D&D 5E (2014) Heroes Feast---holy moly this is an uber spell

[Kite474]

Do you need rules for this? Buy a stronghold, titles and land.

Its a roleplaying game.

Because he would like some milage out of it and not for bragging rights. Not all of us are as freeform happy as others.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

How about you make your campaign WITH a magic item economy but also a dearth of gold.

Yes there are magic items available - not like Starbucks on very high street, but there are travelling salesmen (the curious shop that wasn't there yesterday and won't be there the day after tomorrow) who sell these rare and wondrous items. It just takes a lot of gold to buy them.

This makes gold worthwhile, whilst providing magic item shops but in a controlled manner (after all, the shopkeeper isn't going to be Stan, wearily stacking crates of platemail+1 in his stock room, but Nicodemus, the mischievous and sparkly-eyed possessor both the finest beard you've ever seen, and the Sight. He will sell you what you need, not necessarily what you want.

Why does he need the gold? And why does he enjoy the bartering so much?

Why, because he and the rest of these itinerant mystery shopkeepers are gold dragons in disguise, of course.

Or maybe they're demons...

 

[feartheminotaur]

"What you YOU do with your wealth?"

That question depends on the group. I DM my son and his friends - 9-10 year old boys don't care about (or really understand) the use of money beyond buying things. I played in a 24th level 4e campaign where we would play several sessions engaged in statecraft, skulduggery, and fancy parties with people of influence before we ever drew a sword; so wealth was more important as a means to political power than wasting it buying another potion of fly or some enchanted hunk of metal.

"There's nothing to spend gold on, so..." means there is a mismatch between player and DM expectations, and is a legitimate complaint. If your players see gold only as means to an end, i.e., magic items, then the DM should hand out magic items, not gold. Or offer something the players can use wealth for. The reward for players (beyond having fun) should be something players can use, and if there's no "use" for money in your game, stop offering it as a reward - because it isn't a reward.

 

[TheLoneRanger1979]

Because he would like some milage out of it and not for bragging rights. Not all of us are as freeform happy as others.

Mostly this. If we PC does acquire estates and political power, but none of these eventually matter in any way on the actual play..... then it's just for flavor, and might as well not be there. I mean, what's stopping us from playing kings and queens from the get go? And dispense with the gold old together? Like instead of having an actual treasure, we can just abstract that now at level 4, your characters have adventured enoug to become lords and ladies..... or arch druids.....or master rangers..... or whatever..... IMO, there is just no "engagement level" in this. I would rather just play a PC who refuses gold as reward, aside from the minimum amounts needed to bye potions and equipment.

 

[Kite474]

Mostly this. If we PC does acquire estates and political power, but none of these eventually matter in any way on the actual play..... then it's just for flavor, and might as well not be there. I mean, what's stopping us from playing kings and queens from the get go? And dispense with the gold old together? Like instead of having an actual treasure, we can just abstract that now at level 4, your characters have adventured enoug to become lords and ladies..... or arch druids.....or master rangers..... or whatever..... IMO, there is just no "engagement level" in this. I would rather just play a PC who refuses gold as reward, aside from the minimum amounts needed to bye potions and equipment.

A bit off topic but Rouge Trader did something like this instead of gold you just had a group statistic that basically told you how rich you were...... It was ing awesome! Like seriously even if you have an aversion to Warhammer 40K you owe it to yourself to give it a try!!

 

[Flamestrike]

Mostly this. If we PC does acquire estates and political power, but none of these eventually matter in any way on the actual play..... then it's just for flavor, and might as well not be there.

Thats not how I play the game, and is fairly indicative of a two dimensional character.

Does your character want to be wealthy? If not, why not? Why does you character adventure? What are his motivations?

In a game like Diablo yeah sure. You really cant see any advantages of being wealthy and powerfull if it doesnt have some kind of mechanical rule for it?

You can hire assasins, have a small army of mercenaries at your beck and call, own a castle and land, mingle with nobility and the movers and shakers of the campaign world. Money can get things done beyond any class abilities. You dont need rules for this - just imagination.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I get the objection to spending money on things that don't provide tangible benefit...but I don't get it at the same time.

First, there are (simple) rules in the DMG for sinking cash into real estate, strongholds, followers, and businesses. They are rather PC focused, because you have to sit around doing nothing but running them or take a loss, which isn't reasonable in all situations. House rules required for more verisimilitude. But simple rules are provided.

Now, back to the worlds of D&D. I'm of the opinion that attempts to separate mechanical from non-mechanical benefits are futile, since you can get mechanical benefits from anything. If you hire 4 bodyguards, you have 4 more stat-blocks fighting for you in a battle: mechanical. If you spend you money making friends and influencing people, those people might be able to help you out with things that very much fall within D&D rules, like opening locks or using knowledge skills: mechanical.

But it's just hard for me to even separate these things. I have money. Bribe the war chief to go fight one of your enemies instead of the people you are trying to protect. That's a whole lot of hit points saved: mechanical.

Money is highly fungible power. You can turn it into just about anything. Even if it is hard to find a magic item shop, you can probably hire sages, historians and diviners to find out where the magic item you want might be found. Now you have an adventure with a goal you want to accomplish.

The only meaning I can actually ascribe to the objection is that it isn't something you, as the player, get to roll dice on. It isn't a number or special power on your character sheet. I suppose a DM could write things up in that way, and maybe they should if that's what's needed to get people to see how enjoyable that part of the game is. But really, writing it up like that just takes away from the creative power of the player, because it implies (hopefully doesn't mandate, but the implication is there) that you have to have it written down to do it.

 

[Flamestrike]

Man, when my Warlock gets the money Im buying a big creepy tower at the edge of town, replete with secret doors, death traps and captured monsters and my hired minions. There I shall practice my foul rites.

I'll map the sucker out too. Then I'll start to demand tribute from the local farmers.

Hopefully adventurers will hear about it and come to slay me so I can steal their magical items and loot.

*Wrings hands together and twirls moustache, laughing evilly*

 

[Flamestrike]

If I had a Fighter I would totes use my gold on a small mercenary army of Myrmidions, a fortified and lavish keep and (who am I kidding) a Harem.

 

[TheLoneRanger1979]

1.Does your character want to be wealthy? If not, why not? Why does you character adventure? What are his motivations?

2.In a game like Diablo yeah sure. You really cant see any advantages of being wealthy and powerfull if it doesnt have some kind of mechanical rule for it?
3.You dont need rules for this - just imagination.

1. At this stage my PC primary motivation is the investigation and thwarting of the cult. In the long run though.... he might consider getting into the political arena.
2. I have never played Diablo, so i'll have to take your word for it.
3. I can imagine a lot of things, but unless the DM plays along i'll just end up with a highly delusional character. That is why i ask if the DMG has any tangible rules for wealth-political power accumulation. I wish we were playing a more free form campaign, but unfortunately we aren't.....

A bit off topic but Rouge Trader did something like this instead of gold you just had a group statistic that basically told you how rich you were...... It was ing awesome! Like seriously even if you have an aversion to Warhammer 40K you owe it to yourself to give it a try!!

And that kind of system might just work as part of a leveling mechanics. I.e. when you create your PC and determine his/her/its motivation you can pick accumulation of wealth as one of them. So as you level up, so does your wealth.