I have recently been exploring some of the prices/costs in the WFRP 1e rulebook and trying to tease out some of the implications for what the world is like. A price, after all, contains lots of information in the real world, and it does in a fantasy world no less. For example, it influences how the players, including the GM, think about food, travel, loot and enemies. Valuable things should be objects of envy which are fought over and sought after, whereas some things are too common to steal. The points below are not intended to be exhaustive, but just some things for GMs to consider in their games:
1. Chicken and ale is cheap: A chicken costs 1/-; a simple meal at a tavern is 3/-. An Imperial peasant or labourer must love chicken pie and stew and sandwiches, washed down with beer. And as a further implication, starvation must be somewhat rarer in the Empire than it was in our own world.
2. Beef and wine are definitely luxury, status goods. Even more so than today, a dinner of beef and red wine marks out status and success.
3. Illumination is somewhat expensive - a dozen tallow candles are nearly a labourer's daily wage - although heating is not, and so life at night is concentrated on rich houses and institutions; and taverns really are bustling places in the winter: basic food is relatively cheap, so taking advantage of the lit-tavern is a real thing in the winter months. Even more than in our own world, they are centres of entertainment, gossip, business and gambling.
4. Armour is rarer than you might imagine. The basic fighter in the Empire is a shield and spear armed militiaman with a helmet, who might or might not have some light armour. Mail armour marks out real, professional fighters, and plate is quite rare, for elites only. The armour costs and types are indicative of a real world equivalent of about 1350-1400, rather than 1500. The implication is that other marginal societies (e.g. goblinoids) are
much the same but more so - the average Orc has a shield and spear, but no armour.
5. Cavalry are somewhat rarer than in real life, and true Heavy Cavalry is much rarer: Mounted Sergeants are not riding warhorses, they ride riding horses. Firearms are very expensive (and there is no way that taveern landlords like Gustav have them, or tavern hustlers like Descartes; coachmen might though, because coaches are very expensive too).
6. Guilds are much more powerful than is perhaps indicated, specifically artisanal guilds. Most of the surplus value in the economy is not based on raw materials or cheap goods, it is based on finished goods, and most of that surplus is extracted by guilds or similar organizational heads, rather than the Artisans themselves (a sword costs 28 days of an artisan's wages, for example). Guild discipline must be extremely strictly enforced through a combination of ordinances and implicit or explicit threats of violence. Conversely, the conflict between Emperor, nobility, merchants and guilds must be very, very real.
7. Peasant music resembles that of the Dwarves in The Hobbit (film version): it is based on recorders and drums and so on, mixed with singing. String and brass music is largely a professional endeavour, and keyboard music is a noble pastime (or through noble patronage).
8. Basic members of society thrive by living at home and sharing costs, eventually saving a dowry for their own house and family. The dinner scene at Farmer Maggot's in the Lord of the Rings (book) is a reasonable indicator, with maybe 10-12 people sharing a table (although the dish in the Empire would be more likely to chicken and mushrooms: Maggot would be showing his successful farmer status by using bacon). Itinerants on the other hand survive on a very narrow margin. Adventurers are basically in it for quite big scores, and their everyday costs are significantly higher, and anything that involves 3-4 career characters should be in the 'many hundreds of gold pieces' range as a basic minimum. But adventuring can reasonably be pretty dangerous.
9. Basic resources are so cheap that most bandits don't even bother: the ones that do are more like violent beggars. Real bandits are looking to steal armour, prestige weapons, horses and other animals, expensive clothes, wine, books etc. So they are somewhat more popular than in the real late medieval world, since they are mostly more like Robin Hood. Class conflict is real, and the labourers and peasants are more on the side of the bandits.
10. Moving goods by river is the lifeblood of the Empire, particularly for bulk items, as it is about x12 cheaper. Road transport is for small, high-value goods and people. Bandits therefore target coaches, not boats or farms, typically. Taking a coach is a big decision and wouldn't be done lightly. This is important for Mistaken Identity. It might be better if coach exterior travel is very cheap, and encouraged (extra protection against bandits).
11. Starting with any or all of metal armour, firearms or a horse is a really big deal, as is obtaining or losing one. For a more gritty campaign, it might be better to give the characters who have them, with the exception of nobles and squires perhaps, 20% of the value of the item instead.
