reason, all Zhent coins have unflattering
a ruthless magocracy. The council's will is enacted by epithets associated with them.
regional tharchions and bureaucrats, leaving the ruling
Arnn: fander, taran, centaur, danter, roldon
Red Wizards to focus on magical study and more im- Cormyr: thumb, falcon, blue eye, golden lion, tricrown
portant arcane matters. Sembia: steel pence (an iron coin), hawk, blue eye, noble
For a time, living mages couldn't hope to advance to Silverymoon: glint, shield, sword, dragon, unicorn
prominence in Thay: Szass Tam promoted undeath as Waterdeep: nib, shard, sambar, dragon, sun
a means of existence with boundless possibilities, and Zhentil Keep: fang ("dung-piece"), talon/naal ("flea-bit"),
held back those who didn't agree with this philosophy. tarenth ("hardhammer"), glory ("weeping wolf"),
The recent battles with the demon Eltab, however, have platinum glory ("flat metal gem")
prompted Szass Tam to loosen this stricture- the living
Silverymoon also mints two special coins: the moon and
now have hope of ascending within the Red Wizards, the eclipsed moon. The moon is a crescent-shaped, shin-
even if that hope is merely to advance to a high station ing blue coin of electrum, valued at 2 unicorns in Silvery-
within the cadre of Tam's servants. moon and nearby settlements, and 1 unicorn everywhere
Thesk. Reminders of the century-old war with the else. The eclipsed moon stamps an electrum moon with a
Tuigan horde remain throughout Thesk, in the many darker silver wedge to complete a round coin. It is worth 5
and varied features of its present-day inhabitants, partic- unicorns within the city, but only 2 unicorns elsewhere.
ularly the half-ore descendants of the mercenaries who Waterdeep has its own coins. The taol is a square piece
of brass, worth 2 dragons in the city-and virtually worth-
fought in that great conflict. less to anyone not trading with Waterdeep. Most traders
Thesk is known to many as the Gateway to the East exchange their taols for standard coins before traveling.
because it is the western terminus of the Golden Way,
The "harbor moon" is a palm-sized crescent of platinum
which runs through the Hordelands and into Kara-Tur. inset with electrum, and is worth 50 dragons in the city, 30
Because their city is a crossroads of sorts between dragons elsewhere. Its name comes from its common use
Faerfin and the east, it should come as no surprise that in buying large amounts of cargo. Both taols and harbor
Theskians don't judge outsiders quickly, and don't bris- moons are pierced to enable the bearer to string multiple
tle at visitors who demonstrate strange quirks in speech coins together.
or behavior. The people of Thesk trade readily with any Baidu r's Gate sets the standard for minting trade
folk, even nearby ores and goblins that are willing to bars-ingots of metal (usually silver) of an accepted size
treat with them peacefully. They aren't fools, however, and weight used in lieu of great piles of coins or gems for
larger transactions. The most common such trade bar is a
and have no patience for violent or raiding humanoids of
5-pound bar 6 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick,
all sorts. valued at 25 gp.
Turmish. On the southern shore of the Sea of Fallen
Stars, Turmish is a nation of mercantile cities ruled
by its Assembly of Stars, representatives of each of its
cities in a parliamentary democracy. After being much
diminished by the devastation wrought in this area a
century ago, Turmish is currently enjoying a revival
of its fortunes, as the rising of the waters of the Inner
Sea has returned some of the trade that was lost in the
cataclysm. Turmish is the birthplace of the Emerald En-
clave, which has proudly taken credit for the rebirth of
Turmishan agriculture, the cessation of the great rains
that plagued the region a few years ago, and the resto-
ration of the god Lathander.
Tymanther. In decades past, the land of the drag-
onborn claimed as its territory part of what had been
the vanished nation of Unther. Then Unther suddenly
returned to Faerfin a few years ago and promptly went
to war against Tymanther. The realm has since been
reduced to small tracts mainly along the coast of the