clash of kings - guilds and money

8/17/2019 Clash of Kings - Guilds and Money

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Introduction Welcome to the third installment of Vigilance

Press’ line of historical fantasy supplements.Clash of Kings: Craftsmen, Merchants andMedieval Money brings the monetary world ofmedieval England into your OGL fantasy games.

This product presents a new core class, theGuildsman, as well as rules on medieval guilds,medieval coinage and finally an equipment list ofhistorical equipment suitable for a campaign set inthe historical Middle Ages.

New Core Class: TheGuildsman

Guildsman

Description: The guildsman is a craftsman(someone who makes things) or merchant (amiddle man who buys and sells commodities).On top of his skills at crafts and business, he isalso a member of a medieval guild, a powerfulorganization that wielded great political power,especially in the towns and cities of the MiddleAges.

Adventures: As the name of one of the mostpowerful trading guilds of the Middle Ages, the

Merchant Adventurers attests, craftsmen andmerchants did not just sit home and tend theirbooks. They traveled the dangerous oceans, riskedcapture and death at the hands of enemies of theirhome nation, dealt with backwater colonies andattended armies in the field to provide their craftsskills.

Characteristics: The guildsman advances in oneor both of two specialties: merchant or craftsman.He also gains experience in guild politics whichcould eventually see him rise to one the position

of Alderman, the guildsmen who wielded mostof the political power in medieval towns, evenselecting the Mayor (London’s Lord Mayor, forexample, was selected by a mere 26 Aldermen in atown with a population in the tens of thousands).

Religion: Guilds held an often uneasyrelationship with the churches in medievalEurope. Guilds had in part been formed at thebehest of the clergy, who were uncomfortablewith the greed associated with rampantcapitalism.

Written by: Charles RiceEditing/Proofreading : Paul KingLayout: David JarvisPlaytesting : Paula Rice, Corey Hodges,Edward LennonCover: The London Guildhall, as engravedby E. Shirt

Since a guild could serve to punish those thatcheated their customers and set fair wages andprices, the church saw them as a way to preventgreed from taking hold of the flock. While thisrelationship was mostly positive and mostlyworked the way the clergy intended, as guildsgrew more wealthy and were able to use thatwealth, which their sovereigns sorely needed, to

negotiate sweeping monopolies over entire fieldsof trade (and could thus charge whatever theywished for necessary commodities) the clergybegan to speak out against the very guilds theyhad encouraged and nurtured.

Background: Guild training began with anapprenticeship typically started between the agesof 14 and 21. Apprentices lived with a mastercraftsman to learn from him while also serving asa form of cheap labor. They were not allowed tomarry and the fee for becoming an apprentice wa

rather high.Because of this, apprentices were typically sonsof the landed gentry (those ranks between theyeomanry and the peers) or perhaps the youngersons of the nobility (those ranks detailed in Clashof Kings: Nobility). Women could take on a guildapprenticeship as well in select fields, typicallythose having to do with embroidery, weavingand similar tasks. Apprentices served for a termof seven years and were taught the basics of theircraft, in part to serve as a foundation for more

advanced study but also because the apprenticehad not yet proven he could be trusted with the jealously guarded advanced techniques of theguild yet. A character’s apprenticeship normallytakes place before 1st level of this class (thus a 1stlevel guildsman will typically be a journeyman atleast).

If the apprentice had shown an aptitude forhis craft at the end of seven years (requiring theproduction of a quality piece of workmanship in


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the eyes of his master) he would be granted thetitle of journeyman. The word journey describedthe distance one could travel in a day during theMiddle Ages and the journeyman was thus a daylaborer.

The journeyman was given papers by the guildidentifying him as someone qualified to traveland study from other masters while he worked

for them as temporary labor. This allowed thecraftsman to expand the range of his knowledgefar beyond what he had learned at the handsof a single master. This also allowed the guild’stechniques to evolve (though this happened veryslowly) as the journeyman could travel all acrossEurope honing his craft.

After years of traveling, the journeyman wouldno doubt aspire to rise to the rank of a mastercraftsman. This would allow the journeymanto settle down and take on apprentices of his

own, while also granting him an increasedlevel of security (since he would no longer be aday laborer) and in increase in wealth. Mastercraftsmen would be permitted to settle down ina town that needed their services and open upa shop of their own. To advance to the level ofmaster, the journeyman would have to produce amasterpiece (a masterwork item).

Finally, if a craftsman was very good at hiscraft (enough to become extremely wealthy)and a skilled politician, he might move into the

ranks of the aldermen. These guild memberswere given the authority to run the towns thatthe guild operated in by the King or Queen andserved for a term of six years. In true medievalfashion, the citizens of the town had no say inthe election of aldermen; rather they were electedby the outgoing aldermen, those who werefinishing their six-year term. In turn, the councilof aldermen would select one of their own toserve as the town’s mayor. In a small town theremight be a dozen aldermen but in the sprawling

metropolis of London there were 26.Other Classes: The guildsman would be a

welcome addition to many adventuring groups.If the character is a craftsman, especially oneskilled in the creation of weapons or armor, thecraftsman would find many friends from thewarrior classes (indeed such a craftsman mightfind wealthy nobles offering to pay him to comecreate weapons for them). If the guildsman isa merchant, his ability as a shrewd negotiator

would be welcome. And of course all guildsmenwould be prized for the contacts they hold incities throughout Europe both with their own andallied guilds. This makes the guildsman especiallvaluable in any sort of urban adventure.

Role: The guildsman is a fair warrior, ablenegotiator and skilled in a variety of skillsvaluable to the adventuring party.

Iconic guildsmen: Dick Whittington was alegendary guildsman who embodied everythingpeople of the Middle Ages feared and werefascinated by about the guilds and the towns theyoperated in. A poor but industrious apprenticein London, Whittington would rise in wealth,prestige and political power all the way to LordMayor of London. In fact he was one of thelongest serving Lords Mayor of that great city,serving as Lord Mayor through the tumultuousreigns of Richard II, Henry IV and his son Henry

V.One of the wealthiest men in London at the tim

of his death, Whittington, who was unmarriedand childless, left enormous bequests to helpbuild a new library for his guild, and to fundguild schools where other boys like himself couldrise from obscurity to greatness and also almshouses to feed the poor. Some of these monetarygrants are still funding schools and charitablecauses into the 21st century.

Game Rule Information Guildsmen have the following game statistics.Abilities: Intelligence and Charisma are the

most important attributes to the guildsman.Intelligence grants the character more experiencepoints and, in the case of a craftsman, makesthe character better at his chosen craft. For theguildsman who specializes in buying and selling,or for any guildsman wishing to advance in theupper political echelons of the guild,

Charisma is vital to gain an edge in negotiationA guildsman who is an adventurer or traveler(such as a young journeyman wandering Europe)will need good physical abilities in case he getshimself into trouble.

Alignment: Guildsmen can be of any alignmenthough Chaotic guildsmen could find themselvesexpelled from their guild if they cheat theircustomers or fail to follow the guild’s rules. Forthis reason most master craftsmen are Lawful,since they work better within the hierarchicalstructure of the guild.


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Hit Die: 1d8Class SkillsThe guildsman’s class skills (and the key ability

for each skill) are: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha),Concentration (Con), Craft (all) (Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information(Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (architecture,geography, history, local, religion) (Int), Open

Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex) andSense Motive (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6+ Int. modifier) x4Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6+ Int.

modifier

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the

guildsman. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The guildsman

is proficient in simple and martial weapons and

light and medium armor (including shields butnot tower shields)

Maker’s Affinity: The guildsman has anintimate knowledge of his own wares, knowingevery nuance of the item’s strengths andweaknesses, up to and including how it wasmade.

If the item is a weapon, the guildsman gains a+1 to hit with it. If the item is a suit of armor, hegains a +1 bonus to armor’s armor check penaltyand maximum Dexterity modifier.

For other items the guildsman gains a +2 bonuson a single skill check involving the item. Forexample a cobbler could make a pair of soft shoesgranting a +2 bonus on Move Silently checks or apair of shoes with exceptional traction granting a+2 bonus on Balance checks but he could not gaina bonus on more than one skill at time.

If the character is a merchant rather than acraftsman, this bonus applies to one category ofitems he deals in. Using the example above, aFactor (someone who buys and sells goods fromfarmers to sell in town) might have a specialeye for shoe-leather and would be able to buyshoes granting a bonus to one skill. Even thoughthe Factor might not know the first thing aboutmaking a pair of shoes, he knows a good pair forslipping past the town guard when he sees one.

Guild Specialty: There are two specialtiesavailable to the guildsman: crafts or mercantile.Either the guildsman makes finished goods or is amaster at buying and selling them.

Each time this ability is listen on the class tablethe guildsman may select an ability from eitherof these categories. The guildsman may be asspecialized or as generalized as he wishes. Theonly requirement is that the abilities must beselected in order. For example a character couldselect the first ability from the crafts specialty,then the first ability from the mercantile specialty

then the second ability from the crafts specialtyand so on.

Crafts1st: Speedy Construction +10%: When this

ability is gained, choose a single Craft skill. Whendetermining your progress for a week’s workon an item using that Craft skill, multiply anysuccessful skill check by the amount listed on theclass table. This is the actual progress (in sp) forthat week’s work.

This ability may be gained multiple times. Eachtime it is gained it applies to a different Craft skil

2nd: Trade Secret (Intermediate masterworkqualities): The guildsman has been introducedto the hidden trade secrets of his guild and isable to make items beyond the ability of ordinarycraftsmen. While the bonus the guildsman cangrant to an item is still only +1, he has nowlearned how to grant a different bonus besides anattack bonus or armor check improvement if hedesires.

Intermediate masterwork bonuses include:initiative for weapons, maximum Dexterity forarmor, Save DC for chemicals (including poisonsIf the item is an article that can be worn, it can beimproved to grant a +1 bonus to a single check(for example a pair of fine gloves that grants a +1bonus to Sleight of Hand checks).

Adding an intermediate masterwork quality to weapon increases its value by 50 gp in addition tothe normal 150 gp increase for a masterwork item(300 gp for weapons), as items with intermediatequalities are even rarer than typical masterworkitems.

One-third of this additional price must be paidup front as usual.

3rd: Apprentice: The guildsman takes on anapprentice. This provides an immediate cashboost as well as giving the guildsman a source offree labor. Each apprentice pays the guildsman100 gp for his training. In addition, an apprenticeincreases the speed of the craftsman’s work by an


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additional +10%.This ability may be taken multiple times.4th: Speedy Construction +20%: When this

ability is gained, choose a single Craft skill forwhich you have acquired the Speedy Construction+10% guild specialty. This ability may be gainedmultiple times. Each time it is gained it applies toa different Craft skill.

5th: Trade Secret (advanced masterworkqualities): The guildsman has been introduced toan even greater trade secret of his guild.

Advanced masterwork bonuses include: damagefor weapons, +5’ range increment for rangedweapons, armor bonus for armor, ability damagefor poisons or damage for chemicals such as acids.If the item is an article that can be worn, it canbe improved to grant a +1 bonus on two relatedskill checks, such as boots that provide a bonusto Move Silently and Balance, an eyepiece that

provides a bonus to Appraise and Search and soforth.

Footwear made with an advanced masterworkquality can instead increase the wearer’smovement by +5’ per round or allow him toignore the movement penalty of a single type ofterrain (not both). The game master has the finaldiscretion on skills that are linked.

Adding an advanced masterwork quality to aweapon increases its value by 100 gp in additionto the normal 150 gp increase for a masterwork

item (300 gp for weapons), as items withadvanced qualities are even rarer than typicalmasterwork items.


6th: Masterwork +2: This ability increases themasterwork bonus a guildsman can grant anitem to +2. This bonus must still be in one areabut can be applied to normal qualities as well asintermediate and advanced qualities. Granting amasterwork bonus of +2 increases the DC to make

the weapon to 25, rather than the usual 20 and thecost of a masterwork +2 component is increased to300 gp (600 gp for weapons).


7th: Speedy Construction +30%: When thisability is gained, choose a single Craft skill forwhich you have acquired the Speedy Construction+20% guild specialty. This ability may be gainedmultiple times. Each time it is gained it applies to

a different Craft skill.8th: Masterwork +3: as above except the total

bonus granted to the item is increased to +3, theDC to make the item masterwork is increased to30 and the cost of the masterwork component isincreased by 450 gp (900 gp for weapons);

Trade Secret (multiple qualities): theguildsman has learned the final trade secret of his

guild and can now grant an item its masterworkbonus in multiple areas. The total bonus ofthe item is unchanged but a weapon with a +3masterwork bonus could grant a +2 damagebonus and a +1 attack bonus, for example.

9th: Speedy Construction +40%: When thisability is gained, choose a single Craft skill forwhich you have acquired the Speedy Constructio+30% guild specialty. This ability may be gainedmultiple times. Each time it is gained it applies toa different Craft skill.

10th: Masterwork +4: as above except the totalbonus granted to item is increased to +4, the DCto make the item masterwork is increased to 35and the cost of the masterwork component isincreased by 600 gp (1,200 gp for weapons).

Mercantile 1st: Grease the wheels: The guildsman has

learned how much easier money can makenegotiations. For each 10 gp “gratuity” themerchant gives an individual, he gains a +1 bonu

on his next Diplomacy skill check when dealingwith that individual. The maximum bonus amerchant can gain through the use of this abilityis equal to his guildsman level.

Note that when combined with the MasterHaggler ability below, the merchant mightactually end up turning a profit using the twoabilities together. This means, effectively, that themerchant is bribing the factor he’s negotiatingwith for an easier negotiation at the expense ofthe nobleman the factor is negotiating on behalfof. This is a good way for heads to start rolling ifthe merchant is caught, but no said the life of amerchant was easy (or safe).

Greasing the wheels is done with gifts of value,never money. It is a grave insult to offer anyonewho is not a servant of yours money. Offering anoble a cash bribe will surely result in a challengeto duel.

2nd: Merchant’s Craft +2 (one skill): Themerchant gains a +2 bonus to one of the following


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skills: Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, GatherInformation or Sense Motive.

3rd: Goods and Services -10%: The merchant’scontacts with his fellow merchants allow him a10% discount on all goods and services with allthe guilds he is on good terms with (guilds inplaces where his Town Contacts ability wouldapply).

Money or your life +1: When forced to choose,for the merchant it can be a hard choice. Anytimesomeone tries to rob the merchant, he gains a +1morale bonus to attack, melee damage and savingthrows when fighting for his goods. This couldbe something as simple as an attempted streetmugging or as elaborate as a hijacking on theopen seas.

4th: Merchant’s Craft +4 (two skills): Themerchant’s bonus increases to +4. Also, themerchant receives this bonus on two of the listed

skills, rather than just one.5th: Master Haggler: The merchant is an expert

at drawing his opponent into negotiations andgetting the best deal out of those negotiations.This ability requires opposed Diplomacy checks.If the seller wins, the price of the item is increasedby 25% for every 5 points by which his skill checkexceeds his opponent (+25% at 1-4, +50% at 5-8and so on). If the buyer wins, the cost of the itemis decreased by the same amount.

In addition, the merchant is skilled at drawing

his opponent into the negotiating process. If hisopponent wishes to avoid negotiations, he mustmake a Will save (DC 10+ the guildsman’s level+the guildsman’s Charisma modifier). Even if theopponent succeeds at this save, he must give someground, granting a +25% bonus to the guildsmanif he refuses to negotiate (+25% if the guildsman isthe seller, -25% if the guildsman is the buyer).

6th: Goods and Services -20%; Money or yourlife +2.

7th: Merchant’s Craft +6 (three skills):

Money on the Wind: The merchant can find thebest market for his goods. On a successful GatherInformation skill check, the merchant hears of alimited time opportunity to fill a need and reap alarge profit.

If the merchant’s check is 15-19, the opportunityis three weeks away, on a 20-24 the opportunity istwo weeks travel away and on a 25 or higher theopportunity is one week’s travel away.

If the merchant arrives in time, he can sell his

goods at a 25% higher price than normal, +2% peguildsman level. This is in addition to any bonusto sale price the merchant could gain throughsuccessful use of the Master Haggler ability abov

The merchant must arrive at the location withinone month, meaning on a low check (15-19) themerchant will have to act fast and hope to avoidany delays to capitalize on the opportunity.

If the merchant arrives late, he has missed the“boom” and will only be able to sell his goods at-50% their normal price. The merchant will alsobe unable to use the Master Haggler ability in thicase, as the market has already been flooded bymerchants who were quicker (or closer) than he.

8th: Blockade Runner: Merchants can getinto places where another character would notbe allowed to go as they develop contacts withsmugglers, pirates and disreputable merchants.For a fee of 500 gp, the merchant can get into an

area safely with a successful Diplomacy check(DC 20 if passing through a normal blockade orevading the law, DC 25 in wartime). The gamemaster rolls this check secretly and if the checkfails the merchant is betrayed and turned over tothe authorities.

This ability does not cover transport of goods,merely people. If the merchant wishes passagefor more than one person, the price is 500 gp perperson, with a maximum number of people equato half the merchant’s level rounded up.

9th: Merchant’s Craft +8 (four skills).10th: Blockade Runner (1,000 lbs.): As above

except the merchant now has enough clout toactually move a small amount of cargo as well, upto half a ton (1,000 lbs). The cost to move this illiccargo is 10 gp per pound or 10,000 gp to move thfull half-ton; Money or your life +4.

Town Contacts: The guildsman has professionacontacts in guilds in cities throughout the land.While a young journeyman just starting out mighhave a single friend in the town where he served

his apprenticeship, an experienced merchantcould have friends all over the world.

The guildsman can make Gather Informationchecks in areas where he has contacts in minimumtime (two hours).

Further, the guildsman can pay to gain accessto even more information. This ability functionslike the Grease the Wheels ability but it appliesto Gather Information or Knowledge (local) skillchecks rather than Diplomacy skill checks.


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Finally, the guildsman can receive a discounton needed goods equal to his Goods and Servicesbonus (if any).

The only case in which this ability will notapply is if the guildsman’s country is at warwith the nation in question, as national pridetrumps professional courtesy. So for example an11th level British guildsman in a campaign set in

medieval Europe might have contacts in towns allacross Western Europe, but if Britain were at warwith France, he could not expect any professionalcourtesy from French guildsmen.

Guild Privilege: The guildsman may claimhospitality from affiliated guilds, gaining a bit ofshelter or aid. This ability applies only to guildsin areas where the guildsman has contacts (seethe Town Contacts ability for more information).Unlike the Town Contacts ability, however, thisability applies even in wartime. So while a French

guild might not be willing to give a discounton services or provide information to a Britishguildsman during wartime, they would allow himto rest and eat without notifying the authorities.

While courts served as the embassies for the

nobility, guild halls served that function for theguildsman. Whatever privileges the guildsmanrequests, the time of that privilege is limited, nomore than one day per guildsman level per 6month span.

For example a 5th level guildsman could receivfood and lodging at the York guild hall for 5 daysevery 6 months.

Room and board allows the guildsman to restawhile at a guild, receiving some food and acomfortable bed before setting out on the road(or the sea) again. The guildsman can extendthis privilege to friends but this reduces the timehe can stay. Divide the number of days roomand board by the number of guests (so a 5thguildsman and four friends could stay a singlenight at the York guild hall).

Workshop access allows the guildsman accessto a guild workshop and a set of masterwork

tools for one day per guildsman level, givingthe guildsman time to complete a quick projector repair an item while in a strange land. Guilds jealously guard their secrets, even the tools theyuse, so this privilege will be extended only to the

Table 1-1: The Guildsman Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special

1st +0 +0* +2* +0* Maker’s Affinity

2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Guild Specialty

3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Town Contacts (one town)4th +3 +1 +4 +1 Guild Specialty

5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Guild Privilege (room and board)

6th +4 +2 +5 +2 Guild Specialty

7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Town Contacts (one nation)

8th +6/+1 +2 +6 +2 Guild Specialty

9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +3 Guild Privilege (workshop access)


11th +8/+3 +3 +7 +3 Town Contacts (one continent)


13th +9/+4 +4 +8 +4 Guild Privilege (passage out)


15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +5 Town Contacts (worldwide)

16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 Guild Specialty

17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 Guild Privilege (armed escort)


19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +6 Guild Privilege (court access)


*Guildsmen may choose any of their three saving throws to progress at the fastest rate. The other two progress at the slowrate. The saving throws are simply included here for ease of reference.


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guildsman and any apprentices, not to friendswho are not a part of the guild.

Passage out will allow the guildsman freepassage for himself and one friend per level.This passage is one way and it is free but doesnot include cargo of any kind beyond what theguildsman can carry. This ability is typically usedto escape a war zone and is a sensitive courtesy

on behalf of the guild. If the guildsman is knownto be a spy or saboteur, this privilege might not begranted.

Armed escort some lands are quite dangerousand the guildsman might be carrying a substantialamount of cash. So long as the two nations arenot at war he can request a number of armedmen equal to one-half his level to escort him as hecompletes a sensitive trade, for a maximum of onehour per guildsman level. These escorts are wellarmed and are one-fourth the guildsman’s level,

rounded up.Court access on occasion a message must be

passed through unofficial channels. This abilityallows the guildsman to send a message (and onlya message) securely through friends in guildsanywhere in the world. While the guildsman can’tguarantee the message will be acted upon, he canbe sure the message will reach a high councilor atany court in the world (assume the highest levelthe guildsman can reach is that of an Exchequer orFinance Minister).

Medieval GuildsGuilds are quasi-religious organizations started

at the behest of the Roman Catholic Church.Nervous about the greed associated with rampantcapitalism, Church officials encouraged thedevelopment of organizations that would manageand mitigate the greed associated with business.These organizations would serve as training

centers, better business bureaus, labor unions andprice regulators all in one.

Since they had their origins in the church andsince one of their goals (to keep profits high) wasto keep trade secrets out of the hands of those notin the guild, these organizations also operatedas mystical secret societies in medieval societies.While guilds have largely been done away withas capitalism has replaced mercantilism as theeconomic model of the modern age, organizations

such as the Freemasons continue the traditions ofmysticism, fraternity and secrecy that were alsocomponents of the medieval trade guild.

To these groups were drawn those who didnot fit into the pastoral life of the medievalvillage. Medieval villages were designed aroundnumerous rules designed to make good subjectsand good neighbors. Since these villages were

so small, this meant everyone knew everyone’sbusiness and as part of the Great Chain of Being,medieval villagers were encouraged to noseinto each other’s business and attempt (with thehelp of the local clergy) to get them to conformpolitically and socially. A small minority ofvillagers found this life too confining, or notsufficiently rewarding and these headed to town.As the saying went “town air makes one free”.

Letters Patent:Medieval guilds were given a charter by thesovereign called letters patent. Letters patent arepublic documents granting a guild a monopoly otrade in a given town or over a given commodityMost towns only had a single guild encompassingall crafts and trade in that town. In medievalEngland, for example, only London was largeenough to support multiple guilds.

Letters patent could also be issued to grant amonopoly over a certain area of trade. Since thismeant all merchants dealing in that commodity

would have to work through that particularguild (who would then take a cut of any profits),monopolies were paid for handsomely by guilds.

Medieval monarchs were almost alwaysstrapped for cash and issuing a monopoly wasan effective (though unpopular) means of raisingsome quick coin. The Merchant Adventurersbecame one of the most powerful guilds in all ofBritish history when they secured a monopolyon wool, England’s most lucrative internationalcommodity. This monopoly on wool, thoughcontroversial and unpopular, helped the Kingsof England in many ways, because the MerchantAdventurers were based in London. This meantthat the entirety of international wool exportsflowed through London. This allowed theroyal court to be close at hand to this river ofmoney and made drawing from that river moreconvenient.

Finally letters patent allowed guilds to protecttheir trade secrets by force of law. Even if an ex-


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guild member moved to set up an independentshop outside the guild’s jurisdiction, such as ashop in the distant suburbs of London that werenot covered by the city ordinances, the membercould still be fined or jailed for using the guild’strade secrets without permission. This helped theguild further regulate trade and forms the basis ofmodern patents and copyrights today.

Guild Hierarchy:As detailed in the guildsman class above, guilds,like all medieval organizations, had a stricthierarchy in accordance with the Great Chainof Being, the medieval idea that everyone hada place in the Divine Plan. Thus, according tothe Great Chain, wives and children obeyedhusbands and fathers, subjects obeyed kingsand kings obeyed God. Guilds adopted thisstructure, with masters having absolute authority

over apprentices and aldermen having absoluteauthority over masters.

Still, the Guild Hierarchy was looser thanthat found in villages and at court. First, the journeyman was allowed to travel and workanywhere as a day laborer. This unusual mobilityand freedom (by medieval standards) allowed the journeyman to find a town or city that suited himbest.

Also, even within the upper echelons of theguild, authority was based on monetary wealth

rather than land. The passage of all land to theeldest son (primogeniture) allowed noble familiesto keep all their wealth and power intact fromgeneration to generation. Marriage with otherlanded families allowed successful noble lines togrow in power over time as well. This meant thatthe rich got richer where the landed gentry andthe nobility were concerned.

By contrast, monetary wealth was much morefluid and fluctuated much more often. Thisallowed guild members to rise and fall with theirfortunes in a way unheard of anywhere elsein medieval society. While it is true those wholived in towns and cities were not much freerthan anyone else, they were more mobile sociallyand financially than any other class. Though notyet quite a middle class, they were nonethelesssomething new.

At the top of the guild hierarchy was thecorporation. This small group consisted of aMayor (in London a Lord Mayor) and a number

of aldermen who would run the town on behalfof the sovereign. The number of aldermen wasset in the town’s charter and aldermen served fora six-year term. New aldermen were selected bythe outgoing aldermen, a situation that allowedfor the maximum amount of nepotism and briber(possibly by design). The mayor was selectedby the aldermen and served a one-year term.

This makes men like the legendary merchantDick Whittington, who served as Lord Mayorof London for decades during the reign of threekings (Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V), trulyrare and extraordinary examples of medievaltown politics at work.

Relations with the Crown:Merchants and kings were important to oneanother. Exigencies of leadership (such as a war)often required kings to raise money quickly. This

required the king to turn to those who had liquidmoney that could be tapped immediately, whichmeant the merchants rather than the landednobility. Though the nobility’s wealth was morestable, easier to keep in the family and easier togrow over time, its value was relatively fixed.Though the nobility could provide manpower,increasingly in the Middle Ages it was money thawon wars. Money for ships, weapons and hiredmercenaries.

In an absolute monarchy, where the sovereign

was the sole source of law and taxation, turning tthe merchant class for money was still preferableto imposing a new tax. While a king might angerhis subjects through excessive taxation, whenthe merchant class as a whole raised prices itwas easier to spread the blame around. Evenmonarchs as powerful as Louis XIII, perhaps themost powerful medieval king since Charlemagneknew the value of not being seen by their subjectsas greedy or rapacious. This the merchant classwere an important source of wealth in absolutemonarchies.

In a constitutional monarchy such as England,the importance of the merchant class wasmagnified. Only Parliament could levy taxes andkings were loathe to call them into session, sinceParliaments inevitably raised issues and presentebills the king had no interest in. Thus turning tothe merchant class was even more important tokings in constitutional monarchies, especiallythose that were personally poor, such as many


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English kings.In return for their money, the merchant class of

course required the ability to make more moneyin return, since each guild’s power and prestigewas based on its cash on hand. Usually thismeant issuing a monopoly to the guild. Duringthe reigns of Elizabeth I, James VI, Charles I andCharles II, these monopolies became increasingly

unpopular and even played a hand in thedeposition of Charles I by Oliver Cromwell.

Relations with the Nobility:Merchants had a similar relationship withthe nobility as with the sovereign thoughthe relationship with the lesser nobles wascomplicated by the proximity of the two groups.Technically the nobles were in command of themerchant class through the Great Chain of Being. This was complicated however by the Royal

Charter granting authority to the guild aldermen,which came from the sovereign. This relationshipwas further complicated by the nobles’ tendencyto see merchants as peasants who had left theirland and thus their place.

For their part, the merchants resented thenobles’ intrusion on their authority but alsotheir business. As a rule, nobles had littleunderstanding or patience for business. Theyunderstood little about mercantilism and werecompletely baffled by the even more complicated

financial arrangements of capitalism.Of course, the fact that the merchants were

buying the goods of the nobility served as anadded source of strain, since the merchant wasoften the one telling the noble his crops wereworth less this year than last.

As with most things involving the merchantclass, the money they could provide the nobilityserved to ease the relationship as well as buy themerchants’ some autonomy, since their world wasso alien to the landed classes.

Relations with the clergy:Though it was the church that had pushed for theestablishment of guilds, they were uncomfortablewith the direction they were traveling in,especially when monopolies were involved. Thisseemed like an expression of just the sort of greedthe clergy had hoped to avoid.

Still, as the Middle Ages progressed, it wasthe merchant class who were more and more

responsible for seeing to the poor, especially inProtestant countries. In Catholic countries, it wasbelieved good works could gain salvation. Thisserved to stimulate donations to alms houses andgeneral care for the poor.

By contrast Protestant religion taught thatman’s wickedness was too great for good worksto render salvation. Only faith could save. As a

result poor laws were passed, taxing the King’ssubjects to raise money to care for the poor. Thismoney was distributed by the merchant class,who also were expected to spend some of theirgrowing wealth to aid the poor, which for themost part they did.

Medieval Coinage

There was no paper money in Europe of theMiddle Ages. What follows is the monetarysystem of Britain, which was representativeof Europe and can thus provide for a morehistorically-based coinage and economy foryour fantasy games. All coins contained varyingamounts of silver and/or gold, copper was not apart of coins of the realm during the Middle Ages

The basic denominations are (from least to mosexpensive) pence, shillings and pounds. 12 penceequals 1 shilling, 20 shillings equals 1 pound.These denominations are abbreviated as follows:

pence (d), shilling (s), pound (£).

British Coins of the Middle Ages andtheir valuesThe Sovereign is a gold coin with a value of £1 or20s.

The Angel is one of the most common gold coinand has a value of 10s. This name was often usedin various expressions and turns of phrase. Forexample if you were trying to bribe a doormanto gain admittance you might suggest that the

singing of an angel would persuade him.The Crown is the most common coin in

medieval England and is worth 5s. These coinscome in gold and silver of varying purities.

The Half-Crown is worth 2s 6d and is sometimecalled a “two and six”.

The Shilling is a silver coin worth 12d.The Sixpence is a silver coin worth 6d.The Groat is a silver coin worth 4d.The Tuppence is a silver coin worth 2d.


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The Penny is a silver coin worth 1d.The Half-Penny (often pronounced ha’penny) is

literally a Penny broken in half and is worth ½ d.The Farthing is a Half-Penny broken in half and

is worth ¼ d.A gold piece is the equivalent of a shilling.

Medieval Equipment For those wishing to use the monetary system

above with the standard equipment list from thesystem reference document, the following tablesare provided with prices converted from gp topounds, shillings and pence.

When looking at these prices remember that thewealth of most commoners averaged £2 10s peryear in the Middle Ages.

Wealth Other Than CoinsMerchants commonly exchange trade

goods without using currency. As a means ofcomparison, some trade goods are detailed below.

Table 1:2 Simple Weapons Weapons Cost

Gauntlet 2s

Unarmed strike —

Dagger 2s

Dagger, punching 2sGauntlet, spiked 5s

Mace, light 5s

Sickle 6s

Club —

Mace, heavy 12s

Morningstar 8s

Shortspear 1s

Longspear 5s

Quarterstaff —

Spear 2s

Crossbow, heavy £2 6s

Bolts, crossbow (10) 1s

Crossbow, light £1 15s

Bolts, crossbow (10) 1s

Dart 6d

Javelin 1s

Sling —

Bullets, sling (10) ½ d

Table 1:3: Martial Weapons Weapons Cost

Axe, throwing 8s

Hammer, light 1s

Handaxe 6s

Kukri 8s

Pick, light 4s

Sap 1sSword, short 10s

Battleaxe 10s

Flail 8s

Longsword 15s

Pick, heavy 8s

Rapier 20s

Scimitar 15s

Trident 15s

Warhammer 12s

Falchion £3 15s

Glaive 8s

Greataxe £1

Greatclub 5s

Flail, heavy 15s

Greatsword £2 10s

Guisarme 9s

Halberd 10s

Lance 10s

Ranseur 10s

Scythe 18s

Longbow £3 15s

Arrows (20) 1s

Longbow, composite £5

Arrows (20) 1s

Shortbow £1 10s

Arrows (20) 1s

Shortbow, composite £3 15s

Table 1:4: Exotic Weapons

Exotic Weapons CostSword, bastard £1 15s

Whip 1s

Flail, dire £4 10s


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Table 1:5: Trade GoodsCost Item

½ d One pound of wheat

1d One pound of flour, or one chicken

2d One pound of iron

6d One pound of tobacco or copper

1s One pound of cinnamon, or one goat

2s One pound of ginger or pepper, or one sheep3s One pig

4s One square yard of linen

5s One pound of salt or silver

10s One square yard of silk, or one cow

15s One pound of saffron or cloves, or one ox

£2.5 One pound of gold

£25 One pound of platinum

Table 1:6: Armor and ShieldsArmor Cost

Light armor Padded 5s

Leather 10s

Studded leather £1 5s

Chain shirt £5

Medium armor Hide 15s

Scale mail £2 10s

Chainmail £7 10sBreastplate £10

Heavy armor Splint mail £10

Banded mail £12 10s

Half-plate £30

Full plate £75

ShieldsBuckler 15s

Shield, light wooden 3s

Shield, light steel 9s

Shield, heavy wooden 7s

Shield, heavy steel £1

Shield, tower £1 10s


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System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, InAuthors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich baker, Andy CoDavid Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material bGary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

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clash of kings - guilds and money

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