How're we supposed to divvy the loot?

[im_robertb]

So, over the course of a level, a group of 5 PCs should gain the following amounts of treasure:

-Magic Item of Party Level +4
-Magic Item of Party Level +3
-Magic Item of Party Level +2
-Magic Item of Party Level +1
-GP equal to (Magic Item of Party Level x2)

Some of that GP may be in the form of potions or art, but let's treat it as GP since for this, it will only make the problem worse.
Merchants will buy magic items from the PCs at 20% of their value, and sell them to the PCs for 110-140% of their value. PCs can alternately use rituals to make magic items at 100% of their value.
Since rituals are the only things that seem to use 100% of a magic item's value as a figure, I propose that what we used to call Market Price in 3E be called, for now, Ritual Value.

How do we achieve an even loot distribution?

Assuming prices on this chart are correct: http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=4219488&postcount=7
The old system doesn't work anymore.

By old system I mean this:
1) Sell magic items no one wants.
2) Divvy all the gold evenly.
3) Anyone who wants a magic item pays the group however much it could be sold for. If multiple people want it, it goes to the highest bidder.
4) Divvy the gold paid to the group in step 3 among all members of the party, including to the people who bought the item(s).

Under that system, we get something like this for a party that just finished the adventure taking them from 1st to 2nd level:
Member A has a 5th level magic item and 65.6 GP.
Member B has a 4th level magic item and 97.6 GP.
Member C has a 3rd level magic item and 129.6 GP.
Member D has a 2nd level magic item and 161.6 GP.
Member E has 265.6 GP.

A 1st level magic item costs 360 GP at Ritual Value, and Member E cries.

The easy solution would be for the members to 'cycle through' which level magic item they get. Member A just got the level+4 item, next time he gets the level+3, then level+2, level+1, and finally, no item, before going back to level+5. This works great, except that the level+5 item might be useless to him when his turn comes up.

We could have the 1st priority of all the GP found be to buy Member E a 1st level magic item at Ritual Value. The only issue there, I think, is that those getting the better magic items don't have enough GP from the split to pay the 20% of its value, but this amounts to tracking debts rather than tracking spare gold.

Any ideas?

 

[AZRogue]

I think most items will be distributed naturally, through the PCs discussing things amongst themselves. Watching them go over their loot, talking pros and cons while I'm preparing the next set of encounters has always been one of the bright moments to each session. I've never used a system to distribute loot so don't expect this to impact me.

I suppose you could keep track of DKP if you have to have a fair way of distributing loot beyond the party conversation.

 

[keterys]

Compare over 2 adventures, instead? Most groups I've been in don't treat things nearly as seriously as that. The closest we'll get is 'Bob just got the super cool sword and Sharon can use that, so she should probably get it instead'.

At any rate, the 'gold standard' looks like it's no longer a reasonable way to track things. After all, magic items sell for a lot less than they buy for, and honestly you're not going to buy _that_ many things, you're going to adventure and get them.

 

[baberg]

Yes, if you're going by the book there will be levels where one character gets no magical items. Oh well. From levels 1-10 there will be 40 magical items found by the adventurers. If the DM is doing his job then the items will be of a type and use spread over the players more-or-less equally.

I think you're reading far, far too much into this "ideal loot distribution" thing. You get upgrades when they drop. If the DM sucks then tell him he sucks and that you haven't seen an upgrade in 3 levels. Problem solved (unless the DM really, really sucks and kills you off, in which case I guess the problem is also solved)

 

[TerraDave]

Setting aside that this isn't really a new problem...

The fact that items have levels, and that PCs will probably know those levels, may actually make things a little easier. After a while, if someone has all the high value items, you know you have an issue.

In any case, given trade is limited, I excpect that items will go to whoever can use them best, and the cash will be used to cover obvious gaps.

To easy?

 

[Stormtalon]

My groups have never been nearly so formal and uptight about splitting things up. They track the gold amount and divvy it up when it seems reasonable, but magic items are dealt with separately. Typically, whoever can make the best use of something gets it; it helps that I try to tailor the upcoming items to something that one or two people will be able to use (and tailor the opponents so that those items appearing makes sense).

That's not to say that people don't get a bit of tunnel-vision from time to time. I recall one player whose barbarian was obsessed about getting a girdle of giant strength. Meanwhile, a new player was taking over the half-orc cleric I'd been NPCing for them, but wanted him to be a female, so I brought over a 2nd ed item (ye olde Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity) and slipped it into a treasure hoard in a place where, in a sane world, it couldn't possibly be mistaken for a Giant Strength item.

Ah, well. At least we all got a good laugh at the barbarian's expense....

 

[cthulhus_pinky]

DKP or /roll for need

 

[Mengu]

I guess this depends on the party. In one game, we had a character (and I mean character, not player), who was a big time bookkeeper, and all about fairness. He kept track of every piece of equipment received by every party member, and made sure coins and treasure were evenly distributed. In our current game, we have a party leader (incidentally, me), and the party leader decides who gets what. We find a magic hammer? Dwarf gets it. New powerful bow? Give it to the elf. New Gauntlets? Our primary fighter already has some, so they go the the ranger. Coins? Split it 7 ways, 1 part per character, +1 part for party funds (aka healing).

I feel treasure distribution is something the DM simply has to pay attention to, and somehow keep it mostly fair. We are not very ambitious players who have to have the best equipment in the party, so in our friendly environment, treasure distribution (whatever the method), has never really been a problem. If a group has problems, then it still shouldn't be the player responsibility to keep things fair, their responsibility is to play their characters. The DM can worry about what's fair, and how to achieve it.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Loot Ninja

 

[drjones]

Only a fight to the death can determine loot distribution fairly. That or not being uptight about it.

It would behoove the DM to try to not give all the level +4 items that are usable by the same class for balance though so over a few levels it will even out fine.