Annoyed with Wealth Tables

[Shalewind]

It seems to me that much of the 3e system is balanced by the magical gear the character's are assumed to be carrying. It has been argued that adventures don't throw challenges in if the PCs don't have the appropriate magical gear (+X weapon, scroll, or some such) to combat the problem. Not to mention that fact that Stat Increase items become a staple. That +6 STR, +4 CON fighter seems alot more dangerous with those goodies on.

So if all this is true... And it takes time to accumulate this wealth and keep accumulating it to match your level... What happens when the magic items start getting broken? What happens when your sword, which is a good 25% of your net worth get shattered in a sunder attempt? How do you get that 25% net worth back? Or is your character forever at a handicap for the rest of his days, being X gold behind the rest of the party? I realize he can always get more money... But in doing so he rises in level and then is still behind from where he should have been on the wealth tree.

And this doesn't even cover what happens when gear is stolen and can't be recovered. (Yes, I know high magic would allow you to recover just about anything...) But say I'm a BBEG. Fighter Joe is a big threat, mainly because he carries +5 Sword of Doom. Sure, I could try to capture him or something. But why not just rob him and break the weapon. It's not like Joe can afford a new +5 Sword of Doom. Anyone else run into this problem with the balance? And solutions or good opinions on the matter?

 

[LokiDR]

My solution: DM perogative. I don't break expensive magic items as a matter of course. I also don't perminately steal large quantities from the party. Every once in a while, I ask all the players to add up their GP value in equipment. Then I hand out "rewards" for some quest that are most useful for low GP valued characters, trying to keep players balanced against each other.

In other words, you have to work at it. I don't like characters being defined by magic owned, but it is the only way some characters can keep up. If all magic had to come directly from the mage, DR and special movement monsters look a lot harder. I just deal with it.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

Are you talking as a player or as a DM?

 

[Shalewind]

In other words, you have to work at it. I don't like characters being defined by magic owned, but it is the only way some characters can keep up. If all magic had to come directly from the mage, DR and special movement monsters look a lot harder. I just deal with it.

This is largely what I do as well. I dislike that things are this way, but I just deal with it as well. My curiousity is if this is the way the system was meant to work? Have the DMs never break magic items and such...?

I'm talking as a DM. Which I know is an easy fix, "always play with kid gloves"... I understand this. Just wondering a good justification for the smarter villians to not take these types of actions? (as I said, I'm annoyed with the whole wealth concept to begin with... )

 

[Fenes 2]

As a DM, I dispense rewards to balance the PCs. Since I make my own adventures, I don't have to follow the wealth guidelines in the DMG either - my PCs don't have that many magic items, and can do without very well - as they demonstrated last adventure, by choice.

 

[LokiDR]

I use a modified system for improving equipment owned. A character spends his own XP and the weapon/armor/whatever improves. So the sword of a famous general is magical just because the general was that good.

Now, under this system, I would have no problem breaking a character's favorite weapon, because he can re-create the effect. The XP cost under my system is pretty low, and I reserve the right to say no, so no replacing the lost item immediately. I think this is more in line with the "magic" items of a lot of famous people, especially from oriental cultures (I don't run OA, but I like the concept)

So, by changing how characters gain magic items, you can address a lot of your concerns.

 

[Shalewind]

I use a modified system for improving equipment owned. A character spends his own XP and the weapon/armor/whatever improves. So the sword of a famous general is magical just because the general was that good.

I love it. Thanks for the idea.

 

[dcollins]

The D&D designers have gone on record as saying that a "standard" D&D adventure should, on average, have one encounter where a significant PC magic item gets broken. It's supposed to be balanced with the encounter treasure tables for this to occur.

 

[LokiDR]

I love it. Thanks for the idea.

Glad to help. I think Hong uses a simlar system. Or just mix and match your own

 

[Pax]

Okay, here's the thing.

Those wealth tables? They're snapshots. Nothing more.

Further, those are tables of what a character should COUNT on having ON him or her, at any given moment -- the MINIMUM amount, no less.

If someone uses up a scroll, then they are below the finance curve, so the GM needs to find a way to rebalance their finances.

Otherwise NOONE would EVER use expendable magic items. Duh.

The wealth tables are not meant to reflect lifetime limits. If the warrior's expensive magic sword breaks, well, perhaps the party gets lucky and finds enough extra cash to repair said sword (after the adventure of course), on top of the usual, expected shares.

It's in the GROUP'S best interest to take shares of the loot after expenses.

My first 3E group had a simple way to handle sudden expenses; the "party treasury" got a full share of coin-value from every adventure's "take"; common-use items like healing potions were often invested in by the party, and handed out "to hold and use if need be" among everyone, with extras kept in our storage (we had a big wagon to hold our stuff -- food, a barrel or two of extra arrows, tent, water, feed for the wagon team, etc, etc).

We also paid expenses -- like raise dead spells -- out of party treasury, or from the "Take" prior to divvying it all up.

So the fighter's repair costs owuld get deducted from that adventure's take, and THEN the loot would get split up -- seven ways, in our six-character party ... the seventh share going into the party tresury, which covered living costs, travel supplies, and emergency needs.

The GM can plan for such to happen, and be a bit less worried about both over-exhuberance in coin-value treasure, and less cautious about breaking the parties stuff (or just taking it).