RPG math is weird

[beccaelizabeth]

In the Pathfinder rules it says 50 gems weigh one pound.
Some rough math and google suggests that every Pathfinder gem weighs as much as the Hope Diamond, 45 carats.
That is a lot of diamond.

That's the same weight as a coin so you can see how they got there but it's still... ambitious.

Coins weigh about as much as a pound coin, again according to quick google.
... now I kind of want to make a pouch of them...

Gems at the precious stones end happen in sizes Small and Large, so they can't all weigh the same, that's just a handwave for encumberance accounting.

Large Diamonds are worth an average of 5000gp
so Raise Dead needs one, Resurrection needs two, and True Resurrection needs five.

Is that five Hope Diamonds by weight?

That'd use up all the big ones.

I was working on the theory that diamonds are such valuable magic that even small ones are super expensive.

Now it's sounding like you'd need a gigantic pile of ordinary sized diamonds just to make up the value for the spell.

Trying to convert back from trade goods gets you weird values for money anyway.
Trading between planets would get you a huge profit in both directions pretty easily, far as I can see, cause the values are all wonky.

But it would be hard to stock up on diamonds around here if what they consider a diamond is 45 carats.




I woke up very early and am distracting myself with this.
Probably I should give up and get breakfast.