Economy

As a very general approximation, 1gp is equivalent to about $10.

Coinage and currency

The main currency that is used across the isles are gold coins. 1gp is technically a measure of weight, that of the standard Teccan gold draco, many of which are still in circulation despite the fall of the Empire. This weight is equivalent to one fiftieth of a pound (around nine grams). Most polities also mint their own coins, mostly sticking to the common weights. Merchants use a scale for almost all transactions bigger than a few gold, which makes working with different coins a non-issue.

The smaller silver coins are worth 1/10th of a gold piece. In the old Teccan system, the silver coin was called a deca, due to their value. While the Teccan bronze centum was once used, its value has dropped low enough that most merchants don't bother with them, and very little can be bought for them.

For larger transactions, the Teccan empire minted platinum imperator coins adorned with the current emperor's face. They are worth 10 gold pieces each. Platinum coins are rare, and are mostly used for large business transactions.

For even larger denominations, gems are commonly used, and they are accepted as legal tender in most jurisdictions.

Lifestyle Expenses

Much like alignment, these tiers are descriptive, not prescriptive. The values also do not account for any extravagant purchases, such as servants, guards, pets, ships, or any number of other expenses. For children, the costs are halved.

Staying at an inn or other hospitality establishment costs double the per-day expenses of the establishment's level, ie 4gp a night for a Modest inn or 200gp for a week's stay at a Wealthy-level resort.

Wretched

'Mad' George Crowley

(human, CN): George usually spends his days yelling at the birds by the Temple of Freya in Greystone. He has no work, but can usually get a warm meal from the charitors at the Pilgrim Knights hospital. Every now and then, someone tosses him a silver coin as they pass by. His clothes are rags, and he sleeps in the back alleys of the Shins, or wherever the city guard won't bother him. His most prized possession is a river stone with a hole in it, which he wears in a leather strap around his neck.

Poor

Siranna nan Iacaris

(elf, LG): A young elf who works as a maidservent in the household of Harwyn Drisebel, a minor noble in Tel Edhil. She lives in the Drisebel manor, working long hours cleaning the vast silver-oak dwelling, doing laundry and other menial tasks.

For this, she receives 5gp a week, in addition to food and lodging. However, she is expected to keep her clothes presentable on her own coin, which costs her about 1gp a week and several hours of her very limited free time.

Modest

Ginger Mosswood

(halfling, CG): Ginger lives in Elderholm, where she earns a living foraging the shores of Blackcoast Isle for amber and rare herbs. Along with the other amber pickers, she gathers at the gate before sunrise most days in order to get the first pick of newly washed up amber. Some days she comes back with nothing, other days her pouches weigh her down when she returns across the causeway.

Her best find was a one-inch chunk of blue amber that washed up after a winter storm, which she sold for 500gp. Ginger is bad with money, and she spent most of her windfall on an expensive firewater and fancy clothes she does not need. On average she makes around 20gp a week, but this fluctuates wildly.

Comfortable

Peter Blueford

(human, NG): A journeyman alchemist who lives in Goldshore with his wife Adeline and their two daughters, seven-year-old Emma and three-year-old Chloe, and their dog Muffles. He usually earns around 200gp a week from his small shop, where he concocts various potions. This is the only income in the family, as Adeline tends to the children and their house on top of Peter's shop.

The total living costs for the Bluefords is 150gp a week to sustain a Comfortable lifestyle. This leaves 50gp a week for savings and bigger expenses, such as a streak of bad business, winter clothes for the girls, small contributions to the local temple, or taking a few weeks of vacation around the summer solstice. Perhaps they could even afford to hire a maidservant to help Adeline around the house.

Wealthy

Sirja Hornhelm

(dwarf, LN) and Torrek Hornhelm (dwarf, LE): This married couple owns the ship Galedasher, and operate it as Captain and Quartermaster, respectively. Their usual trading route stops in Greystone, Goldshore, Heimdall's Anvil, Lilyharbor, and Alyn Iunaes. They trade whatever they believe can make a profit.

A roundtrip usually takes a month, and can reliably earn around 3000gp. 2000gp goes to the upkeep of the ship and the salaries of their dozen-strong crew of able-bodied sailors. This leaves 1000gp a month for the Hornhelms, letting them live a Wealthy lifestyle with money to spare.

Aristocratic

Alvin Cassaro

(half-elf, CG): Alvin is the young scion of House Cassaro. He occasionally plays his mandolin in inns around Greystone or Covenant, not because he needs the money, but because it allows him to talk up girls. He has a steady supply of gold from his mother's coffers, and he is happy to spend it. Alvin often travels around Estia in comfortable carriages, spending most evenings in expensive inns, drinking top-shelf rum and mead. It is not uncommon for him to spend 100gp on alcohol a single night, buying rounds for everyone.

Baroness Miranda Keswick

(human, LG): As baroness of Arastfjord, she is responsible for the town. The taxes and levies she imposes on her fief brings in around 1500gp a week. This pays for her court wizard (100gp/week), a town guard of around two dozen guards (600gp/week), a large handful of servants for her own household (150gp/week), as well as a generous stipend (250gp/week) to the local shrine of Freya. This still leaves several hundred gold per week for her own personal coffers.

As a landed noble, Baroness Miranda is expected to both travel to other towns in style and host hunts and banquets in her own hall, all of which costs a lot of money. She could also be forced to hire expensive adventurers with her own coin if a problem that her guards cannot handle arises.