F6: Moneychangers' Guildhall

This grand edifice serves one of the most powerful guilds in the Free City, and one of the most unpopular. The money changers also lend money to those whose credit looks solid, and their rates of interest have often provoked deep hard feelings.

Much of the work of the guild's members is transacted here at the hall, for their unpopularity coupled with the cash they must carry along, make the money changers disinclined to walk the streets or ply their trade from booths in the marketplaces.

Generally, a character can get any type of coinage translated into Greyhawk denominations for a fee of 10% of the transaction amount. The fee is reduced to 5% for currencies from Dyvers and Urnst (both of which are accepted at nearly all places of business anyway): but it increases to 20% or even 25% for a transaction involving currency from a source far from Greyhawk.

The vaults of the guild are protected by a permanent staff including two 8th-level thieves, four 7th-level fighters, and a 9th level mage. Another dozen security guards (1st-level fighters) stand around the huge lobby during business hours. All attack without mercy any thieves discovered here.

These sentries live in apartments above the lobby and always remain on the premises. Six of the guards and one of the thieves remain awake, patrolling the guildhall, during the night.

The vaults contain 5d4 x 10,000 gp (50/50 split between Greyhawk coins and other coinage).

The guild maintains a large ballroom in the basement of the hall for guild gatherings and festivals.

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F6: Moneychangers’ and Pawnbrokers’ Guildhall. One of the most powerful guilds in the city (indeed, in the central Flanaess) is housed here. The Union of Moneychangers and Pawnbrokers operates from this grand edifice, performing their expected functions both here and in small pawnbroking shops across the city. In addition, this union lends money to solid borrowers but collects high rates of interest. Many people in the city hate this guild with a passion, but none deny that it powers the excellent economy of the city and keeps its businesses running. Without it, few would have the initial capital to get new businesses off the ground.

The guildhall has offices on the ground and second floors, with a huge ballroom/ auditorium in the cellar for guild meetings. The vaults are on a level below the ballroom. This guild works most closely with the Union of Merchants and Traders, the Guild of Mintworkers (which supplies coinage), and Greyhawk’s noble families. Small shrines to Zilchus are everywhere, though a few shrines are present to other known gods of money and trade, such as Xerbo,

Coinage from foreign countries ts changed here for a 10% transaction fee paid to the guild. This fee falls to 5% for coinage from Dyvers or the Duchy of Urnst, but rises as high as 25% for very distant countries like Ratik or the Lordship of the Isles. The vaults here have huge reserves of cash, metal bars, and precious items, with well-trained and well-equipped sentries backed by magical alarms and traps.

The current conversion rate for Greyhawk’s coinage is as follows: 500 copper commons = SO silver nobles = 10 electrum luckies = 5 gold orbs = 1 platinum plate. For convenience in text, the designations are abbreviated as “sp,” “gp,” and so on. The city once used low-value iron and bronze pieces (known as “drabs” and “zees,” respectively) as. well, but these have fallen out of use.

DM's Notes: This union has an informal treaty with the Thieves’ Guild, as some merchants are also active or retired members of the latter. Thieves are to keep their hands off the vaults in return for a monthly “protection” fee. However, many upper-level members of the Thieves’ Guild feel they are paid too little, and they actively debate ways to break into one of the vaults and take a few things — just to let the merchants know the thieves can do it if they choose, forcing an increase in monthly payments.