Back in the old days PCs acquired money for XP and to eventually build strongholds/temples/etc. In the more recent editions PCs acquire money to but magic items. With magic items and dominions in optional rules modules what will/should D&D Next have for PCs to spend money on by default?
D&D 5E Money in D&D Next?
- Thread starter fjw70
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TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
there are non-magic items, there are expenses, there is savings, and there is living it up...game needs more living it up.
You could always put in a "wine, women, and song" rule, or a training rule (I tend to group them together) that rewards XP for spending gold.
Also, and this is something I haven't done or really seen in D&D, is you could have the final measure of success be gold spent, whether gluttonously on yourself or in church donation.
You could always put in a "wine, women, and song" rule, or a training rule (I tend to group them together) that rewards XP for spending gold.
Also, and this is something I haven't done or really seen in D&D, is you could have the final measure of success be gold spent, whether gluttonously on yourself or in church donation.
BriarMonkey
First Post
Huzzah for living it up! I agree wholeheartedly that the game should reward living it up.
As for the gaining of XP for spending gold, that too is a solid idea. And if you wanted something a bit more narrow in focus, you could always tailor that to fit the character - such that a mage gains XP for his research and the crafting of new spells, etc.; while the barbarian gains XP for his wenching and grandiouse feasting. (I always think of the scene in the original Conan movie with Arnold where he is partied out and falls asleep in his bowl of gruel.)
Chris_Nightwing
First Post
I've always thought that the D&D economy should be better integrated with a reputation system. Adventurers perform heroic deeds and earn great wealth, but there's an expectation that they spend this on status symbols, not just magic items and spell components. One's reputation can only go so far if you don't have the collateral to show for it - I mean, if I was trying to sell a magic item, I wouldn't offer it to the first ruffian I came across with a million gold pieces, unless it was stolen, I'd expect someone of a certain status to be a better client for such a transaction. The king might need adventurers, but he's going to trust the ones with their own keep and servants, not the four nomadic guys who never change out of their armour.
Sekhmet
First Post
I reverse the crafting process. I don't understand why you need to spend XP to make magic items. Shouldn't you be gaining experience for your hours and days of meticulous crafting?
When I do a job, the longer I do it, the better I get. Not the reverse of that.
As far as gold goes, most of my players tend to spend gold on crafting, spell components, strongholds, stewards, men at arms, and the like. Could be that my parties are more into the roleplaying aspect of the end game than in squeezing a few more points into their stats.
When I do a job, the longer I do it, the better I get. Not the reverse of that.
As far as gold goes, most of my players tend to spend gold on crafting, spell components, strongholds, stewards, men at arms, and the like. Could be that my parties are more into the roleplaying aspect of the end game than in squeezing a few more points into their stats.
I think one of the subtle problems is the inflated value of everyday adventuring gear in terms of gold pieces. Everything in the current play-test marked at Gold Pieces should be marked at Silver Pieces as a standard. Gold is supposed to represent significant wealth. The silly sort of inflation that comes from pricing spears and backpacks in gold pieces leads to some real disconnect in terms of commoners handling gold and the relative price comparisons between things like Real Estate, Labor, Magic Items, Mercenaries, and a literal King's Ransom that could come into play at higher levels for things like building Strongholds and raising troops.
If the designers are serious about integrating those sorts of features into higher-level play in a meaningful way one of the first prerequisites is to switch the mundane item baseline to a Silver Standard so Gold can represent actual wealth.
If the designers are serious about integrating those sorts of features into higher-level play in a meaningful way one of the first prerequisites is to switch the mundane item baseline to a Silver Standard so Gold can represent actual wealth.
Dragonblade
Adventurer
One cool thing we did back in my AD&D days was have to deal with the fact that there weren't really any banks around. We'd acquire these incredible amounts of money, but had few safe ways of storing it somewhere and keeping it accessible since our PCs were constantly traveling.
So we often commissioned personal items for our PCs to basically wear our wealth. I had a cleric who commissioned a mithril holy symbol, inlaid with golden symbols of his faith. A warrior with custom designed, jewel encrusted scabbard, custom-stitched dragonhide leather boots and so on.
Essentially, the same kind of "art object" style treasure you might find on the dead body of a fallen adventurer deep in a dungeon somewhere, we commissioned for our PCs and spared no expense. By the time, we were high enough level to settle down, my PC was wearing well over 20,000 gp in expensive tailored clothes, armor, and weapons. It added a lot of atmosphere to the game too. When our PCs began to move in political circles, their exotic gear and clothing attracted lots of attention. I mean, when your 5000gp custom boots are tailored from the hide of a shadow dragon that you slew yourself, even kings stop and take notice.
So we often commissioned personal items for our PCs to basically wear our wealth. I had a cleric who commissioned a mithril holy symbol, inlaid with golden symbols of his faith. A warrior with custom designed, jewel encrusted scabbard, custom-stitched dragonhide leather boots and so on.
Essentially, the same kind of "art object" style treasure you might find on the dead body of a fallen adventurer deep in a dungeon somewhere, we commissioned for our PCs and spared no expense. By the time, we were high enough level to settle down, my PC was wearing well over 20,000 gp in expensive tailored clothes, armor, and weapons. It added a lot of atmosphere to the game too. When our PCs began to move in political circles, their exotic gear and clothing attracted lots of attention. I mean, when your 5000gp custom boots are tailored from the hide of a shadow dragon that you slew yourself, even kings stop and take notice.
A'koss
Explorer
I've always encouraged high level PCs to create something for the campaign that would outlive the PC who created it.
There were a number of fixtures in my old GH campaign from famous inn/gambling houses to planar trading companies to fortresses to demiplanes that were created by PCs in previous campaigns. I say inspire them to leave their mark on the setting!
There were a number of fixtures in my old GH campaign from famous inn/gambling houses to planar trading companies to fortresses to demiplanes that were created by PCs in previous campaigns. I say inspire them to leave their mark on the setting!
I fully agree. Most items should cost coppers, high value weapons silvers. A single gold coin should be valuable and most persons will never poses one.
howandwhy99
Adventurer
Craft services? I mean, crafts and services. And land. Or estates and properties, if you'd like. They don't necessarily need to be run or built by the PC. Money buys both property and management (though not necessarily trustworthiness, in either case). Also, there are the unusual items for the creative buyer, like airships and gates and politicians and secrecy and so forth.
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