Zolhex
Jun 11 2007, 08:19 AM
This is mainly for magical supplies that are sold by the unit so what is a unit?
Oricalcum 50,000 a unit?
Flowers (depending on grade) 50 / 100 / 200 a unit?
So on and so fourth so what is a unit 1 gram? 1 ounce? 1 pound? 1 kilo?
What should I as a GM say the amount of a unit is?
I get that it can be different for each item I get that it's a GM's call as to the quantity.
I guess what I am asking is if there is no set standard what do other GM's use as a mesure of a unit per each item sold by the unit?
Please post your thoughts and ideas maybe we can all come to an agreement that can become the standard then if a GM wants s/he can increase/decrease as fits their game and style.
Like for instance 1 unit of oricalcum is 2 ounces as a standard but in GM freds game oricalcum is a bit rarer so he modifies it to be 1 ounce. While GM shelly says oricalcum is readily available so it is 3 ounces. Mean while the main mass of GM's leaves it at 2 ounces because we as a community have by majoirty said this amount seemed reasonablely accurate to the way the story and/or rules are playing out.
Ancient History
Jun 11 2007, 11:58 AM
The short answer is that it varies depending on the material. One unit of raw redwood might be a couple twigs or one really big pinecone, for example. The mass, volume, and/or weight don't have to match.
That said, in past editions one unit of orichalum was 10 grams, one unit of raw materials 10 kg (5kg for herbals), one unit of refined materials 5 kg (2.5 kg for herbals), and one unit of radicals 100 g (50 g for herbals).
Zolhex
Jun 11 2007, 06:44 PM
Thanks AH that's a real good general quantity to base decisions off of it'll help me in decideing costs for my players.
HMHVV Hunter
Jun 11 2007, 06:50 PM
I'm fairly certain a unit is 1/10 a kg. I based this off of two sources:
Magic in the Shadows: Orichalcum is 88,000 nuyen per unit.
Cyberpirates (during a discussion about orichalcum smuggling): "What's bigger than 880,000 nuyen a kilo?!"
Zolhex
Jun 11 2007, 08:08 PM
Ok so I did some work after what AH said and I now have this to work off of.
I included the conversion tables as I am one of those Americas (I'm sure there are others) who just isn't up on the metric system.
Items sold by the unit
Average quantities for items sold by the unit
One unit of orichalcum - 10 grams
One unit of raw reagents - 10 kilograms (5 kilograms for herbals)
One unit of refined reagents - 5 kilograms (2.5 kilograms for herbals)
One unit of radical reagents - 100 grams (50 grams for herbals)
GRAMS/OUNCES
10 grams = 0.3527 ounce
20 grams = 0.7055 ounce
30 grams = 1.0582 ounces
40 grams = 1.4110 ounces
50 grams = 1.7637 ounces
60 grams = 2.1164 ounces
70 grams = 2.4692 ounces
80 grams = 2.8219 ounces
90 grams = 3.1747 ounces
100 grams = 3.5274 ounces
150 grams = 5.2911 ounces
200 grams = 7.0548 ounces
250 grams = 8.8185 ounces
300 grams = 10.582 ounces
350 grams = 12.346 ounces
400 grams = 14.110 ounces
450 grams = 15.873 ounces
500 grams = 17.637 ounces
550 grams = 19.401 ounces
600 grams = 21.164 ounces
OUNCES/GRAMS
1 ounce = 28.350 grams
2 ounces = 56.699 grams
3 ounces = 85.049 grams
4 ounces = 113.40 grams
5 ounces = 141.75 grams
6 ounces = 170.10 grams
7 ounces = 198.45 grams
8 ounces = 226.80 grams
9 ounces = 255.15 grams
10 ounces = 283.50 grams
11 ounces = 311.84 grams
12 ounces = 340.19 grams
13 ounces = 368.54 grams
14 ounces = 396.89 grams
15 ounces = 425.24 grams
16 ounces = 453.59 grams
17 ounces = 481.94 grams
18 ounces = 510.29 grams
19 ounces = 538.64 grams
20 ounces = 566.99 grams
KILOGRAMS/ POUNDS
1 kilogram = 2.2046 pounds
2 kilograms = 4.4092 pounds
3 kilograms = 6.6139 pounds
4 kilograms = 8.8185 pounds
5 kilograms = 11.023 pounds
6 kilograms = 13.228 pounds
7 kilograms = 15.432 pounds
8 kilograms = 17.637 pounds
9 kilograms = 19.842 pounds
10 kilograms = 22.046 pounds
11 kilograms = 24.251 pounds
12 kilograms = 26.455 pounds
13 kilograms = 28.660 pounds
14 kilograms = 30.865 pounds
15 kilograms = 33.069 pounds
16 kilograms = 35.274 pounds
17 kilograms = 37.479 pounds
18 kilograms = 39.683 pounds
19 kilograms = 41.888 pounds
20 kilograms = 44.092 pounds
POUNDS/KILOGRAMS
1 pound = 0.4536 kilogram
2 pounds = 0.9072 kilograms
3 pounds = 1.3608 kilograms
4 pounds = 1.8144 kilograms
5 pounds = 2.2680 kilograms
6 pounds = 2.7216 kilograms
7 pounds = 3.1751 kilograms
8 pounds = 3.6287 kilograms
9 pounds = 4.0823 kilograms
10 pounds = 4.5359 kilograms
11 pounds = 4.9895 kilograms
12 pounds = 5.4431 kilograms
13 pounds = 5.8967 kilograms
14 pounds = 6.3503 kilograms
15 pounds = 6.8039 kilograms
16 pounds = 7.2575 kilograms
17 pounds = 7.7111 kilograms
18 pounds = 8.1647 kilograms
19 pounds = 8.6183 kilograms
20 pounds = 9.0719 kilograms
Zolhex
Jun 11 2007, 09:52 PM
Added conversion tables so that conversions go both ways.
WearzManySkins
Jun 11 2007, 10:27 PM
One note in SM, one takes x unit raw equals x units of refined, x refined units equals x units reagents, there does not be a size reduction per every step.
WMS
laughingowl
Jun 11 2007, 10:35 PM
Casazil:
Personally I would keep it undefined.
A 'unit' is the amount needed to count when processing for enchanting.
A gallon of pure water might be a unit.
An Once of Orichalcum might be a unit.
A CC of blood freely given from a Great Dragon, might be a 'unit'
A unit can vary depending on what the subject matter is.
Basically a 'unit' is the smallest amount of material that can metaphysically make a difference.
Ancient History
Jun 12 2007, 12:51 AM
| QUOTE (WearzManySkins) |
One note in SM, one takes x unit raw equals x units of refined, x refined units equals x units reagents, there does not be a size reduction per every step.
WMS |
SR4 moved away from denoting every single gram and kilogram of gear a character carries, and this was carried over when writing Street Magic. There's nothing to stop you from keeping track of encumbrance and the like in your home games, but just for general reference, take a look at the sidebar on page 82 entitled Form and Function.
It's not a hard and fast rule, but it gives an example to gamemasters of what the three grades of reagents should look and feel like-you'll note the general movement toward more "finished" materials, with any "excess" or "impurities" removed.
Another way of looking at it, for those familiar with Earthdawn, is to think of reagents as analogues of True Elements. In Earthdawn, the unit of True Elements was the kernel, and the general size and appearence of the kernel was determined by the quality or "grade" (this was almost purely fluff, mechanically one kernel was as good as another). For example, a "low grade" kernel of True Earth would appear as a decent-sized clod of dirt or rock, while a "high grade" kernel of True Earth might resemble a small gemstone.
In Shadowrun, you could basically equate this as one unit of a given reagent being smaller in mass or volume than another unit of the same type because it is of higher "quality"-though they are treated the same for game purposes, one would be substantially easier to transport than the other.
Zolhex
Jun 12 2007, 07:10 AM
Ok well I get what your saying there AH but this was not for weight or encumberance but to determine how much or this or that was needed to do something in the game.
In this case it was to have enough materials to produce paints from radicals so that a player could using his art skill paint his thesis/masterpiece for his initiatory ordeal.
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