How does your group divide up the treasure?

[Dreaddisease]

Magic Items are valued as full value in our campaigns. If you are only get half price for a magic item then something is wrong. Even in actual economics your percentage per dollar goes up as the cost of product goes up (this is in economic equilibrium, not counting in monopolies, hording and other business practices). So I don't see why a 2000 GP item would only be worth 1000 gp the same as a 2 CP pot being worth 1 cp on the market.

Anyways doing actual value helps keep magical items balanced in the party. They may only be able to sell it at 75 - 90% of value but i guarantee that those magic items are worth more while you travel then a bunch of gold or art or jewelry.

This brings up another question. Do you value magic items as half their price because that is the cost in GP? I am sorry but if none of you are familiar with the cost model, Price = Margin + Cost of materials + Cost of labor + Cost of Overhead, then you may need to wake up. I don't think the wizard who burned off 320 XP plus 8 days of his life and 8000 gp of material is really going to want to sell it for 8000 GP. Value items as they are, because they really do cost that much. You don't value the Gold as half value or the art or jewelry (and I don't know anyone who can get full price from jewelry) so don't value the items.

Rant mode off.

 

[Stalker0]

In my current adventure, a lot of the players spend their off adventure time away from the party in their individual cities and whatnot. So its beneficial for everyone to have their own monies.

I play it as any money found in the prescense of the party gets divided evenly. If that rogue happens to brave some danger himself and find a cash stash or pickpockets someone, he gets that for himself, as only fair.

Magic items go to those who need it most. However, if that can't be decided we go for the auction system like the one in the ph.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

With the magical items we as a group decide what is best for the group. The money we keep together until it's needed then we decide based on what the needs of the group are.

commie bastards..I mean

The current group I run figures total gp vaule of stuff, then they did a big game of rock papers sizzors to decide who get 1st,2nd,3rd,4th pick. they pick an item, once item worth exceeds 25% of total value stuff they stop picking in the rotation. They can only exceed 25% from last item picked by at most 5%. So don't try and pick a big item for your last choice if at 23% total stuff. GP divided equally.

Last group I palyed we divided GP evenly, and handed out items based on who they were most valuable for. But they had some wierd mentaility where the items weren't personal property but group items, so they got pissed when I sold theonce a day ring of invis, and made something else for myself with the profits.

 

[clark411]

Party fighter uses his intimidation skills to get whatever he fancies first.. then the others examine what they want. Usually there is some debate, as the seemingly random assortment of goodies becomes little more than selling fodder to upgrade our fave weapons and armor at one of the various Magic Marts we can find on the continent with our spelljammer (to which we have permanently fastened a level 1 druid apprentice cohort.) After a minute of discussion, we all finally settle for "The Bag."

By next week we've forgotten what is in the bag, and months later as our characters start popping off dead (sometimes due to luck, usually helped by a lack of preparation/resources), the bag holder begins buying a chain of taverns at 25k a pop.

Generally speaking, I *loathe* only two things: 1- nagging and spending time in precious game time calculating treasure division, and 2- The Bag.

 

[Crothian]

commie bastards..I mean

Well, no one is really materialistic in the group. I have a Ranger who is is happy leaving off the land. He doesn't need much. Heck, we had a Mace +2 floating around the party (it was our first and only magical item at the time) that no one wanted. The Wizard takes all the party funds for writing spells in his spellbook anyway. I'm sure if someone demanded the his share, we'd give it to them. But no one is really like that in the group. WEll, the rogue is but for some reason he hasn't done this. I think he's been slowly pocketing things that no one else finds to keep him happy.

 

[tburdett]

In my current adventure, a lot of the players spend their off adventure time away from the party in their individual cities and whatnot. So its beneficial for everyone to have their own monies.

I play it as any money found in the prescense of the party gets divided evenly. If that rogue happens to brave some danger himself and find a cash stash or pickpockets someone, he gets that for himself, as only fair.

Magic items go to those who need it most. However, if that can't be decided we go for the auction system like the one in the ph.

It's only far if the Rogue doesn't come running to the party when things don't work out, or expect the party to help or heal him if he gets himself in a bind. Why should they help him when he's just trying to line his own pockets?

Here's a little scenario that springs to mind.

The Rogue bravely (or is that greedily) scouts ahead of the party. He sees a chest around the corner and motions for the group to stop. After all, if they can't see the chest they won't know how much treasure he hoards for himself. He studies the lock and misses the poisoned needle. Ouch! Crap! Barely able to keep his feet he stumbles back to the party for help. What happened they ask? I tried to open a chest and it bit me. I'm hurt bad (2d6 CON loss) and I don't feel well (he knows that secondary CON loss is coming). Hey, little buddy, that's tough. We know you were going to keep that treasure for yourself, so you can kiss my codpiece if you think we're going to help you. Now be a good little fellow and die over here where the light is good. Dibs on his sword! Dibs on his boots! Dibs on his ring!

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

Magic items and gold is important for us in the game. We use an "economic" dividing system. All the gold is divided in equal shares to everyone. Everybody can buy an item found for half the "value". If two persons both want it then the one that bid highest will get it and the gold will be divided to everyone.

The best part with this is that there is never any argument about who should get what- just bid more if you want it...

This is pretty much exactly how one of our groups does it. The only clarification that I would like to make is that when someone does "buy" an item, that money then goes into a pool, and once everyone is done with their "purchases," the pool is equally divided among the party members. Also, we do not make people "buy" charged items (wands, potions, scrolls, etc), the item just goes to the person who can make the best use of it.

Our other group (which is smaller and more altruistic) has a different method. At the end of and adventure, gold is split evenly. Items go to the person who has the most obvious use for it (+1 longsword to the fighter with a focus in longswords for example) . If no one has an obvious claim for an item (like boots of speed or wings of flying) then we go through a rotation system. Player #1 (determined randomly at the start of the campaign) gets first pick of unassigned items, then player #2 and so on. Next adventure the rotation advances by one (player #2 becomes #1, etc). The only real caveat is that if you pick an item you cannot sell it. If you are going to sell and item, the proceeds get split evenly amoung the group...

Clear as mud? It works for us...

 

[ForceUser]

Generally speaking, the magic items go where it makes the most sense and the coin gets split evenly.

 

[jontherev]

Hmmm. There are tons of ways to do this. If you have a nice friendly bunch, you can divvy things up on a need-before-greed basis. However, this option poses problems at times when nice items appear or when multiple people are fairly equal in their need of an item.

Here's how we do it. Gold and any items sold are divided up equally. HOWEVER, part of your share of the gold may be redistributed to other party members based upon how expensive the magic items you got are. When we divvy up the loot, we "bid" on magic items we want to have. Starting bid is half the market price of the item. 90% of the time, no bidding wars ensue, but if it does, the extra gold is considered part of the treasure. After all items are taken or sold, we divvy up the gold proportionately. If X took a Ring of Blinking worth 15000gp (half market price), and Y took nothing, chances are X will be owing the party some money (and getting no gold obviously), while Y will be getting more gold than anyone else. I think it's a fair system and prevents people from hoarding magic items. If you have no gold to bid with, we will let you go further into debt if no one else wants the item, but that rarely happens. There is often at least 1 party member who is in debt and owes the party money, but this changes.

Sounds like your newbie is playing a rogue. Explain to her, in character, that if she wishes to remain in the party, she will stop being greedy and share with the party. Remember, you are playing pcs that are risking their lives. Magic items are an important part of staying alive, and it unbalances the party tremendously if one pc holds way more items than the rest. Or alternatively, make her open ALL doors and enter ALL rooms first since she is obviously the most powerful member.

 

[Jotun]

Newbie player = Fiance = Wizard who's main focus in life is to examine and collect rare and exotic items of magical power.

2nd biggest treasure hoarder = Closest friend in gaming group = Trial Lawyer in RL = Half-orc barbarian who could destroy any other PC at his leisure.

It hasn't been easy.