Economics in Warhammer

[Megalodon]

The Wizards probably don'y do anything like that for simple gains like that. After all if things go wrong they could die in nasty nasty ways. It probably is still much easier to just dig the stuff up.

Anyway im sure the economy is based around something else anyway, like warpstone or stuff that isn't covered in warpstone. Even with the Lore of Metel possibly screwing things up you also have the dwarves hoarding the stuff.

Warpstone economy sounds like fun... It's like having an economy based on trading heavily irradiated graphite pieces.

Exactly! Whats more fun than currency that might make you go bat shit insane and then explode.

This is the Skaven economy, and they're well known for being fun to be around.

 

[Darmort]

Because gold based currency systems make no sense. Gold is supposed to be a precious sought after metal, and when people run around with it, that stops being the case. Steel, copper or silver currencies are more likely. Not to mention Metal Magic being a rather unique lore about it's transmutations and their effective lasting capabilities. Fire is fire, but turning lead into gold isn't quite so simple.

 

[FlipC]

-snip- In the New Warhammer Fantasy edition and most recent Warhammer Fantasy Empire army book it explicatly tells us wizards of the lore of metal can transmute cheap metals into gold. -snip-
So I ask you, do you know how their economic system still works if it is easy for wizards to transmute metal into gold?

You're assuming it's a) easy; and b) permanent. As already mentioned any magic doesn't come cheaply and as per the Wikipedia article on this it doesn't last.

So sure a Gold Wizard could transmute some iron into gold just to pay someone, but that person won't trust any wizard in the future and might get in touch with the authorities who in turn contact the Inquisition who then instigate a full shakedown of the College in question. Not a good thing.

 

[Smasngrab]

well, i just checked the spell list for warhammer fantasy roleplay, the only spell that can do anything like it permanently, there is the fools gold spell, it lasts for a cupple of hours. I guess that a spell like that would be mistaken for a permanent spell, and would tick of people....

 

[Canadian Briton]

-snip- In the New Warhammer Fantasy edition and most recent Warhammer Fantasy Empire army book it explicatly tells us wizards of the lore of metal can transmute cheap metals into gold. -snip-
So I ask you, do you know how their economic system still works if it is easy for wizards to transmute metal into gold?

You're assuming it's a) easy; and b) permanent. As already mentioned any magic doesn't come cheaply and as per the Wikipedia article on this it doesn't last.

So sure a Gold Wizard could transmute some iron into gold just to pay someone, but that person won't trust any wizard in the future and might get in touch with the authorities who in turn contact the Inquisition who then instigate a full shakedown of the College in question. Not a good thing.

sorry, Fine I've learned that I was wrong and everyone else was right and that I was stupid for thinking that it was permanent and easy when one of the big men of games workshop said that if you are a gold wizard you will become rich and that you will live a life of luxury.

 

[Keava]

sorry, Fine I've learned that I was wrong and everyone else was right and that I was stupid for thinking that it was permanent and easy when one of the big men of games workshop said that if you are a gold wizard you will become rich and that you will live a life of luxury.

Well considering the ammount of legit wizards on within the Empire is monitored at kept in check by inquisition...if you manage to become one, and even manage to reach a degree in your specialization - yeah you will be rich and live in luxury, but that happens to maybe ~5-10% of all spellcasters in Empire while ~80% of them ends up hunted by Inquisition after the Warp eventually claims them.
It's safer to be a dwarf and dabble with rune-magic while just getting profit from standard mining operations.

 

[FlipC]

sorry, Fine I've learned that I was wrong and everyone else was right and that I was stupid for thinking that it was permanent and easy when one of the big men of games workshop said that if you are a gold wizard you will become rich and that you will live a life of luxury.

Hey no it was a perfectly legitimate question, in-game context just think of Jervis' comment as coming from your standard non-wizard as to how they think it works - "Oo turning things into gold; I'll be rich" Nope you'll be burned at a stake along with a fair number of your colleagues ;-)

 

[Canadian Briton]

sorry, Fine I've learned that I was wrong and everyone else was right and that I was stupid for thinking that it was permanent and easy when one of the big men of games workshop said that if you are a gold wizard you will become rich and that you will live a life of luxury.

Hey no it was a perfectly legitimate question, in-game context just think of Jervis' comment as coming from your standard non-wizard as to how they think it works - "Oo turning things into gold; I'll be rich" Nope you'll be burned at a stake along with a fair number of your colleagues ;-)

I guess you are right, would be the same thing for lore of beasts
Training Wizard: "I can turn into a Dragon? AWESOME!!" and then spends the rest of their life mostly in the wild without human contact.

 

[Spacewolf]

Its like leprican gold it doesnt last read this lexi page http://whfb.lexicanum.com/wiki/Balthasar_Gelt from the sounds of it it would need a constant stream of magic to keep it as gold

 

[FlipC]

"Kill the dragon"
"I'm not a dragon I'm a wizard"
... "Kill the wizard"

With this talk of transmutation perhaps a different question might be - why they don't transform coal into diamonds?