How do the Wealth Guidelines affect your style of play?

[kigmatzomat]

I use them b/c I started running a "vanilla" 3.0 game with as few house rules as possible. Since I started the campaign before the erratas I didn't wind up completely free of house rules but close.

Neither I nor my players make a big deal about it, though. I generally run an audit of the characters every other level or so. I do it in part to make sure they have enough cash for expendable items but mainly to make sure that one person isn't getting the lion's share of the hoard. I don't meddle with the players' distribution of treasure and no one is a hoarder. The phrase "That'd be really neat but it won't do me much good, you take it" is uttered often enough to warm my heart.

Sometimes things just happen; like the dice rolling a plethora of tridents or metal shields. This leaves some characters out in the cold. Even if they sell the stuff for gold, commissioning magic items takes time, months more often than not. Having a good chunk of coin tied up in an almost enchanted sword is pretty useless. Plus it misses that "Christmas morning" effect of having the player find some gee-whiz item in the back corner of the monster's lair.

I recommend that new GMs pay attention to the wealth tables for the first few levels but not go looney over it. Just try to make sure the overall party wealth is comparable to that in the wealth tables.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Responding to Jargon (i.e. "Snarkiness")

Snarky much? Just because someone does not play your way, does not mean that they play the wrong way. The PCs can be well below their wealth by level and still have fun, challenging encounters without dying every five seconds.

You could be right, I suppose. However, this would probably imply a lot of retreating or a significant hit on verisimilitude.

You know, actually hearing commendations from his players would certainly set my mind at ease.

Charges of "snarkiness" aside, I'm merely speaking from personal experience. We used to have a DM who consistently shorted us on treasure and we had an absolutely lousy time.

Still, a wise moderator once told me ....

"If people actually have fun playing fluffy pink bunnies, then you can't really fault them."

And I don't either ... however this treasure-poor playing style is most certainly not my cup of tea. More importantly, I have serious misgivings that his players actually enjoy being consistently bereft of resources.

That being said, if I'm just a crank ... then feel free to ignore me.

After all, only the truth hurts.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

A Voice of Reason

I bear the PC wealth guidelines in mind as a cap on the maximum amount of usable magic gear a PC should have at any particular level if the CR system is to work right ....

I agree, and I believe this is the official stance of WotC as well.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

It's why I run D20 Modern and not DnD.

 

[S'mon]

You could be right, I suppose. However, this would probably imply a lot of retreating or a significant hit on verisimilitude.

I think the success of the Midnight setting demonstrates that it's possible to have fun in this kind of campaign.
I don't in principle see anything wrong with retreating frequently (it makes the time you actually stand and fight a much sweeter victory!). A poorly scripted scenario may require victory in battles X Y & Z not to fall apart, but a more open-ended scenario should allow for retreats & non-TPK defeats. Frequent PC death can harm a campaign, I agree, but this is often at least as much the fault of inflexible players as stingy GMs.

 

[S'mon]

I agree, and I believe this is the official stance of WotC as well.

Well, that was my impression from reading the 3.0 DMG. However for new PCs I find starting PCs off at NPC gear gives them enough to survive on, and they can approach the PC wealth level over time.

 

[LostSoul]

I think that, if you ignore the wealth tables, you have to stop using the CR system as well.

I've had a lot of success using the CR system, so I think those wealth tables are a pretty handy tool.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Word ....

I think that, if you ignore the wealth tables, you have to stop using the CR system as well.

I've had a lot of success using the CR system, so I think those wealth tables are a pretty handy tool.

Agreed. Thank you for being a rational DM.

 

[Ibram]

I've never bothered with the wealth guidelines IMC

all new characters get a MW weapon of their choice, armor and shields as needed (usualy light or medium armor), and a backpack with rope food and other misc items. they also start out with 1d6 silvers per lvl in pocket change.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Ah, Thayan Menace, I don't take your views as snarky Is that even a word?

I do expect people here to question my style of DMing I have read a LOT on different styles and there are certainly many options out there that I would not use and then again I have seen MANY good ideas here on the boards.

A little more reading into my post...CR's are certainly NOT always on the tough side. I put in creatures, people that suit the area the PCs are in. I do not tailor them to the PCs. I do however provide MANY adventure seeds and rumours and let the PCs decide which one to pursue. Sometimes they choose the one out of their league and need to reconsider. If the 'Tangled Wood' is known to be the realm of a huge green dragon and its minions I do not see the logic in not letting the PCs encounter that dragon, if they go to the woods, until they are the 'appropriate level'.

Similarly, the treasure I place is random and goes for NPCs. This can tip over the other direction too. There have been times when a low level group has been in the possession of a +3 equivelent weapon. The PC's just don't know what they are going to get. (And neither do the NPCs ).

The current group have lots of gold and jewellry from looting pirate ships AND chose to destroy the only magic item they had, b/c members are considered exalted and didn't like the trail of black mist the cursespewing mace left in its wake.

The players really enjoy the mistique of treasure. And remember a player that gets a lump sum of wealth to build a character becomes very powerful if every item can be geared towards their focus. Random treasure has to be distributed and sometimes doesn't appear to suit any PC. Well they chose those PCs. I certainly don't believe in gearing treasure to their abilities. Mind you, they may know of a famous pirate who has a highly magical weapon - one he took from a navy captain actually, and they can then choose their opponents to chase if the acquisition of treasure motivates them to follow a certain lead.

I provide options based upon what suits the campaign...not the character wealth guidelines and CRs. I hope that clears things up.