Do your party give "running cost" to spellcasters?

[kigmatzomat]

the games i've GMed and played in have always been right at (or slightly below) the recommended wealth levels in the DMG.

My players are at the recommended wealth levels...now. They were a touch more than a level behind and those two characters' share of the last 2-3 big hauls was in coin since there were no items they wanted. PCs are supposed to gain 60,000gp each between 15th and 16th level. The rogue is actually still a bit behind on the wealth scale, but not too bad. The party on the whole is now up to snuff on wealth. If they decide to sit on a pile of gold instead of spending, that's their decision. At least their estate will have the cash to pay for their resurrection!

i guess my players have lower expectations (or desires) than yours -- i don't remember anyone saving up to buy one of those stat-boosting books, and if i had 80,000 gp i wouldn't even know what to do with it.

Well, I'm not sure where a stat book stands on "high expectations." They definitely aren't the the most "efficient" (in the munchkin sense) expenditure of coin at his level but he wants to qualify for an epic feat asap. IIRC, if he gets his book he'll qualify at 21st level for....(draws a blank)... something I really don't remember being that great but fits his concept.

T'other one is a cleric who will be building a temple. He's currently negotiating for a land grant from the crown. Man, I love PCs that hand me plot hooks.....

As a result, I really don't have any problems with them having that much coin. Now giving a hardcore twink that much cash would be dangerous, especially when they have in-game sources for the majority of magic items.

 

[Thanee]

We usually deduct money for expendables which are bought or services which are paid for in the party's interest (i.e. identification or healing) from the treasure before dividing.

Also items are not figured in, they just go to whoever needs them most or can make the best use out of (random if multiple characters are suitable to get the item), always keeping an eye on how much everyone has received, that is, if an item would be useful to multiple characters the one who has received less so far will get the item this time, but we are not tallying up prices here.

Money is just divided evenly.

Bye
Thanee

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

-Send the party a bill for my spellcasting, as per the DMG hiring an NPC spellcaster table.

The risk with that is that you'll get a much higher invoice from the cleric, rogue, and fighter...the cleric for healing you, the fighter for bodyguard services, and the rogue wants his money so he can give you back your spellbook.



Brad

 

[Felix]

The risk with that is that you'll get a much higher invoice from the cleric, rogue, and fighter...the cleric for healing you, the fighter for bodyguard services, and the rogue wants his money so he can give you back your spellbook.

--Any wizard worth his salt will never get into melee, so will need much less healing from the cleric.
--The fighter doesn't actually bodyguard you... it just seems that you always end up on the opposite side of the fighter from the bad guy! And the fighter is doing what he likes to do anyway.
--The rogue is on your side already... what with the "Magic Jar, empty pockets into rogue's backpack" trick.

Then of course, there's always Charm Person!

 

[DiFier]

i've never seen a party above 5th or 6th level that wasn't swimming in cash and able to afford whatever they needed.

in any event, IMO high-level spellcasters are more powerful than high-level non-spellcasters, so i think giving them an extra share of treasure would unbalance things even further.

I have a 16th level wizard/fighter/spellsword who while I have property, a vicounty with a haunted silvermine (I haven't been there yrt) I am in debt. just a couple thousand GP in the hole. but the other palyer seems to be swiming in the gold.

 

[Eltern]

I've played and run many wizards over the last few years and come to consider wizards and cash like this: For wizards you can consider their spellbook equivalent to a magic item that simply allows the wizard to select multiple spells to memorize for the day, giving the wizard greater power (i.e. more spells to choose from and access to). Sinking more money into the spellbook increases it's worth to the wizard and in general. Just the same as a fighter sinks cash into their sword/armor or as the rogue sinks cash into their boots of striding and cloak of hiding.

Now a wizard can either choose to spend the gold on increasing the power of their spellbook or on other magic items that provide different benefits. Just as the fighter can choose between boots of striding & springing for mobility or a magical longbow in addition to their magical sword (for greater felxibility, the same as the wizard). Wizards are balanced with the number of spells available to them at no cost each level with gold spent as they wish, equal to all the other classes. A good wizard at higher levels should spend ~15-30% of total wealth on spells for their spellbook just as a fighter spends on their weapon of choice.

Providing extra money for the wizard is really nice but unnecessary, all things being equal.

Though when the party wants a specific benefit from the wizard (a specific spell) the gold can come from party funds is very reasonable, just as the party wanting the cleric to have a wand of heal or the ground-bound fighter to have boots of flying just-in-case so he can whack things when the party encounters dangerous flying things, and so on.

I agree, and it makes sense. General question: These wizards and sorcs often have to drop loads of dough on their spell components. Personally, I (DM) don't keep track of any spell components whatsoever, sans a few spells that I know have high ticket prices (identify, true res, etc.). The bookkeeping for the player just doesn't seem fair or interesting. Of course, we also don't do bartering/appraising AT ALL. Just say "You got a gem, and the dude will buy it for (1/2 list value)"

Eltern