Gold in Architecture Argument

[Archpaladin Zousha]

A friend and I are in an argument regarding a roleplay I'm planning. I suggested a lost city of gold of the PCs to find. The player suggested the city be literally made entirely out of gold.

I contend that this is physically impossible for two reasons. One, there's no way you could mine enough gold to build an entire city. I don't know how much gold is in Fort Knox, but I'm willing to bet there isn't enough in there to even build a house out of it. Secondly, Gold is a lot denser than stone. Even if the civilization dispenses with wooden supports (doubtful, because cities of gold are invariably Mesoamerican), the sheer heaviness of gold would cause even arches and flying buttresses to buckle.

The player argues that anything is possible in a world that's got sea-monsters, working hoodoo magic and ghost ships, so having a city constructed entirely of gold should be too.

I contend that it's just not physically, chemicall, architecturally and ultimately scientifically sound.

Could someone more scientific minded provide evidence for or against this? I'd like to end this argument quickly. Thank you.

[Maximum Zersk]

Gold Laced with Magic.

Listen to them. It is a magicky world, is it not?

Strengthened Gold.

Applied Phlebotinum.

[Dispozition]

I'm saying do it. Doesn't have to be literally built from gold, but that doesn't stop it looking like it has. Guild/leaf that city, fo'shizzle!

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Gold Laced with Magic.

Listen to them. It is a magicky world, is it not?

Strengthened Gold.

Applied Phlebotinum.

I'm trying to minimize the magic though. If I put too much in, it will ruin the mood I'm trying to set, which is a low-magic world much like Pirates of the Caribbean, where magic operates on a specific set of rules and only one or two people know how to use it. And they are NOT the PCs' friends.

[Krade]

They probably just want to kill everybody and then make off with as much of the city as possible.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I'm saying do it. Doesn't have to be literally built from gold, but that doesn't stop it looking like it has. Guild/leaf that city, fo'shizzle!

That I wouldn't have a problem with. But the player seems to think it would be cool if everything in the city was built from pure gold bricks or something.

[blunk]

The player argues that anything is possible in a world that's got sea-monsters, working hoodoo magic and ghost ships, so having a city constructed entirely of gold should be too.

I contend that it's just not physically, chemicall, architecturally and ultimately scientifically sound.

In the real world, you're probably right, but until you can tell me how a giant bird, weighing 35 times as much as a pterosaur, flying with a wingspan just twice as long, is physically sound, I have to side with your friend.

MAGIC!

edit: wait, you're the GM, and your player is telling you how to run your campaign? Give him his city of pure gold, then when he steps foot in it, drop one of the bricks on his head. Problem solved.

[Coidzor]

Much better to have something structurally stable that's gilt. After all, city walls made of gold are... a logistical monstrosity with how thick they'd have to be in order to make up for their softness.

Or possibly an alloy of gold. Since historically most gold was alloyed with silver in coinage, so some kind of goldsteel wouldn't be too farfetched and would satisfy the less magic involved in its fabrication stipulation.

[JeminiZero]

I contend that this is physically impossible for two reasons. One, there's no way you could mine enough gold to build an entire city. I don't know how much gold is in Fort Knox, but I'm willing to bet there isn't enough in there to even build a house out of it.

Well, its your world. You can set the relative abundance of gold to be whatever you want. If you want there to be enough gold to build an entire city, there will be enough gold to build an entire city.

Plus you know, polymorph any object.

Secondly, Gold is a lot denser than stone. Even if the civilization dispenses with wooden supports (doubtful, because cities of gold are invariably Mesoamerican), the sheer heaviness of gold would cause even arches and flying buttresses to buckle.

Well, what is the technological level of your city? Low tech civs can have a city consisting entirely of 1 or 2-level dwellings, which could be made entirely out of gold without needing support. And this is in fact how much of humanity lived until recently.

[Mando Knight]

Gold structure city? Not without magicked gold. It's just way too soft and dense otherwise, even if you had an arbitrarily large amount of gold. It's only slightly less ridiculous than a city made entirely out of lead. Compared to even a weak wood, that's roughly the range we're talking about. The people would probably be just as well off making the city out of dirt.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Well, its your world. You can set the relative abundance of gold to be whatever you want. If you want there to be enough gold to build an entire city, there will be enough gold to build an entire city.

Plus you know, polymorph any object.

This game is freeform, so polymorph any object isn't an option. Besides, as I said I want magic to be rare, rare enough that when it does get used it makes the character's jaws drop and they yell "HOLY ****!!!"

Well, what is the technological level of your city? Low tech civs can have a city consisting entirely of 1 or 2-level dwellings, which could be made entirely out of gold without needing support. And this is in fact how much of humanity lived until recently.

Basically the city would be Mayincatec

[Alarra]

I think it would be fun and interesting to have everyone believe that it's made of pure gold, but have it actually be regular bricks covered in goldleaf. People tear down buildings and lug off these bricks thinking they've stolen a fortune, when in reality there's less actually gold on each brick than would be in a coin. But then, I'm mean that way.

[Vaynor]

Catgirls just died. That is all.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I think it would be fun and interesting to have everyone believe that it's made of pure gold, but have it actually be regular bricks covered in goldleaf. People tear down buildings and lug off these bricks thinking they've stolen a fortune, when in reality there's less actually gold on each brick than would be in a coin. But then, I'm mean that way.

That's kind of what I'm thinking.

A theme that seems to be emerging as I plan this game is of legends growing in the telling.

The legend of El Dorado itself had such a start. It was originally a legend of a king who doused himself in some sticky substance, then rolled in gold dust, and then jumped into the nearby lake to signify the beginning of some ritual feast or something. This later got changed to the king being so rich he literally washed in gold, and then eventually the king disappeared and the gold was attributed with his city.

[Serpentine]

Combining some of the above: Concede to your player. Tell him he's absolutely right, there should be a city made of gold! Then just make the whole place gold-plated. Or maybe even fools' gold! Or metaphorical gold: the city is made of some sort of material that shines like gold in the sunlight.

Alternatively, in a world where there's enough gold to build a city, it won't be
worth very much.
"Cool, I got 400lb of gold from that city!"
"Okay... Would you like a llama or a keg of beer for that gold?"

[Solaris]

Y'know, if trying to make a world where magic is rare and awe-inspiring, a city made of gold could help reinforce that if used properly.
'Specially if the gold is cursed, haunted by the murdered inhabitants of the city.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

The player and I have patched things up. The city will only be guilded. She's already got aliens in her character's backstory. I'm not going to let the player abuse her reality warping privileges.

[742]

what if its gold-thats a special variety of gold thats just really light.

[skywalker]

They probably just want to kill everybody and then make off with as much of the city as possible.

This was my first thought. Make a city entirely out of gold and your players say "screw going to the tavern, I'm just taking a pick to this outhouse and carting it home!"

[Jimorian]

Gives me an excuse to dredge up one of my favorite factoids: All of the gold ever mined in the history of the Earth would make up a cube about 60ft on a side.

When I looked this up to double check my memory, I discovered that there's even less platinum that has been refined; the cube would be about 20ft per side.

[Boo]

what if its gold-thats a special variety of gold thats just really light.

Ack! You hurt my brain! Stoppit!

[Stormthorn]

Gold is soft. The buildings would deform rapidly under their own wight.

Have the city be a wretched hive of slummy villainy where all the buildings are horribly deformed or melted and gold is worth less than cement or cinderblocks.

That would teach the players to be careful what they wish for.

[bosssmiley]

Ormolu and vermeil.

Or you could have the city build of traditional stone, and then plated with gold. Looks impressive, stands up under its own weight, and reduces the risk of the party hauling off entire buildings.

[Kneenibble]

Uhhhhhh, excuse me, but that bum who created Itchy and Scratchy bought a solid gold house after his lawsuit against Roger Meyers, Jr.

So it's obviously possible.

[Thajocoth]

The problem with a city made entirely of gold, really, is wealth by level... If it's made of gold, it's loot.

[valadil]

The problem with a city made entirely of gold, really, is wealth by level... If it's made of gold, it's loot.

Not if it's all one piece. You're not stealing a house.

I vote for an illusion instead of gold leaf. Or maybe you could include some gold leaf too as a red herring.

[thubby]

Not if it's all one piece. You're not stealing a house.

I vote for an illusion instead of gold leaf. Or maybe you could include some gold leaf too as a red herring.

power attack and/or shape metal combined with bags of holding, portable holes, and/or teleport make moving just about anything a laughably simple affair.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

power attack and/or shape metal combined with bags of holding, portable holes, and/or teleport make moving just about anything a laughably simple affair.

Again, this is a freeform, low-magic pirate RP. I'm not using D&D rules, and even if I was, the PCs wouldn't have magic spells or items to do this sort of thing,

And besides that, I'm opting for the "gilded city" route, decorated in gold instead of built out of it.

[Shas aia Toriia]

Just wanted to point out that Ottawa, Canada, is a larger repository of gold than Fort Knox.

Also, just have a large portion of the city be covered in gold foil, as others have said.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I just said the city was covered in gold foil!