So How Does Your Group Distribute Treasure?

[DragonLancer]

Once identified we give them to the character/s most likely to use them (arrows among archers, weapons to whoever can use it - same with armour...etc). Anything left over from that we just discuss and usually end up giving it to the character with the least items or selling it and distributing the gold.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

We usually just work it out between ourselves, with no set system.

But when we did World's Largest Dungeon, we developed a "Pick System" to make it "fair."

The Pick system
Everyone gets a pick. When you come across treasure, someone can claim it as their pick. If more than one person wants an item as a pick, "dice off" for it. The winner gets the item as their pick. Everything else (which no one wants as an official pick) gets divided, with a "dice off" if more than one person wants something.

Once you have gotten a pick, you (generally) can not have another pick. Once every PC has gotten a pick, everyone can once again "pick" an item. Repeat ad nauseum.

That's it.

Example: Able, Barney, Cain, and Delta are the players. After the first encounter, Barney makes a pick. After the next encounter, Able, Cain, and Delta all want a certain item as their pick (Barney would also like it, but he's already used his pick so he's outta luck). They "dice off" and Delta wins. After the next encounter, only Able and Cain can make a pick. Eventually, they both get a pick: the counters reset and at the next encounter with treasure, any one of them might claim an item as their pick.


We did have a stretch of time where no items were appropriate for a certain PC. In that case, we just let him "accumulate picks" until we started coming across items he could use.

Pretty simple. And it prevents someone from claiming all the good stuff. However, if a lot of stuff is class or race specific, other PCs won't waste their picks on such items if they can't use them, and they'll go to the appropriate PC (and s/he won't have to 'waste' a pick on them).

Since we were in the World's Largest Dungeon, we could not simply "go to the nearest town" and buy stuff. Or craft stuff. The Pick system worked great, partly because we all agreed to it up front so there was no kvetching. Also, we were trying to work together as a party, so we were anxious to have items go to the PC who would maximize the party's benefit the most.

 

[Corbert]

All groups but one I've played with do the need before greed method. The time I played in a group that totaled the value and the characters bought items there were times when an item had more value that any one character could afford, and the item was sold. It really sucked to, because it was a Staff of Power, and it would have save the group some trouble and death if we had just split the items up according to need.

 

[wedgeski]

All groups but one I've played with do the need before greed method. The time I played in a group that totaled the value and the characters bought items there were times when an item had more value that any one character could afford, and the item was sold. It really sucked to, because it was a Staff of Power, and it would have save the group some trouble and death if we had just split the items up according to need.

That's just daft.

 

[Arnwyn]

Need before greed. If that falls over, then a simple comparison of each PC's wealth comes into play. We're all friends around the table so an amicable solution is never more than a few seconds' discussion away.

This pretty much describes how my players distribute treasure. Bang-on.

 

[rvalle]

Our group uses what we call Treasure Credits. It goes like this:
1. the total gold we could get from selling all magic items is divided among the players. (generally, half the cost of making the item)
2. These "credits" can only be used to divide the spoils of war.
3. The party memebers then bid on each item starting at half the items value.

The system isn't fool proof. We had some issues last weekend when it came to multiple items. Any way, I can post the full "rules" later tonight when I'm back home if anyone is interested.

We had a system in place similar to this.

After the items were identified they were totaled at 50% retail and that number divided up among the party that went on that adventure. These are called 'magic points'. They are accumulated from adventure to adventure like gold.

The person with the most MP's gets to pick an item first paying for it with their MP's. Then the second most and so on.

Pros:
Each party member benefits from being on an adventure that snags a single high powered item.

The item distribution was fair over time instead of one person getting lucky rolls and getting to pick first several times in a row.

There was less temptation to take an item that you could not use and sell it. It was more worthwhile to save your points for the next adventure.

Cons:

There was a rule that EVERY item had to be picked, and paid for, by someone. This caused some issues when a decent magic item came along that no-one wanted/could use. This caused the last person to pick an item to 'have' to take it and spend their MP's on it. They would then sell (or try to sell) the item and then convert it into gold.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Need Before Greed.

But then I make sure to 'spread the wealth around'. I don't only put in items only one or two charaters can use. (I.e, look another Wand. And A Staff of Power, and a Robe of the Archmage, how nice, I'll go try to kill somehting with my stick so I can make some leather armor).

Need before greed falls apart if you don't make sure treasure is balanced out.

I've played in that stupid "Make sure everyone gets an equal GP value share." Otherwise known as "Since you sold the cool thingy I gave you 5 sessions ago, You die now" Or "Let's spend the next 5 hours trying to calculate how much everyone gets and what each item is worth & how the players can morgage their sould to get the one +3 item. NEVER. EVER. AGAIN!

Items aren't treasure. They are tools. The DM puts them in for a reason. If you throw (sell) them because they are too valuable, you'll get screwed in the end.

 

[Delemental]

In our group, all magic items are placed on a list. Each player picks what items they're interested in. If more than one person is interested in an item, then they resolve the conflict between them, usually with a 'need before greed' mentality which considers not only the character's previous equipment needs, but also the utility they would put it to. For example, if there was a Ring of Protection +4 on the list, and it was claimed by both the bard (with a Ring +1) and the paladin (with a Ring +3), it would probably go to the bard, who could use the AC boost. But if the bard were the type that stood back out of combat, then the ring might go to the front-line paladin instead.

There is also an expectation of passing along 'hand-me-downs'. In the example above, if the paladin got the +4 ring, he'd be expected to place his old +3 ring into the treasure pile, where it could be picked up by the bard or any other character who could benefit from it.

Once everything's been picked, the rest of the treasure is sold, and divided equally among the party, including an extra share designated as a group fund for things like raise dead spells.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Well,

My players add up everything as though they had sold it all. Magic and equipment are counted as 50% of purchase price. Then they split that amount evenly. Using that number they then "purchase" any items at the 50% price from the pool. If more than one person wants a particular item they bid against each other until a final price is arrived at. The difference between the 50% price and the final price is then distributed evenly amongst the players who did not win the bid.

It works really well as everyone gets their even share.

This is exactly how we do it, and I agree it works really well. In fact, I can hardly stand to play in groups that don't do it this way, because the distribution never seems to work out fairly or believably. (The idea of communist adventuring parties--especially if players change their characters with any frequency--just seems ridiculous to me.)

Someone mentioned problems like selling off a staff of power because no one can afford to keep it. That can be a problem. The way we handle it is: if no one is or ever will be willing to pay the price to acquire that item, we sell it off, but if it's simply unaffordable now, the party hangs onto it (and lets whoever can use it best hold it "in trust" for the party) until enough other treasure has been acquired that the PC can afford it. Easy as pie.

 

[Coredump]

Items go the one that can use it the best. There is some swapping.

It works pretty well. Especially for parties where the characters have a 'higher goal' than just accumulating wealth. (Like ridding an evil, etc.)