A) Create the new character one level below the old character. It will start with the following wealth, based on the level of the new character:
Level 1: 100 gp
Level 2: 780 gp
Level 3: 1750 gp
Level 4+: full starting wealth as outlined in the DMG on page 143
B) Create the new character at the same level as the old, with wealth as above but without the magic item at level+1. For example, if you retire a 5th level character and choose option B, the replacement level 5 character would only get magic items at levels 5 and 4, instead of 6, 5, and 4 as the DMG outlines. (If the new character is level 2 or 3, subtract the value of the magic item from the total.)
It is permitted to recreate the "same" character with different mechanics, in order to change the character in ways beyond what the one-time overhaul allows. (For instance, turning a wizard into a sorceror, or an orc into a half-orc.) This can be accompanied by an explanation in-game (such as revealing that the orc has a hidden human parent) or considered a ret-con (such as declaring that the wizard was always a sorceror, and building him as a wizard in the first place was a mistake).
Maybe I should have checked the math on Option B before posting it...
Using option B, you're creating a level 2 character, and you get wealth of 780 gp minus the cost of a Level 3 magic item, which is 680 gp. So, yeah, 100 gp even.
Was gonna check on all the other levels and give a summary, but I gotta go. Judges: does this seem fair? Should we change it?
Ok, back. Although it's not spelled out in the retirement rules, you always have 3 options: you can always just make a brand new Level 1 character with 100 gp, as if it was your first char.
So, here's what you can get:
[pre]
Retiring... Option A Option B
Level 1 none Level 1 char, < 0 gp (useless)
Level 2 Level 1, 100 gp Level 2, 100 gp
Level 3 Level 2, 780 gp Level 3, 910 gp
Level 4 Level 3, 1750 gp Level 4, 2200 gp
Level 5 Level 4, 3200 gp Level 5, 2680 gp
...
[/pre]
Hmm, I think we may have to rejigger this - at level 2 and 3, your level N replacements get the same or more gold than a level N-1 replacement, so there's really no tradeoff. (Although they still get less than a character who's played through to level N.)
For my part, I thought that the new numbers we voted on referred to option B, starting your new char at the same level as the one you retired. Remember that the whole discussion started with Velmont's Jarel-Karn, created at 2nd level to replace Trevor Tannen, retired at 2nd level.
I had pretty much forgotten about option A. I think we could quite reasonably drop it, as I don't remember anyone being interested in it. If we wanted to keep it, we could use the numbers put up there, but with, say, +10% wealth or something.
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
