D&D 5E Creating a Wealth Score in 5e D&D

[Umbran]

A character can raise their Wealth Score by investing money. Maybe each level of bonus would cost 1,000 x Bonus GP. So for example, to raise your Wealth Bonus from a 3 to a 4 would cost 4,000 GP. From a 19 to a 20 would cost 20,000 GP.

So, if I were to approach this, I would get rid of the concept of GP altogether. Convert that gold and silver and gems into a generalized Treasure, and decide how you want infusions of Treasure to impact Wealth.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

"Wealth Score" was necessary in d20 Modern not only because economy is more complex in our real life, but because we talk about games set in countries without dollar as national coin, or in another ages where the prize of the things are totally different.

 

[BookTenTiger]

So, if I were to approach this, I would get rid of the concept of GP altogether. Convert that gold and silver and gems into a generalized Treasure, and decide how you want infusions of Treasure to impact Wealth.

I think I would try to find a balance of the two. Finding gold pieces is a lot of fun!

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Yeah, a two-track system. Big numbers for hoards and abstraction for everyday stuff.

 

[Umbran]

I think I would try to find a balance of the two. Finding gold pieces is a lot of fun!

Well, you can narrate finding them all you like. But the entire point of having such a wealth system is to eliminate bean-counting. If you keep the gold around, that keeps the bean-counting around.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Not necessarily. The bean counting becomes an issue during transactions. Sometimes it is important (like Jgsugden's levels 1 and 2 above); but, when we have plenty of wealth at later levels, abstraction becomes more appealing.

 

[J.Quondam]

If you're into such things, you might need to consider how this impacts encumbrance, too.
An abstract wealth system hopefully wouldn't bypass the complications of carting a two-ton golden idol back to town!

 

[Umbran]

Yeah, a two-track system. Big numbers for hoards and abstraction for everyday stuff.

Why have big numbers? Big numbers imply small numbers, which you are abstracting away anyhow.

A wealth system means you never actually have to keep track of the GP cost of items. Items fall into ranks - with a given level of wealth, you can automatically buy anything of a certain cost rank, without worrying about it. So, like, above a certain level of wealth, you no longer both with the cost for room and meals at the inn. It is pocket change to you, and you no longer track it, as it has become uninteresting accounting of small numbers.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Why have big numbers?

Pinball.

Why do pinball machines give scores in the hundreds of thousands (with three zeros always at the end of the score)? Because who would want to brag about a score of 253 versus 253,000!

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Maybe that's where the abstraction should take place; in those last three zeroes.