How do you spend your gold?

[CrimsonWineGlass]

In my campaign my players have just reached level 16. They are happy with their gear, and have mounds of gold. Their wealth matches the wealth level they should be at within a range of a couple thousand a piece and they don't really want to upgrade their gear for the most part. The problem is, what do they do with the platinum, gold and gems (which are used for currency in my campaign) that is filling up their bags of holding?

While I have a intended direction for the campaign to run and have it planned out, the numbers are not yet down for the next arc, so if needed it would be fine if they took months or even years spending their money and I have no problem if the spending of it involves a quest or campaign arc. I just want to give them a way to use the loot they have worked for, and not make them feel like they are being jipped with "Oh, its uuhhh stolen" or some donation to the church, or another +1 on their favorite sword.

How can I sate my player's urges to spend some of their money and not cause grimaces, sighs of resignation or eye rolls to occur around the table?

 

[painandgreed]

Besides ale and whores?

Investments. Either land or loaning to somebody who will use it for trade. Can involve low to high risk. Give the players rough odds and let them roll the dice. They could buy an estate to live on, those will also require upkeep. Clearing, populating, and guarding such lands could also be a minor campaign to itself.

Politics. If they haven't earned sufficient political clout, they could always buy some. Some gold and gems here and there could mean a nice title to putting a good friend (or themselves) in a position of actual power.

 

[edemaitre]

Spending money

Here are some things for higher-level Player Characters to spend their hard-earned gold on besides improved weapons, armor, and magic:

-Strongholds
-Followers, family, and friends
-Obtaining and breeding exotic animals
-Providing start-up funds for new adventuring parties
-Becoming a patron of the arts or a temple
-Vessels, such as ships, airships, or Spelljammers
-Supporting guilds of explorers, archaeologists, or thieves
-Building great monuments or civic works
-Developing a network of allies and informants
-Buying information about and protection from extraplanar villains

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

A long-term goal for my Birthright rogue was to have a money bin, a la Scrooge McDuck's.

Brad

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Besides ale and whores?

Why would they need anything else?

 

[darthkilmor]

Why would they need anything else?

Why, a place to keep them!

But then others will try to steal it, so they'll have to buy traps. and guards.

Seriously, if they don't have a central keep or seomthing to call home they should get one. My players are only 6th and they've squatted a house, bought reinforced windows, new banded steel doors, a safe hidden behind a brick wall, and a pair of shocker lizards they're trying to get to breed.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

How does one make a Shocker Lizard breed?

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

How does one make a Shocker Lizard breed?

I don't know, and I don't think I want to.

 

[Creamsteak]

Trickle down. High level adventurers paying low level adventurers to do odds and ends they don't feel particularly compelled to do themselves.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

Taxes and Tithes.

If serious amounts of cash are making you uncomfortable and your players aren't buying new things to help ease your burden, have the friendly neighborhood tax man catch wind of "his" charges new wealth. He wouldn't be doing his job for King and Country if he didn't make sure some of it ended up in his hands (or the Kings, whatever).

Same thing goes for Churches, especially if you have a divine character in your party.