Level Up (A5E) A5E Treasure Assumptions

[FuzzyBunny]

I'm an O5e player, but I use a lot of A5e material behind the screen because I think it generally superior to WOTC's products.

I am starting a new campaign, and trying to figure out treasure. I want to use the T&T role tables. However, I am having trouble understanding what their assumptions are around treasure. The book states that over the course of an adventurer's life (which I take to mean up to level 20), they should expect to get 18 consumable magic items or enchanted trinkets (which I take to mean non-combat, "problem solving" wonderous-type items) and 6 permanent magic items.

But they're also expected to get hundreds' of thousands of gold, which would make it possible to buy much, MUCH more than that.

My question is: what does A5e assume characters can buy with treasure? It lists magic item prices for permanent items - does it assume these are regularly available? Do characters mostly buy consumable items, like in O5e?

The fundamental thing I'm trying to understand is whether T&T gold levels will imbalance my game - it seems like characters can buy a LOT using the gold assumptions of this book.

 

[Morrus]

Well, hundreds of thousands is something of an exaggeration--the wealth assumption is 100K at 20th level.

Starting Gear Past First Level | Level Up

a5e.tools

There's lots more stuff to spent your money on. Strongholds, followers. Magic items which cost tens or hundreds of thousands of gold. Donations (these get you benefits, of course). You can pick up a dragon egg for 45K. Spellcasting services. The book's full of lots of fun ways to eat up your hard-earned gold!

 

[Selganor]

It would only make it possible to buy much MUCH more than that if they got the time and chance to do so.

Going from my experience with the last (WotC) campaigns I have been in, we either didn't have the money (usually earlier parts of the campaign) or weren't anywhere where we just could go and buy stuff (like in the middle of a dungeon that wouldn't let you teleport out of it) or didn't have the time to wait for a delivery of magic items before the world ended (or some other reason why we couldn't just put the rest of the world "on pause")

That being said, there are lots of great (and not game breaking) "trinkets" as common magical items that you could also give out instead of some money.

 

[FuzzyBunny]

Well, hundreds of thousands is something of an exaggeration--the wealth assumption is 100K at 20th level.

Starting Gear Past First Level | Level Up

a5e.tools

There's lots more stuff to spent your money on. Strongholds, followers. Magic items which cost tens or hundreds of thousands of gold. Donations (these get you benefits, of course). You can pick up a dragon egg for 45K. Spellcasting services. The book's full of lots of fun ways to eat up your hard-earned gold!

Thanks for the comment. I'm looking at page 176 of T&T. A level 18 character acquires 40k, level 19 acquires 50k, level 20 acquires 60 k, etc. Perhaps I've misinterpreted?

You mention magic items, which is what I was getting at: whether the game is expecting you to be buying permanent magic items with all that gold. In O5e, there is an explicit expectation that permanent magic items are not for sale, and there are no bastions, so they can give as much gold as they want without breaking anything - because it's useless after a certain level! But I am interpreting your comment to mean that A5e is expecting players to be able to buy magic items, which is helpful to know .

 

[FuzzyBunny]

It would only make it possible to buy much MUCH more than that if they got the time and chance to do so.

Going from my experience with the last (WotC) campaigns I have been in, we either didn't have the money (usually earlier parts of the campaign) or weren't anywhere where we just could go and buy stuff (like in the middle of a dungeon that wouldn't let you teleport out of it) or didn't have the time to wait for a delivery of magic items before the world ended (or some other reason why we couldn't just put the rest of the world "on pause")

That being said, there are lots of great (and not game breaking) "trinkets" as common magical items that you could also give out instead of some money.

I like that common magical items - thanks for the link! I'll have to play with that. I'd think there would be time to buy magic items if they are simply stocked in a shop.