Economy in a post apocalypse.

      Justifying bullet shortage and building a game economy at the same time. There is the possibility for as much economic depth as you like.

         I wanted bullets to be controlled so there would not be an awkward attempt to balanced the gun with the sword. Guns are still available but balance through limited use.

An excerpt from the economy section:

The Economy

The economy is built on the back of minted plastic coins representing stores of rare properly jacketed bullets and to a lesser degree salvaged metal. As the old society waged massive wars and fought off hordes of zombie in it’s death throws, vanishingly few amounts of proper bullets made it to the new era. Now the bullets are coveted by lords as treasures of the past and stockpiled, even those who look down on tech cannot refute the value of an unspent shell on the open market.

Bullets playing such a huge roll in the economy had incredible impact on the use of these munitions. If a lord was to shoot a bullet it only served to appreciate the value of all other bullets, including those of rival lords. So bullet usage was abruptly halted in large scale.

Manufacturing Bullets

The manufacture of bullets is not a technological impossibility in this era, however it is a crime punishable by death. The manufacturing of bullets would debase all currency and serve as a backward tax on all other lords, giving the manufactured incredible power and wealth. The edge in military effectiveness is almost an afterthought in the context of economic power.

This does not mean that there are not individuals out there attempting to manufacture bullets, but it is a risky business on any scale.

Bullet Legality

It is illegal to carry properly jacketed bullets without a license and they are confiscated on sight without reimbursement. Bullets may be turned in willfully at the bullet vault of any lord and receive a coin equivalent in payment.

Gun powder and shot can be manufactured separately for use in less effective musket style weapons without legal implication.

Currency Value

The plastic coins used as currency start at a set value only for a point of reference. During the flow of the game inflation, deflation, fiduciary media, and currency wars are all possible, causing the value of the plastic coins to vary widely depending on the scenario. Where as a dagger may cost 1 coin in the starting economy, heavy inflation could easily drive it’s cost to well over 10 coins if things got out of control.

• Bar: 1000 coins being it’s value, these plastic bars, stamped with a lord’s insignia, are used for large purchases. They are often referred to as “slabs” or “grands” .
• Coin: the coins are the most common currency. Being made from recycled plastics they often take a dark gray or black color leading to their slang reference of “darks” or “blots”.
• Bit: 1/8 of a coin’s value, bits are most commonly pie shaped pieces of a cut up coin. Some of the lords have taken to minting smaller coins and calling them “minis” tho many nicknames for the coins persist such as “Sixes”, “bits”, and “Cut Coin”.