"Roll For It"

[TarionzCousin]

Back in the day (1E for me, mostly) we used to collect all of the treasure at the end of each dungeon and roll dice to determine who got to pick first. Then players could negotiate, pay each other to trade places, buy items from each other, etc.

It added to the feel of greedy adventurers, somewhat like pirates dividing up the spoils.

I re-introduced this to my 4E group yesterday, and it was a hit.

There was an odd number of gold pieces and five Healing Potions for the 4 of us. After some joking around about "picking whatever die you want to roll" three of us rolled d20's. Then the dwarf player rolled percentile dice. Of course he won and got the extra gold.

"Okay, very funny," we said. "Let's all roll d6's for the extra healing potion." We did, but then the dwarf rolled ten d6's and won that too.


How do you divide up the loot?

 

[weem]

I think 4e is different than those old school days in that you can look at just about any item and know right away, "this is for X role/class" etc. It's very clear.

As such, even if we randomly rolled to divide out the items, my players would simply pass the items around until they went where they... fit, I guess is the word.

So, I essentially build my parcels ahead of time, print and cut them out - then paper-clip them into piles. When I need loot, I grab a pile randomly... sometimes there are not items, but instead potions and gems. Sometimes, they are items of art or other random things of value mixed with mundane (or seemingly mundane) items. Some of these piles only have stuff useful to one or two of the players, but in the end it all comes out relatively even.

I basically set out the cards and let the players pick through and divide them as they see fit. I think it kinds of adds to that feel that they have something in their hands to pass out, which is cool.

 

[darjr]

Props for the win. I love em. Even if they are essentially notes they write down on their sheet and throw away.

I can see my players even now pawing through the loot!

 

[ExploderWizard]

We still roll for first picks and, keeping up old traditions, still use a d12 to resolve this. Back in the old days, the d12 never got much use so we took pity on it and used it for treasure rolls.

 

[Gilladian]

I've been using item cards for magic items and major treasures for a LONG time. My players love them.

We used to "dice for" items, and in theory we still do... but nobody actually does except for items that are plainly "multi-character" useful. Instead, my two latest parties have just shared items out in the most appropriate way. Very cooperative and friendly...

I kinda miss the old way.

 

[jbear]

hehehe, got to love dwarves!

My group has d20 roll-offs for magic Item loot; but only those with the least amount of total items participate. So if players 1-3 have 4 items and players 4 and 5 only 3 items, then players 4 and 5 roll for it (if they both want it). If neither want it, then it opens up to the others. If noone wants it, it goes into the 'sell back at town' pile.

Money is split evenly after everything is sold.

 

[brunswick]

When we first played 1st Edition (and one of our two groups still did up until 3rd Edition), the players rolled for items. This unfortunately led to arguments as some of the players (who had read the DMG back to back) picked what they felt was the 'most valuable' item if nothing particularly appealed to them from what was on offer. The item in question was often something I had placed specifically for one of the 'less well off' party members (wand for a wizard, bracers for the rogue etc.,) so that they could feel on par with their fellow adventurers. Of course, this went completely over the heads of some players and they just felt it was 'every player for himself'. Nowadays, I tweak the 4E treasures the group finds and the players usually decide amongst themselves as to who should get what item, as best suited to each class. I was somewhat dismayed however (as were the other players) when we played 'Kobold Hall' at the back of the 4th Ed DMG and the Ranger(!!) tried to pilfer the BBEGs hoard when the other party members were fighting. In fairness, the player was fairly new at the game - the others told him about 'etiquette' at the table, especially as he was playing a Good Ranger.

 

[bouncyhead]

We use an ever-mutable, incoherent mix of roll-for-choice, roll-by-item, allocation and designation of items as 'party' that causes no end of entertaining conflict, horse-trading and general chicanery. Many things have changed over thirty years, but when it comes to loot there is a rapid regression to our 11-year-old selves.

The only rule we stick to is that the DM may not intervene.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

I think that's one of the things that I loved most about the earlier editions, the ability to roll percentile dice or the 100-sider and get some really really cool treasure even if you couldn't use it. I feel that 4th's 'parcels' isn't in the same spirit of the random rolls of old.

 

[Jhaelen]

Back in the day (1E for me, mostly) we used to collect all of the treasure at the end of each dungeon and roll dice to determine who got to pick first.

Oh dear. I've only ever been exposed to that method in my MMORPG days. I hated it.

IIRC, back in the days we've been adding up the gp values and the ones with the lowest total got to pick first.

These days, after an item is found, it immediately goes to the pc for whom it's most useful.