Placing a roleplay setting such as ours within the bounds of Ragnarok Online comes with a number of problems. These problems often require the institution of rules, guidelines, or other similar measures to ensure that everyone can enjoy a fair and (somewhat) seamless playing experience. The idea of wealth and money has risen in roleplay numerous times, and has almost always been written off as something meaningless and to be written into one’s backstory as an afterthought, if it becomes an issue. This has happened due to the completely unmanageable economy of Ragnarok Online when one attempts to relate it to actual in-character economic clout. The purpose of outlining these rules is to give money a place in the world, a place which it deserves and cannot be ignored in even a pseudo-realistic fantasy setting. Suspension of disbelief aside, making money worthless gives characters nearly no incentive to do anything, with the notable exceptions being altruism and faith, but who cares about those?

To help dispel the idea that money grows on trees in Rune Midgard, Schwarzwald, or anywhere else, for that matter, and give players a more concrete baseline of IC economics to work with, the AeonRO team has devised a system for estimating character wealth. It is a ranking system, with each rank representing a certain amount of economic resources. All players (aside from specific cases) are allotted a baseline of economic status, with their income being assumed minimal, in terms of this system. Ranks (and the wealth they imply) are to be awarded on a necessitated basis, revolving solely around roleplay ingame. Requesting an upgrade in rank is as simple as speaking to a resident GM or RP Moderator about your character, their recent ingame activities, and proving that they have, in fact, gained (by whatever means), a higher economic standing. Becoming involved with the staff (and keeping them updated) are requisite in aspiring to any ranking. A summary chart of notable players will be kept for easy reference.

Most important when discussing any monetary system is to set a baseline for the worth of the currency. For purposes of simplicity, we will assume (for now) that currency throughout all nations are similar and interchangeable at a rate of 1:1.

A Summary of Facts

• Zeny does have worth in roleplay
• Character wealth will be determined by GM-granted rankings based on roleplay and ingame activity.
• Currency is equal between all nations and lands in aRO

Common Professions and Wages Associated

Wages assume “full-time” labor, whatever that may constitute for a given profession. Those with more than one vocation will have to combine partial wage amounts and estimate as needed. In general, these are only estimates and you are not required to stick to these occupations when deciding your character’s livelihood. They are listed for purposes of relativity when understanding the economic makeup of the roleplay setting.

NOTE: Being evil or a secret agent or a general jerk to the public does not substitute having a means of income! How are you going to support a world movement if you cannot feed yourself on a day to day basis? Masterminds have jobs too, even if they are just day jobs. Keep that in mind when planning your next world take over.

On that same token, being a member of the nobility is not, in and of itself, a livelihood. Unless you are being paid taxes, tithes, or government subsidies, you have to have some means of keeping all of your money from going down the drain. The high life is just as expensive as it is fun, and your characters should account for this (unless they are actually just foolish nobles whiling away all their money).

*Subject to shifts in the economy. Times of low business transaction will result in the loss of wage.

·Not required to pay for housing, food, or armaments. Wage is adjusted to fit this.

Common Goods and Services and Associated Costs

˚Only good for one experiment.

On Alchemists and Private Ownership

It has never been clearly stated before now, but to make the issue clear, the existance of a private alchemist is quite rare. Due to the expense of the materials (see above chart), freelance experimentation is prohibitively costly and unlikely for any but the wealthiest in the field. That said, alchemists are almost always sponsored by the alchemist guild, a private researcher, a school, or some other organization with the funds to pay for the expense of testing.

Ownership of housing is almost unheard of in these lands. Nearly all real estate is controlled by the local government (the city or town itself), with a scant few areas having nobles which are capable of owning their own land. Such cases are the exception to the rule. For this reason, all tenants pay rent on a monthly basis, with no expectation of ever actually owning their home.

Guilds and Organizations

Last, but not least, the issue of guilds, and their funding. Many times, we seem to forget that organizations, due to their size, are more difficult to fund than a single person. Logically, it makes sense, but what does it mean for roleplay? In essence, it takes money to keep anything going in the world, more often than not. A guild, unless it is a friendly club, will probably need a source of income to make its goals possible. This can range from any number of sources, from member taxes to guild activities which earn money. Whatever the case may be, do remember that organizations are just as limited- if not more- by their flow of income.