This article explains how to interpret and use equipment price lists when running games in Aletheia.
The goal is simple: allow existing price lists to be used easily while keeping the economy consistent with the silver-penny standard described in Economy and Currency of Aletheia.
The short version is that most price lists assume a base unit roughly equivalent to a day’s wage for a laborer. In Aletheia, that role is filled by the silver penny.
So when translating prices into the setting, the conversion is straightforward.
The Basic Conversion
Treat the base price unit used in most equipment lists as equivalent to one copper coin.
Where copper is used in Aletheia, the common accounting relationship is:
8 copper = 1 silver penny
So the practical conversion rule becomes:
8 listed price units = 1 silver penny
Examples:
| Listed Price | Aletheia Price |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 copper |
| 8 | 1 silver penny |
| 80 | 10 silver pennies |
| 160 | 1 gold coin |
This conversion keeps equipment prices aligned with the economic reality that a laborer earns roughly one silver penny per day.
Why This Works
Most price lists are built around the idea that an ordinary worker earns a modest daily wage and that goods scale relative to that income.
When converted using the rule above, the results line up naturally:
-
small everyday goods cost fractions of a day’s wage
-
tools cost several days
-
weapons cost weeks
-
armor costs months
Which is exactly how people in Aletheia tend to think about value anyway.
Availability Matters More Than Price
Aletheia operates at roughly late medieval technology with emerging early-renaissance craftsmanship.
This means that many items exist, but not everywhere.
The important question is often not “How much does it cost?” but:
“Can you find someone who makes this?”
As a general guideline:
Common equipment
-
tools
-
simple weapons
-
farming gear
-
basic clothing
can be found in most towns.
Specialized equipment
-
complex weapons
-
professional tools
-
precision instruments
usually requires a large town or city with skilled craftsmen.
Rare equipment
-
precision devices
-
advanced optics
-
specialist instruments
may exist only in major cities, universities, or guild workshops.
Even if the listed price is clear, finding someone who can actually make the item may take time.
Adjusting Prices for Advanced Craftsmanship
Most equipment should use the converted price directly.
However, some items represent high-precision or early renaissance craftsmanship. These items may cost slightly more in Aletheia because they require exceptional skill or rare workshops.
A simple rule works well:
Advanced craftsmanship items may cost about 25% more than the converted price.
This commonly applies to:
-
master-crafted weapons
-
highly articulated plate armour
-
advanced mechanical devices
-
high-quality optics
The item exists, but it requires a master craftsman, not an ordinary smith.
Precision Instruments
Some items appear late in technological development and therefore remain rare.
Examples include:
-
spyglasses
-
precision clocks
-
delicate scientific instruments
These devices are usually:
-
expensive
-
rare
-
produced only by specialists
In many cases magical solutions exist that perform the same function more reliably, which also limits how widely such devices develop.
Technology Limits
Aletheia operates in a world where magic exists and often replaces technological development.
Some technologies that might otherwise become dominant never reached that point.
For example:
-
gunpowder exists only as unstable alchemical experimentation
-
firearms never became practical weapons
-
explosive compounds are rare and often require magical stabilization
As a result, the military world of Aletheia still relies on:
-
bows and crossbows
-
steel weapons
-
armor and shields
-
siege engines
-
magic
rather than explosive weapons.
When in Doubt
When interpreting a price list for Aletheia, the following quick rules usually work.
-
Convert prices using the copper-to-silver relationship.
-
Ask whether the item could reasonably be made in the region.
-
Increase cost slightly if the item requires exceptional craftsmanship.
If something still seems strange, ask a simpler question:
How many days of work should this item represent?
The answer will usually point you to a reasonable price.
In Practice
Once the conversion is understood, most price lists can be used with very little modification.
A tool costing ten units becomes a silver penny.
A sword costing one hundred units becomes ten silver pennies.
A full suit of armor costing thousands of units represents months or years of labor — which is exactly what it should represent.
In other words, the system works the same way the economy does:
everything ultimately traces back to a day’s work in silver.
If you’d like, the next article that would be extremely useful for your setting is:
“Typical Costs in Aletheia”
A short reference table showing things like:
-
meals
-
lodging
-
horses
-
common tools
-
mercenary wages
-
ship passage
It helps players immediately understand what money feels like in the world.