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Lilt
What's the conversion rate for UCAS Dollars to Nuyen? I think I remember it being somewhere around 10:1 but I can't remember and can't find it in my books.
BGMFH
1:1 in the main book

Otherwise, one of the books, i think it is new seattle, has conversion rate and currency speculation rules.
Solkari
Cost of Doing Business

This is a link to the official SR site, ShadowrunRPG.com. It also has info on CAS dollar and Quebec Francs, as well as conversion rules.

This page says $4:1 nuyen.gif
Crimsondude 2.0
QUOTE (BGMFH)
1:1 in the main book

Otherwise, one of the books, i think it is new seattle, has conversion rate and currency speculation rules.

AFAIK, that's only applicable to calculating prices for items, since the nuyen prices are based on USD. Anything not in the books should be priced at 1 USD: 1 nuyen.

USD and UCASD aren't the same thing, or worth the same.

The UCAS dollar is worth between $4-5 to 1 nuyen depending on the market.
Lantzer
Admittedly I don't worry about conversion rates most of the time: I just say something like:

"The pay will be 3500 nuyen, paid in UCAS dollars."
Lilt
Thx. The problem I have is that I'm trying to run stuff from Shadows of the Underworld, the first adventure of which lists pay in UCAS Dollars. I wasn't sure what to give them, so I gave them an exchange rate of 10:1... It seemed reasonable considering that the full pay for the job was over 125000 UCAS Dollars each, not including some loot they snagged and stashed (MPCP4 deck, 11 force worth of Sustaining foci from a, now dead, mage) in their lockers before leaving.

Looks like they'll be happy when I tell them next session...
Crimsondude 2.0
Or you can tell that that given the circumstances of the UCAS and the fact that real and consumer exchange rates vary, that they were unlucky enough to get hosed but good on the deal, and they might want to find a new bank.
Lilt
Hmm. Unlikely that the bank would hose them as badly as a 100% profit margin. Especially because I'm pretty sure some of them have appropriate skills. I think I'll up it to 5:1 at-least.
Crimsondude 2.0
Heh. I was just thinking about it in the context of a chapter in To the Hermitage where one of the protagonists walks into a Swedish bank with 100 British pounds and walks out with USD$40 (which, in case you're curious, is inherently cause for alarm) because there are also taxes to concern your PCs with.

But frankly, you can make any excuse in the world. I like 10:1 because right now I'm the kind of bastard who would screw them over just to see the looks on their faces.
shadd4d
Actually, as of 1994, 1 nuyen.gif = $1, according to Bug City. It's in the GM section where it talks about things not specifically covered. The picture on the page or the page oppisite is an ork with stuff in his coat trying to sell things.

Don
DeadNeon
According to Shadows of North America (pg 166), one UCAS dollar is worth .25 Nuyen.
Crimsondude 2.0
Just to be clear and cover my own ass, I do know the exchange rate, but have just been trying to explain the 10:1 ratio in case you need to CYA.
FXcalibur
Are you sure it's that high? A middle class home costs 5k a month? Seems a bit much to me...

On a sidenote, was the origin of the nuyen currency ever explained?
TinkerGnome
It's all relative. The buying power of the nuyen is roughly equivalent to the buying power of today's US dollar. The UCAS dollar is worth a lot less than the nuyen on a 1 to 1 basis. Which just means that prices have gone up in terms of UCAS dollars. Kind of like with any other currency exchange.

5k a month = 60k a year. About right for a firmly middle class lifestyle (the kind you raise a family on) in the city. Outside of a sprawl, I'd wager lifestyles are cheaper.
Kagetenshi
And remember that that's the lifestyle in general. You're not just paying that for a house or apartment, that includes groceries, power, water, heat, etc.

~J
Crusher Bob
The exchange rates you are going to get vary. If you are exchanging small amounts 'on the street' then expect to get 5-10% from the 'actuall' exchange rate. Trading in amounts of around 30-50K USD gets you in the 3-5% range (or better) while trading amounts of 100K USD or more gives you maybe 1-2% of the actual. It depends on what currency you are trading from and to, how volatile the two currencies are, how fast you can put money down, who you know, and some other stuff.

So lets say the 'actual' rate is 1 Y = 4 USD.

You goto a place where they don't take Y and you need some pocket money, so you trade in 1000 USD at 4.24 to get 235.85 Y.

You have your run setup and need to pay for your equipment, which costs 15K Y. You whip out ~62400 USD and get an exchang rate of 4.16.

Noy you are being paid for you run (in Y) and you want USD. You goto a large currency trader and lay down your 50K Y when changing into USD you get an exchange rate of 3.9, which means you walk away with 195K USD.

This is assuming you know some actual currency traders who can move amounts this size. If you were moving more moeny, you could get better exchange rates as well...

Also, some places have much better bulk exschange rates due to a very high turnover foreign exchange market. So the bulk exchange rates in Hong Kong are much better than say... Bandar Seri Begawan (in Brunei).

This is assuming you are trading in clean funds, expect another hit on black market funds.
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