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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mulgorath" data-source="post: 4702165" data-attributes="member: 75329">Blended ApproachI've taken a blended approach to treasure distribution. In my mind, having piles of treasure turn up like they've been delivered by UPS just doesn't work... Player: "Ah, here's the Boots of Striding that I ordered. Wow free shipping". It disturbs the suspension of disbelief a little too much for me to stomach. What I have done is to give out items based on what I think fits with the characters and individuals sitting around the table. By way of example, I've got a player that runs a warforged Warlock that can't roll dice to save his life. To alleviate his frustration, I created a magic item that boosted his chances to hit. I've also mixed in items that weren't specific to an individual - some that were likely to be sold at some point. What is interesting though is that sometimes items get linked to characters that their players wouldn't have chosen for themselves. I'm thinking of a figurine of power that the party's fighter has kept, despite a chance to sell it at a premium.  The blended part of the approach comes into play every few levels. As part of a story reward, I've allowed the PCs to specify items that they would like to receive. When the PCs save the city, its grateful leaders arrange for a few magic items (of appropriate level) to be crafted specifically for the PCs. This approach means that the players get something specific to them on a semi-regular basis and there's a concrete reward for heroism. It advances the plot, gives the victorious PCs something to remind them of their victory and gives the players a chance to browse the magic item catalogue now and again. I've found that the players answer pretty quickly with what they want, and it avoids the UPS flavour of giving the players items on a wish list as part of loot found in the dungeon of Krugg the Goblin.  The other thing that I've done is to give players/characters a chance to buy and sell at a premium price as part of a story reward. When the PCs save the daughter of a noble from a grisly death, he uses his connections to secure a one time transaction in which items can be sold for more than they would fetch normally and items can be purchased at a discounted price. This reduces the transactional cost of swapping one item for another item of similar level. With this approach, the game balance is still preserved and the logic holds up to scrutiny. If the PCs buy or sell items on the street, they'll deal with the exchange rates in the PHB or Adventurers Vault. Again, this is a way of bringing the magic item selections back in line with what players want, without throwing away any semblance of realism.  </blockquote>

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