Currency

[quindraco]

I was just rereading the comic, and I realised.....

I have no idea what a "Rand" is.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0011.html

Whatever they are, 8 seems to buy you some education, and 20 (a 150% tip) is implied to be pretty hefty.

I don't think they're Shmuckers.

Does anyone know?

[DragoonKain]

Might be something similar to skill points for casters maybe? Just a wild guess. The Magic Kingdom already accepts Shmuckers, as we saw with the Warlord spell.

[Fjolnir]

it's probably the equivalent of coinage, pennies and such

[K2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand


Greenspane was also one of her students(and lovers)

[Bonecrusher Doc]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_rand ?

[Godskook]

Its also possible that Rands and Shmuckers are equivelant, just like Bucks and Dollars are.

[Bawon von Howse]

...I kind of just assumed that Rand were the cents/pennies, whilst schmuckers were the BIG BUCKS!

Though I wouldn't hazard to guess at what they would sum up to, it would seem that a Rand is a reasonable denomination in itself, and schmuckers must be worth a lot in comparison as well!

[BRC]

Rand is probably used for individual bartering, while Shmuckers are used between nations. There is probably an exchange rate, they are just different scales. Perhaps 1 Shmuker=100 rands or somthing.

[Lamech]

I'm leaning to Rand being for individual type things like buying some clothes a unit wants or a magic lesson for fun, and shmuckers being for things like upkeep and buying units.

I don't think there is some sort of natural exchange rate between them; maybe money changer people exist, but not something set by Erfworld. The reason for this is that I'm betting a magic lesson would cost more than a shmucker or two.

[quindraco]

I'm also wondering what the deal is with moneymancy - I can't see any way to have it do anything worth a damn without the thing it does being so awesome, you'd be insane NOT to pop a moneymancer.

Perhaps the Rand is currency you magically can't magic, like latinum in Star Trek, which is magically unreplicatable? So you use shmuckers to pay the universe - e.g. when you need to pop something - and Rands for exchanges between people/corporations/entities.

[DevilDan]

Or perhaps Rands and Shmuckers are different currencies of different nations or areas.

I am attracted to the idea that rands might have a special significance in or tie to the Magic Kingdom.

[quindraco]

Or perhaps Rands and Shmuckers are different currencies of different nations or areas.

I am attracted to the idea that rands might have a special significance in or tie to the Magic Kingdom.

Actually, that's what led me to my idea; in the Magic Kingdom, which appears to be shaped like a pie, you're never that far from a whole nest (hive? bank? mint?) of moneymancers.

Of course, it could be as simple as Rands being "mana biscuits", becoming a de facto currency among casters which noncasters have no interest in (beyond paying casters with them).

[DevilDan]

Actually, that's what led me to my idea; in the Magic Kingdom, which appears to be shaped like a pie, you're never that far from a whole nest (hive? bank? mint?) of moneymancers.

Of course, it could be as simple as Rands being "mana biscuits", becoming a de facto currency among casters which noncasters have no interest in (beyond paying casters with them).

Interesting idea.

We know nothing about what moneymancers do, on the other hand. What if their main spells involve "multiplying" money in the same way that a bank's interest rate would?

[SteveMB]

Interesting idea.

We know nothing about what moneymancers do, on the other hand. What if their main spells involve "multiplying" money in the same way that a bank's interest rate would?

Another possibility is that if Stanley had a moneymancer, he could have taken his treasury with him.

(Also, I put together an advertisement for the benefits of Moneymancy. )

[quindraco]

(Also, I put together an advertisement for the benefits of Moneymancy. )

Ah, but can my moneymancer also repair my damaged credit rating?

I want to see what happens when you strap a moneymancer to a dittomancer, with maybe a mathamancer thrown in for good measure. Then attune the new entity to the arkenwallet.........

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I just noticed that, in that strip, the teacher's name is Janis.

Janis Joplin, anyone?

[Gez]

It's possible that rands are personal currency (used by units) while schmuckers are national currency (used by factions). It's also possible that one is slang for the other.

The simplified nature of the world (there is only one language, which is called "language") makes me doubt different "countries" have different currencies.

[DevilDan]

I just noticed that, in that strip, the teacher's name is Janis.

Janis Joplin, anyone?

Yeah, that was a pretty obvious one, particularly given her clothing.

[imp_fireball]

It's possible that rands are personal currency (used by units) while schmuckers are national currency (used by factions). It's also possible that one is slang for the other.

The simplified nature of the world (there is only one language, which is called "language") makes me doubt different "countries" have different currencies.

Except that currencies in different countries are notably worth different values at the international level (in real life), so their could be some significance in that aside from there only being one language in the entire universe in erfworld. Besides, english speaking countries have different currencies.

Before you attack the forex market, you must ensure that you are sane blah blah blah...

Or you could simply buy low, after of course studying what 'low' is in a stock.

If you want to make money faster, then buy low in lots of places, otherwise there will always be one stock that rises faster than the one you invested in. It's that easy.

[Ovaltine Patrol]

Ah, but can my moneymancer also repair my damaged credit rating?

That, and buy out your structured settlement.

[MadScientistMat]

Here's a crazy currency question: I can't recall actually seeing any examples of currency in the comics so far. When Sizemore paid for the spell, they kept the Rands in a purse. And I can't remember any strips actually showing Smuckers at all. Anyone have a strip that shows them? Or are they just numbers in the computer's memory (or written on a character sheet somewhere if it's a tabletop game)?