New Characters and Wealth Tables

[JoeBlank]

If you think restrictions on buying items are complicated, take a gander at this method we just tried out. We play in a slightly-lower-than-average magic campaign where we rotate DM duties. Magic items can be found, but rarely are purchased. We had a couple of PCs die, so new characters were created. We use a house rule whereby all items, magic or mundane, are sold for 1/2 their list value. If we loot a dungeon and want to sell most of the stuff, we only get 1/2 the list value for the items we sell. So we came up with the following:

1. Roll for a random magic item, starting at Table 8-2 in the DMG, p. 179.

2. If the value of the item exceeds your available wealth (i.e. your starting wealth, at first), reroll.

3. If the value of the item is within your available wealth, you may either:

3a. Keep it, and subtract the value from your available wealth, or
3b. Sell it, and subtract 1/2 the value from your available wealth (as if you had sold the item for 1/2 its listed value).

4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you are out of money, or until you wish to stop and use the remaining money to purchase mundane items (at their normal price).

Very random. I think this method favors casters or characters who can use many different magic items (including wands, scrolls, etc.) My dwarf barbarian kept rolling for items that he could not use, so he had no real choice but to sell them for 1/2 list price. He ended up with a much lower value of items than the other new PC, an illusionist/bard.

However, actually rolling for the items was very fun.

 

[John Smallberries]

I let them buy whatever they want, with no single item being more than 50% of their total wealth.

 

[Ravellion]

I create a usually reasonably unique item, or select a reasonably expensive (up to 50% of Starting Wealth) item which players wouldn't pick (Players pick plusses. I give utility items). The player can do with the rest of the money what he wants. Sometimes I give one of their things a secondary ability, like "Cast Restoration once per day at noon if held by a LG character" Which I tacked on the Paladin's Ancestrol Sword...quite expensive that! (which was just a +1 sword which the player decided was ancestral)

Rav

 

[shilsen]

I let them buy whatever they want, with no single item being more than 50% of their total wealth.

Same here.