(Another) D20 Modern Wealth Question

[Sgt_Shock]

I've read the d20 modern FAQ and the core rules for wealth but there are still a few issues I would like to resolve.

1. I would like to confirm whether or not players are allowed to give wealth to one another. (So far I'm pretty sure you can't but I'd like to double-check).

2. Let's say a party comes across a wallet with +3 wealth value and three pistols. Are players forced to divide the wealth among the party or can one player just pick up and sell all the loot. The latter seems more effective but not for the right reasons. (5 people with 200$ each seems less effective then 1 person with 1000$ with this system). So should the party just pool all the Wealth Bonus loot on the leader so purchases for the party's equipment are easier?

Just doesn't seem right to me.

 

[ValhallaGH]

1. Not really, no. There's some fuzzy ways to pass money around but those are extrapolations of the existing rules, not directly supported by the rules.

2. ... I'm confused by this question, and therefore cannot supply a response.

 

[Sgt_Shock]

I'm sorry for the confusion. Let me restate it in a different way.

I'm under the impression that stacking 20 wealth on one person is more effective (In terms of buying power) than giving 4 wealth to each of 5 people.

Therefore, are players allowed to just give all of the loot (That adds to wealth value) to one person and use him as their shop monkey? Or should they be forced to spread it somewhat evenly?

 

[arscott]

I'm sorry for the confusion. Let me restate it in a different way.

I'm under the impression that stacking 20 wealth on one person is more effective (In terms of buying power) than giving 4 wealth to each of 5 people.

Therefore, are players allowed to just give all of the loot (That adds to wealth value) to one person and use him as their shop monkey? Or should they be forced to spread it somewhat evenly?

Wealth isn't linear, so giving five people a +4 bonus actually represents less money, in game, than a +20 bonus for one person.

The best way of handling monetary rewards is to pick a dollar amount, have the party divide it up however they want, and then for each player translate that dollar amount into a wealth DC, and use the rules for selling an item, ignoring the penalty.

 

[ValhallaGH]

I'm sorry for the confusion. Let me restate it in a different way.

I'm under the impression that stacking 20 wealth on one person is more effective (In terms of buying power) than giving 4 wealth to each of 5 people.

That is a correct impression. Largely because 20 wealth is about seven orders of magnitude (seven more zeroes after the number) larger than 4 wealth. (+4 = $80; +20 = $800,000,000.)

Therefore, are players allowed to just give all of the loot (That adds to wealth value) to one person and use him as their shop monkey? Or should they be forced to spread it somewhat evenly?

Wealth isn't linear, so giving five people a +4 bonus actually represents less money, in game, than a +20 bonus for one person.

The best way of handling monetary rewards is to pick a dollar amount, have the party divide it up however they want, and then for each player translate that dollar amount into a wealth DC, and use the rules for selling an item, ignoring the penalty.

What he said.

Five +4 wealth awards accumulate into one +6 award. Basically wealth increases like EL (each doubling is a +1).
So, for individual awards of +4 to total to a +20 requires 65,526 (2^16) PCs to give their reward to one guy. I've never heard of a table with more than 12 players, let alone more than sixty-five thousand players.

Wealth rewards always have some in-game description (suitcase of cash, fancy jewelry, pile of illegal drugs that your highly-disreputable PCs sell for funds, etc.). I have yet to meet a GM that would hand out Bill Gates' fortune as a wealth award for one adventure.


Good luck.

 

[Sgt_Shock]

Thank you both very much.

Btw, the 65,000 thing was pretty hilarious.

 

[ValhallaGH]

You're welcome. I'm glad it helped.

Hilarious and true. My favorite kind of humor.

Good luck.