How're we supposed to divvy the loot?

[mach1.9pants]

Are you kidding me?

People actually used that system?

*Boggle*

My experience has always been that magical loot is sorted it out in character, with most items being a no-brainer. <snip>

This, I mean really really this! DnD is not player vs player magic items just go where they are best needed and everything else just goes into a party fund. The fighter having that +3 longsword instead of your ranger still benefits your ranger- your party is more likely to survive! Just use a bit of common sense and fair play

 

[Minigiant]

I always called loot way before we leave town.

"Dibs or arrows, flight gear, and axes. I called it."

It should be simple. Martial characters get first dibs on weapons. Defender call armors first. Arcane call implement and divine get holy symbols. Once you get an item in a slot, you go to the crack of the line if another item on that type shows. Since 4E items are weak or situational, it won't matter if you are slightly under gear and you get more share on gold 'til you get an item.

If a +2 dagger drops.

First anyone without a magic melee weapon
Then Rogues
Then Anyone who doesn't have a good magic melee weapon
Then Martial characters
Finally Everyone else

like always

 

[kennew142]

I've never been in a game that used the OP's 'standard system.' I certainly don't think I would enjoy it.

In my group, the characters (through their respective players) discuss who gets what items. We had one player who was incredibly greedy and whiny when he didn't get exactly what he wanted, but he doesn't play with us anymore. The characters (and their players) are friends and they usually don't have too many disputes. When it does arise, we dice off for the items in question. It all works out in the end, and no one sells something before checking to see if anyone in the group needs it first.

I agree with the poster who said he liked the old school style of play in which characters use whatever items they find until they find something better. It's my preferred style as well. Buyers and sellers of magic items are rare in my games, but the PCs usually find enough stuff to keep up with the power curve.

I've been debating (in my head) doing away with the need for mechanical (i.e +x hit/damage/ac/defense) enhancements by giving all the characters the +x they should have based on their level. In this case, magic items would only be valuable for their cool magical effects.

 

[Lanefan]

Reading all this, I'm surprised more groups aren't like ours, where treasure value gets added and divided according to assigned share (usually related to how much of the adventure you survived through), down to the single g.p.

We've occasionally tried other methods, and they ended in disaster. We once tried a "draft" system for magic items, where each character rolled for draft order and in that order got their pick of the remaining items, reverse order the second time through and so on. This fell apart when one PC drafted for value rather than personal usefulness two adventures in a row, sold what she drafted, bought what she needed (or close enough), and pocketed a big hunk o' cash...leaving her net worth more than double anyone else's in the party. So, back to the spreadsheet division method we went...

If a single item is too costly for any single character to afford, either people buy shares in it, or one character takes loans from others, or it gets sold out of party. Rarely, a really useful item gets tagged as a party possession and carried forward into the next treasury; but problems arise here when characters leave the party and want their share of the item's value, or several adventures go by and nobody remembers who was in the original party that found the item.

It's not the disparity in items necessarily that causes the imbalances (though they can), it's the disparity in wealth that those items represent once people start selling 'em off. The fairest method in the long run is to divide the treasury according strictly to value, though in a relatively short campaign it's not as big a deal.

Lanefan

 

[Simon Marks]

Are you kidding me?

People actually used that system?

*Boggle*

We did, because after playing through 15 levels we stopped and had a discussion around "Why is my character unable to function?"

We had gone through a level worth of adventure with my Fighter/Thief being unable to hit anything and unable to deal with half the traps.

We managed, in the end, to pinpoint this reason - magic items.

The rest of the party had above average 'Wealth by level' items, but my character had ... dross.

The items we had found was mostly divided up by who could use it - and a lot of it ended up with the other characters. Then the treasure was divided equally. Because my character had ended up with less items suited to him, had ended up with something like 70k Gp worth less of items.

Which had crippled me.

If your characters end up with a significantly unbalanced amount of "raw wealth" then you may end up unable to contribute to level appropriate challenges. That can happen, especially if you aren't careful.

We do it now, to ensure that characters don't end up gimped. Because we have been burnt.

If 4e significantly reduces reliance on items so that we don't have to do this - then good.

 

[Hussar]

Are you kidding me?

People actually used that system?

*Boggle*

My experience has always been that magical loot is sorted it out in character, with most items being a no-brainer. Wizard gets spell staff, cleric and paladin discuss holy item, items may even change hands if something drops that's more appropriate for someone who recently got an item that could also be used by another party member.

Monetary treasure was a completely separate issue.

Sure there was some haggling occassionally, but it generally got sorted out pretty quickly.

I had no idea that was unusual.

It comes with playing with people you don't know all that well. Having played online for quite some time now, I can say that there's some REALLY weird ways for people to divide loot.

Currently, we've gone with the "whoever needs it" method, but, I've seen the spreadsheet method as well.

 

[Thasmodious]

Whatever works for the group, ultimately, it doesn't matter. As a DM, I'm just happy anytime the PCs work it out in character.

 

[mithril]

Alas, my group uses the OP's divvy system, which does get complicated sometimes, as you might not be able to 'afford' the item in the loot you want. Grr. And our group has known each other for 8 years, so it isn't just used in groups with strangers.

Anyway, I was wondering if the Packet system overlooks one thing: Quest Rewards. What if you are given a quest where the reward is gold or magic items? Would it come out of a packet, or would it be an extra packet outside of monster treasure that might supply the unlucky fifth with his 'missing' magic item?

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Our group is using the OPs system for the most part and it work great for us. I too have the same concerns.

 

[Cirex]

My players (and their characters) share the items depending who needs it more. If it isn't so obvious, like rings of protection and stuff like that, they roll and higher gets. Then the next item that is in doubt goes for the lower roller.

Items like wondrous items that are useful for the entire party are randomized and handed to whoever needs it at that time.

They choose to split loot like that, I have nothing to say and I like it this way.

I will see if it works for 4e.