beancounter
(I/Me/Mine)
Then, IMO, he seems like a greedy jerk. I'm surprised the other players haven't said anything. Time to cut him off at the knees.
D&D 5E (2014) Best way to deal with greedy players and magic items in a fun game.
- Thread starter ECMO3
- Start date
Then, IMO, he seems like a greedy jerk. I'm surprised the other players haven't said anything. Time to cut him off at the knees.
AnotherGuy
Hero
I'd say bring it up in-game, perhaps during a moment where all of you are sitting in a tavern or around a campfire or something along that situation or perhaps even privately when the two of you are taking watch. You could possibly create a great role-playing opportunity out of this or encourage scenes like this going forward. That way its likely cooler heads will prevail since you are speaking and acting out in character rather than player-to-player which is more personal.
You could highlight the benefits of sharing the party treasure or at least cement a plan going forward. My table did that during downtime - they drew up a contract for how party treasure and individual treasure get apportioned.
You could highlight the benefits of sharing the party treasure or at least cement a plan going forward. My table did that during downtime - they drew up a contract for how party treasure and individual treasure get apportioned.
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aco175
Legend
If you do not want to have a direct or table discussion, you could be more passive aggressive. Say things like;
"Sorry paladin about the fireball, bet you wish you had a ring of resistance about now."
"Hey fighter, how many times the monsters going to hit you by one, you should get a ring of protection."
"Hey cleric, don't you have other spells except healing, or at least give the front liners some protection from fire or boost the AC."
"I have a plan, but I need you to hold your bag of holding and jump into the portable hole."
"Trust me!"
"Sorry paladin about the fireball, bet you wish you had a ring of resistance about now."
"Hey fighter, how many times the monsters going to hit you by one, you should get a ring of protection."
"Hey cleric, don't you have other spells except healing, or at least give the front liners some protection from fire or boost the AC."
"I have a plan, but I need you to hold your bag of holding and jump into the portable hole."
"Trust me!"
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
This is but one way among many of distributing items. I've played editions that did have magic item pricing and used other methods. Yes, this does reduce the number of way to divide by one, but since there are still many ways to divide this isn't a root cause of the issue.IMO this is a natural outgrowth of 5e not having magic item pricing.
If items had set prices you could get everything evaluated once back in town, add the grand total value, split that value between the characters, and then each character can claim items up to their share value but no more; with the remainder being made up in cash. This method has worked for us for 40 years now.
Without item pricing the best you can do is a draft or pick system, but (and believe me, I've seen it!!!) greedy players/PCs can easily game this too, by claiming the highest-value or most useful item even if they can't use it themselves and then bartering a "better deal" for it so they come out ahead.
Me, if I were a Thief in that party I sure know who my number one target would be; even if I just went all Robin Hood up this and did some redistribution from the rich to the poor...
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Taking shots at another player does not increase the net fun for the table. Even some of the other players may be made uncomfortable about it. If you are willing to be forward enough to be passive-aggressive, just be forward enough to talk to the player about changing what they are doing first. All this does is reduce fun for a while until it finally brings it to a head but now emotions are involved and the player is both angrier and more defensive - not the position to get to a satisfying-to-all conclusion.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Were those other methods game-able by a greedy player? Every time we've tried any other method it's ended in disaster, mostly because someone* a) looked for, b) found, and c) used some means of gaming the system.
The beauty of our method is that it's nigh un-game-able. The only recourse a greedy player (or, more commonly, greedy PC) has is outright theft, which has its own in-character pitfalls and consequences and - given the relatively easy access most parties have to item location and detection spells - even at the best of times can be bloody difficult.
* - and not always the same someone.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
yours has a HUGE flaw though...Were those other methods game-able by a greedy player? Every time we've tried any other method it's ended in disaster, mostly because someone* a) looked for, b) found, and c) used some means of gaming the system.
The beauty of our method is that it's nigh un-game-able. The only recourse a greedy player (or, more commonly, greedy PC) has is outright theft, which has its own in-character pitfalls and consequences and - given the relatively easy access most parties have to item location and detection spells - even at the best of times can be bloody difficult.
* - and not always the same someone.
lets say 5 players find a +2 longsword worth 8,000gp and a ring of prot worth 2,000 gp and 4 scrolls/potions each worth 100gp and 6 gems worth 25gp each and 400gp in coins... grand total 10,950gp... divide by 5 and that is 2,190gp each... BUT one item alone is worth 8,000. So nobody gets the +2 longsword.
if you sell it for half value (4,000 gp) you just lowered EVERYONE's share from 2190gp to 1,390gp... but now that ring of prot is too much for anyone to take by 650gp (maybe someone has 650gp but if not) that means got to sell that for 1,000gp and that brings each share down to 1,190 gp.
Your way just cost the party 5,000gp of value... but MORE important the use of the fighter having the +2 long sword hitting more often for more damage (aka improving odds of every fight) and the cleric can't have the +1 AC and Saves that again would improve odds of fight
in order to make it seem fair your party is making every adventure harder on themselves
GMforPowergamers
Legend
you should not wait for item claiming. You should try to establish a new way BEFORE it comes up again
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Ah - I should probably mention we use a single-value system for items (i.e. you can usually sell it for the same value as you'd buy it for, meaning that for treasury purposes the value is the same whether it's claimed or sold); largely because of how, when we did use a high-low value system, the changing values affected shares and as a side effect made some treasuries take ages to divide. Single-value also makes in-game sense when you realize the primary market is probably going to be other adventurers anyway, who would be expecting to pay full price.
Two other things here: if some or all of the rest of the PCs are willing to loan the fighter funds such that he can afford said +2 sword, that's entirely up to them; as is later repayment etc. And yes, sometimes items are just too expensive for a party to keep; and I don't mind this as it occasionally allows me-as-DM to plant something big in an adventure that'll help with that adventure but that I (probably) don't have to worry about long-term.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Indeed, preferably before the party leaves town.
