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

[Nefermandias]

I'm currently a player in an Eberron campaign and the DM pretty much did away with money. "Whatever expenses you have you've got the gold for as long as you're not trying to buy a castle or something." So none of us keeps track of the amount of gold we have. So it's nice to have a campaign were none of us really cares about how much gold we're going to make.

So, infinite rations, healing potions, hirelings, antitoxins, Purple worm venom and such?

 

[MGibster]

So, infinite rations, healing potions, hirelings, antitoxins, Purple worm venom and such?

We started the campaign at 5th level. But I've been playing D&D for more than 30 years now and the last time I can recall keeping track of rations was when the first Bush was president. The way I see it, I'm playing a game called Dungeons & Dragons which is all about larger than life heroic figures battling evil forces within a high fantasy milieu. If I wanted the tedium of keeping track of every gold piece or odd bit of gear and provisions, I'd go look for a game called Ledgers & Larders.

 

[Nefermandias]

We started the campaign at 5th level. But I've been playing D&D for more than 30 years now and the last time I can recall keeping track of rations was when the first Bush was president. The way I see it, I'm playing a game called Dungeons & Dragons which is all about larger than life heroic figures battling evil forces within a high fantasy milieu. If I wanted the tedium of keeping track of every gold piece or odd bit of gear and provisions, I'd go look for a game called Ledgers & Larders.

Sure, what about the rest?

Of course the DM could go out of his way to make consumables scarce, but wouldn't make a lot of sense to do that in a place like Waterdeep, for example.

 

[MGibster]

Sure, what about the rest?

I've never played in a campaign with a significant number of hirelings and I think I'd just tell the players to be reasonable about how many healing potions and purple worm venom they might have.

 

[Maxperson]

Exactly, like not having fixed magic items value liberates the DM and frees him to introduce fun items with various powers rather than giving +X items so that the power curve is respected.

At worst, the gold is not used, so it's not a problem in any case.

My players and I haven't relied on the game for gold use in decades. I've had some pay for new temples to their god in towns and cities. I've had others buy patents of nobility in order to become more upwardly mobile. Still more have decided to donate it to growing the town that they fell in love with and making it larger and more prosperous.