How do you assign NPC wealth?

[Creamsteak]

Which of these methods do you use when assigning wealth to an NPC:

Default Items: You use the NPCs default equipment listed in the DMG for example NPCs, possibly with some modification of specifics, but generally following the template.

Default NPC Wealth: You use the DMGs listed wealth for an X level NPC, picking out every bit and piece of their equipment to come reasonably close to the limits set.

Default PC Wealth: You use the defaults that are given as the standard starting gold for PCs, and work with that. You make individual choices about equipment that should makes an NPC equal to his friends or opposition.

Default Wealth for an Encounter: You use the much smaller amount of wealth that is considered average for an encounter equal to the NPCs level. This method yeilds low powered NPCs, but often keeps the magic item power level of a campaign much lower.

Carte Blanche: Rather than using a table or other method, you find it works best to hand pick equipment ignoring the specifics of cost except as a vague guideline.

Third-Party Table: Choose this option if you use a table or general template from a non-core source, such as a setting supplement or other D20 game.

Homebrew Table/Mechanic: You use some method of your own creation to determine NPC wealth, but something not completely free-form like a Carte Blanche system.

Other: Because that is always an option.

 

[Crothian]

I give them the equipment I feel they should have. I don't base it on level or any table. I base it on the status of the NPC, the economy, and other varibles that only exist and can be judged in my game.

 

[Creamsteak]

That falls under Carte Blanche I'd think.

 

[Darkness]

Unless circumstances dictate otherwise, I use default NPC wealth - but in any case I don't worry about every last gold piece.

I also often use defaults items, modified as necessary, when I need an NPC quickly.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I mostly use the NPC Wealth table for lower guys...but BBEGs I'll either give them PC wealth or whatever I feel they need.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I use both the NPC wealth guidelines and a carte blanche approach basing it on what is appropriate for the NPC to have - no 5th level Fighters with one big, bad sword and nothing else for example.

I also tailor NPC magical items to things I think the PCs might find useful - I want the PCs to have fun finding magic items and discovering who they are most useful for. Even though this approach has lead to the near demise of my campaign on 2 seperate occasions I haven't had that problem since the crazy and/or immature people left

[tanget rant]
Why did they make the 3.5 DMG's NPC list soooooo useless? Wasn't it supposed to be a quickie NPC for any level and any class? What, exactly, is the point of not giving the extra details (like weapon types, feats, skill point allotments etc.) and forcing me to do it? Does anyone find them helpful? The 3.0 ones, while 'locked' in one style for each class, were a heck of a lot more useful and aided me a great deal - i really can't say the same for the 3.5 ones[/tangent rant]

 

[Buttercup]

Carte Blanche. In real life, you can take any group of people with similar professions and expreience levels, and they won't all have the same stuff. Some will have lots of stuff, and some will have almost none. Some will have inherited stuff to supplement the stuff they bought, and some won't. Some will gamble all their stuff away, and others won't buy any stuff at all, but will instead invest all their earnings so they can eventually buy that +5 Vorpal Television.

So why should NPCs have plain vanilla stuff?

 

[Creamsteak]

I'll confess that I use Carte Blanche for important NPCs, tending for somewhere within 50-150% of the NPC wealth guidelines. Anything even vaguely disposable I use the average encounter wealth for their individual CR, to keep the power level of most people lower. That means that a 6th level Fighter that is functioning as a mercenary or something similar only has access to 2000 gold pieces worth of equipment. This is also how I determine wealth for creatures, so a CR 5 Troll would have 1600 gold pieces worth of equipment to use, almost always. This makes the monsters stronger, since they have fitting equipment that might be able to weight an encounter.

This sometimes hampers PCs equipment, since there is less traditional 'loot' to get their hands on, but it isn't so bad. I tend to go for the 'named, blessed, historical magic items' over the +x, and those do tend to be above the norm. The combination has worked for me, but this is obviously just in my campaign.

 

[d4]

i typically go with carte blanche, though i rarely end up giving an NPC more than the default NPC gp level from the DMG; i'm usually around 50%-75% of that.

Why did they make the 3.5 DMG's NPC list soooooo useless? Wasn't it supposed to be a quickie NPC for any level and any class? What, exactly, is the point of not giving the extra details (like weapon types, feats, skill point allotments etc.) and forcing me to do it? Does anyone find them helpful? The 3.0 ones, while 'locked' in one style for each class, were a heck of a lot more useful and aided me a great deal - i really can't say the same for the 3.5 ones

i find both the 3.0 and 3.5 tables equally pointless, but i'd imagine i'd get more use out of the 3.5 ones. since i like to tweak and tinker NPCs anyway, i'd rather just be told a 20th-level barbarian has 92 skill points than only have four skills listed with just the total bonus and have to reverse-engineer everything. same with feats, etc.

 

[Wormwood]

I use the tables like Holy Writ.

Then I pull out the ol' DM Eraser and get to work.