How much is too much - The Game Economy

[Arrowhawk]

Now for the scene, this is all well and good, since the DM planned it this way and appears to be encouraging us to trade this way

Gosh, sounds like something a DM would do if they were totally setting you up. I'm not saying he/she is, but you know the adage that if it sounds too good to be true...

 

[Greenfield]

We pass the DM duties around the table, and he probably won't be presiding when we cash this stuff in. Unless he has something set up with the next DM, it pretty much can't be an ambush.

 

[jefgorbach]

um so? Presumably its safe to presume if/when the PCs reach the point of "unlimited" cash/equipment they are dealing with extremely long-lived/high level opponents who quite reasonably have the time/resources to be equipped likewise, thus maintaining a relatively even playing field. Gold/exp are no longer the primary motive at high level of play, but rather likely defensive of the kingdom/etc they've established, world/planar events, and other grand historical events are likely involved.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

um so? Presumably its safe to presume if/when the PCs reach the point of "unlimited" cash/equipment they are dealing with extremely long-lived/high level opponents who quite reasonably have the time/resources to be equipped likewise, thus maintaining a relatively even playing field. Gold/exp are no longer the primary motive at high level of play, but rather likely defensive of the kingdom/etc they've established, world/planar events, and other grand historical events are likely involved.

Yup, high level characters have moved past the gold economy. They still participate because it's useful to them but at those levels anything important can't be bought with mere gold. Let's say a pair of near-epic wizards are conducting business: One has say a special magic item of very high value with no real use for it and the other wants it, so he trades say a half-dozen high level spell scrolls for it, or another magical item of roughly equal value the first wizard is interested in, or a rare planar material that can't be created by a wish spell.