Value of Animal Products

Value of Animal Products

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Creature	Product	Value (gp)
Ankheg	Shell	100
Aurumvorax	Entire Body	2,000+
	Hide Only	500
	Claw or Tooth	1
Bear, black	Pelt	6
Bear, brown	Pelt	5
Bear, polar	Pelt	8
Beaver	Pelt	2
Beetle, fire	Light Glands	50
Behir	Horns	10
	Talons	8
	Skin	500
Beholder	Eye	50
Bobcat	Pelt	2
Bulette	Head Plates	200
Catoblepas	Horn	30
Centipede, giant	Poison	5/ounce
Cobra, giant	Poison	18/ounce
	Skin	4
Cockatrice	Feather	8
Chinchilla	Pelt	3
Crab, giant	Shell	10
Crocodile	Hide	5
Displacer beast	Hide	3,000
Dragon turtle	Shell	500
Dragonne	Hide	2,000
Elephant	Tusk	5/lb.
Ermine	Pelt	4
Ettercap	Poison	1,000/ounce
Fox	Pelt	3
Giraffe	Pelt	5
Gorgon	Blood	20/ounce
	Scales	25/lb.
	Hide	500
	Horn	35
Kirre	Horn	25
Leopard	Pelt	6
Leopard, snow	Pelt	8
Leucrotta	Hide	150
Lion	Pelt	4
Lizard, giant	Skin	6
Lurker	Eggs	900
	Gas Sac	100
Lvnx	Pelt	2
Manticore	Hide	10,000
Mimic	Ichor	8/ounce
	Organs	5/lb
Mink	Pelt	3
Minotaur	Horn	30
Musk ox	Hide	5
Naga	Hide	400
	eye	20
	Tooth	5
Narwhal	Carcass	100/HD
	Ambergris	200-2000
	Horn	10-40
Ocelot	Pelt	4
Octopus, giant	Hide	20
	Ink	2/ounce
Otter	Pelt	2
Otter, sea	Pelt	3
Owlbear	Eggs	200
	Pelt	5
Panther	Pelt	5
Peryton	Antlers	25
	Eggs	10-120
Phoenix	Carcass	30,000
	Eye	5,000
	Beak	5,000
	Talon	5,000
	Feather	50
Rabbit	10 Pelts	1
Raccoon	Pelt	1
Remorhaz	Eggs	500
	Thrym	5-10/flask
Roc	Feather	5
Roper	Glue	8/ounce
	Acid	4/ounce
Scorpion	Poison	18/ounce
Seal	Pelt	3
Sheep	Wool	1
Spider, giant	Poison	15/ounce
Squirrel	5 Pelts	1
Tabaxi	Pelt	250
Tarrasque	Carapace	20,000
	Underbelly	5,000
Tiger	Pelt	5
Troll	Blood	400
Unicorn	Horn	1,500
Walrus	Tusk	20
Whale, giant	Ambergris	2,000-40,000
	Carcass	100/HD
Wolf	Pelt	3
Wolf, winter	Pelt	5,000
Wolverine	Pelt	3
Yeti	Pelt	300
	Tooth	1
	Claw	1
Zebra	Pelt	5

The table below lists some of the most valuable products derived from creatures in the AD&D game worlds. Barbarians trade these products for food, tools, and other essentials. Some societies may use them as currency. The products may also be sold for gold, or used as raw material for the manufacture of clothing, medicines, and magical items. Consult the Monstrous Manual or the various Monstrous Compendium volumes for special uses of unusual products, such as dragon turtle shells or cockatrice feathers.

The listed values are averages. For products of high or low quality. the values may be rise or fall as much as half. Products taken from giant creatures are worth five times the amount of their normal-sized counterparts. For instance, the pelt of a normal otter is worth 2 gp, but a giant otter's pelt is worth 10.

The listed values assume that the products are in reasonably good shape, free of rips, discoloration, and other flaws. A cracked tusk or a hide pierced by a sword may be worth only half the listed value. Scorched feathers and rotted pelts may have no value at all.

To extract the products without damaging them, a character must devote about 10 minutes per HD of the animal. Removing the fur from a 3 HD wolf, for example, takes about 30 minutes. The character must also make a Dexterity check when he completes the process. (If he has the Animal Rending proficiency, he makes a proficiency check instead of a Dexterity check.) If the check fails, or the character failed to devote enough time to the procedure, the products are damaged and their value is reduced. Vary the amount of time required if the animal is unusually large or small, or if the desired product is relatively difficult or easy to harvest (an antler from a small deer takes less time than the fur of a giant polar bear, rabbit fur is easier than alligator hide).

For creatures other than those listed, locate a similar species and assume that the value of the products are comparable. Mammoth and mastodon tusks, for instance, are worth about the same.

Determining Values

Animals may also produce products other than those shown on the table. Following are guidelines for determining their values,

Carcasses

The flesh of almost every natural animal has value as food. A pound of meat from wild game (deer, goats, birds, fish) may fetch 1-6 sp. But keep in mind that most settled areas have ready access to meat; only in areas where game is scarce or famine persists will animal flesh have any significant value. Gourmets might pay 10 gp or more for a pound of meat from a dragons, kirre, or similarly rare creature. When efficiently processed (by a skilled butcher or a character with the animal rending proficiency), a 100-pound game animal may yield 60-80 pounds of meat.

Organs

Hearts, eyes, and other organs may be sought by wizards (for spell components), collectors (for trophies), and priests (for religious rites). Values vary wildly, depending on the scarcity of the animal and the desperation of the buyer. As a rule of thumb, figure that organs of common creatures bring a minimum Of 1 sp per pound. For rare creatures, the sky's the limit; a dragon heart or a couatl tongue could bring hundreds of gp in the right situation.

Poisons

Animal poisons—available from creatures such as snakes, scorpions, and spiders—are sought for medicinal, alchemical, and combat purposes. Poisons may be milked from fangs or stingers, or the poison sacs may be cut out. Incapacitating poisons (those causing paralysis, sleep, or sickness) are typically worth 1-6 gp per ounce. Fatal poisons (those causing death) may bring 20-30 gp per ounce. Extremely rare poisons, such as that of the ettercap, are worth up to 1,000 gp.

Even in barbarian cultures, the use of poison is considered a cowardly act. In the AD&D game system, good characters do not use poison.

Teeth and Claws

Teeth and claws are sought for spell components, jewelry, and weapon enhancement (teeth can be imbedded in clubs, large claws can be used as makeshift daggers). Values correspond to the scarcity of the animal. The teeth and claws of common animals bring no more than 1-2 sp per pound. A single claw or tooth from an unusual animal may be worth 100 gp or more.

Horns and Antlers

Generally, the horns and antlers of common animals (deer, elk, buffalo, goats) have little worth aside from their value as trophies. Traders should consider themselves fortunate to get 1gp for them. The horns and antlers of unusual creatures, such as minotaurs and gorgons, are valued at 30 gp or more. Horns that have been ground into powder are twice as valuable as solid horns, if the buyer believes they have medicinal value.

Feathers

Most feathers aren't worth much. Feathers from common birds (ducks, geese, chickens) may bring 1-2 sp per pound. Brightly colored feathers, such as those from parrots or flamingos, might be worth 1-4 sp each. A feather from a monster or magical bird may be worth a few gp.

[Complete Barbarian's Handbook]