How closely do you track daily expenses for your players?

[kigmatzomat]

Add a "me too" for the crowd that nitpicks for 1st-4th level and then quickly stops caring when daily expenses become irrelevant. My nitpick from there was bulk (sure you can walk with 7,000 arrows but how will you fit though the door?) Until bags of holding were acquired. Now, umm, hit points.

At this point they stun me with their cash exuberance. The party gets into contests on who can out-generous the others. It's saved their hides at least once; the party dumped a massive amount of coin into a temple mere moments before I hit them with an ambush and having the immediate and vociferous support of the temple priesthood was quite handy. The halfling, fighter & monk prefer to have parties with the peasants & yeomen while the bard & mage prefer to lavishly dine with the nobility and patriciate. The net result is a peasantry fond of the heroes and a nobility who feels that at least a few of them show the proper levels of refinement.

 

[Drawmack]

We are currently playing in Freeport.

Hey, you too. I was begining to think I was the only one around here running a Freeport campaign.

 

[Harmon]

The GM informs us that we have a week in town of nothing while we wait, is there anything we want to do (make scrolls, look for information, etc.) one of the first things I do is declare that I am knocking off 15 gp for food, stabling, and such. I think I am the only one that does it at our table.

While I was GMing the PCs of one campaign took a long horse back ride through some civilized areas, I told the Players to knock off X amount of gold for Inn stays, repairs (to saddles, clothing, etc.), stabling, tavern jaunts, etc and one of the Players argued with me that he was playing a ranger and he was living off the land (it equalled less then 5 sp/day). Okay then knock off a third of that, he argued again- I didn't bother following through, the argument wasn't worth following through with.

Travel cost money, living off the land is okay, but people need things they can't make esp when you are traveling. If your character is rich and the GM asks you to knock off a couple gold, why the hell not? Its pretend money anyways.

 

[Drawmack]

Normally I deduct 10% from all treasure finds and that covers the daily and minor expenses of game play, leaving them only to account for major purchases.

However, right now I'm running a campaign that is vastly different then my norm. In this game it is important that the character slowly, SLOWLY, climb the ladder of wealth and power. For this reason and this reason alone every penny is being accounted for.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Personally, I find it boring as a player.
Once you get beyond 3rd level, it's pocket change with the amount of time most PCs spend in towns vs. the wilderness.
If it becomes a longer term thing, my PCs will get lodging in a church of some type or the local lord's castle or something.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I tried, once, long ago. The best response the players gave me: "You know all those copper and silver peices we can never be bothered recording? That's what's paying for our dinner."

Excellent response on their part.

 

[Dykstrav]

I'm not terribly retentive about every last copper and silver piece. Higher-level characters tend to throw out alot of "spreading around" money anyway. I track it at lower level (1st-5th levels).

Now I AM a real jerk about encumbrance. I just got tired of seeing characters carrying around quivers of 300 arrows around in the swamp or massive dungeon without breaks to go back to town.

 

[Dagger75]

D&D game not really.

My Warhammer game, they count pennies. I am going to make them count arrows, and with there long overland journey coming up, food and water.

All I know when I play I keep track of how many arrows, how much gold and what not even if the DM doesn't.

 

[Greg K]

Yes, I make the players keep track. If they are going to be in town for a week, I give them a price that includes lodging and meals. Everything else they want to buy, they have to pay for as they buy it.

 

[xmanii]

I tried, once, long ago. The best response the players gave me: "You know all those copper and silver peices we can never be bothered recording? That's what's paying for our dinner."

heheh, love that.