Need help with Loot Division

[Mazlyn]

New 4e party with veteran RPG players. We need a "fairer" system of dividing loot at the end of missions. One that gets items to the right PCs but still allows some freedom of choice. I just wondered what systems others used.

Our current system is "strict" order. We rolled for order at the outset of the campaign and with each pick, your name goes to the bottom of the list. Great until an orb cames up and the wizzie is at the bottom. The fighter is now richer but the party is poorer.

Any suggestions appreciated! Thx!

 

[xmanii]

Have the wizard and fighter trade picks along with future picks or favors (think of some major sport wheeling and dealing, team A gets superstar, team B gets 2 first round picks for the next two years, or somesuch)

 

[Asmor]

1. For each item, everyone "bids" on that item how much they're willing to pay. I recommend setting a minimum bid somewhere around 50-80% of the item's market value; if items sell too low, then it shafts people who don't bid on items. On the other hand, there's no reason to bid more than the market value, because then you could just commission the item yourself.

2. Each item goes to the person who bid the most.

3. Each item which was not bid on gets sold/disenchanted/etc.

4. Add together the value of all treasure, including the winning bid on items which were bid on to calculate the total treasure value. For items which were (or will be) sold or disenchanted, add them at the value you get (i.e. 20% of market value).

5. Divide the total treasure value into the number of players evenly. This includes the value of the items people get.

Example:

Alice, Bob, Charlie and Dan find a Rod, a Sword, a Staff, and 10,000 GP worth of art, gems and coins.

Alice wins the Rod, bidding 5,000 gp
Charlie wins the Sword, bidding 8,000 gp.
Nobody wants the Staff. It will be disenchanted into 1000 gp worth of residuum.

Total treasure value is 10,000 (art, gems and coins) + 1000 (staff) + 8,000 (Sword) + 5,000 (Rod) = 24,000 gp

Thus, each player gets 6,000 gp worth of treasure. Also, note that there's only 11,000 in liquid assets (i.e. art, gems, coins, and residuum).

Alice's share is 1000 gp plus the Rod (which she bid 5,000 GP for).

Bob's and Dan's shares are 6,000 gp each, since neither won any items.

Charlie's share is the sword, which he bid 8,000 GP on.

Here's where things get a bit complicated. Note that between Alice, Bob, and Dan, a total of 13,000 GP is owed, but there's only 11,000 GP. A problem!

However, Charlie's share was worth 8,000 gp, but he's only supposed to get 6,000. Thus Charlie must pay the group 2,000 gp from his own purse to get the sword. That 2,000 gp goes to paying off Alice's, Bob's and Dan's shares.

It seems more complicated than it is, really. Basically, just establish a value for everything and then split it up evenly.

 

[Ginnel]

In my opinion there should never ever be an organised loot sharing mechanic that is constructed outside of the gameworld.

Any loot sharing method should always be conceived in character in game.

This way a stupid barbarian can be "coned" out of useful magic items by cleverer characters or a fighter can make a case for the latest item the party has found, we're all adults playing a roleplaying game no one feels cheated out of character.
If they are "Veteran" RPGers I'm suprised they don't do this.

Also see my Sig further advice.

Most of the groups I've played in the characters have decided to just give it to the character who will get the most use out of it or if its equally useful to several characters to the one who hasn't had an item in a while.(this isn't counting magic items that are found and not revealed to the rest of the party)

In one game my Monk put his foot down and demanded the next item of his choice as a kinda veto as all of the recent loot had been weapons and armor which were "useless" for him, In this same game the most powerful weapon is given to the paladin and her old loot is handed to the cleric/bard/NPC's or if its less powerful than her current weapon its left for other characters to fight it out.

 

[Mark]

We need a "fairer" system of dividing loot at the end of missions. One that gets items to the right PCs (. . .)

Depending on how you generate or seed treasure, this might not be fair in the least. I tend to believe that the DM should allow the players to determine how to divide treasure. If, however, one player turns out to be a bully who is mostly getting his way despite the best interests of the group, I remind the group that I am a.) not going to run two simultaneous games and b.) not going to force the majority of the party to keep a character around who is being a bully simply because someone at the table is running the character (no more than I would expect the group to put up with being forced top travel with an NPC bully) and might even c.) tell that player to take a hike myself.

 

[Mazlyn]

Ginnel said- "Any loot sharing method should always be conceived in character in game."

Nothing wrong with this, however, I'm not sure how much experience you've had in "stranger" groups where everyone is "friendly" but not "friends"! Nothing can kill a group faster than someone thinking they are getting the shaft!

 

[Ginnel]

Ginnel said- "Any loot sharing method should always be conceived in character in game."

Nothing wrong with this, however, I'm not sure how much experience you've had in "stranger" groups where everyone is "friendly" but not "friends"! Nothing can kill a group faster than someone thinking they are getting the shaft!

Good point

If you have people who are bullying the group best to have a talk with them and if they keep on doing it just get rid.
If someone is hording all the items ask them about their in character motivation for it, check if this reflects their alignment.

But most of the time if you explain what type of game you want to run at the start of a campaign it will work out.
that the party gets along and won't steal from each other
that the party is free to backstab each other if they want or
the party is all about people double crossing each other but still having to pull it together in a fight.

Its definetly worthwhile mentioning this especially if running for strangers as different people have different expectations from a RPG, its also worth asking about this as a player if the DM doesn't explicitly state this.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Selling any magic items that could've benefitted the group would be a disaster in 4e, and bad in 3e. We always give items to whoever can use them, irrespective of whether the character recently received one. So orbs always go to the wizard, plate to the paladin and so forth, unless they currently have better. We assume the DM will ensure that every PC gets an approximately equal amount of class specific items. In the case of items that could go to anyone, such as an amulet of protection, I would suggest giving it to the party member who has the lowest current gp total worth of magic gear.

Treasure is divided separately from magic. I've seen suggestions that PCs who receive less magic should get more treasure. One could look up the gp value for each item and subtract it from the receiving PC's share. The drawback with this system, and it's a major one imo, is that it's a lot more time consuming.

 

[Jhaelen]

Great until an orb cames up and the wizzie is at the bottom. The fighter is now richer but the party is poorer.

You don't need a system for distributing treasure 'more fairly', you need a group that is willing to cooperate. I'd ask the fighter if he's out of his mind and if he didn't have a GOOD answer, I'd give him the boot.

But, yeah, I've never gamed with strangers. If that's a typical example of the behaviour to be expected I also never will.

 

[jensun]

Treasure is divided separately from magic. I've seen suggestions that PCs who receive less magic should get more treasure. One could look up the gp value for each item and subtract it from the receiving PC's share. The drawback with this system, and it's a major one imo, is that it's a lot more time consuming.

I used to play in a 3e group which calculated the exact value of everything on a spread sheet and then make sure the cash was divided evenly taking account of the value of magic items given out.

It was one of the most teeth achingly dull things I have ever experienced in an rpg.