D&D General Treasure - how much, how often, and how does your group divide it

[Marc_C]

It depends on the campaign.

My current campaign the PCs are all siblings of a baron. They have wealth already. I don't give a lot of treasure (gold). Magic items are mostly family treasures the PCs don't know about until they are high level enough (and responsible) to become their custodians.

 

[Stormonu]

My current group has been one of the most altruistic and gold-fearing groups I’ve ever run across.

I generally run pre-made adventures so I use the treasures within, and for custom encounters I occasionally roll on the treasure hoard tables in the DMG and then either place it “at the end” or sprinkle it through the adventure if I’ve had enough time to break it down. When we were meeting in person, I would write down the treasure as they acquire it on slips of paper during the game and after the session they can divvy it up as they choose and write it on their sheets according to who takes it. In our current game, my Lawful Neutral wife has been tracking the party’s wealth on notebook paper, stapling/clipping the note I passed out to the master sheet. In the VTT, I have posting the treasure in chat so the party can review it at their leisure.

Current group has found maybe half of the treasure and given a good portion of what they have found to the local town or down-on-their-luck individuals therein.

Only recently (with the group hitting 7th level) have they been asking about magic items - there’s been a ”magic store” in the town since the start of the game, but they’ve only recently been considering getting their hands on magic items for the upcoming war against the goblinoid threat and sahaugin threat, and with their altruism, the town council has been helping them procure the items they need going forward (potions of healing & water breathing, a folding boat, a feather token anchor, and they quested for Wave in White Plume Mountain).

Another group I am in does something I absolutely abhor, and asks the players what items they want for their characters in the next session or two. Those items then ”just happen” to show up as the session’s treasure. Not a practice I am fond of at all, and don’t do as a DM. In my games, if you want a specific item, you either follow tales or rumors that should lead you to such a treasure, you might be able to acquire it through trade or purchase, or you might be able to consign a craftsman to make it (if you can supply the raw materials). It doesn’t just “randomly” appear in treasures just because you wished for it.

 

[el-remmen]

How much do you-as-DM tend to give, either overall or relative to guidelines? Flip side: how much do you-as-player like to get?

As a DM I have never even so much as looked at the guidelines (any edition). I give what makes sense to me in amount and type relative to the monster/environment. Does the monster just like shiny things? Do they use it as normal because they can go to town and buy stuff or hire people? Have they been attacking the tax-collector's caravan or harassing poor peasants? Stuff like that.

As a player, I have never paid much attention to how much treasure I get. I mean, I keep track - but whatever has always been fine.

How much of your treasure is magic items vs non-magic?

Very little is magical. Less than 5%. Less than 3%? These numbers are guesses.

How do you "place" it in adventures? By this I mean is it sitting there easy to find, is it hidden, is it always guarded, is your expectation that the PCs will find all of it or miss some, etc.

My expectation is that the PCs will miss some of it based on their (and my) lack of patience for nook and cranny searching after the goal of the adventure is met. Sometimes I will handwave and say "you find X amount total" if the players say they want to carefully search the whole dungeon, for example, after clearing it out.

As for where I place it. . . wherever it makes sense. On people in small amounts, buried in holes, at the bottom of pools, in guarded vaults, etc. . .

How does your group divide treasure and who decides the method used? Also, how often (if ever) does your group divide treasure?

They divide all treasure. One of my groups also has a "party fund" everyone chips into and one player (the paladin) keeps track of for use for buying gear, mounts, stays at an inn, etc. . .

Who owns the treasure before division? After division?

Everyone owns their share. If it has not been divided yet, we note who is carrying it all (usually the 20 Str Barbarian) in case they fall down a bottomless pit never to be seen again.

How easy is it in your game for treasure and-or PC-carried possessions to be destroyed, stolen, or lost? Are your players cool with possession loss and if not, why not?

I would not call it "easy" but it can happen either by carelessness or design of a nemesis.

Can magic items be bought, sold, or traded; and if not, why not?

In my setting, the selling of magical items aside from some common potions is a cultural taboo (though paying someone to make one - another rare thing - is okay). Trading items does have some tradition, since sometimes the party will find something no one can use or one powerful thing they want to trade for four lesser things they can each use.

As for "why not?" It just doesn't match up with my view of magic as "special" as opposed to a commodified technology. BOOOORRRR-ING. Every item has a history I develop for it.

 

[el-remmen]

One other thing, we have a "If it is not written down it is lost" table rule. So, no asking me to go back into the module notes and try to remember what they found if they can find no record of it. For magical items of consequence (so everything but potions and scrolls), I make up an item card and possession of the card equates possession of the item. It also allows the items to be traded easily. So when Bark the Barbarian says "I give Dinkle the Dwarf my magic axe" the player passes a card over and we don't accidentally end up with two magic axes because someone forgot to erase it from their sheet or something.

 

[aco175]

The players figure out how to handle treasure, but it is mostly the same over the years and parties. I tend to place treasure on bodies, in chests, and in hidden areas. It varies by level or tier some where low-levels each monster may carry 1d10cp and 1d6sp, and the leader may have a 25gp gem or po. healing. The silver and gold scaled up in level and copper eventually goes away and is assumed to be pissed away with beer and such and no longer tracked.

I do give out more items than the book says with weapons and unique things being the most. Each PC tends to get a cool weapon or wand or something by level 5 generally. Some may be a +0 sword, but it can re-roll an attack, or cast a heal, or lightning bolt to make it cool. Some of these items are being used by the monster against the PCs before they can have it. Some are dangling on the wall setting up a trap or a hidden monster waiting in ambush, and a few are in secret areas that the PCs may not find. This may only be around 15% of the cool items though.

Generally one of the players tracks coins and other wealth until they get to a town and divide it up. Items can be divided up in the dungeon if one of the PCs wants something or is the only one that can use something like a scroll. They loosely track how many each PC has to keep it about fair. Some items can be sold in towns or in a city they may have better luck and pricing.

 

[billd91]

How much do you-as-DM tend to give, either overall or relative to guidelines? Flip side: how much do you-as-player like to get?

I've been using the 5e generation tables lately - maybe eyeballing it if it turns out too low, high, or repetitive. I've got the tables set up in a spreadsheet so it's just an F9 to recalculate. As a player, I'm flexible about how much I like to get - depends on the edition. 5e, it's not that big a deal compared to 3e/4e.

How much of your treasure is magic items vs non-magic?

Mostly non-magic cash and art. Magic items are a bit rarer in 5e in general, which suits me fine.

How do you "place" it in adventures? By this I mean is it sitting there easy to find, is it hidden, is it always guarded, is your expectation that the PCs will find all of it or miss some, etc.

If it's useable, it's being used. Otherwise, it depends on the lair and the creature. Some are secretive and hide things, others just lock it away, some sit on it.

How does your group divide treasure and who decides the method used? Also, how often (if ever) does your group divide treasure?

We divide cash up into n+1 shares so that there's always a party fund for group purchases, components for raise dead, etc. A lot of healing gear ends up there, at least temporarily, as well. Otherwise, we typically divide loot up according to a who wants it/can use it/has been falling behind basis. We generally don't care that much about value in the short term - we're a team, we're not going to cash out a staff of power in the hands of our wizard just because everybody else ended up with something much cheaper and lower powered. That would be madness - giving up group power for individual greed?

Who owns the treasure before division? After division?

Before division, treasure is essentially the group's. Afterwards, it's individual - though we have a high degree of cooperation and hand-me-downs happen a lot as upgrades occur. We are a team, after all. I'd rather boost my teammate's effectiveness than get the cash in most cases.

How easy is it in your game for treasure and-or PC-carried possessions to be destroyed, stolen, or lost? Are your players cool with possession loss and if not, why not?

It doesn't come up all that often really. It can be frustrating to be on the end of that sort of thing, but it's 5e so it's not horrible to lose stuff. I lost a number of items back in 2e days (including a vorpal blade), that hurt a bit but I got over it.

Can magic items be bought, sold, or traded; and if not, why not?

Yes, we generally use the downtime rules in Xanathar's for it. It typically takes a week of footwork and spreading some cash around to find or sell items. Though because of a shortened time between completing one chapter and the next, I did allow PCs to shop for items of common/uncommon value - they were in the Free City of Greyhawk, so it's not like there isn't an abundance of magic around and lots of population to support a greater availability of magic items. Most of them got their first +1 weapons that way (they're 9th level).

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

One thing I've noticed in both my groups is that they develop a party "petty cash fund." Spare change, stuff that can't be easily divided, generally ends up there.

Treasure placement varies. Sometimes it's protected, sometimes it's a gift, sometimes it's there for the taking. Sometimes it's hidden and no one ever finds it.

As far as division, generally it starts out with the players discussing who would benefit the most from it. Sometimes a person just wants the shiny, and while that sort of behavior often drives me up a wall as a DM, I let the players decide. Then, if there are multiple people that all want it, there's generally a dice roll-off.

One thing I've started doing is giving magic items directly to certain characters as a reward. In my one campaign, I noticed that the one player will pretty much call dibs on any magic item that benefits them in the slightest, even if it would see better use with another PC. Like I said, I generally stay out of magic item distribution, but that PC has accumulated about twice as many magic items as everyone else. So I just started outright saying "this NPC hands that PC the magic item as a reward."

 

[Quickleaf]

Two or three threads have recently drifted into covering very similar territory around treasure in the game, so I thought starting one just for this topic might make sense.

So, treasure. Lots of questions here just to get things rolling.......

How much do you-as-DM tend to give, either overall or relative to guidelines? Flip side: how much do you-as-player like to get?

How much of your treasure is magic items vs non-magic?

How do you "place" it in adventures? By this I mean is it sitting there easy to find, is it hidden, is it always guarded, is your expectation that the PCs will find all of it or miss some, etc.

Here's a list of all the treasure I've given out from 3rd (where we started) to mid-4th level in my current game. It is a big mix of rewards, trickery, easy to find, guarded, and hidden. Probably one more treasure haul lies ahead before they hit 5th level.

• 35 gp (Pax Imperican drachma, given by Quintus Pavo to Nura)
• 20 gp (won by Sekhemket on Nura's fight)
• 54 golden Atens (worth 5 gp each, thus 270 gp total) 1,800 silver Teks (worth 2 sp each, thus 3,600 sp total) 1,800 bronze Apt (worth 5 cp each, thus 9,000 cp total)
• 2 vials of embalming fluid (healing potions for undead)
• "In the West" = +1 longsword, +3 vs. constructs; made by Djutmose family's riverforge; pommel shaped as lotus-shaped key
• 3 mysterious cloudy beads (smoke bombs)
• shortsword
• 2 daggers
• thieves' tools
• 25 gp (Pax Imperican Drachma, from body in Crypt of Kholan)
• 12 Crescents (electrum pieces)
• 3 explorer's packs
• bag of drugged dates
• blood-speckled spellbook with "eye of Horus" (uadjet) on cover
• 2 lassos
• 40 Crescents (electrum pieces)
• Bronze torch - Torch that, once lit, burns blue when touched by or touched to an undead creature (between a trinket and a common item)
• Pearl worth 100 gp
• "Pharaohs & Queens" card game
• Enhanced arcane focus: necromancy (amulet) (homebrew item)
• Ring of evasion (fey silver, glows dim light 5-foot radius in moonlight)
• components pouch (5 out of 10 uses - pertains to house rule)
• 60 days of rations
• 2 lbs. pistachio coated candied dates
• 1 large urn (cask) of red beer
• Smelling salts (action to apply, grant advantage on save vs. paralysis by end of next turn)
• 4 vials of Gentle Dust (ingested poison) = DC 14 Wisdom save or unable to attack others unless attacked first, reaction towards others is improved one step (i.e. a creature to whom they’d normally be indifferent, they’re now friendly toward), and they are extremely suggestible, suffering disadvantage on Wisdom-based checks and saves. The creature does not realize it has been affected by poison. Lasts for 10 minutes or until initiative.
• vial of paut (common homebrew item, alchemical silver ink useful for scroll scribing or emergency elixir to restore a few spell slots at the cost of exhaustion later)
• distillation apparatus
• Art Objects worth ~100 gp each: (1) The coral crown of an ancient sea elf kingdom (2) A swirled malachite death mask of incredible detail (3) Praying mantis banner of a Southern Khemti lancer regiment (4) A cracked open gnomish-made adamantine cube lined with lead and velvet
• Libram of Arming the Dead (homebrew item)
• Journal/spellbook taken by Adom – "Incunabulum of Shadow"

The coins come out to 350 gold pieces, 52 electrum pieces, 3600 silver pieces, and 9000 copper pieces. Compared to the DMG guidelines – 7 rolls on hoard treasure tables for CR 0-4 in the DMG – this isn't too far off the mark.

Art objects and gems are a little on the low side, but are a little more valuable and have story beats associated with them.

In terms of magic items, it comes out to essentially 2 healing potions (x2 Table A), a circumstantially "boosted" +1 longsword (X1 Table F), maybe a common item (x1 Table A), a homebrew amulet worth less than a wand of the war mage (x1 Table D or E), ring of evasion (x1 Table G), and a homebrew libram (x1 Table G or H). So slightly fewer items than 7 rolls on the DMG tables, but overall the items are slightly more powerful.

 

[DeviousQuail]

1) I use the DMG guidelines with a little curation. When I'm a player we're usually playing a pre-built adventure so whatever it includes is what we use.

2) Again, DMG guidelines with a little curation. Sometimes I make magic items relevant to players (e.g. probably switch a moon sickle for something else if there are no rangers or druids in the game)

3) Most (80-90%) of the treasure is split between one or two locations/creatures/quest-givers. The rest is interspersed throughout the dungeon or expected encounters. It'd be pretty hard to miss most of it but there is a little bit to reward exploration, roleplay, and curiosity.

4) We've used a few methods for distribution but what usually happens is they divide the gold evenly at lower levels while magic items go to whoever can make the best use of them. It's pretty rare that two players REALLY want the same item. When that happens they can work it out amongst themselves. Worst case scenario we roll dice and whoever wins gets the item with the understanding that they should acquiesce to the losing player the next time around. At higher levels they move to a party fund and get group approval for high cost items.

5) Not something we've had to think about before. I guess it goes Party -> Individual early on and just Party at higher levels.

6) Pretty rare on all accounts. It's only ever been a plot point when it does happen. Baddie steals wand, party burns down everything Baddie held dear, party kills Baddie, party gets wand back.

7) Yes, they can be bought, traded, and sold. However, we've almost always played in mid-to-high fantasy settings where magic items are common enough that some kind of market for them just makes sense. This only applies to uncommon and rare items, with rare items requiring a roll to determine if they are available at all. A very rare item might be a reward for a quest but is not going to be found amongst the +1 swords. Legendary items are maybe 1 or 2 in an entire campaign.

 

[el-remmen]

I use pre-written material a lot, but for me part of module prep is going through and literally crossing out (or more rarely writing in) treasure and magic to make it in line with my sense of what it should be.