D&D 5E Do We Really Need a Lot of Gold? (D&D 5th Edition)

[MGibster]

Since as far back as I can remember, acquiring massive amounts of wealth in the form of gold, gems, and magic items has been part and parcel of the D&D experience. In fact, treasure used to be tied to experience points which caused some problems as characters accumulated ridiculous amounts of the stuff. But then there were plenty of things for characters to spend their gold on including training to advance to the next level, some spell components were quite costly, and you could hire henchmen and build strongholds. Assuming you actually bothered to do any of that stuff. I don't know about you guys, but when I sit down to play D&D I want to go out and adventure not stay in my stronghold and figure out how to decorate the place.

My memories of 2nd edition are fuzzy (I'm a 7 percenter now and getting older), but at least by 3rd edition treasure had been complete divorced from experience points but we still continue to accumulate a ridiculous amount of gold in 5th edition. Once you reach the point where you character is living like a rock star and wearing clothes and bling so excessive that Liberace would decry it as "tacky" there's not much else to spend you gold on. Is there any reason we actually need all that much gold in D&D?

As a player, even when playing a Rogue, I don't really care about gold. My character might, but it doesn't make much of a difference to me. I'm not interested in building strongholds because the core game play for me is adventuring and sitting around my house is not adventuring. So it makes more sense to me to either include mechanics designed to drain PC's wealth or just stop distributing so much gold. In Conan by Modiphius games, the PCs are expected to either spend their money on partying like it's 1999, on getting information, or to thieves or other misfortunes. I don't want to eliminate all wealth from D&D, but what's the point of doing all that extra bookkeeping keeping track of treasure when it doesn't add any significant fun to the game?

 

[Charlaquin]

If magic items can’t be purchased (or don’t need to be purchased), then no, there’s really not much point to gold and valuables in 5e.

Theoretically, D&D has two avenues of character advancement - class features, which are predictable and fixed, and equipment, which is unpredictable and modular. As you adventure, you gain experience, which automatically advances you along the fixed track, and find treasure, which will include some amount of equipment and some amount of gold, which you can spend on more equipment. As well, you should have the ability to convert undesired equipment into gold, which you can then convert into desired equipment, at a surcharge.

Its a well-designed system, but it only really works if undesired equipment can be sold and desired equipment can be bought, with gold. Since lots of 5e DMs are averse to magic item marts, and the books donlt really provide much pricing guidance to DMs who do want to make magic items buyable and sellable, the gold and equipment side of this system kinda ends up breaking down. Furthermore, XP has gone out of fashion, so the XP and levels side breaks down too.

 

[ccs]

If magic items can’t be purchased (or don’t need to be purchased), then no, there’s really not much point to gold and valuables in 5e.

Other than during that whole Role Playing aspect of the game.....

 

[Aldarc]

I would probably have gold be useful and the primary currency for the first half of levels, but once you get to 11+, then the currency of choice becomes the sort of precious goods that makes sense of a society where powerful magic exists.

 

[pukunui]

I would probably have gold be useful and the primary currency for the first half of levels, but once you get to 11+, then the currency of choice becomes the sort of precious goods that makes sense of a society where powerful magic exists.

4e tried that with its astral diamonds.

 

[Aldarc]

4e tried that with its astral diamonds.

I had actually completely forgotten that. Please send my compliments to the 4e chef!

 

[Raith5]

As someone who has played since 1e I do find the lack of avenues in 5e to spend gold quite distracting.

I think there is a good space for spending gold on potions, masterwork weapons, armour and spell foci. I also think quality mounts and pets could be an important outlet (aside from strongholds etc at higher level). Ultimately, I think character customization should be a more important thing in D&D which would cost gold.

I also think that there should be significant costs in lifestyle and tithes for religious folks that should figured in 5e which proves another need for money.

 

[Immoralkickass]

Why would you NOT want a stronghold? Its a place for crafting, a place to sleep, storing your loot, and other downtime activities. Doesn't mean you should be constantly sitting in it. Its like the Avengers Tower, not every single Avenger is in there all the time.

I always find the statement 'not much to spend gold on' really weird. Every DM i played with have magic shops to buy gear from. And they can cost a lot of money.

 

[Horwath]

Magic items should have a fixed suggested price.
Then settings/DMs can dictate availability and/or factor of that price.

Yes, strongholds are a very nice, but what about characters that are not interested in that, but just want a really, really good sword?

Lifestyle expenses have their use at low levels, but at higher, unless you are supporting multiple mansions, they are almost irrelevant.

 

[Charlaquin]

Other than during that whole Role Playing aspect of the game.....

Yes, obviously. Given that the OP started with “I don't know about you guys, but when I sit down to play D&D I want to go out and adventure not stay in my stronghold and figure out how to decorate the place,” I figured it was a given we were discussing non-roleplay uses for gold.