So what's gold gonna be for?

[Imp]

Also, re: gold, what is it good for, I've long had the temptation to draft a "he who dies with the most toys, wins" retirement system that determines how well the adventurer's going to be living once his sword-slinging days are over. I am also okay with purchasing an assortment of limited-use magic items, beneficial sacrifices, and special training regimens (the latter two of which I have also failed to rigorously implement, so far).

I do not like abstract wealth in a game focused on scoring loot; it's fine in modern and futuristic systems, though.

 

[WyzardWhately]

Iron Heroes had some ways of using your money called "Wealth Feats". Conceptually it was interesting, but the execution was so-so. You start by putting money into a Wealth Pool - 100gp grants you 1 Wealth Point. Each Wealth Feat required a certain amount of Wealth Points to buy in (they don't count towards your normal feats) and with them you could gain Cohorts, Followers, Property, Buy your way out of legal problems, Political Connections and Social Influence. There are even alt-rules for gaining XP for spending money on wine, women and song!

I really, really like this idea, but I would be shocked as hell to see it in 4E.

 

[Hairfoot]

I also anticipate that many want "A functioning D&D economy".

Which makes me wary.

I'd like it to be addressed, but there's no need for the designers to go overboard.

I like the idea of a copper/silver standard, and I'd particularly like to see tax mentioned. DMs who've tried to make PCs pay their dues know it's like herding cats, so I'd like to see some acknowledgment of it in the rulebooks, even if it's only as an optional rule.

 

[frankthedm]

Let's get back to the ale and whores for a moment. I can see a rule that gives a +1 morale bonus for each consecutive evening of carousing, decreasing by one every day since the last night of carousing. Of course, that sets a certain tone for the campaign...

A most excellent idea!

 

[Doug McCrae]

Gold isn't for anything. It doesn't exist in Lord of the Rings type games. In Conan type games it serves as a motivator. The PCs start off the adventure poor. DM dangles a great treasure in front of their noises so they go down a dungeon or whatever to get it. After the adventure is over they spend it all on ale and whores. There must be a game contract that no one will spend their money on anything remotely useful.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Thats some pretty retarded expensive ale and whores at upper levels.

I regard it as shorthand for frittering it away. Luxury clothes, super-expensive drugs from far off lands, massive parties for the whole city, gambling. Whatever, so long as it's an utter waste of money.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I like the idea of spending money on stuff other than magic items. I never liked the way wealth was directly linked to character power. It means that you really have no options on how to spend your money. You have to spend money on stuff that raises your AC, attack bonus, etc.

I think it would be best if the benefits you can get from spending money hit a plateau in the early levels of the game, so that by higher levels (the Paragon/Epic levels), you already have all the equipment you will need (other than plot-related and otherwise unique and special things, but I think even those should be had by 10th level).

 

[A'koss]

I like the idea of spending money on stuff other than magic items. I never liked the way wealth was directly linked to character power. It means that you really have no options on how to spend your money. You have to spend money on stuff that raises your AC, attack bonus, etc.

I think it would be best if the benefits you can get from spending money hit a plateau in the early levels of the game, so that by higher levels (the Paragon/Epic levels), you already have all the equipment you will need (other than plot-related and otherwise unique and special things, but I think even those should be had by 10th level).

A compromise route might be having low level magic items possibly available to purchase (for example, potions and up to +2 items), but mid to high level magic is simply too rare. And like earlier editions there are those who might be willing to buy items off of you (eg. powerful wizard guilds), but don't sell them in turn.

 

[pawsplay]

A compromise route might be having low level magic items possibly available to purchase (for example, potions and up to +2 items), but mid to high level magic is simply too rare. And like earlier editions there are those who might be willing to buy items off of you (eg. powerful wizard guilds), but don't sell them in turn.

I'd rather do it the other way... any kingdom worth its salt has a magic throne that does something awesome, and a gathering of wizards can create pillars to the clouds, but you could live your whole life without seeing a magic sword in your village.

In AD&D, a death knight had a 75% chance of having a magic sword. Like that.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Originally Posted by A'koss
Iron Heroes had some ways of using your money called "Wealth Feats". Conceptually it was interesting, but the execution was so-so. You start by putting money into a Wealth Pool - 100gp grants you 1 Wealth Point. Each Wealth Feat required a certain amount of Wealth Points to buy in (they don't count towards your normal feats) and with them you could gain Cohorts, Followers, Property, Buy your way out of legal problems, Political Connections and Social Influence. There are even alt-rules for gaining XP for spending money on wine, women and song!

I really, really like this idea, but I would be shocked as hell to see it in 4E.

Well, given that Mearls is part of the design team...

Having run an IH game for a while, I actually am much, much happier when wealth doesn't need to be spent on personal augmentation, for several reasons:

1) You can create more realistic economies. Warrior humanoids don't have to have treasure beyond their weapons, armor, and equipment; animals and unintelligent monsters don't need any possessions whatsoever, and PCs and NPCs alike need only as much money as required to transact in goods and services in the quasi-historic manner of a fantasy realm.

2) You can play any genre of fantasy you like without warping balance. Want a Conan-style game where the PCs amass huge fortunes and start the next session broke? An LotR campaign where money is simply irrelevant in th context of larger conflicts? A post-apocalyptic savage world setting in which there's basically no minted coin whatsoever and the most prized possessions are clean water and solid food? All possible and easy.

3) PCs can actually USE their money to drive the campaign! Wealth feats are a partial implementation of this in IH, but investment in a merchant coster, purchase of a ship, or setting up a realm or stronghold can be BIG campaign drivers. One of the PCs in my current campaign is a merchant-tinkerer of Gond (FR) who is adventuring in part to amass a fortune to return to his native island of Lantan for a life of ease, but also to fund his own workshop wherein he plans to create a variety of constructs and other techno-magical devices. Another PC (a noble of Waterdeep) might gain fortunes and glory for his family. And so on.