[DMs] You've slowed advancement. How does that affect loot?

[ForceUser]

Hello all.

I run a monthly Oriental Adventures campaign where I've decided to slow advancement to lengthen the life of the campaign. As you may or may not know, 3E is set up to take a party of 4 characters to 20th level in a year and a half. I've decided that I want my PCs to advance at one-quarter that rate, so I can run not one or two, but many adventures per level. This will give me time to develop a campaign with depth and personality, as opposed to running a boxed game with a linear progression through modules.

Okay, so here's my question: can we assume that since exp will advance at one-quarter the normal rate, the acquisition of loot should also advance at one-quarter the normal rate?

 

[The Sigil]

In a word, "yes."

Of course, in OA, it is easier to get away with this - esp. if you make the focus Honor and such.

--The Sigil

 

[Swack-Iron]

Okay, so here's my question: can we assume that since exp will advance at one-quarter the normal rate, the acquisition of loot should also advance at one-quarter the normal rate?

In my experience, not quite. The one thing that your players will still burn through at a normal rate are "consumables." Items with charges, potions, scrolls, fire-and-forget one-shot magic items, etc. will still get used every session. In my slowed-advancement game, my players are *dying* because they use these things up, but don't get nearly enough gold or XP to replace what they use.

Which makes it even more fun for me, of course. Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

 

[Piratecat]

Swack-iron is wise. I'd say if you reduce xp by a quarter, reduce loot by a third. Tweak as necessary.

 

[mmadsen]

I run a monthly Oriental Adventures campaign where I've decided to slow advancement to lengthen the life of the campaign. As you may or may not know, 3E is set up to take a party of 4 characters to 20th level in a year and a half.

Is that year-and-a-half figure based on one session per month?

 

[ForceUser@Home]

No clue. Ask PCat; I got the figure from him

 

[Sodalis]

i think it is one four hour session a week -

so about 4 hours/week X 78 weeks (1.5 years) = 312 hours of play time

 

[Tonguez]

Hello all.
Okay, so here's my question: can we assume that since exp will advance at one-quarter the normal rate, the acquisition of loot should also advance at one-quarter the normal rate?

No because you are going on more adventures and doing more things you are using just as much resource over time - ie you need to keep restocking on those healing balms and sword grease more often.

This problem can be ameliorated by using a home base or agency system eg the PCs are members of the City guard and so can 'procure' stuff as required from 'work'. Any loot can then be cut accordingly.

If you don't want to use the Home base system then a straight 1/4 cut will be too harsh. (Remember however that anything can be a homebase - I once had my PCs as members of a travelling circus. At one point they were performing in Homlet when...)

 

[mmadsen]

i think it is one four hour session a week -

Right, so one four-hour session per month would already lead to one fourth the standard advancement rate (in real time).

 

[Grraf]

campaign length

the campaign length number was developed by wotc. They went out and figured out how long the average campaign lasted. according to market data it was a year and a half. They wanted the core books to cover a full campaign levels 1-20 so they worked it out like that.

The current advancement system is tough on reality. (OK so I don't really worry about CR when I create challenges) but my PCs are getting almost a level a week in game time. Definitely slow advancement but I wouldn't nessessarily worry about decreasing magic items. I realize this is probably a peculiar opinion but PCs have lots of magic items isn't really a problem IMHO. You make the magic items up yourself as DM so just give them things that won't break your game. Especially since (running by the book) Identify doesn't tell you much about the item they can be wandering around with an atomic staff of blasting thinking that it gives +1 to AC and that's it.

Players love getting cool gear. Give it to them. Then attach penalties to it. Then make other people covet it (especially good in an OA game IMHO you can do so much with Obligation and responcibility). eventually they figure out how about half of the things work and they they get themselves neck deep in trouble and wind up losing most of it anyway. (I run a Scarred Lands game).

Just my two cents.