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Message: <blockquote data-quote="airwalkrr" data-source="post: 5844615" data-attributes="member: 12460">This concept was explored a bit with respect to magic items in <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/new-horizons-upcoming-edition-d-d/319218-magic-items-d-d-next-remove-them-pc-dependant.html" target="_blank">this thread</a>. But I think there is a more important issue at the center of this discussion. When D&D was first created, there was no expected level of wealth X for a character of level Y. If I recall correctly, this was a concept introduced to the core rules as part of 3e, along with the standardization of magic item market values and creation rules. Now, I believe the hearts of the designers were in the right place when they came up with this. They wanted the game balance to reflect the level of power the PCs had via their magic items so they wanted to standardize the amount of wealth PCs were expected to have. They even went so far as to suggest that the DM periodically survey the wealth of the PCs in his group to make sure they were staying close to that expected level. I believe this design decision was in error.First of all, it has been my experience that players will calculate their wealth on their own far more than the DM does and get disgruntled if the DM is not giving them "their fair share." This is not only problem players. Even good players do it from time to time out of curiosity. And if that number is not at or above the expected wealth level, they both respond to it negatively. Problem players go so far as to whine or even outright quit the game because of it. The better players will simply get a little discouraged or at worst, bring up the issue with the DM privately. But what is even more problematic here is that the players in a game with characters whose wealth is not at the "expected" level perceive that any challenges the DM has designed are going to be inherently unfair. It might be subconscious, or it might be something openly discussed, but any player who knows about the expected wealth tables and his own character's relative standing thereupon (and it seems there are many players like this) is going to react to it.D&D Next ought to be designed and balanced independent of character wealth or expected magic items. To do that, they are first going to have to get rid of the idea of expected wealth. Next, they are also going to have to get rid of the idea that magic items or certain equipment is required to defeat certain encounters. Character wealth needs to become a reward again, not a necessary part of the calculations of character power. And right now, as it is in 4e and as it was in 3e, wealth is an absolute measure of power which is expected. Towards that end, there needs to be a real effort on the part of the designers to create magic items that do not simply add +X to a certain stat or ability, but rather give the players tricks and tactics not formerly available to them. I might even advocate getting rid of things like gauntlets of ogre power altogether or replacing their mechanics with things that let the PCs accomplish feats of great strength (like forcing down doors, carrying heavier loads, or wielding bigger weapons with less effort) without necessarily increasing stats.I do not think this is going to be easy, but it has to start with the removal of an expected wealth level from the mechanics of the game. Give more power to the DM to determine what is acceptable wealth to his players. I am certain players will have more than enough tools at their disposal to customize their characters like skills, feats, multi-classing, spell/power choice, and so on. They do not need to also have a chart that says how much gold worth of items they should be walking around with too. That should be purely the demesne of the DM.</blockquote>

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