Blog (A5E) Level Up: Spending Gold (At Higher Levels)

One of the challenges with designing an advanced 5th Edition (A5E) is filling in some of the areas of the original (O5E) game which have room for expansion.

We’ve looked previously at how we’re expanding the exploration pillar. This article takes a quick peak at ways to spend your gold at higher levels. Of course, at all levels characters can buy magic items and other equipment, but here we’ll explore some other options.

Spending Gold (At Higher Levels) — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

One of the challenges with designing an advanced 5th Edition (A5E) is filling in some of the areas of the original (O5E) game which have room for expansion.

www.levelup5e.com

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

A good meal could gives a special bonus as the bard's inspiration.

Building stronghold? I am thinking about constructorartificier with B.A.S.E. skill building a killbox full of traps against those annoying husks and mist monsters, I hate the smasher!!

I wonder about something like the "residiuum", a second "coin" to craft magic item.

* Almost off topic. When I played sims 3 and sims medieval I wished a d20 videogame with farming, and also collectable monster pets.

* If most of monsters could be potential "pets", even the constructs, what if a munchkin create an arcanotek "exosuit"? Or something like "Jackpot", the pretty boy's mecha and final boss of Borderlands 3 DLC "Moxxi's Heist and the Handsome Jackpot"? Seriously, monster pets, as the firearms and modern tech may break the power balance.

 

[Caliburn101]

Interesting to see that you can be 'Seasoned' as a cook. The Cannibals will appreciate that...

 

[Maxperson]

First off, as an "inexperienced" cook, I have to say that a free Hit Die of healing seems awfully generous. But I guess that depends on how crappy the rations are. What if they're halfling rations?

Yes, but what I want to know is if the seasoned cook tastes good.

 

[Maxperson]

I like that there are more and more ideas appearing in this space and look forward to seeing it.

Though I think 75k for a T. rex is over the top

Well, the actual T. Rex is only 5k. The other 70k is for the mandatory insurance.

 

[tetrasodium]

A good meal could gives a special bonus as the bard's inspiration.

Building stronghold? I am thinking about constructorartificier with B.A.S.E. skill building a killbox full of traps against those annoying husks and mist monsters, I hate the smasher!!

I wonder about something like the "residiuum", a second "coin" to craft magic item.

* Almost off topic. When I played sims 3 and sims medieval I wished a d20 videogame with farming, and also collectable monster pets.

* If most of monsters could be potential "pets", even the constructs, what if a munchkin create an arcanotek "exosuit"? Or something like "Jackpot", the pretty boy's mecha and final boss of Borderlands 3 DLC "Moxxi's Heist and the Handsome Jackpot"? Seriously, monster pets, as the firearms and modern tech may break the power balance.

I think that a secondary currency line splitting mundane and serious purchase currencies apart is probably a good thing but residuum went wrong by being pegged to the gp so it was just another way of writing x gold rather than say small/medium/large/refined/whatever magic shards with their owm 10:1 type scale so something might need 20 refined magic shards rather than 200,000 gp. By not having a shard:gp link it would be like paying for mundane stuff with a pearl of power or potion of goodstuff rather than spending the coin & saving the shard towards that awesome thing

 

[bedir than]

Unless you can only have one stronghold feat. Though I suppose buying the same feat 20 times is a good way to waste money!

There will be both a material (gold) and a feat cost?

That's a unique combo that I'm interested in.

 

[Morrus]

There will be both a material (gold) and a feat cost?

No, you get a feat.

 

[CapnZapp]

Of course, at all levels characters can buy magic items and other equipment, but here we’ll explore some other options.

I'm very interested in how A5E approaches magic item buying, so I'll look forward to an article on that!

 

[CapnZapp]

I think the key is to find that happy middle ground between the magic shop mentality that is 3.5 power scaling and the "treasure is worthless" mindset that 5e has.

Just as long as A5E eschews the idea "we can't put gp prices on magic items since that will force DMs to sell them to the players."

Offering support for what you derisively call "the magic shop mentality" is one of the biggest 5E holes that A5E could patch. But that doesn't mean DMs have to use it.

Much better to support both adventuring play styles:
1) the players who just want to kick in doors and take names, that have no interest in downtime or strongholds. They just want ways to convert their looted gold into cool new gear that actually help in the next dungeon (=magic items)
2) the players who like to put effort in what heroes do between adventures - building wizard towers, donating to orphanages and whatever else this article presents. They want gold to be attractive and useful, but not in a way that commoditizes magic items.

 

[Faolyn]

No, you get a feat.

So, the warlord gets a stronghold, and I have to assume that a few other classes have that as a high-level option as well. So would the feat be primarily if you want a stronghold at lower levels, or if you want an additional stronghold? Can I assume that if you take a stronghold feat you basically get a stronghold "for free" (i.e., just the feat tax) but you can also spend gold to get one?

Which, by the way, is cool: I'm stingy at giving out cash money to my players and tend to give them lots of useful or valuable objects instead, so having multiple options to getting a stronghold is good.