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<blockquote data-quote="darkbard" data-source="post: 7318519" data-attributes="member: 1282">To return to your OP,&nbsp; [MENTION=82504]Garthanos[/MENTION], one thing that I really wish further development of 4E would have tackled at some point is a subsystem of PC wealth and/or status. As recently discussed in a thread in the General RPG Discussion forum regarding the worth of an XP, gold, and wealth in general, serves no function in 4E. The only game mechanic tied to character wealth is magic item progression, and, essentially, this is divorced from the general economy. The PC's gps buy her that magic sword, but that sword has no mechanic in the gameworld beyond its combat utility, and if the PC used that gold to instead buy an estate or a ruby tiara, there is no mechanic for this at all.Especially with the advent of Fixed Enhancement Bonuses essentially obviating the need for wealth --&gt; magic item progression, I would have like to have seen a subsystem that explores a staple &quot;carrot&quot; of the adventuring genre! But as the game stands now, outside of an array of powerful combat items (by and large), the 30th level character is little different from the 3rd level character as far his or her economic and social status is concerned, having spent all excess loot on magic items to keep up with the leveling curve.Of course, one could argue that such matters are essentially beyond the scope of a game that exhorts us to &quot;go where the action is,&quot; but I don't think it is necessarily beyond the purview of such a game to provide options for meaningful character building choices: do I upgrade to that magic sword +3, or do I keep the Crystal Chalice of Doruth'kan--because the latter leads to similarly interesting gameplay. And beyond DM scene framing Macguffin (NPCs plot to steal the Chalice; the Chalice serves as a component for some future PC task; etc.).I realize I'm probably in the minority on this issue, though.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="darkbard, post: 7318519, member: 1282"] To return to your OP, [MENTION=82504]Garthanos[/MENTION], one thing that I really wish further development of 4E would have tackled at some point is a subsystem of PC wealth and/or status. As recently discussed in a thread in the General RPG Discussion forum regarding the worth of an XP, gold, and wealth in general, serves no function in 4E. The only game mechanic tied to character wealth is magic item progression, and, essentially, this is divorced from the general economy. The PC's gps buy her that magic sword, but that sword has no mechanic in the gameworld beyond its combat utility, and if the PC used that gold to instead buy an estate or a ruby tiara, there is no mechanic for this at all. Especially with the advent of Fixed Enhancement Bonuses essentially obviating the need for wealth --> magic item progression, I would have like to have seen a subsystem that explores a staple "carrot" of the adventuring genre! But as the game stands now, outside of an array of powerful combat items (by and large), the 30th level character is little different from the 3rd level character as far his or her economic and social status is concerned, having spent all excess loot on magic items to keep up with the leveling curve. Of course, one could argue that such matters are essentially beyond the scope of a game that exhorts us to "go where the action is," but I don't think it is necessarily beyond the purview of such a game to provide options for meaningful character building choices: do I upgrade to that magic sword +3, or do I keep the Crystal Chalice of Doruth'kan--because the latter leads to similarly interesting gameplay. And beyond DM scene framing Macguffin (NPCs plot to steal the Chalice; the Chalice serves as a component for some future PC task; etc.). I realize I'm probably in the minority on this issue, though. [/QUOTE]

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