Kurotowa
Legend
The importance of money depends very much on how many of the PC's goals can be accomplished with it. If the campaign premise is about a band of third children and orphans who have embarked on a dangerous career of treasure hunting and monster slaying to make their fortunes, then money is hugely important. If, however, you're a band of renown heroes who have friends and favors in high places thanks to a series of dramatic world saving adventures, and your main concerns are thwarting evil conspiracies and demon lords, then simple money may not hold much appeal.
As for magic items, particularly ones that aren't of the simple "numbers get bigger" sort, how important they are depends a lot on your character. If you're not a spellcaster and not planning to multiclass, then aside from the rare ASI you'll find your character advancement very much locked in from an early point. For those sorts of PCs, your magic item selection is the main axis for character customization and personalization at higher level. A signature magic weapon or mobility item can do a lot to make your PC distinctive or unlock new tactical options.
Now, you don't have to do that. I hear tell that a DM can do a lot to spice things up by breaking out the Blessings and Boons options from the DMG. But I think it touches on the recent debates about martials vs casters when we consider which classes are more dependent on magic items for utility and versatility than others.
As for magic items, particularly ones that aren't of the simple "numbers get bigger" sort, how important they are depends a lot on your character. If you're not a spellcaster and not planning to multiclass, then aside from the rare ASI you'll find your character advancement very much locked in from an early point. For those sorts of PCs, your magic item selection is the main axis for character customization and personalization at higher level. A signature magic weapon or mobility item can do a lot to make your PC distinctive or unlock new tactical options.
Now, you don't have to do that. I hear tell that a DM can do a lot to spice things up by breaking out the Blessings and Boons options from the DMG. But I think it touches on the recent debates about martials vs casters when we consider which classes are more dependent on magic items for utility and versatility than others.