A Gold Saved is a Gold Earned

What is it about a physical coin in your D&D game that just makes the players at the table grin from ear to ear? Is it because you can shuffle a stack like poker chips? Is it that satisfying coin fling across the table? Does it make it easier to keep track of your master total? Are the transactions and betting just more fun?! All of the above and then some, my friends.

The good news is there are allllllll sorts of different campaign coin makers out there at allllllll sorts of different price points.

• Amazon
• Etsy
• 3D Printed
• Campaign Coins
• Dwarven Forge Valorian Royals
• Norse Foundry

And all of these are viable options – it just depends on how snobby you wanna get! 3DRPG’s picky criteria are weight, design, price, and readability. Each coin’s weight is critical otherwise you lose that coveted poker chip feel. For the design, we simply want to see the core colors of Gold, Silver, and Copper and we gotta have multiple denominations of each (1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100) clearly labeled on each coin. Next, a seller’s price varies widely these days so you need to pick the maker that fits your budget. Lastly, we need to be able to read them quickly and easily – don’t go nuts on the artwork!

DM Ben first stumbled upon this golden game accessory while walking the Gen Con Indy floor many moons ago. Campaign Coins had a microscopic booth and he quickly gobbled a bunch of sets up. That was 10+ years ago and we’re still using them! These have always been our gold standard as it were.

Lately, we’ve recently tried our hand at Norse Foundry and their super fun Mystery Coins pack! All the boxes are checked here: they’re made using a metal alloy, cost $10 for 10 coins, the clearly marked denominations vary, and there are all sorts of different themes. These make the perfect upcoming holiday stocking stuffer btw!

Game management is especially easy too! The DM assigns a trustworthy banker to oversee and distribute coins/make change as necessary. And then any transaction, from a drink at the Inn to an impulse shop purchase to treasure loot disbursement, must all come via coins. Per player physical coin totals always trump digital coin totals.

But why didn’t we just 3D print our coins? First off, it’s tricky to get the right weight. We need ’em heavy! Next is the cost and time of producing them as our mini and terrain piles are already high enough as it is. Lastly, we didn’t feel buying them off the shelf broke the bank as it were.

But just like that, you’ve turned a ho-hum game mechanic into something fun for everyone around the table to enjoy!