How much is half a million gold?

[Ninja_Prawn]

purchase the food production means

But comrade, you don't need any gold if you seize the means of production!

[Sigreid]

But comrade, you don't need any gold if you seize the means of production!

You need gold to seize the production.

[nickl_2000]

You need gold to seize the production.

Did this thread just go out into a "How to become and evil overlord" tangent?

[Sigreid]

Did this thread just go out into a "How to become and evil overlord" tangent?

I was more of going for "it's enough gold to become an evil overlord" vibe.

[EggKookoo]

I was more of going for "it's enough gold to become an evil overlord" vibe.

Or at least an evil landlord.

[hymer]

Or at least an evil landlord.

I'm not sure you need to specify 'evil' in that context.

[Sigreid]

It is also enough gold to get unwanted attention from the king as deep pockets waiting to be tapped.

[Unoriginal]

It is also enough gold to get unwanted attention from the king as deep pockets waiting to be tapped.

Given that it's the city's money that was embezzled and hidden away...

[Laserlight]

Did this thread just go out into a "How to become an evil overlord" tangent?

"How to become an Evil Overlord" is always on topic.

I concur with 1gp = about $100

$50 million, invested fairly conservatively, should give you a gross income somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 million year, without touching the principal.

It's also 1000lb, assuming it's all standard gold coin. Get a wheelbarrow.

edit: Dropped a decimal; fortunately they're not as sharp as Legos or d4s. Make that 500,000gp at 50gp/lb = 10,000lb. Get a LOT of wheelbarrows.

[EggKookoo]

It's also 1000lb, assuming it's all standard gold coin. Get a wheelbarrow.

Or five adventurers with an average STR of 13.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Or a moneychanger who can convert it into something with a better value/weight ratio...

[Knaight]

Or five adventurers with an average STR of 13.

Who are carrying nothing else - this plan has holes.

[EggKookoo]

Who are carrying nothing else - this plan has holes.

Well, also, I think 500,000 gold coins is more like 10,000 lbs, not 1,000 lbs.

We're gonna need a bigger party.

[Unoriginal]

Well, also, I think 500,000 gold coins is more like 10,000 lbs, not 1,000 lbs.

We're gonna need a bigger party.

A little party never killed nobody.

[Lunali]

Well, also, I think 500,000 gold coins is more like 10,000 lbs, not 1,000 lbs.

We're gonna need a bigger party.

Just need 20 bags of holding.

[stoutstien]

Well about 166,666 pigs

[JellyPooga]

For all those quoting the number of warships that much moolah could buy, does that account for outfitting and crewing those ships too? I mean, buying a ship is one thing, but hiring crew (which probably includes giring someone to do the hiring) and laying in rations, repair materials, spare sails, armaments and so forth, not to mention that some of the crew are going to require varying pay grades (the Captain, Navigator, Master of Arms, etc. are going to want higher wages than your average Crewman), luxuries for the officers and passengers, cargo (if any; depends on the purpose of the ship, I guess; for a Warship, the cargo is presumably "soldiers", who will also want paying, outfitting, arming and feeding). The "buy cost" of a Warship is, I suspect, small compared to its actual running cost over its useful lifespan. A ship is not an non-perishable commodity; it's a business investment.

Let's look at some numbers;

Warship: 25,000gp
- Crew:
- 60 unskilled x 1sp/day = 6gp/day
- 10 skilled x 2sp/day = 2gp/day
- 10 highly skilled (average) x 2gp/day = 20gp/day
- Cargo of 100 (crappy) soldiers x 1gp/day = 100gp/day
- Rations for 180 men x 5sp/day = 90gp/day

Before looking at spares, weaponry and other running costs (docking fees, etc.), that's 218gp/day. For ease sake and to account for some of those other running costs, let's round uo to 220/day. Multiply by 30 for a month = 6,600gp/month. x12 for a year comes to roughly 80,000gp/year running cost; just over three times the purchase price.

In short; to buy, outfit and run a single Warship for six months is going to cost you about 75,000gp. With a cool half-million gp, you can buy yourself 5 or 6 Warships, including around a thousand (mostly not very useful) men and soldiers, fed and equipped for six months of active duty and you'll probably have a little change left over. 500,00gp is enough for a decently sized rading force, but certainly not enough to conduct a war or stage a coup without other factors being significantly advantageous.

[Knaight]

In short; to buy, outfit and run a single Warship for six months is going to cost you about 75,000gp. With a cool half-million gp, you can buy yourself 5 or 6 Warships, including around a thousand (mostly not very useful) men and soldiers, fed and equipped for six months of active duty and you'll probably have a little change left over. 500,00gp is enough for a decently sized rading force, but certainly not enough to conduct a war or stage a coup without other factors being significantly advantageous.

No. However those costs require assuming that the warships aren't making money themselves (which, for that raiding force is literally the point), that you can't get sailors for future loot shares (again, standard for a raiding force), and other such things. A similar point applies to merchant ships and being able to haul other people's cargo.

[JellyPooga]

No. However those costs require assuming that the warships aren't making money themselves (which, for that raiding force is literally the point), that you can't get sailors for future loot shares (again, standard for a raiding force), and other such things. A similar point applies to merchant ships and being able to haul other people's cargo.

Indeed. But the initial outlay must be there and no raid or merchant venture is guaranteed to turn a profit. 20 Warships or 50 Merchant ships may be a fleet, but when that's all you can afford up front, it's just a very large decoration taking up a lot of docking space. As I said, buying a ship is more akin to investing in a business; yes it can make you more money back, but for it to do that you need to put more money in than just the purchase price. In terms of useful buying power, half-a-million gp can't really buy a fleet of 20 Warships that can go invade a small country. It buys you five or so; enough to get yourself noticed and maybe start working your way up to a larger fleet if that's your goal.

Don't get me wrong, 5 fully crewed Warships and 500 fighting men paid for and fed for 6 months is a significant thing that will probably rake in cash over those 6 months (you'd better hope so after investing that much money!), but it's a better indication of just what 500,00gp actually buys you than looking solely at the purchase price.

[Randomthom]

It's enough that Adventurers would most likely retire...