How do you choose Loot?

[Ryujin]

I'll frequently minimize my need to do such bookkeeping by giving out what I call "campaign items." These are essentially items that level up with the character. In 4e terms that means all that I have to do, is track gp equivalents to maintain play balance.

The player sets the basic tone of the item and I tell them what it can now do. That might be as simple as gaining an additional plus.

 

[the Jester]

I also have "make a +1 weapon into +2" type scrolls for quick and easy upgrades.

Yeah- I have a consumable magic item called Mordenkainen's ointment that can be smeared on a magic item to bump it up in level (to a max of the ointment's level). It won't change type, but your +2 terror weapon might end up a +3 terror weapon.

 

[Stoat]

I use an unnecessarily complicated semi-random method which is as follows:

I roll a d20 for each PC. The four highest rolls correspond to the four magic items available at each level, in order. In other words, the PC with the highest d20 roll "gets" the highest level item. The PC with the lowest roll gets the lowest level item.

I then randomly determine the type of each item using a random chart, that I found around here somewhere a year or so ago. So for example, the highest level item might be a "weapon". The lowest level item might be a "wondrous item."

Then I go to the compendium and browse all of the items of that particular type at that particular level. I pick the exact item myself. I make some effort to pick an item useful to the PC with the corresponding d20 roll.

Frex, say the 2nd level Cleric rolled highest on the initial d20 roll. The highest level item in the 2nd level treasure list is 6th level. A random roll determines that the 6th level item will be a "weapon". The cleric carries a morningstar. So I pick a 6th level magic morningstar.

Then I give the morningstar to an enemy NPC.

 

[KarinsDad]

I switched to a random system for a few levels, bumped the sell price to 50% and the disenchant amount to 25% (to encourage selling over disenchanting), gave each PC an item a level, and bumped the level of the item by one.

It didn't work at all. The PCs didn't want the items they could use or the items they couldn't use. Nobody took any of them for the longest time and then they finally decided that a few PCs would take a few of the items and other PCs would craft other items and that they would limp along that way.

So, I changed it to 3 "level+2" wish list items. The system expects certain items at certain levels and that's hard to accomplish with random.

I prefer random, but that doesn't work that well like it did in earlier versions.

If we start a new campaign in the future, I will probably suggest not using the bonus items at all (i.e. use the DMG alternate rules).

 

[Nytmare]

I've got a little random/wishlist combo program built into my DM tool.

Ten columns, two for each of the four PCs, and two for me. Each person has one wishlist for equipment, and one for consumables.

Whenever someone hits the next highest level, it picks 3 appropriately leveled magic items off the equipment lists, marks them off so it won't choose those items again, picks d5 random consumables from below the party level off the consumables list, and subtracts the consumables from the level appropriate GP amount.

Then I print out or grab cards for each of the items and consumables, jot down the gold I need to hand out on another card, and then add it all to the pile of stuff I need to distribute.

 

[Steelwill]

Quartermaster - Asmor.com

This. I would have said as much in a comment on the original post instead of quoting but I don't know how to just leave a comment. Can anyone help me out with that please?

 

[Black Knight Irios]

This. I would have said as much in a comment on the original post instead of quoting but I don't know how to just leave a comment. Can anyone help me out with that please?

Do you see the green thumbs up icon on the bottom of the posts' left side - click it.

 

[fba827]

How do you choose Loot?

You don't choose the loot, the loot chooses you!





Or, more seriously ...

I try for an organic loot method (based on the situation and where the loot is found, rather than wish lists or player usability).
if they're raiding the wizard lab, items that would have been useful to the wizard would be there like a stuff that boosts rituals, and ritual components, etc.
If possible now and again I do spin something towards an item better suited for one PC or another who might be low on magic items (i.e. the loot up until that point had no interest to him/her). But, beyond that, if they don't use it, they disenchant it and use it to upgrade existing stuff.

Of course, all this goes with the caveat that I, as the DM, know my players are behind the expected curve and I actually do monster-side adjustments to compensate (i.e. if I know all the PCs have +2 weapons instead of the expected +3, i lower enemy defenses by 1; if the pcs all have +1 armor/cloaks, when they are expected to have +3 by that level, then i lower the monster attacks by -2. and so on). so i keep notice of if the PCs are getting hit too often or not hitting enemies enough, etc.

If I was not willing to do DM-side adjustments, I'd probably consider doing some sort of wishlist type system and every couple of levels ask for a fresh/updated one.. not that all wishes would be fullfilled, but it would give me a guideline on the types of things to pepper in.

 

[Infiniti2000]

You don't choose the loot, the loot chooses you!

That's only in Soviet Russia.

 

[Delgar]

Basically the way I chose loot is this way.

I sort of take stock of who has what already in the group. Then I basically plan a levels worth of loot by doing a quick search in the compendium of specific item slots. As my players really don't like shopping, I usually spend some of the cash on another item, so over the course of a level my 5 player group will get 5 items. Usually in my mind I have an idea of what piece would benefit which player but they usually have different ideas.

For some reason they seem to be more interested in the story and less worried about the loot. Not that they don't like getting cool items. I've also introduced two artifacts (well one artifact and a piece of another) to the game. I'm also not overly concerned if I add a little extra gold here and there, they end up spending it on silly stuff anyway.