We're way too rich

[Duncan Haldane]

(Note: our alignments run a little south of good so this was totally in character)

I'm wondering why you think that having a "south of good" alignment is important to this situation.

You traded goods you didn't want for goods they didn't want. You didn't say that anyone was ripped off. In fact, you both stand to make a profit off it. And the aqautics can use the metals to help their lands as well.

So long as you pay your tithes and taxes, I don't see anything not good about this situation.

Duncan

 

[Zappo]

This reminds me of a situation which turned out in my last 2e campaign. It was a mixed Dragonlance/Planescape campaign, with the players having access to a portal which linked Sigil and Krynn. Eventually they figured out that gold on Krynn is worth less than iron, and they imported huge amounts of iron, sold it for gold, and became filthy rich.

The rulers of the nations to which they sold the iron soon kicked them out and warned them not to try it again. Why? They already had a huge war going on, no need to put the worst economic crisis since the Cataclysm on top of that, too!

Your PCs probably won't be able to sell all those pearls in one big lot. When the word spreads (and in these cases, it spreads quickly), it is likely that the local and not-so-local pearl merchants will come to the PCs and demand to know where did they find so many pearls at so little cost; if they refuse, some of the evil aligned merchants will hire thieves or assassins to steal the pearls or kill the PCs before they can import and sell more and more and shatter the market.

 

[Yuan-Ti]

I don't see this as a serious problem as long as your DM doesn't allow everyone to go down to the Kmart and the pick up the magic items of their choice. If you spend it on a stronghold (as someone suggested) or some other more mundane issue, then no biggie. The old AD&D 1e DMG suggested that adventurers rarely got too wealthy, because the powers that be would show up and demand a hefty tax. "So you got a 100,000 gps, eh? Well, now you got 50,000 and mind how you spend it. We would approve of you spending it here in our kingdom."

 

[Heretic Apostate]

For information about what can happen when a weak party acquires wealth outstripping their ability to hold onto it, read "The Pearl." (By Jack London, I believe.)

SPOILERS!!!



















In the story, a pearl fisherman finds a pearl of incredible size. And everyone is out to cheat or rob him, even going so far as trying to kill him, just to acquire it. The pearl should make him fabulously wealthy, but does it?

 

[Leopold]

TAXES TAXES TAXES! You think the lord of the land will let all this wealth come rolling in without getting a fair piece??!?

 

[rounser]

Money to burn, eh?

Buy a flying ship for the bargain price of 700,000 gp (according to Magic of Faerun, but you might be able to get a used one for less) and do the Princess Ark thing. That would be fun.

 

[Weeble]

In a game this weeked our party ended up insanely wealthy. we were sent on a run of the mill sunken treasure recovery mission, and contacted the aquatic beings which lived near the ruins. Noticing the wealth of pearls in their city, I offered to trade metals (rare for them) in exchange for pearls (rare for us). A good diplomacy check here a bluff check there and we walked away with wealth appropriate for a party 10 levels higher than our own. (Note: our alignments run a little south of good so this was totally in character.) Now i'm having regrets. It makes sense as far as realism is concerned (it happened in america, we didn't have any diseased blankets so we dodged that bullet) but now game balance is toast.
What's an appropriate CR for a 5th level party with 15-17th level wealth?
Is there any saving this game?
Isn't our DM supposed to be posting this?

Wouldn't it be ashame if you cit failed your appraise checks? If not, gems, jewelry, pearls, whatever has a value that can fluctuate greatly.

 

[Henry]

Having a huge influx of mineral wealth into an economy (pearl's not technically a mineral, but bear with me) will devalue prices on that particular commodity. This is because in most economies, the value of something is set by its rarity. They might be able to translate 1/10th of it before prices start going down. Every 10% they translate to other money or goods, the value will go down more. Eventually, their pearls will be worthless for 200 miles around, and they will have to move vary far to get the rest of their wealth in even a semblance of its original value.

In other words, they WILL live comfortably, (no way around that), but being obscenely wealthy is not quite realistic. A better bet would be forthe party to find something to invest in that will make money for them over time. This gives the DM a plot hook, it saves your massive wealth from economic deflation, and gives your group a source of renewable wealth.

 

[el Voz]

What does the DM think about this? Does he care? You may be creating a problem were one does not exist.

 

[apsuman]

Solution: bandits!

solution 2 : taxes!

Just to compound what has been said, I read that the emperor of Mali went on a pilgrimage (to Mecca?) and was so lavish along the way that gold was virtually worthless for two or more years from Him showering the loacals with his wealth.

g!