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

[Umbran]

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.

I mean, in a typical wealth system, no, you don't do bean counting.

At a given wealth rank, you can buy anything of lower cost than your rank. Anything a rank above that, you effectively make a Wealth Save - if you fail, you don't get the item. If you make it, you get the item, but your wealth drops by one rank. If it is two or more ransk above, you just can't purchase the item. There is no bean-counting at the transaction.

 

[Umbran]

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

In current terms, it would not be strange to work your Wealth levels in terms of factors of tens of gold pieces. At the bottom-most rank, you can afford food for yourself for the day, and nothing else. Rank 1 - you can get things that cost under 10 GP. Rank 2 - you can get things under 100 GP, and so on.

Yes, the idea is that by the time Rank 3 comes around, almost all mundane adventuring equipment becomes a thing you no longer worry about. By rank 4, you are dealing in "Equipment for an entire party". Rank 5 is "Equipment for an entire expedition." Rank six is "Outfit a small army", and so on.

No, this is not a system for people who want to do detailed monetary resource management. It is specifically for people who don't want to do detailed monetary resource management.

 

[MarkB]

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

In current terms, it would not be strange to work your Wealth levels in terms of factors of tens of gold pieces. At the bottom-most rank, you can afford food for yourself for the day, and nothing else. Rank 1 - you can get things that cost under 10 GP. Rank 2 - you can get things under 100 GP, and so on.

Yes, the idea is that by the time Rank 3 comes around, almost all mundane adventuring equipment becomes a thing you no longer worry about. By rank 4, you are dealing in "Equipment for an entire party". Rank 5 is "Equipment for an entire expedition." Rank six is "Outfit a small army", and so on.

No, this is not a system for people who want to do detailed monetary resource management. It is specifically for people who don't want to do detailed monetary resource management.

So, maybe count those beans for income, but not for spending. Treat GP as another form of XP. Once you've earned enough GP, you level-up your wealth and your spending power increases.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Here's a proposed rule for 13th Age, which essentially makes it a saving throw: The Plain People of Gaming: Resource Saves

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

In current terms, it would not be strange to work your Wealth levels in terms of factors of tens of gold pieces. At the bottom-most rank, you can afford food for yourself for the day, and nothing else. Rank 1 - you can get things that cost under 10 GP. Rank 2 - you can get things under 100 GP, and so on.

Yes, the idea is that by the time Rank 3 comes around, almost all mundane adventuring equipment becomes a thing you no longer worry about.

No, this is not a system for people who want to do detailed monetary resource management. It is specifically for people who don't want to do detailed monetary resource management.

I don't find fault with this system. I like it. But, I'm not going to use it. I'll just abstract on the fly as I suspect many of us do in order to keep the game moving.

It's like I've always said, we play this game despite the rules.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I would say that for most D&D campaigns a "wealth score" doesn't really make sense at the beginning levels, when the heroes are generally grizzled itinerants with no modicum of credit in whatever random village they meet in the tavern of. It might make sense, however, to introduce as a mechanic later should they acquire fame, fortune, and status. At the point where they have a castle and lands (generating amorphous passive income), if you do that sort of play, tracking their purchases of every 50 foot coil of rope in the neighboring town really is neither interesting nor terribly realistic anymore.

 

[aco175]

It seems that in 5e more than older editions my players just cross off gold and spend it freely. They come into town and cross off 10gold and say that that pays for lodging, ale, food, and some minor things like a bath and sewing of clothing and sharpening of blades. This generally covers most things in the way we play.

Some of all this may depend on how much roleplay people want to have. Going into the general store to haggle over iron rations may be great for some and totally boring for others.

 

[Umbran]

I don't find fault with this system. I like it. But, I'm not going to use it. I'll just abstract on the fly as I suspect many of us do in order to keep the game moving.

It's like I've always said, we play this game despite the rules.

Yep, that's fine. I was speaking mostly to what the typical Wealth system is like. Not trying to sell it, just explain how it works.

 

[Umbran]

It seems that in 5e more than older editions my players just cross off gold and spend it freely. They come into town and cross off 10gold and say that that pays for lodging, ale, food, and some minor things like a bath and sewing of clothing and sharpening of blades. This generally covers most things in the way we play.

Indeed, we already have Lifestyle in the books that handles this by the month.

 

[Umbran]

So, maybe count those beans for income, but not for spending. Treat GP as another form of XP. Once you've earned enough GP, you level-up your wealth and your spending power increases.

Pretty much. I spoke of units of Treasure, mostly to not be confusing the Wealth system from current coin system - don't use the same term for two different things, and all that. If you want to call units of Treasure "GP", that's fine.