Monday, April 3, 2017

Rare Elements Foundry Makes Amazing Fantasy Coins

As any long-time reader knows, I love conventions. The gathering of geeks in one place allows me to meet folks from all across the spectrum of interests, and to discover all kinds of glorious things I had no idea even existed. From the dragon heads of David Lee Pancake, to the art of illustrator Brent Chumley, there is something around every corner.

It was a few years ago while I was at C2E2 (which gives away free 1-day Friday passes to industry professionals if you apply early enough, by the by) that I discovered Rare Elements Foundry. So I thought I'd share their work with you today... because look at this damn thing!

What would you even buy with that?
Just imagine, for a moment, that you're running a game. The party comes across the body of a man who's been horrifically mummified in what looks like a few moments. His clothes are fresh and wealthy, his skin dusty and dry to the touch. Holding down the scrap of his tongue is a coin. When the players ask about it, you flip them this from behind your screen.

That's going to make an impact.

Serious Props, For Moderate Money


The model pictured above is called the Smoke Behemoth, and it costs a pretty penny. $22 for a single coin. However, not everything Rare Elements does is quite that pricey. The same cost, for example, could get you a 10-count of the Wraith, or the Gnoll. In some cases you can get even more coins for the cost of a Jackson, and two Washingtons.

The Wraith, in case you were curious.
These coins are useful for tabletop games, but where they really shine is in a LARP setting. Do you want to make your players carry around their in-game wealth in a meaningful way? Get a big bag of the multi-denomination coins to add in a touch of realism. Do you want to have a mysterious prop in your murder mystery? Put a pair of these coins over the eyes of a murder victim. Do you want to mark someone for death? Have the old fortune teller force a Wraith into someone's hand, and every time the player throws it away, or tries to leave it somewhere, make the coin return to their belongings somehow.

The possibilities are endless! And with the high-quality metals used by Rare Elements in all their designs, these coins can last for years. Not only that, but a little wear and tear might make them look even stranger, and more authentic. In some cases, they might create a whole new legend... especially if a figure's features grow smudged, or the numbering becomes difficult to comprehend. Hell, you could turn that into an entire plot point, if you were of a mind.

So, check out Rare Elements Foundry today, and take a look around. You never know what strange adventures await, freshly minted and ready to go.

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday post. If you want to keep getting updates like this, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. And if you want to support Improved Initiative so I can keep bringing you content just like this week after week, why not head to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page? If you become a patron, and pledge at least $1 a month, then I'll send you some sweet swag to go along with my undying gratitude.

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