D&D 5E What could 5E do to make wealth worthwhile?

[ezo]

"Give out less" isn't really a good solution if you want to incentivize PCs going for that big score (whether a heist or a dungeon crawl).

But "the big score" doesn't have to be cash, does it?

IMO the adventure is the point, not the reward... or more precisely I suppose I could say the adventure is the reward.

I know it sounds corny, but that is how I see the game in general. That isn't to say I don't give out "goodies", but cash is low on that list.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Charge them for adventuring hooks!

"There's a free adventure, but it's just someone who needs their basement cleared of rats. On the other hand, for 200 gp you can unlock a quest called called Slay the Dragon..."

...

In reality, I think some interesting ways to get characters to spend money are:

Reputation: the characters can invest gold in their reputation, spreading word of their achievements and glories.

Restoration: I usually include one or more areas of a town that have fallen apart, become repurposed, or could otherwise be restored by the characters by investing time and money. Maybe it's a magical forge or a hatchery for mythical steeds, or just a really cool tavern.

The Zelda Approach: in Zelda games, new zones tend to be pretty harsh until you find or purchase the right equipment. Maybe it's so cold you're taking damage all the time until you buy all blue clothing or get a flaming sword. You can do the same thing in D&D games. Maybe the characters need to buy special camping equipment or they can't take Long Rests in the haunted forest? Or maybe they need to pay to repair the bridge so they don't have to take the long, dangerous journey around the gorge? Or they need to hire a translator, or pay tithe to a local temple to get healing... Make the world a little inconvenient, and make the solution worth money.

 

[Reynard]

But "the big score" doesn't have to be cash, does it?

IMO the adventure is the point, not the reward... or more precisely I suppose I could say the adventure is the reward.

I know it sounds corny, but that is how I see the game in general. That isn't to say I don't give out "goodies", but cash is low on that list.

Sure. They can also be on a quest to save the world. But this discussion is ABOUT money.

 

[Reynard]

Gods, this is such a loaded statement. It's "true" except that the 3.x uses for money in terms of magic items as expected parts of character advancement math were intentionally taken out of 5e. So when you remove the parts that the designers considered harmful to the game to remove, the statement is false.

And since the statement is false, no changes need to be made.

So I reject the whole premise, as actively against design intent.

What are you on about? I said that money is less worthwhile in 5E than 3.x. This is not a controversial statement. nor did I say a single word about whether the uses for wealth in 3.x were good, bad or otherwise.

If you want to reject the premise, go ahead. But maybe do it without bothering to threadcrap and edition war next time?

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

If you can't picture ways for your characters to spend money in an RPG, that's a you failing, not a system failing

Ah, the old "you're a bad DM because you can't come up with pointless money sinks" strawman. It's been a while since we last saw that.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I like the idea of starting the PCs off with a massive debt -- and someone willing to come looking for them if they don't make their regular payments. I don't think I have ever done this with D&D, but it was standard for Star Wars and other sci-fi games where the PCs started with a ship.

I tried with Traveller and my players were not excited about an imaginary mortgage.

 

[ezo]

But this discussion is ABOUT money.

Right, and I said I give less. You posted:

"Give out less" isn't really a good solution if you want to incentivize PCs going for that big score (whether a heist or a dungeon crawl).

so I replied there are other incentives so giving out less IS a solution--and a good one if you find giving out too much money is a problem. Give less money and allow other things to be the incentive to "help motivate the going into the holes and killing the monsters and taking their stuff". Then for the money you do give out, it has a purpose because they don't have a lot left over.

Now, if you want to keep giving out money and are just looking for more things to do with it, then others have giving suggestions for that: crafting items (magic or not), retainers, strongholds, businesses, research, etc.

Even in prior editions when games were more Monty Haul, spending money was never much of an issue IME. It costs a lot of money to build a keep, for example, pay everyone in it, and keep it running... IRL that was done primarily with taxes, in an RPG go quest for it.

Which is the final suggestion I have in case you aren't doing it: TAX the PCs! Local lords and kings and such always want their share for removing loot from their lands.

 

[TheSword]

Surely wealth can be used for all the same things that it can be used for in the real world?

Living comfortably
Influencing people
Status symbols
Obtaining the things you want
Protecting those you love.

I’ve never really understood the big beef with wealth/gold in 5e

 

[Lanefan]

Surely wealth can be used for all the same things that it can be used for in the real world?

Living comfortably
Influencing people
Status symbols
Obtaining the things you want
Protecting those you love.

I’ve never really understood the big beef with wealth/gold in 5e

Thing is, if the campaign is laser-focused on adventuring and nothing else (a la a typical published adventure path), the first three of those will never come into play. The fourth one only arises if the DM allows magic items to be bought-sold (as magic items are the only things an adventurer is likely to want to buy), and the fifth comes under adventuring, not expenditures.

 

[Distracted DM]

Create training rules and a Downtime action that requires spending money on actually attaining the next level and the abilities. This could be paying someone of higher level to train you, tithing to a church of your religion, paying an arcane academy or library for access to their restricted section, etc.

Would you mind sharing these?