D&D 5E Starting Equipment

[Yunru]

There's really no problem here. Thanks.

You've seen the numbers, so you know my stance on this

At the least they could be consistent. But nope, some characters get more money total for rolling for gold, others get less, and even with choosing off of a list it's no good: Do I pick this 5gp sword, or this 25gp light crossbow? Obviously the savy player'll take the crossbow. Even selling it for half it's value, that's a profit and a 5gp sword.

 

[S'mon]

I would have thought your players couldn't be "forced" into doing unfun things for a few piddly gold pieces, that are not even real money, and as soon as they loot their first goblin becomes entirely inconsequential. And that players finding equipping themselves unfun would pick the simple and quick option, even though they lose out on a few coppers in the process.

Guess I was wrong

Yeah, I guess you don't understand player psychology as well as you thought you did.

IME many players will indeed go through an unfun process if they think it even slightly increases the survival chances of their PC.

 

[delphonso]

A few times before, I've given new characters a "pack" of the essentials for free and allowed them to roll for gold and buy their gear that way.
The pack I handed out was usually the stuff players need to buy - a bedroll, tent, tarp, torches, one healing potion, a dagger, etc. The total value would be somewhere around 50 or 60 (excluding the healing potion). With that, I think their total starting gold was higher than the background method.