D&D (2024) Treasure in D&D 2024

[MGibster]

D&D has almost always had an adventure treadmill. Characters go adventuring, they gain experience and treasure, become more powerful, and go out to repeat the whole process until they run out of levels. Good times. Way back in the old days, you you needed to spend your hard earned gold to level up. i.e. There was something for players to do with all the gold they accumulated. But in 5th edition, that isn't the case (in my experience). By the time player characters are 5th level, money isn't really a concern.

Will the 5th edition DMG better address what to do with treasure? I know the DM can just make stuff up, but I am hoping them have some actual rules. Maybe they can spend a bunch of gold to get a new proficiency in tools or skills, maybe they have rules for running a household, something...anything?

 

[Clint_L]

Bastions and crafting both seem like new or improved money sinks.

 

[Charlaquin]

Well, magic item prices are better explained in the new DMG, and Bastions cost gold to make. But of course, both of those things are very optional to include. Magic item crafting can serve in place of buying them, but that requires campaigns at a certain (very long) timescale…

Personally, I’m a strong advocate in favor of allowing the purchasing of magic items, but limiting the availability. The new DMG suggests having common magic items available in towns, uncommon and rare be available in cities, and anything rare than that only be available in fantastical places like the City of Brass or Sigil, which seems a decent rule of thumb. I’d go a step further and roll on the random treasure tables for what magic items can be found for sale in a given settlement. Roll on the CR 0-4 table for a town, the CR 5-10 table for a city, or the CR 11-16 table for a fantastical settlement.

 

[ezo]

Bastions?

 

[Horwath]

Well, magic item prices are better explained in the new DMG, and Bastions cost gold to make. But of course, both of those things are very optional to include. Magic items being crafting can serve in place of buying magic items, but that requires campaigns at a certain (very long) timescale…

Personally, I’m a strong advocate in favor of allowing the purchasing of magic items, but limiting the availability. The new DMG suggests having common magic items available in towns, uncommon and rare be available in cities, and anything rare than that only be available in fantastical places like the City of Brass or Sigil, which seems a decent rule of thumb. I’d go a step further and roll on the random treasure tables for what magic items can be found for sale in a given settlement. Roll on the CR 0-4 table for a town, the CR 5-10 table for a city, or the CR 11-16 table for a fantastical settlement.

I would add that lame, boring +X items are available in every magic shop. limited by level and size of settlement.

 

[Selas]

Well, magic item prices are better explained in the new DMG, and Bastions cost gold to make. But of course, both of those things are very optional to include. Magic items being crafting can serve in place of buying magic items, but that requires campaigns at a certain (very long) timescale…

Personally, I’m a strong advocate in favor of allowing the purchasing of magic items, but limiting the availability. The new DMG suggests having common magic items available in towns, uncommon and rare be available in cities, and anything rare than that only be available in fantastical places like the City of Brass or Sigil, which seems a decent rule of thumb. I’d go a step further and roll on the random treasure tables for what magic items can be found for sale in a given settlement. Roll on the CR 0-4 table for a town, the CR 5-10 table for a city, or the CR 11-16 table for a fantastical settlement.

Basically the new DMG suggests common items in towns, uncommon to rare in cities, and anything above that on large metropolises. Sigil and the City of Brass are not the only metropolises in dnd lore (settlements with population over 25k), it also includes places like Waterdeep and the City of Greyhawk...to name a few.

 

[Charlaquin]

Basically the new DMG suggests common items in towns, uncommon to rare in cities, and anything above that on large metropolises. Sigil and the City of Brass are not the only metropolises in dnd lore (settlements with population over 25k), it also includes places like Waterdeep and the City of Greyhawk...to name a few.

I thought it recommended fantastical settlements, rather than metropolises. Obviously City of Brass and Sigil aren’t the only examples of fantastical cities, but I don’t think Greyhawk or Waterdeep would qualify

 

[Maxperson]

I thought it recommended fantastical settlements, rather than metropolises. Obviously City of Brass and Sigil aren’t the only examples of fantastical cities, but I don’t think Greyhawk or Waterdeep would qualify

Union would be another example.

 

[Mistwell]

Will the 5th edition DMG better address what to do with treasure? I know the DM can just make stuff up, but I am hoping them have some actual rules. Maybe they can spend a bunch of gold to get a new proficiency in tools or skills, maybe they have rules for running a household, something...anything?

Bastions has been lovingly described as a "massive money sink" by at least one reviewer of the DMG who has read the book.

Building magic items is also expensive.

I think there is a lot to spend coin on now.

 

[Horwath]

I thought it recommended fantastical settlements, rather than metropolises. Obviously City of Brass and Sigil aren’t the only examples of fantastical cities, but I don’t think Greyhawk or Waterdeep would qualify

Waterdeep(depending on editions) has 133k city population with 1,4M in it's metropolitan area.

basically, if there is a city in FR where you can buy anything it's in Waterdeep.