Shackled City: Too Stingy?

[airwalkrr]

I am currently running through the Shackled City Adventure Path for the third time. The first time I was a part-time player, part-time DM (we had four characters and each player rotated as DM throughout the series). I thought it was epic and the best series of adventures I had ever played. The second time through, I was exclusively the DM, and it did not go well. We ended up quitting in the third chapter after the players complained about numerous things in the campaign, one of them being that there was not enough treasure. I am now running this campaign for a third time with an almost completely new group and I am hearing some of the same complaints. We are about a third of the way through chapter 3 (of the hardback version so we are still on Flood Season). I have heard my players complain quite loudly about the quality/quantity of loot. So I am here to ask those who have played or run the Shackled City AP whether or not they feel the amount of loot earned in the early chapters is poor or somehow inadequate. I personally do not feel that way. Maybe I have had a bad batch of players for this campaign. But I think the loot is pretty incredible throughout the whole path, even at the low levels. And from what I recall running it the first time through, my character would be considered very wealthy by the DMG character wealth by level table. But maybe I was just lucky?

 

[billd91]

I certainly don't recall stingy being a complaint of my players when I ran this. They had 6 characters at this stage in the campaign and didn't seem underfunded.

 

[SolitonMan]

I do recall when we played through it that we were behind the curve on the WBL limits until around levels 5-6. After that we had more than enough loot. Our DM did run us through a few extra adventures, which definitely had an impact. But I don't think that there are treasure problems over the course of the entire AP, I believe it all balances out in the end.

 

[Elf Witch]

When we played through it we didn't notice an issue with there not being enough treasure.

 

[Grogg of the North]

When I played through the game I didn't feel under wealthed. I was playing a warmage, so I was mostly buying wonderous items though. When my group did buy items we bought everything through Skie and had the adventurer discount.

I've been planning on running this myself and I've noticed that with the big breaks between chapters, it's probably done with the assumption that you are going to be crafting some of your own equipment. So that may be something to think about.


Are they following the standard adventurer philosophy of "If it isn't nailed down we take. And then come back with crowbars to get the stuff that is!" Are they doing anything in their downtime to earn extra income? My warmage had a brewery and a beer hall. Every month I made a profession check and earned a little extra cash. Also ....


<Spoilers>

In Zenith's Trajectory, we didn't keep any of Zenith's gear (which the module assumes you will). To compensate for our generosity the GM gave us a little more cash when we were rewarded. I really wanted that full plate too.

</Spoilers>


Otherwise, if you feel that a PC needs some sort of special item, just add it to the loot pile for them.

 

[Theone0581]

That is very strange. I am running this campaign right now and my group has just now finished chapter 1, and they are actually pretty wealthy for being level 4. Personally, I am not sure how things will turn out in the later chapters, since we have just only finished chapter 1, but from what I can tell, things are going pretty smooth. Make sure you inform your PC's EVERYTHING has a price. Gathering dropped items from npc's is a great way to accumulate a mass amount of gold.

Here is an idea that I have been applied in my game, not because I was lacking the loot to give to me characters, but it may help you in that regard. Take some time and brainstorm about 4 or 5 side quest that the PC's can go out and complete. Within these side quest, you should have plenty of leeway to add a few magic items here and there, just don't get carried away because you think it will make your PC's happy. I would say maybe 1 magic items for every 3 side quest, but in absence of the magic item, have NPC's encounters with the PC's so that they can loot and sale dropped goods.

 

[airwalkrr]

The PCs have been taking 20 ransacking the dungeons. I don't think they've missed a single piece of important loot yet. So I am kind of perplexed. Maybe it is just a low-level thing with this AP. I know the loot in the later levels gets obscene.

I've also been running a few side-quests with the Striders of the Traveler (Fharlanghn), the cathedral of the Blood of Vol (Wee Jas), and the Temple of the Silver Flame (St. Cuthbert). They have mostly been role-playing quests but I have granted a few rewards in the way of spells added to one of the PC's spellbook and some potions as well as a little cash.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

The Trailblazer book from Bad Axe games analyzed the treasure guideline of 3.x and found that if characters are trying to keep current on their Big Six items of weapon, deflection, natural armor, armor, shield, and resistance (+1 / 1st-5th, +2 6th-8th, +3 9th-11th, +4 12th-14th, +5 15th-17th, +6 18th-20th) but are receiving treasure awards in line with treasure/level guidelines then the characters will be falling behind the curve in the middle levels.

So they may actually be noticing a real phenomenon. It will eventually catch up.

 

[Jacob Marley]

I am currently playing in the Shackled City AP as well. My group is right around levels 6 & 7 and we are running at about 75% wealth by level. The one thing that I have noticed is that the treasure we are getting is very inefficient for our party. We end up selling a lot for 50%.

 

[Lwaxy]

Luckily my group isn't greedy, both when I played this and now running it, loot was/is not really on anyone's mind other than needing some to finance themselves.

It's true about the inefficient sales though, but as a GM I think I'll just have to be creative with it.