Urban Locales: Moneychanger
Are you a busy GM? Does session prep take too long? Do you never have time to work on the cool little details that can bring your adventures to life? These focused lists give you, the time-crunched GM, the tools to effortlessly add verisimilitude and detail to your urban adventures.
You can download this material for free as a .pdf and .txt file by hitting the button at the bottom of this post. You do not need to give us your email or set up an account.
If you enjoy this article, sign up to the Sunday Supplement—our weekly newsletter—so you don’t miss any other free GM's Resources!
1: The Moneychanger
Silver and Gold: Catering to affluent merchants and those needing to change large quantities of coins, this place does not admit riffraff. Sven Paaso (LN old male human) is the snooty owner.
Sign of the Scales: A wooden sculpture of a large set of scales sits by this shop’s front door. The sculpture is chained up as young wags occasionally try to steal it. Aamu Hellikki (NG middle-aged female human) is the long-suffering owner.
Seppo’s Exchange: The widowed Piri Seppo (LN middle-aged male human) owns this family business; his children work the shop floor. One, Simo (CN male human), is less than honest and tries to skim a few coins off the top for himself during every transaction.
Worth the Weight: Auni Toiva (LN old female human) has a reputation for extreme honesty. Thieves trying to exchange stolen coin know to avoid her small but impeccably kept shop.
2: Major Locale Features
The moneychangers’ door is of reinforced iron-banded wood, and stout iron bars protect the shop’s windows.
The shop has a lockable vestibule immediately beyond the front door. Customers are examined before being admitted to the main part of the shop.
The shop has a vault in the cellar wherein they store their “stock”. It lies behind three locked doors, and only the moneychanger has the keys.
The shop employs veteran warriors as guards. The warriors are well equipped and vigilant; the work is not hard—after all—but well paid.
3: Minor Locale Features
The moneychanger weighs all the coins they receive so they are not taken in by forgeries.
The shop windows have half-height shutters to both admit light and provide privacy for the transactions carried out therein.
An old warrior sits on a stool in the corner, keeping an eye on the customers. The man has grey hair and a dropping moustache; occasionally, he falls asleep while “guarding” the shop.
The moneychanger also works as a gem and jewel clearing house—few forms of currency are as portable.
4: What’s Going On?
The moneychanger is open but not admitting any new customers to the shop; they are dealing with an important customer and do not want to be disturbed. The characters must wait.
A few ruffians linger outside the moneychanger’s seemingly just hanging around chatting. A perceptive character notices, however, that they watch who enters and exits the shop.
The shop is busy—another adventuring party is inside, exchanging the booty of their last adventure for more portable gold and platinum. The other group are suspicious of the characters.
The moneychanger is in a bad mood and does not offer good service, and is less than keen to haggle on rates.
5: Other Folk
Elina Kainu (N middle-aged female human) talks in a strange high-pitched voice and projects an aura of low intelligence and child-like wonder. She has long black hair pulled together in a single braid that runs down her back and wears a colourful patterned dress.
Samppa Kylli (N old male human) knows everything—unluckily for anyone talking to him. With such a vast font of knowledge, Samppa is never happier when explaining how things are. He has close-cropped short white hair, dresses well and has an attitude of superiority.
Taavi Laso (CE male human) visits the moneychanger to exchange some forged silver coins for real gold. He appears nervous, and the moneychanger is on to him; an argument is about to break out. Taavi is a coward and flees as soon as his scheme is revealed.
Inkeri Neuvo (LG female human) discovered some coins hidden in the cellar of her home while dealing with a rat infestation. The coins bear a design the moneychanger has not seen before; the two are discussing the coins—and their value—when the characters arrive.
Credit
This is a short system-neutral extract from Urban Locale #14: Moneychanger by Robert Manson. The book is available from DriveThruRPG and Raging Swan Press’s own web store.
Get the Free Download
Download this post by hitting the button below—you’ll get a zip file containing a lightweight one-page PDF and a superlight text file for your digital GM’s folder or virtual tabletop (VTT).
If you’ve found this resource useful, please let me know by leaving a comment. And also leave a comment if you have a suggestion to make this kind of post better.